When I bought my property 2 years ago, I inherited a 12 x 30 concrete slab that the previous owner used for a dog pen. I need a storage shed so I called a local manufacturer of metal buildings who quoted me $4200 for a “kit” with 1 double door and one window. This price is with me picking up at the factory and erecting it myself. I then put together a material list for a stick built shed that will match the house with hardi-plank siding and architectural shingles. It included a walk-in door, an 8’ overhead door and four windows. The price came to $2300. delivered. Granted, the stick built will be a little more labor intensive in its construction, but it will give me a more desirable product. I always regarded metal buildings as a low cost alternative to stick built, my expectation was that the metal option would be about half that of stick built. Is this typical? Has something changed over the years?

12 x 30 for $2300?!?!?!?! I want to buy lumber where you do!!!

I am pretty handy, and don't think I could build a 360 sqft building for under $15/sqft..or $5400, PLUS windows and doors.

If you happen to have a lot of items you can use, already lying around, maybe. Still, the cost of the stuff you already have would determine cost comparison on a complete job.

I guess it also depends on your location and time of year for pricing. I know lumber prices go up during hurricane season.

I haven't done a cost comparison in a few years now, but when I did, a 2x6 stick built was always less expensive than the pole barn kits. That would also include ceiling and wall insulation, finished metal interior and poured foundation for the stick built.

I wanted to build a 16 x 24 x 12 insulated building for my tractor and a few other things. I started buying materials. Got the trusses, shingles and other items, waiting for lumber prices to drop again. I picked up a new, really nice Wayne Dalton Industrial insulated 8' x 10' overhead door for peanuts when a lumber company went belly up. It was custom made for someone and the guy at the lumber company said they messed up and told W-D the wrong width, so this is actually 8'2". With a mono-slab, a couple windows, steel entrance door, electrical and misc., about 4800 bucks for materials.

Silly thing tho, is when I inquired about a permit, the regulations were changed a few months before this and they only allow a maximum size building on vacant property of 100 sq-ft, unless it's farm land. Reason being is people will put up a small building like this and live in it. To be honest with you, I could live in it!

South Ga is ground zero for the pine timber industry, so I would expect it to be cheaper here than elsewhere. Lumber prices in Atlanta are about 15% higher than in south Ga and I’ve been told it is due to freight. When I first priced my list it came to about $2550, then I sent it to a builder friend of mine for a sanity check. He sent it to his regular vendor guy for pricing and it came back at $2300, including tax and delivery. Now, it will probably take me all winter to get it done.

Rainman, I don't have any materials to reuse, that price includes everything, right down to nails, caulking and paint.

I wish I could find your pricing on materials then!

Did the metal building manufacturer quote you a pre-engineered rigid frame structure or wood frame pole barn type structure? If he quoted rigid frame that could be some of the higher cost. Also because your building is fairly small the difference in metal building vs. stick built is less. If you went bigger and taller the cost would likely shift to the metal building being less.

I just went through this same debate, metal vs. wood. I'd say go with what you really want. What little money you may save by going with one versus the other will come and go. You will be stuck looking at it for the rest of your life. I to, have all woodlands. I felt the metal building would stick out like a sore thumb in the woods so I ponied up for wood, and glad I did.

I went with metal outside AND inside, but it was for a shop building. I thought my insurance agent was going to break in tears he was so impressed. Very minimal risk of fire caused by sparks, grinding, cutting torches, etc.

Did the insurance agent come look at your shop or just peruse pictures? Perhaps I should add my wood burning stove to the barn after it is insured.

He came out and looked things over.

Roadwarriorsvt, I'd think that if you had a policy that didn't include a wood burner and had a fire the ins co could probably skate on paying for damaged if it could be linked to the wood burner. Ins companies are very good at being able to avoid paying for that which would seem covered. When I was a kid someone threw a rock through the back window of my car. Did'nt have full coverage so my dad called their/my ins guy to see if their home owners policy would pay for it. Answer was that since it was parked in the yard, not the driveway it was considered improperly parked and therefore not covered.

Yeah, insurance companies are really aware. You really can't slide something underneath them.

It really depends on your insurance company tho. The current company I have on my camper would not cover the water damage due to a roof seam that split. They said it was a manufacturing defect, and just too bad.

The previous company would cover this. It just so happens that they were audited and found to be overcharging me as well as thousands of others. I filed all the proper paperwork and am getting a chunk of change back

I just love it when these types of institutions get audited, I get money back

If you ever get these types of notices in the mail, follow thru. It may take a while, but you'll get a check in the mail (along with a bunch of other legal stuff). I'm waiting on some money back from a bank that got busted, but these take time. Paperwork was quick to do and that's almost 1200 bucks. It should be within the next year or so, but this was filed and confirmed a few years ago.

I was really surprised when the first check came in the mail. I really didn't believe it and it was bouncing around in my truck for a couple months. Finally took it into my new bank and they said it's real. Cool!

AS many pictures as I take I have only two of my pole barn and they are just incidental. I built my pole barn about 30 years ago and cost me about $2200 as I remember. The size is 33x40 with two 10x10 sliding doors and one 6x8 sliding door. The floor is gravel. I built my trusses of 2x6's and spaced them 6 foot apart. I found a lumber yard that would deliver large amounts or just one piece free since they delivered all over the area everyday. As I had the money I built it piece by piece over a years time. I had no help putting it up and now i can't believe I did it without help. Maybe my most useful project.