Cost Advantages of a Hoop Barn
There are so many potential cost savings with a hoop shed over most conventional buildings that it’s hard to know where to start.
At purchase time:
Starting at the beginning, when you buy a hoop barn, you may save $20 or more per square foot over some other types of barns. When you are talking about a livestock or storage building, you are probably considering hundreds of square feet. That can add up fast!
The main reason hoop barns are so much cheaper to buy than pole barns is because hoop buildings don’t require nearly as many materials or as expensive materials as a pole barn. A pole 16′ or longer these days is likely to be laminated and the price elevated.
At construction time:
As far as construction costs of hoop buildings, it varies widely and depends largely on the size of the hoop barn. At smaller sizes, just a few hand tools are required and many people are able to do their own labor.
When you get into the very largest buildings, the cost of equipment may come into play. On an average, however, a hoop building will be built in just a few days but a large pole barn can take many men many days. With labor costs what they are, it is not hard to see the cost savings there.
Snow load on either a pole shed or a hoop is determined by the quality and spacing of the rafters. Our Rushmore hoop barns offer flexible spacing to suit the snow load where you are located. If you price the cost of an 80′ wood rafter, you’ll find the cost of an 80′ wide hoop building very reasonable.
The maintenance and life of the buildings:
When it comes to maintenance of either pole barns or hoop buildings, it’s pretty minimal.
Hail is usually a little harder on a tin roofed building than a fabric membrane. We think it’s because of the bounce. However, we’ve seen hail that has no respect for any roof. That can be a big job on a large tin or shingled roof, usually a day or two max to install a new roof on a hoop shed.
Wind in a factor for all buildings. If you building is situated correctly, you’ll find that even strong winds go right up and over the round shape of a hoop building. The same is not true for a pole barn.
There is some maintenance recommended on fabric tension buildings. A couple of times a year, you should go around your building and tighten the cover by moving the ratchet handle. That’s it! Zero cost and darn little labor. We recommend you also walk around your pole barn a few times a year to stay on top of changes as well.
As far as the life of your building, with either style building much will depend on the quality of the building as purchased. Our hoop barn frames are intended to last a lifetime and the covers are warranted for 15 years. In our area of the Upper Midwest covers generally last from 20 to 25 or about the life of shingles. Once again, it is much easier to replace a hoop cover and you have a whole new outside, not just a roof. Depending upon the quality of pole barn tin, you may or may not be replacing it sooner.
Zoning and Taxation
Both pole sheds and hoop barns are often covered by zoning laws, particularly in towns or cities. Usually the zoning applies to both, but not always. Pole barns are still more accepted than hoop barns in some places, probably because hoop buildings have not been around as long. Our hoop barns are engineered buildings and that can sometimes help with zoning problems.
We are not tax experts here but, in general, hoop barns have a shorter depreciation life than pole barns. Where you build either and how you intend to use your building dictates what your tax and depreciation advantages may or may not be. This article by a law professor may help you to understand your particular situation.