# Pole Barn door placement



## Magfrog (Jan 19, 2020)

I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
Jim


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Good Morning Jim, 

How tall is your pole barn going to be? A regular 16' household type garage door is not very tall. You will likely have to duck your head going through it on your tractor. And may have to pull a vertical muffler, fold down a canopy or roll bar?? You might consider an overhead door that is 10' tall (which may dictate using the gable end). Post back and get a discussion going with the guys on the forum.


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## Skramer360 (6 mo ago)

When I built my garage I put the garage door close to one side, only about 1' from the corner, and the man door just around the corner, also 1' from the corner. In my mind a 4'x4' space will be wasted between the doors. With the garage door off to one side I have extra room on the other side to build the necessary work bench and storage shelves and not have to stand in the parking space to use them.


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## fuddy1952 (Mar 6, 2021)

It wouldn't hurt to price it 2 story since upstairs storage is great.
The horse stable I recently had built has large sliding double doors each end so it's pull through which is nice so 12x12 opening.
An overhang shed on it is also nice.

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk


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## Magfrog (Jan 19, 2020)

sixbales said:


> Good Morning Jim,
> 
> How tall is your pole barn going to be? A regular 16' household type garage door is not very tall. You will likely have to duck your head going through it on your tractor. And may have to pull a vertical muffler, fold down a canopy or roll bar?? You might consider an overhead door that is 10' tall (which may dictate using the gable end). Post back and get a discussion going with the guys on the forum.


The walls will be 10' and the garage door is 16' wide by 8 foot high. This is the same as my attached garage on my house and I can pull my tractors in there, with the ROPS up, with no problem.


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## Magfrog (Jan 19, 2020)

Skramer360 said:


> When I built my garage I put the garage door close to one side, only about 1' from the corner, and the man door just around the corner, also 1' from the corner. In my mind a 4'x4' space will be wasted between the doors. With the garage door off to one side I have extra room on the other side to build the necessary work bench and storage shelves and not have to stand in the parking space to use them.


I like that idea a lot. Thanks. I guess I was thinking that being only a foot from the corner it wouldn't be sturdy enough but this is a pole barn, not a stick built, so it shouldn't matter I guess. Yeah, I don't want to waste space and like the doors as close to the ends as possible. I was thinking that gives me more total room to store things instead of breaking it up by the exit door.


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## drclean (9 mo ago)

make it bigger than you think you need,,, they always fill up a lot quicker. I build a 30 x 40 and it is still too small. put electirc in it and have 9 ft tall doors 12 ft wide with electric motor to pull them up kept the doors as close as I could on each side of the 40ft way, man door in middle. thought I would have plenty of room, but should have went 40 ft deep also instead of 30,, a 40 x 70 would have been better. the 40 x 30 truss roof extra high with 8 ft of storage in it cost 13,000 10 years ago, today it would cost a lot more.


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## Highpockets (May 24, 2019)

I have a 32’ by 46’ pile barn 14’ clear inside. I have two 12’ by 12’ overhead doors. In one side plus man doos in end. Still not big enough to store everything. Ended up adding another 16’ on the end. Make it as big as you can afford!
Highpockets


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## Busted Tractor (May 22, 2018)

Just my two 1/2 cents
The shed I had built has the roll up (garage door) just off the corner. that allows me to use the other side for storage and work area. The "man" door is just on the corner from the rollup door. The back has a double sliding door centered. Nice to get ventilation thru in the summer. Although the rollup door faces north it seals good when the north or northwest wind blows, it seals a whole lot better the the sliding doors would. also have a window on the opposite side of the rollup door.
Enjoy your shed!


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## Longbow (Apr 28, 2016)

Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim


Considerations... Indications are that with 2 tractors, tillers, mowers, and other equipment, you must have some acreage and not just a small lot in a subdivision. Therefore, space is not too limited. Your size of 24'x32' may be sufficient for a while but plan for expansion as time goes on. Plan your height - go for at least 12' or 14' gable so you can come back and add "lean-to" shelter on the sides to store equipment and attachments. If you use all your space for storing equipment, there's little space for work area with tools and benches. Also, instead of a single 16' door in one end, go for a 10' roll-up door in each end so you don't end up having to constantly back something out in order to get to what you need. Place doors off to the side, not in the center. Otherwise, you won't have room to hitch or unhitch your equipment. As time goes on and budget allows adding the side shelters, you can simply back under the side shelter, unhook equipment, and go on about your business.


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## Magfrog (Jan 19, 2020)

Longbow said:


> Considerations... Indications are that with 2 tractors, tillers, mowers, and other equipment, you must have some acreage and not just a small lot in a subdivision. Therefore, space is not too limited. Your size of 24'x32' may be sufficient for a while but plan for expansion as time goes on. Plan your height - go for at least 12' or 14' gable so you can come back and add "lean-to" shelter on the sides to store equipment and attachments. If you use all your space for storing equipment, there's little space for work area with tools and benches. Also, instead of a single 16' door in one end, go for a 10' roll-up door in each end so you don't end up having to constantly back something out in order to get to what you need. Place doors off to the side, not in the center. Otherwise, you won't have room to hitch or unhitch your equipment. As time goes on and budget allows adding the side shelters, you can simply back under the side shelter, unhook equipment, and go on about your business.


Thanks for the ideas. One thing is (and I know that space gets filled up fast), I already have a 24x24 attached garage, a 16' x 10' lean-to, a 16'x20' "barn" and a 12'x 16' shed. So this pole barn will actually be my 4th outbuilding. And with my 4 buildings including the new pole barn, I'll have 1440 sq. feet of space which is equivalent to a 40' x 35' building. I will definitely put the doors off to the side as many have suggested here. And I like moving the doors as close to the corners as I can. The plans online, only allow me to move them to 2' from corners so that's probably how I'd do it.


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## Fordholland (Mar 11, 2020)

Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim


mine is a drive thru with middle doors. There is storage on each side of the drive thru for implements, etc. easy hook up.


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## Steve Bice (Jan 18, 2020)

Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim





Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim


Hi Jim
I am a retired building inspector in Indiana. Not seeing the project in person sometimes can be a problem in giving advice, the variables are sometimes squid as to the owners wants. Building codes will give you your "MINIMUM" compliance allowances. You mentioned you wanted to leave 4' at each side of the door opening for a bench against the outside wall. You are on the right track. Consider the large amount of bracing material you are removing from the wall with huge opening. In "conventional construction" code requires a minimum of 4' of brace wall every (so many feet) to keep the wall from "racking". The requirements vary as to many variables. Your local building inspector can help you consider area wind loads, snow loads, type of material being used, bracing, and so on. When pole structures were introduced, they were being used as "temporary" structures and were very primitive. These structures have morphed into a very useful structures, with specific engineering specifications. The answers your seeking may be better answered by an engineer. Don't let these comments detour you from this great project, just try to consider safety, and your structures needs before your wants, then if not sure overbuild.


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## MHarryE (Oct 28, 2011)

I have one with 9 foot door gable end facing south. Lots of work space on one side, storage on the other, and tractor/CTL/mini-ex in the middle plus others. Too short because added a tractor 9'6" so added another larger pole building with large sliding doors each side offset as far toward one end as allowed by design, and a larger sliding pair on one gable end. I'm in snow country so large door on gable end required if you want to get stuff out in the winter.


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## Magfrog (Jan 19, 2020)

Steve Bice said:


> Hi Jim
> I am a retired building inspector in Indiana. Not seeing the project in person sometimes can be a problem in giving advice, the variables are sometimes squid as to the owners wants. Building codes will give you your "MINIMUM" compliance allowances. You mentioned you wanted to leave 4' at each side of the door opening for a bench against the outside wall. You are on the right track. Consider the large amount of bracing material you are removing from the wall with huge opening. In "conventional construction" code requires a minimum of 4' of brace wall every (so many feet) to keep the wall from "racking". The requirements vary as to many variables. Your local building inspector can help you consider area wind loads, snow loads, type of material being used, bracing, and so on. When pole structures were introduced, they were being used as "temporary" structures and were very primitive. These structures have morphed into a very useful structures, with specific engineering specifications. The answers your seeking may be better answered by an engineer. Don't let these comments detour you from this great project, just try to consider safety, and your structures needs before your wants, then if not sure overbuild.


Thanks for that info. As stated earlier, when I placed the garage door, using the virtual app, it wouldn't let me place it less than 2' from the corner. So it seems that is the minimum to still allow the structure to be secure. So I'll probably go with 2' or maybe up to 3'.


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## Snoopeme (4 mo ago)

Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim


Just a personal preference..I put a 42" side door into my barn instead of the usual 32" one and am glad I did!


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## fuddy1952 (Mar 6, 2021)

My garage walk in door is 6 ft. from right corner. Door is hinged on right side. Ahead and along right wall are workbenches, then wash tank then laundry tub sink. Behind door to right is air compressor and cabinet for welding equipment, filing cabinet, etc.
To me it's so convenient open door, two steps and workbenches to set things on.
To left steel shelving row for saws, drills, tools. So convenient everything right there close to door and arms reach of workbenches.

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## Robert Walker (Jul 16, 2020)

Magfrog said:


> I'm going to be building a 24' x 32' pole barn to store a MF35 and Kubota LX2610 in there, so compact tractors of about 9 feet long and 5 feet wide or so. Also some implements like my 5' rototiller and finish mower and brush hog. The 24' side will be the gable side facing North and South. I plan on putting a 16' wide garage door on the west/long side of the building and a 36" service door on the north side of the building. *Is there a strategic placement I should be thinking about on where to place these doors? In the dead middle? Off to one side or the other? Where else? *I was thinking about the garage door being on the west side and 4' from the north end and the service door on the north side and 4' from the west end. That would give me a 4' x 4' area in the NW corner and then all of my storage space would be the rest of the area. Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be helpful. Thanks.
> Jim


My brother-in-law put a roll up garage door on both ends of his so he can drive straight through if you have the room on both sides of your building. Once inside he can move his 75hp cab John Deere with loader, jeep and kawasaki mule around inside if need be.


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## Pleease (Jan 26, 2018)

Snoopeme said:


> Just a personal preference..I put a 42" side door into my barn instead of the usual 32" one and am glad I did!


That sounds smart in a general way, but what does that do for you? Not disagreeing, just thinking about it, as I'm about to have a shed built too.

TIA


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## drclean (9 mo ago)

hope you get a nice building that will suit your needs...I love mine, in one of my garage doors i have a pit that I can get into and work on stuff, change oil and do other things, covered it with 3in seasoned oak plank 2 x 8 so we can drive over it if we want to. that side has concrete floor and a wood stove, and large air conditioner. it is also insulated 2 ft at top, and 6 in in sides, I guess the pit keeps it warm as in teens or zero weather it stays about 40. cold air is heaver and goes down through cracks in board and warmer air rises. if we work in there in winter have grandpa bear fisher to heat it up. the other side is gravel with some shelves and cabinets on side to keep stuff straight. but I should have made it bigger as it is pretty full now with 4 wheelers and other stuff.


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