Home >> builder

Tag Archives: builder

A Builder Area, Beefed Rafters, and Vapor Barrier

This Wednesday readers “Ask the Guru” about Hansen having a builder in the area of Minot, ND, if an existing pole barn with 8′ column spacing can be converted into a residential space by “beefing up” rafters, and use of a vapor barrier in a residential post frame structure.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am interested in a residential build. Do you have a builder you’ve worked with in the Minot ND area? Have you had any troubles with builders taking on jobs with your kits? KARLEY in VELVA

DEAR KARLEY: Hansen Pole Buildings is America’s leader in providing fully engineered, 100% custom designed, post frame building and barndominium kits, with multiple buildings in all 50 states. Your new building kit is designed for the average physically capable person, who can and will read and follow instructions, to successfully construct your own beautiful building shell (and most of our clients do DIY – saving tens of thousands of dollars – need a builder, we can probably help you there as well). We’ve had clients ranging from septuagenarians to fathers bonding with their teenage daughters erect their own buildings, so chances are – you can as well! Your new building investment includes full multi-page 24” x 36” structural blueprints detailing the location and attachment of every piece (as well as suitable for obtaining Building Permits), the industry’s best, fully illustrated, step-by-step installation manual, and unlimited technical support from people who have actually built post frame buildings. Even better – it includes our industry leading Limited Lifetime Structural warranty! Need a builder? Please complete this information https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/builder-terms-conditions/ As to your last question, sadly most builders are unable or unwilling to read plans and can only build they way they have always done it – this may or may not be correct or even structurally sound (not to mention, highly limiting to meet clients’ end wants and needs).

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: Is there anything I can do to make an existing pole building with 8′ pole spacing that was built for commercial use into residential without adding additional rafters. Can the rafters be beefed? CHRIS in HIXTON

DEAR CHRIS: If your existing pole building was indeed built for commercial use, then it should be in Risk Category II for wind, snow and seismic loads – same as residential. You will want to ascertain if roof trusses were fabricated to an adequate bottom chord (ceiling) dead load to support your choice of interior finishes. Typically you will want to see a 10 psf (pounds per square foot) load to support sheetrock. You will want to examine truss drawings prior owner should have. If these are not available, reach out to your local permit issuing authority, as many jurisdictions now have digitally archived plans and specifications. Another source would be whomever fabricated your trusses. Each truss should have a quality control stamp with fabricator’s name on it. Contact them, with your site address and approximate year built and they may be able to assist you. Worst case is you should be able to pay fabricator to send a representative out to gather specifics of your trusses (web configuration, lumber dimensions and grade, steel connector plate sizes). They can run it on their computer program to determine adequacy. If a structural repair is required for an upgrade, for a nominal fee, they should be able to provide.

DEAR POLE BARN GURU: I am a little confused on this vapor barrier situation as some say yes and some say no. I am building a residence in Missouri. Metal roof with reflective bubble wrap radiant barrier. I have Soffit venting with a thermostat controlled ventilation fan in one gable end. Is vapor barrier needed when attaching metal to bottom of trusses when using R38 blown in fiberglass. RANDY in MISSOURI

DEAR RANDY: Your gable fan probably is inadequate for meeting ventilation requirements, I would look to vent your ridge as well. Your short answer is – no. Here is some extended reading on this subject: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2023/01/does-my-pole-barn-need-a-vapor-barrier/

This entry was posted in Lumber, Rebuilding Structures, Insulation, Building Interior, Pole Barn Questions, Professional Engineer, Building Overhangs, Building Department, Pole Barn Homes, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Barndominium, Trusses, Ventilation and tagged Ventilation, building use conversion, builder, post frame builder, Rafters, vapor barrier, post frame residence, builder referral on October 8, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

Owner-Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

Qualifying for owner-barndominium builder construction loans can be a daunting task. Given 2007-2008’s housing market downturn, owner-builder construction loans are increasingly hard to get but not impossible. An owner-builder is a property owner who serves as general contractor on their own project. A General contractor coordinates everything from budget to hiring subcontractors. Serving as one’s own general coordinator requires work and patience but can provide a huge savings and equity into your property.

Serving as one’s own general contractor requires some research and knowledge. Since most people are not well versed in construction, it would be wise for a future barndominium owner to consult with someone with experience to get an understanding of how a project works from beginning to end. You should look at project size and develop a business plan. This business plan should include a projected budget listing labor and costs, building permits and any additional associated costs.

For further reading on things to complete before going to a barndominium lender: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/06/things-to-complete-before-going-to-a-barndominium-lender/

In addition, a project timeline needs to be developed. This project timeline will forecast the anticipated building schedule. It should also include provisions for delays (they will occur).

Once you have completed a business plan, find a lender who specializes in construction loans. To determine if you are qualified for a construction loan, your lender will need to verify your income, cash reserves, debt–to-income ratio and credit score and know you can provide necessary down payment. Down payment will be up to 30 percent of requested loan amount. Borrowers may use land equity as a substitute for a down payment. These requirements will allow your lender to see if you are able to repay the loan. Lenders are skeptical about providing construction loans to individuals. Providing a business plan for them to review will demonstrate you have researched and understand what is involved in constructing your barndominium.

Upon loan approval, you can begin to assemble your construction team. You need to ensure all subcontractors are reputable and guarantee their work, by proper vetting. Request to see previous projects and ask for references. In addition, check to see if any complaints have been lodged through local building authorities.

How to vet subcontractors: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2018/04/vetting-building-contractor/

After your team is assembled, establish frequent site visits and meetings with subcontractors to keep the project on schedule. By doing so, you will be able to adjust schedules should an issue arise causing a delay. Remember this is an investment. If you do not play an active role in your barndominium’s construction, your dream home could become your nightmare.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor, Pole Barn Homes, Barndominium, Uncategorized, Pole Building Comparisons and tagged pole building budget, general contractor, owner-builder, builder, barndominium, building permits, business plan on July 10, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

In addition, a project timeline needs to be developed. This project timeline will forecast the anticipated building schedule. It should also include provisions for delays (they will occur).

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, Pole Barn Homes, Barndominium, Uncategorized, Pole Building Comparisons, Pole Barn Planning and tagged general contractor, owner-builder, builder, barndominium, building permits, business plan, pole building budget on May 20, 2025 by Rick Ochs.

A Baker’s Dozen Post Frame Home Myths: Part II

A Baker’s Dozen Post-Frame Home Myths (#4 – #7)

MYTH #4 I NEED TO HIRE A BUILDER FIRST, BEFORE I DO ANYTHING

Have professional floor plans and elevation drawings done before pestering a builder. Very few builders are professional designers or architects – expecting them to be is unrealistic. Also, every builder worth his or her salt is busy right now – there is a far greater demand for builders, than there are builders to fill needs. This makes builder’s time extremely valuable.

If you do not own ‘your dirt’, it is impossible to craft a post-frame home plan to best fit with your building site.

Some plan tips to consider:

Direction of access – driveways are not cheap and shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Curb appeal – what will people see when they drive up? This may not be important to you, however some day someone will try (or need) to resell your post-frame home.

Is there an appealing view?

North-south alignment – place no or few windows on north walls, but lots of windows on south wall (in the South reverse this). Roof overhangs on south wall should provide shade to windows from mid-day summer sun.

Is there a slope on your building site?

Work from inside out – do not try to fit your wants and needs within a pre-ordained box just because someone said using a “standard” size might be cheaper. Differences in dimensions from “standard” are pennies per square foot, not dollars.

MYTH #5. A TURN-KEY GENERAL CONTRACTOR WILL INSURE EVERYTHING GOES PERFECTLY

Often a goal of post-frame home construction is to be able to get your most building, for your dollars invested (think biggest bang per buck).

When a turn-key general contractor is hired to provide a constructed building, normally roughly 25% of what you pay is going to said general contractor, who never lifts a tool or picks up a board at your building site. This is a different person than an erection contractor, who heads up a team of builders, but who also drives nails and screws along with his or her crew. A “general contractor” could be someone who drives nails, but usually doesn’t. They often sit in an office and act as coordinator. Sometimes they visit your building site, and often they do not. They may have a salesman or other assistant who actually occasionally visits your jobsite.

If you are not a “hands on” person or one who is willing to invest a few hours of your own time to save thousands of dollars, then maybe hiring a general contractor is your answer.

When people start thinking of “General contractors” visions of dollar signs, disappointment and reality TV shows start floating through their minds – and often for good reason.

In most cases, you don’t need or can’t afford a general contractor to be involved in your new post-frame home. If you have a very complex project, one involving a plethora of different trades, it could be worthwhile to hire one.

Remember those hours a general contractor will save you on your jobsite? Plan on spending twice this amount of time to find a good general contractor.

Please carefully reread the previous paragraph. Hiring a general contractor will not save you time.

MYTH #6. I CAN’T ERECT A BUILDING MYSELF

A well planned custom post-frame home building kit should be designed for an average physically capable person, who can and will read and follow instructions, to successfully construct their own beautiful building shell, without extensive prior construction knowledge (saving tens of thousands of dollars). I have had clients ranging from septuagenarians to fathers bonding with their teenage daughters erect their own buildings, so chances are – you can as well!

Your new post-frame home building kit investment should include full multi-page 24” x 36” site specific (matching exactly your doors, windows, and climactic conditions) structural blueprints, stamped by a Registered Professional Engineer detailing location and attachment of every piece (as well as suitable for obtaining Building Permits). It should include fully illustrated, step-by-step installation instructions, and unlimited technical support from people who have actually built post- frame homes.

MYTH #7. MY JURISDICTION DOESN’T REQUIRE PERMITS, SO I DON’T NEED ENGINEERED PLANS.

We are not saying how contractors have been building post-frame construction for many years is wrong. However, due to increased loading (from changes in weather patterns) and material changes such as a decrease in strength of wood products due to accelerated growing or use of screws and nail guns; design of buildings today is far more complex than original over-designed buildings constructed years ago.

Many times builders and owners are after the fastest and least expensive construction they can find. Post- frame construction, with wider spacing of posts and trusses, is often a solution they find. These goals can be realized through post-frame construction, but construction of an adequate structure does come with an investment. Engineering design is key to making sure each element of post-frame construction works to transfer loads safely to your home’s foundation. Everything from roof deck thickness and through connections to trusses and in turn through truss connections to posts or headers are keys to making a building work. Engineers, familiar with post-frame construction design, are able to ensure expected loads will not overburden your structure.

This entry was posted in Professional Engineer, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Homes, Pole Barn Planning, floorplans, Building Contractor and tagged architect, builder, floor plans, building contractor, general contractor, elevation drawings, registered design professional on November 17, 2022 by admin.

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

In addition, a project timeline needs to be developed. This project timeline will forecast the anticipated building schedule. It should also include provisions for delays (they will occur).

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Homes, Barndominium, Uncategorized, Pole Building Comparisons, Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor and tagged building permits, business plan, pole building budget, general contractor, owner-builder, builder, barndominium on November 16, 2021 by admin.

Question About a Pole Building Under Construction

If you are like me, when you hire a professional to do professional work, you expect them to be experts and to do things correctly. Few things in life upset me more than when a builder gives a client a great price and then cuts corners in order to make a profit.

Facebooker CHRIS in TENNESSEE messaged me:

“Question about our 30×40 pole barn that is being built. Our builder set our 6×6 post straight into the ground without any type of base at the bottom and just back filled the hole with dirt. Our plans from the company show a small concrete area at the bottom of each hole but they did not do that. I wanted to reach out to you to see if you can think of any long term issues I’m going to have down the road. Just looking for some education before talking to the company. Thanks.”

Sigh…..without an adequate footing beneath columns your building is going to sink. A minimum 6″ thick concrete footing needs to be poured under every column. There should also be a provision to prevent uplift. I would recommend no further payments to them until this issue is resolved. They should be providing an engineer certified solution to this.

“They just finished the metal on the building yesterday and it dawned on me I never noticed them putting concrete in the holes. We have a security camera on the corner of the house so I pulled up the video footage and they went straight from the holes being drilled to dropping the post in. Can that even be fixed that they are this far in the build?”

It can be fixed, but it is going to take a lot of work on their part. At this point, any repair should be done only with involvement of a Registered Professional Engineer to design a fix, supply sealed drawings and to sign off on completed work as being adequate. Most important part of your building is its foundation – this is not a place to compromise. Do not get bullied into backing down, you have paid for a good building and should expect to receive one.

“I’ve been confused about how the post should be set after trying to search the Facebook group. I saw people say never use concrete that it will rot the post and cookies are useless.”

There is a lot of bad information out there and a lot of armchair engineers (including builders). Concrete does not contribute to decay of properly pressure preservative treated wood. In most cases cookies are inadequate in both thickness and diameter.

“I just got off the phone with my builder (******** Barn Company) and of course they said they build 100’s of buildings like this and don’t have an issue.”

It doesn’t matter if they have built a million this way. Unless they are willing to provide an engineer sealed drawing (specifically for your building) to confirm it is adequate – call b.s.

You are likely going to get a lot of pushback from them, as they have screwed up and this fix is going to cost them money.

“My drawings show the concrete at the base and I questioned that and I got some story that “Oh, that’s in our software by default and cannot be remove on our plans.””

8 x 12 would not have been adequate anyhow. Again – if what they have done can be verified by an engineer, then okay – reality is it cannot.

Be prepared to have to hire a Construction Attorney and whatever you do, under no circumstances pay them anything more unless this condition is resolved, or your attorney tells you it is okay to pay.

“Thank you for all the professional advice.”

This entry was posted in Barndominium, Constructing a Pole Building, Shouse, Building Contractor, Concrete, Concrete Cookie, Footings, Pole Barn Questions and tagged professional engineer, Concrete, concrete footings, concrete cookies, builder on December 16, 2020 by admin.

Do You Own the Land Your Barndominium Will Be Built On?

Barndominiums, shouses and post frame homes are not only a current rage, they may be America’s future home of choice. Pinterest has literally hundreds of photos of barndominiums. DIY network’s “Texas Flip-n-Move” feature a rusty old barn made into a beautiful home in Episode 6 of Season 5. Chip and Joanna Gaines took on a barndominium makeover in Season 3 Episode 6 of “Fixer Upper”. Tens of thousands of Facebookers join barndominium discussion groups of one sort or another.

However not everyone wants to take on the joys and challenges of trying to convert an old barn into a beautiful and functional new home.

Most potential barndominium owners are trying to escape urban or suburban living. They want to sneeze without hearing their neighbors say, “Bless you”. Oftentimes they have looked to buy an existing home, but could never find one exactly fitting their needs.

Here is where a blank canvas of vacant property has its allure. Within constraints of available space, budget and imagination anything becomes possible.
I accept my asking, “Do you own the land your barndominium will be built on?” in Facebook groups puts me in a position of being a brunt taker for jokes. There is, however, a method to my madness.

To begin with, I do not care if you own property free and clear (and let’s face it, your local property taxing authority owns it as well). It doesn’t matter if ‘your dirt’ is owned by a relative, a friend or a close enemy – just as long as you know where your new home is going to be.
For most this ‘barndominium build” is going to become their forever home (or at least theirs for a very long time).

Seemingly millions of canned house plans are available (for a small to large fee) across a plethora of internet websites. 99.9% of these plans have a similar problem – they were designed for a flat lot in suburbia! Yep, they look stunning on a website. Considering spending your hard earned money on one thinking you will save money by using cheap house plans? This would be an equivalent to everyone buying 34 inch waist 36 inch inseam Levi’s. They fit me just fine, but what if you are not 6’5”? Or maybe you do not even like Levi’s?

Your home should be planned to fit into its environment. Does it make sense to try to change (or ignore) your environment to fit your bargain house plans?
In order to craft ideal plans for your new barndominium, shouse or post frame home, your building site should be carefully considered.

If you are considering hiring a general contractor to turnkey your build, or merely an erector to put up your home’s shell, only once you ‘own the dirt’ and even better have a building plan developed to match your building site should you embark on a ‘builder hunt’. Builders are in short supply and their time is valuable. It is an unfair expectation to take advantage of them before they can reasonably ascertain you actually might have a need for their services.

Know where your barndominium is going to be built? Please reach out to me and I can give you some free advice on getting those ideal plans.

For extended reading on turnkey general contractors for barndominiums please see: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/02/does-my-barndominium-need-a-turn-key-general-contractor/

This entry was posted in Post Frame Home, Barndominium, About The Pole Barn Guru, Shouse, Building Department, Shouse, Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor and tagged builder, barndominium, shouse, texas, Texas Flip n Move, building contractor, Fixer-Upper, building plans on May 14, 2020 by admin.

Commercial Post Frame Building Blunder

My Facebook friend Dan recently commented upon this article https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2020/03/there-is-a-right-way-and-this-way/ wanting to know if I could show some other building blunders.

Yes Dan, I can.

As Technical Director for Hansen Pole Buildings since 2002, I have gotten to assist a few DIYers and post frame builders with their building questions. DIYers are generally fabulous, and their stories usually begin with something similar to this:

“I have made a mistake worse than anything you possibly ever seen, can you help me?”

To them my response is most usually, “As a post frame building contractor, I ran as many as 35 crews in six states. If something could be done wrong, they probably did it, so how can I assist you?”

Most builders usually take a different tack, “Your plans are stupid and your engineer is an idiot!”

And from me, “Now we have this settled, describe your challenge and we can work towards a solution.”

Please keep in mind, our third-party engineer sealed blueprints are similar whether for a builder or someone doing DIY. We are not picking specifically upon builders by giving them less to work from.

In this particular instance, an allegedly professional builder has found a way to go above and beyond any bad I have ever previously experienced.

Far beyond.

This article’s photo shows a 60 foot span prefabricated roof truss, somehow hanging in air two feet past a building endwall. Builder contacted us because he was “short” on trim. From this picture, I am guessing trim is not all he is short on.

This truss was supposed to be notched into the corner and endwall columns by 1-1/2 inches, so it has full bearing at each point. Horizontal 2×4 framing (shown as being cut to fit between end truss webs) was to have been placed upon the end truss face to attach steel siding. Roof purlins, on edge, were to go across top of this truss to support a two foot overhang. Engineered Simpson brackets were provided to attach purlins to truss and solid blocking was to be placed between overhanging purlins above the truss.

I am totally baffled as to what is supporting this truss, or how the builder believed this was going to be correct. Certainly he did not look at building plans or open our Construction Manual. This is one of several pretty much unbelievable FUBARs on this building – and it resulted in my making a recommendation to dig a deep trench at one end of the building and bulldoze everything into it!

This entry was posted in Columns, Pole Barn Design, About The Pole Barn Guru, Building Overhangs, Constructing a Pole Building, Building Contractor, Trusses and tagged Simpson brackets, builder, endwall overhang, end truss, purlins on April 14, 2020 by admin.

Performance Bonds

Performance Bonds for Post Frame Buildings and Barndominiums

Don’t get me wrong, most post frame and barndominium building contractors are honest folks who just love to make their clients happy. I, for one, get tired of reading horror stories of folks who have been ripped off by those who are not so scrupulous. And every rip-off builder makes it harder for honest contractors to be trusted.

Here is a solution for all – performance bonding.

These bonds provide a guarantee a construction project will be satisfactory completed, and a contractor will live up to all bond specified terms, to project owner’s satisfaction. Company selling bonds to a contractor is known as a surety company, and as collateral for backing a bond financially, a surety company will often require some form of property or equipment.

Surety companies can be either financial institutions such as banks, or they can be insurance companies making bonds available to contractors who apply for them.

How Do Performance Bonds Work?

Both government and private sector companies require performance bonds as protection against noncompliance, or failure to complete a project by a contractor. When a contracting company fails to live up to its obligations on a project, and for whatever reason, cannot complete specified body of work, the bonding company may be obliged to pay for project completion, or secure the services of an alternative contracting company for project completion.

Bonds include terms contractor must live up to, and constitute project owner’s evaluation of what constitutes a complete project. If a contractor fails to meet any of these terms, construction job owner would then have the option of making a claim against bond, to recover any incurred losses.

If it turns out contractor would be bankrupted by having to pay the amount of any claim against him/her surety company is left as sole responsible party for making up any losses to project owner. Because there is so much at stake in this type of bond, terms and language used must be very specific, because as often as not, a case like this can go to court, where performance surety bond terms are subject to legal interpretation.

When a Bond Obligation is not Met

When terms are not entirely fulfilled by a contractor, project owner is within his/her right to make a claim against the bond to recover any resultant losses. Initially, surety (company) is responsible for paying this amount to the project’s owner, assuming this claim can be validated, either privately or through legal means.

In many cases, however, bonding company would then have the option to pursue contractor to recover this same amount of money, since contractor’s failure to comply caused a claim to be made. It will depend on whether or not language is included in a bond, a bonding company has this option to pursue defaulting contractor.

When this language is written into performance surety bond, and surety bonding company requires a contractor to repay amount of a claim, a contractor is legally obliged to do so. If paying a claim would push contractor into a state of bankruptcy, bond issuing company would then have no recourse for being compensated for its losses, and would then have to absorb any financial setback. For this reason, surety companies make a point of thoroughly screening applications from contractors who are interested in purchasing this kind of bond.

PERFORMANCE BOND COST:

Almost every contractor who successfully bids on a construction project should have a surety bond in hand, simply because a project owner will require this kind of assurance job will be completed. As a general rule of thumb, a contractor can anticipate a surety company will impose a charge of roughly 1% of the total contract value as a cost of a bond itself.

Contractors who appear to be relatively unstable financially will, of course, be charged a higher amount for a bond than would a financially stable contractor with a good credit history.

How to get a Performance type Bond

Obtaining a performance bond is a relatively easy process, assuming the contractor does not have a bad credit history, or is considered financially unstable so a bond issuing company would be reluctant to take a chance. For credit-worthy applicants, this process is fairly simple, beginning with selection of a reputable bond company.

After having selected a surety company, a contractor can go online and apply on provider’s website. This application will be reviewed, and more than likely, a comprehensive check into the contractor’s credit history and financial condition will be undertaken by bond issuing company, to protect themselves against loss.

Assuming this application is approved, an indemnity document will be sent to the contractor, to sign before a notary, and then return indemnity agreement with application fee. Upon receipt of contractor’s indemnity agreement plus a fee, bonding company will then issue the bond and conditions will be in effect from then forward.

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor, Budget, Post Frame Home, Barndominium and tagged Performance bonds, bond claim, bond cost, building contractor, surety company, builder on November 21, 2019 by admin.

Why it is Essential to Supervise Professional Installers

Why It Is Essential to Supervise Professional Installers

In an ideal dream world, one would be able to hire a professional installer and know the job would be done right, without the need for hands on supervision.

RYAN in ELLENSBURG recently contracted out the roof steel installation of his new Hansen Pole Building kit package and this was his report:

“My roofer finally showed up yesterday and I wasn’t able to supervise the installation, so several mistakes were made but the one I’m most uncertain of is that the ridge cap was installed with diaphragm screws instead of stitch screws. He also left off all of the closures so the ridge cap has to come off anyway. My question is whether or not it can be reinstalled with stitch screws because of the difference in screw profile.”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru says:

It is a shame to have invested in a professional for installation and not be able to leave them alone and expect the job to be done correctly. The diameter of the diaphragm screws is larger than a #12 stitch screw (which was provided to attach the ridge cap). In the event the roofer placed the diaphragm screws so as they were driven into the solid wood of the ridge purlins, then you could do the same once again. Otherwise you are probably going to need to invest in some #14 diameter stitch screws.

Well, it turns out it was worse than originally imagined, as Ryan wrote back:

“Yes, I agree. That’s just the beginning of the list of issues with the installation. On top of that none of the insulation seams were taped together, screws that missed the purlins were just left in place with no wood block placed behind them so they will leak at some point, the insulation was placed over the peak of the roof so the ridge cap that is supposed to be vented can’t flow any air, and none of the closures (vented closures and eave closures) were installed. It’s really disappointing because he did the roof on my house 3 years ago and I thought he’d done a good job on that, now it makes me wonder what corners were cut on that job, too.”

Mike the Pole Barn Guru:

There are ways to avoid being sadly disappointed by a contractor:

(1) Do it yourself. Hansen Pole Buildings are designed with the Do-It-Yourselfer in mind. The step-by-step construction manual covers every aspect of assembly. If you can and will read the instructions, chances are you will have a better finished product than what any builder will construct for you.

(2) Still want to hire a “professional”? Require a performance bond. (read more here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/contractor-bonding/).

(3) If you hire a contractor, familiarize yourself with the Hansen Pole Buildings’ Construction Manual and be onsite during construction to make certain the contractor does the work correctly.

This entry was posted in Roofing Materials, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor and tagged builder, Ridge cap, performance bond, stitch screws on July 6, 2018 by admin.

The Contractor Factor! When Plans Go Awry!

The Contractor Factor

I hear too many stories where well-intentioned folks hire a contractor to erect a pole barn (post frame building) and end up with less than they bargained for.

This is avoidable, with an ounce of prevention.

Reader DONNA in REMSEN writes:

“I had a pole barn put up in Sept this year, contract said contractor would fill area with gravel to raise the grade as it was being built on a slope. So instead the builder just dumped 4 loads of sand on top of the grass, pushed it around with a bobcat till fairly level, and built the pole barn on top. I live in an area that calls for pole to be 4 feet in virgin soil, the builder put some down 2 feet, in the sand and some 3 feet, in the sand. Now the whole thing has huge pits around the poles and the doors won’t shut any longer, it’s been a month!! Builder says it is normal. I am afraid of what else it will do with the posts not down too deep, any suggestions.”

Hopefully you have not paid the builder. It sounds like you have a plethora of potential challenges going on. This is the order in which I would address them:

First – contact the Building Inspector who signed off on the building inspections. He or she should be asked to prepare a list of corrections which must be completed in order to obtain an occupancy permit.

Second – have the Engineer of Record who sealed the original building plans do a field inspection of the building and prepare a list of deficiencies which need to be corrected.

Third – take the two lists from above and the contract between you and your contractor to an attorney who specializes in construction law. The attorney can then prepare the appropriate documents to be sent to the contractor giving the builder a set time frame (which may be spelled out in the contract documents) in which to correct the deficiencies.

There is a strong possibility the contractor will ignore your attorney, hopefully the contractor has sufficient assets for you to attach in the event you are the prevailing party in legal action. This is one of the reasons I strongly encourage anyone who is hiring a building contractor to require the posting of a performance bond as a guarantee the work to be performed is actually completed in accordance with the contract documents.

More about contractor bonding can be read here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2012/07/contractor-bonding/.

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, Pole Building How To Guides, Pole Barn Planning and tagged building contractor, engineer of record, builder, Building Inspector, building grade on November 30, 2017 by admin.

Sharing the Pole Barn Blame

Sharing the Blame

Welcome to 2017!

As you may recall, 2016 ended with me sharing an email from a builder who is constructing a new Hansen Pole Building and may possibly be a legend in his own mind.

Our company policy, when a challenge arrives, has always been to begin by looking to see what, if anything did we do wrong. In this particular case, we (and yours truly) share in some of the blame.

For you, gentle reader, I will paint a picture of the building in question, so you may get a better feel for the entire process.

The building is a 40 foot clearspan in width, 100 feet long with an eave height of 16 feet and five inches. It is designed under the 8^th edition of the Massachusetts State Building Code, with a 90 mph (mile per hour) design wind speed and a 50 psf (pounds per square foot) design flat roof snow load.

It features 12 inch enclosed overhangs on all four sides, as well as three 14 foot wide by 14 foot tall overhead doors on one sidewall.

The most practical design solution actually (which is a rare case) turned out to be based upon the traditional “East coast” style of post frame construction, with a single truss spaced every four feet on top of “truss carriers” (beams) spanning sidewall columns generally every eight feet (other than at the overhead door locations).

This building happens to be narrow in width in relationship to length (1 to 2.5 ratio) and is fairly tall. As such, the wind load was great enough to exceed the shear resisting capacity of the steel roofing in the eight feet closest to each endwall.

In order to carry the load, the building was designed so the trusses in the affected areas would have a traditional ¼ inch butt cut (educate yourself on what a butt cut is here: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2015/05/truss-butt-cuts/), while the balance of the trusses would have 11/16 inch butt cuts. This would allow for the top of all truss carriers to be placed at the same height, and 7/16” OSB (Oriented Strand Board – https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/10/osb-versus-plywood/) to be installed on top of the lower heel height trusses.

Pretty darn skippy sounding ……. Until we get to tomorrow!!

Yep – yet another cliff hanger!!

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, Trusses, Pole Barn Design, Building Overhangs, Steel Roofing & Siding and tagged building contractor, post frame construction, builder, truss carriers, trusses every 4 feet, truss butt cut, truss spacing on January 3, 2017 by admin.

Secret to A Successful Relationship

Whether a building contractor, pole building kit supplier or someone considering investing in a pole building, this is going to be important to you. Important enough so if you are a competitor you should consider adding it to your agreements with your future clients to ensure a successful relationship.

“GENERAL: This Agreement constitutes the only agreement between Hansen Pole Buildings, LLC (herein known as Seller) and Purchaser and supersedes all previous Agreements, conditions, contracts, designs, discussions, negotiations, quotations, plans, promises, representations, and/or terms on this sale either written or verbal. It is understood there are no oral or other agreements between Seller and Purchaser with regard to the subject of this Agreement which are not incorporated herein. The extent of Seller’s obligation is covered in this Agreement and this Agreement only. This clause is not a mere recitation of fact, but is intended to be an absolute and binding acknowledgment of legal consequences. ”

If you are unsure of why this is important, let me explain.

There are three keys to any successful relationship – whether personal or business. They are communication, communication and communication. Unless both parties are able to clearly express their wants and needs, the relationship is going to be headed for struggles at best, or failure at worst.

Most people, when shopping for a new pole building, will discuss their wants and needs with multiple different potential providers. Each supplier will relate different

ly with you and most will provide a plethora of features which they will attempt to influence you to pick them as “the one”. Trying to sell on features alone makes the end result a commodity. Commodities are great and wonderful if shopping for the best price on an exactly identical item (e.g. getting the best deal on a new car), however it is the benefits which make the difference. It does not matter if the price is wonderful, if the end result does not meet the needs.

Confusion can occur when the discussions between providers begins to blur – who said what to whom?

This is why the ONLY things which apply are those which are actually stated on the actual contract document(s). At a bare minimum what should be included is: all building dimensions (width, length and eave height) and roof slope; all design loads and Code information (Code and Code version, Ground and Flat roof snow loads, Wind Speed and Exposure, Seismic Category and Soil bearing capacity); as well as all included features.

As a consumer, don’t sign or approve any document without fully understanding what it is you are investing in. It will save a world of disappointment and hurt feelings later!

This entry was posted in Pole Building Comparisons, Pole Barn Planning, Building Contractor and tagged pole building contractor, builder conflict, builder, Pole Building contract on April 24, 2015 by admin.

Fire Your Building Contractor

One of our clients has been speaking with Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer Rick about a new post frame building.

Rick related to me this from the client:

“Talked to a client Saturday that is going to walk away from the $1,900.00 he put down to get plans from this guy, for a lot of reasons.”

I just cringe every time I hear of someone getting nothing for something in our industry. It makes it so much more difficult for the majority of those who do really care about the clients.

I asked Rick, “For what reasons?”

“Oh, I heard them. Takes a week to get on phone, asked to borrow client’s f-350 to move equipment to site, requested that an additional 4 feet be cleared behind the pad to allow for scaffolding for a 10 foot building, after the work has already been done. Wants more money to have his friend come and do it. I think there were more, but that’s enough.

Client is in stage four cancer and wants to be sure the building goes in before the snow to be used this winter, has no confidence in this guy at this point.”

I’ve related over and over how to find a reliable contractor, in the event one is not doing their own work. You can find several of these articles at:

https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/category/building-contractor/

Red Flag #1 – can’t get prompt responses to calls, texts, faxes, emails – whatever the communication method of choice is…..if it takes over 24 hours, more than once, there is a problem.

I’ve spoken with far too many folks who are just shopping for a new building – and can’t get a response for a week or more!! Communication is the key to any good relationship, and crucial to successful construction.

Red Flag #2 – contractor wants to borrow anything from the customer! I was a registered contractor for years, and in several states. As a builder, never ask to borrow anything from a client. Not only is it unprofessional, but it is a near guarantee of whatever is being borrowed – will be returned broken.

Red Flag #3 – wants more money for a “friend” to do extra work! If extra work actually is needed, it should be up to the client’s discretion of who to pick, and what to pay them.

Please – if considering purchasing an entire building (materials and labor) from a contractor, start with a visit to their website. If the website looks cheap or unprofessional, it is a pretty good indicator of the work which will be done on your new building.

If they are not a member of the Better Business Bureau (just because the BBB logo is on their website, does not mean they are a member – click on the logo to confirm it links to the BBB) and the National Frame Building Association (www.NFBA.org), my humble opinion is to run (do not walk) away from them as quickly as possible.

As the sage Benjamin Franklin once said, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”

This entry was posted in Building Contractor and tagged building contractor, pole building contractor, builder on August 22, 2014 by admin.

enable JavaScript

1.866.200.9657

Latest Blog Posts

View All

Tag Archives: builder

A Builder Area, Beefed Rafters, and Vapor Barrier

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

A Baker’s Dozen Post Frame Home Myths: Part II

Owner Barndominium Builder Construction Loans

Do You Own the Land Your Barndominium Will Be Built On?

Commercial Post Frame Building Blunder

Performance Bonds

Why it is Essential to Supervise Professional Installers

The Contractor Factor! When Plans Go Awry!

Sharing the Pole Barn Blame

Secret to A Successful Relationship

Fire Your Building Contractor

What will you use your

building for?

Approximate

building dimension

Your building. Your way.

Your building. Your way.

Can we text you to setup

appointments?

Are you a

robot?

Your request has been received!

Thank you!

There has been an

error!

Building KitPrice

Pole Barn Guru Blog

Ask The Guru

Pole Building Learning Center

Photo Gallery

Paint Your Building

Most Viewed Blogs

Latest Blog Posts