As a post-frame builder, we're frequently asked by potential customers, "Can you lift an existing pole barn?" Typically, these customers are farmers who want to raise their post-frame building height to store larger farm equipment. For example, the evolution of a combine has grown since our parents and grandparents started farming.

Are you a full-time, part-time, or hobby farmer interested in building a pole barn? Whether you’re tossing around the idea or requesting quotes from post-frame builders, we’re sure you’ve noticed the price tag.

As you scroll through your social media feed, you’re bound to see a successful “do-it-yourself” (DIY) project or handcrafted goods for sale. As you embark on a late-night YouTube rabbit hole, you’re bound to come across some DIY videos. Since the pandemic, the DIY industry has exploded, and understandably so. Consumers are quarantined at home with the sudden urge to take up a new hobby (and make a few bucks) or finally tackle that home improvement project (and save money on contracting it out).

Editor’s Note: McElroy Metal has been FBi Buildings’ preferred metal manufacturer for 50+ years. We paired up with their in-house experts to inform our readers about the different metal paint systems used in post-frame construction. So, we traveled to the Sherwin-Williams “test fence” facility in Fort Myers, Florida, to better understand their products. This location “provides insight behind the creation and performance of exterior coatings that include pigments, resins, and polymers” that go into their metal paint lines. Our goal is to help you choose a pole barn paint system that increases the aesthetics and longevity of your post-frame building.

Every post-frame builder wants you to purchase their product over the competition. It’s the nature of business. Their pole barns are superior in terms of structural integrity. They use higher-quality building materials that withstand the test of time. Their warranty covers more components for longer periods. Their construction crews are more efficient. You get the gist. As consumers, we hear these claims all the time. But, how do you know if their post-frame buildings are the best on the market? Do they have concrete evidence to back up such a bold statement?

Your house needs a new roof, and like other building materials, the options are abundant.