[ckelly78z]

We built a 104'x60' pole barn (a kit from Menards, and delivered in pieces on one semi truck) in the fall of 2014, and finished up over the Winter last year. We built it with a 12' double sliding door on each end, and a small entry "man" door. We put 4 horse stalls and a tack room across one end and use the rest of the room for indoor riding arena. We did much of the work ourselves, by laying out the dimensions, and used a lasor site to set the grade board. We rented a 70 HP Bobcat with an 18" hole auger and dug all 36 holes 4' deep in one weekend. We set the posts in each hole with wind stays nailed on the bottom and made them level and straight and filled the holes with quickrete and water. Once all the posts were in place, we started on the crossbracing. We then borrowed my neighbor's 9000 lb telescoping boom forklift and starting setting the 60 ' trusses 16' up in the air, with me on the lift, and two guys on ladders guiding each end to the posts. The only thing at 50 years old, I refused to do, was to hang roofing, and the higher metal because my legs tend to cramp up while on a ladder, or roof. We saved probably $10,000 doing most of the work ourselves, but still spent close to $40,000 on the finished product......good memories of the family working together, but truly glad it is done with now.

We now park our 30' camper along one interior wall for the Winter, and still have plenty of room to ride. I realize you probably don't need a huge "Noah's Ark" like we built, but this gives you a rough idea on price and labor.......No doubt it was tough to do, but well worth it in the end.