--- title: What is a Pole Barn Shear Wall and Why Is It Important? description: Depending on the size of your pole building, there’s a chance you will need to have a shear wall added to your design. Learn what a shear wall is. image: https://info.fbibuildings.com/hubfs/Shear%20Wall%20Screen%20Grab%201-1.jpg --- - Categories ** - Follow Us ** - ** [Subscribe](https://info.fbibuildings.com/building-site-preparation) - [**](https://www.facebook.com/postframebuilder/) - [**](https://twitter.com/fbibuildings) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/fbi-buildings-inc) [«  View All Posts](https://www.fbibuildings.com/learning-center) [Building Features](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/topic/building-features) | [Structural Integrity](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/topic/structural-integrity) | [Building Design](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/topic/building-design) # What is a Pole Barn Shear Wall and Why Is It Important? - Share This Article - [**](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/what-is-a-pole-barn-shear-wall-and-why-is-it-important) - [**](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=What+is+a+Pole+Barn+Shear+Wall+and+Why+Is+It+Important%3F&url=https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/what-is-a-pole-barn-shear-wall-and-why-is-it-important&via=) - [**](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/what-is-a-pole-barn-shear-wall-and-why-is-it-important&title=What+is+a+Pole+Barn+Shear+Wall+and+Why+Is+It+Important%3F&summary=Depending+on+the+size+of+your+pole+building%2C+there%E2%80%99s+a+chance+you+will+need+to+have+a+shear+wall+added+to+your+design.+Learn+what+a+shear+wall+is.%0A) - [**](mailto:?body=https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/what-is-a-pole-barn-shear-wall-and-why-is-it-important) November 7th, 2022 | 6 min. read ![What is a Pole Barn Shear Wall and Why Is It Important?](https://info.fbibuildings.com/hubfs/Shear%20Wall%20Screen%20Grab%201-1.jpg) [Subscribe](https://info.fbibuildings.com/building-site-preparation) ![Julie Kimpel](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/5495cf23f2ee8522a6b41aa5c0431320 "Julie Kimpel") [Julie Kimpel](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/author/julie-kimpel) Meet FBi's Marketing Content Creator, Julie. With a design degree from Purdue, she develops our brand, captures stunning building photos, and crafts informative brochures. ** Print/Save as PDF The beauty of [**post-frame buildings**](https://www.fbibuildings.com/) is that they are diverse and can be purpose-built for many different needs.  A few quick examples include [**cold storage buildings**](https://www.fbibuildings.com/buildings/tractor-storage/rochester-cold-storage) for farmers, an event hall that can be used as a [**wedding venue**](https://www.fbibuildings.com/buildings/retail-dealership/the-shed), or an oversized[** garage**](https://www.fbibuildings.com/buildings/hobby-shops/lined-hobby-shop) for a race car enthusiast.  No matter the end use, there are almost zero limitations on the [**size of the pole barn**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/how-to-save-money-when-determining-your-pole-barn-size?hsLang=en) from an engineering standpoint.    With that said, depending on the size of your pole building, there’s a chance you will need to have a shear wall added to your building design.  **In this article, we will discuss the following:**** ** 1. What is a shear wall 2. When and why you might need it 3. How much does the shear wall cost Watch the video below to learn more about the importance of a shear wall. [![shear-wall-thumbnail](https://info.fbibuildings.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shear-wall-thumbnail.jpg?width=500&height=281&name=shear-wall-thumbnail.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrCX6eIot0U)** **   **1) What is a Pole Barn Shear Wall?** [**Columns**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/pole-barn-column-spacing?hsLang=en) connect the foundation to the [**trusses**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/truss-to-column-connection?hsLang=en) and keep your post-frame building standing up. In addition, they are responsible for carrying the vertical load, such as [**snow**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/pole-barn-snow-load?hsLang=en). ![Shear Wall Screen Grab 2-B-1](https://info.fbibuildings.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Shear%20Wall%20Screen%20Grab%202-B-1.jpg?width=300&height=236&name=Shear%20Wall%20Screen%20Grab%202-B-1.jpg) **A shear wall helps withstand the lateral load, such as [wind](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/pole-barn-wind-load?__hstc=45788219.2784ceb1dd1857799ded64043090bfe3.1667837729854.1667837729854.1667837729854.1&__hssc=45788219.1.1667837729854&__hsfp=585944452) pressure or seismic activity, also known as earthquakes. A shear wall is a piece of plywood or **[**OSB**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/pole-barn-finishing-options?hsLang=en)** installed between two columns, also known as a bay. You'll typically see this installation done on the end wall of a building.** Depending on the length of your building, you might need more than one shear wall incorporated into your building design. **[![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/433010/82ab0ab9-8416-488f-bfdb-97cd0b04bb1e.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/433010/82ab0ab9-8416-488f-bfdb-97cd0b04bb1e)**   **2) Why Your Post-Frame Building Might Need a Shear Wall** The beauty of a post-frame building is that it can almost be any size you want. In addition, our engineering team can create a [**building plan**](http://design.fbibuildings.com/) to ensure your post-frame building is structurally sound. If your pole barn ends up being extremely long, meaning the length is more than double the width, then there is a high chance that an engineer will incorporate a shear wall into your building design.  **For example, below are two post-frame buildings with the same square feet, but only one needs a shear wall.** ** ![60x100-render-A](https://info.fbibuildings.com/hs-fs/hubfs/60x100-render-A.jpg?width=400&height=250&name=60x100-render-A.jpg)  ![48x128-render-B](https://info.fbibuildings.com/hs-fs/hubfs/48x128-render-B.jpg?width=400&height=250&name=48x128-render-B.jpg)** | **Building A:** - Size: 60 ft wide by 100 ft long - Square footage: 6,000 - Is a shear wall needed? **NO.** | **Building B:** - Size: 48 ft wide by 125 ft long - Square footage: 6,000 - Is a shear wall needed? **YES.** | | --- | --- | The longer you go, the more the structural engineers will have to take into account.  Once your post-frame building is double the length vs. width, the end walls will have to be reinforced with structural upgrades, such as a shear wall, for a stable and sound building. [**Click here to learn more about how the pole barn size affects the overall cost!**](https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/how-to-save-money-when-determining-your-pole-barn-size?hsLang=en) **[![DESIGN YOUR BUILDING NOW](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/433010/acc0a3f0-582c-422a-aa2a-720b9b90d205.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/433010/acc0a3f0-582c-422a-aa2a-720b9b90d205)**   **3) How Much Will a Pole Barn Shear Wall Cost?** Would you believe it if I told you that even though this is an engineered upgrade to your pole building, the price is very affordable? **Your cost would be based on the square foot of the wall's overall size and how many shear walls the engineering department adds to your building design**. **But to give you a rough idea, a shear wall will cost between $3 - $5 per square foot.** **To give you an example: Let's say your columns are placed 8 feet apart, your wall height is 16 feet, and you have 2 shear walls installed. The square footage for one bay is 128 sqft; there are two of them, so that's a total of 256 sqft. If the cost is $3.50 a square foot, then you're looking at $896 cost added to your building. ** *Please note that this rate is flexible because it depends on the current pricing of materials and labor, so it’s known to change monthly. *  ** ****Are You Ready to Start the Building Process?** This article aims to inform you about the nuance that goes into building design.  We aren’t trying to stop you from building an extra-long building. We want to help you better understand some of the terminologies that will ultimately come up if you decide to have a post-frame building that happens to be a little on the longer side.  This is just the tip of the iceberg of technical information that goes into a building design. If you want to learn more and are interested in receiving a free quote, [**please request a free pole barn quote**](https://www.fbibuildings.com/request-a-quote).  A Project Sales Consultant will love to review the details with you, offer feedback, and move you down the building process journey. [![Request a free pole barn quote button](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/433010/4aa3c112-e8d8-4413-a84d-ca2bbcc79e39.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/433010/4aa3c112-e8d8-4413-a84d-ca2bbcc79e39)