A commercial pole building can be an office, warehouse, event center, church, recreational facility, manufacturing space, or vehicle storage building. Pole Barns Direct has built post frame buildings since 2009 out of our showroom and office in East Canton, Ohio, and we build in Eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. Before you request a quote for a commercial pole barn, it helps to decide what the building is for, how big it needs to be, the doors, any office space, and where it will sit on your site. Our commercial buildings page shows the types of commercial buildings we design and build.
Decide what the building is for
Start with the use. An office, a warehouse, an event center, a church, a recreational facility, manufacturing space, and vehicle storage each lay out differently.
The use also matters to your zoning department, which cares about what the building will be used for, what size it can be, and where it can sit on your property.
If your building is mainly a workshop or a commercial garage for work trucks, our post on planning a pole barn shop covers shop layouts and door sizes for trucks and equipment.
Decide the size and clear span
Our buildings start at 24′ x 24′ x 8′. We can clear span up to 80′ wide with no posts in the middle, and the length is limited only by the space you have.
Examples on our commercial page include:
- 30′ x 60′ x 10′ church pavilion
- 30′ x 72′ x 14′ school storage building
- 40′ x 40′ x 14′ township garage
- 40′ x 80′ x 14′ warehouse
- 56′ x 80′ x 16′ trucking company building
- 60′ x 120′ x 16′ office and shop
- 60′ x 120′ x 20′ manufacturing facility
You can see more in our photo gallery by choosing the Commercial filter.
Lean-tos, porches, cupolas, and wainscot are available options. Overhang is commonly 12″ and can go up to 24″.
Plan the doors and windows
Think about who and what comes in and out: customers, staff, deliveries, vehicles, and equipment.
Door options include:
- Overhead garage doors in insulated and non-insulated versions
- Commercial doors
- 3′-0″ x 6′-8″ steel 6-panel service doors
- Nine-light glass doors
- Sliding doors
Garage doors are installed by our preferred contractor after the building is done.
Window options include horizontal vinyl sliding windows in 3×2 and 3×3 sizes, vinyl single hung windows in 3×4 and 3×5 sizes, and fixed transom windows in 6×2 sizes, all with insulated glass. Clear panel is recommended only for buildings that will not be finished inside.
Your estimator designs and quotes the building one-on-one and provides 3D renderings to place doors and windows. You can also try layouts in our 3D Builder, which starts with a zip code check, and send the finished design with your quote request.
Plan any office space
Interior walls can be framed to make an office or room. The interior can be metal liner panel, OSB, or wood paneling.
Typical insulation is R-19 batts in the walls and R-30 or R-38 blown-in in the ceiling, which need a wall and ceiling covering. A finished ceiling needs a heavier truss bottom chord load: 5 psf for a metal ceiling with insulation, or 10 psf for gypsum board with insulation.
Pole Barns Direct has its own truss plant with in-house truss design.
If the office should go upstairs, attic trusses or gambrel trusses may be options. Attic trusses have a peaked roof and sloped-ceiling room. Gambrel trusses have a barn roof and square room. Each gives an upstairs room 12′ to 16′ wide that runs the length of the building. A loft can also work and usually needs extra posts.
Attic and gambrel trusses go 2′ on center and may need a crane. In Ohio, most building departments require stamped drawings from a licensed architect for a building with a second floor. Our post on second floors in a pole building explains the options.
We also do concrete floors and interior finishing. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are done by other contractors, and we may be able to refer you to them.
Single-bubble vapor barrier goes under the roof steel on every building and is a standard feature in every quote.
Plan the site
Our free on-site consultation covers building placement, site grade, access, water control, features, and size.
You arrange a level dirt pad and driveway access with an excavator. We do not do excavation beyond drilling the post holes, and we can refer a local excavator.
We build all year long.
Check permits before you design
Contact your local zoning and building department to find out what you are allowed to build before you design. Depending on your location, you may have both, or only one.
The zoning department cares about the use, size, and location of the building. The building department cares about how it will be constructed. Our post on contacting zoning and building departments before you design explains more.
You are typically responsible for zoning and building permits. During design and quoting, we make sure every aspect of the building will meet local and state building code. After your quote is final, we can provide the documents and drawings usually needed for the building permit, and we will not finalize plans or contracts until you have your permits.
Start planning your commercial pole building
Our free Pole Building Decision Guide has a building and site prep checklist, questions for the contractor, and mockup areas to plan the building.
Every building we construct has a 5 year warranty on materials and labor, serviced through Pole Barns Direct. Some limitations apply, so call for details.
Meet us at your building site or at our showroom and office:
Pole Barns Direct, LLC
505 Nassau St. W
East Canton, OH 44730
We serve East Canton, Eastern Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania. Call 1-877-712-2767, Monday to Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, or request a quote online.
