Frequently asked questions!

Why would we choose The Barn People and a barn from their inventory when there appears to be many people selling old barns?
People that say they have spare beams that can replace those that are defective or missing have no idea what is involved in fashioning these beams to match the original frame. Has the barn been properly washed and treated for insects? Have the beams turned gray from improper storage or is the color even important to them? Can they restore and adapt the frame to your requirements? Can they match additional materials requested so that everything doesn't look like an awkward afterthought? Will they be able to discuss the barn and alternative building practices with your architect and/or building officials? Can they read and draw blueprints? What is their track record and can you view examples of their work? Will they arrive with the barn and reassemble it according to your building schedule? Can they arrange for shipping to a foreign country or to an island? There are only a handful of people that can answer "Yes" to these questions. We've been around the longest!

I would like to build a barn home, what do I do first?
It is much easier to choose a barn after you have chosen a plot of land.

Is it difficult to get approval for a barn to be reconstructed on a given site?
Post and beam building is a large and rapidly growing trend and most building officials are familiar with this type of construction. In some regions with seismic conditions or wind and snow loads, engineers have required some hidden steel reinforcement. We've built barns all over the country with very little hassle regarding the decision to build a barn. And... most people love the idea of an old barn being saved. Barns look as if they belong!

What does it cost and what does this figure include?
Generally, the cost is based upon the square footage of the ground floor.This cost is $60 per square foot. This means that if you choose a barn that is 20 feet wide by 30 feet long there will be 600 square feet of ground floor multiplied by $60 per square foot or $36,000. This cost includes dismantling, restoration and reassembly of the original barn frame to include all crane costs on both ends as well as all the beams required to restore the frame.

Are there any additional charges?
Although the cost of reassembly is included in the basic $60 per square foot, there are two additional charges one might expect to pay. First is the shipping charge. This includes loading and off loading as well as trucking or shipping the barn frame and related materials. A quote can be given once the barn is chosen and the destination is known. This shipping charge includes our crew's travel expenses. The second charge is for changes or additions to the basic original frame which you might choose to adapt the frame to your personalized use. A firm quote can be given once we receive the specifics.

What do finished barn homes cost?
Costs vary from one area to another as do people tastes, etc. Custom homes are currently running about $150 - $200 per square foot but some people spend less and some spend more. In most custom homes the windows chosen cost more than our barn frames! In other words the cost of any custom home really depends on choices. The barn frame does not dictate that it has to cost more than a conventional home. It only insures that it will be a one-of-a-kind splendid home!

Do we need an architect?
Yes, it is advisable. Most buildings require a great deal of planning and drawings so that everybody knows what their job is and what it will look like. This is what an architect does.

Do the roof boards and siding come with the barn?
No, we have found that most barns yield very small amounts of these materials. Many people do not plan on using these materials. For those that do, we offer both roof boards and barn siding which we purchase and process from fallen or deteriorated barns. A quote can be given once the project has been defined and roughly designed.

Can we just purchase antique barn materials?
We are not in the business of selling beams and boards and only offer vintage materials to those who purchase barns.

We just want roof trusses fabricated or beamed ceilings in certain rooms. Do you do this type of work?
Again we are not in the business of selling materials, however if they require fabrication into specific components, yes we've done this type of work many times.

If you don't have the size we need can you alter one of your existing barn frames or fabricate one using old beams that looks original?
We have taken tall barns and shortened the posts, and we've taken long barns and made them shorter, but adjusting the width is just too time consuming and labor intesive to be worth the effort. We do make custom frames that look original but the cost ($75 per square foot) usually prompts people to pick an original frame to work with.

What then is the procedure for purchasing and building our barn?
• Buyer defines basic requirements
• Buyer contacts The Barn People with specific ideas about their needs
• Buyer chooses specific barn usually during a visit with The Barn People
• Barn photographed and blueprints drawn
• Buyer receives blueprints
• Buyer picks architect, this can also be done in the beginning
• Barn is dismantled and shipped to workshop
• Buyer and/or architect decides upon changes or additions
• Barn restored, repaired, adapted, treated for insects and washed
• Barn frame put in storage
• Buyer requests shipment, site and foundation are ready
• Barn frame loaded on truck
• Barn frame shipped to buyer's site
• The Barn People arrive with barn frame and off load
• Barn reassembled on new foundation and first floor deck
• Barn frame squared and pegged
• Contractor finishes barn frame for newly intended use

How long does this process take after we pick a barn?
It really depends on the barn chosen and what the barn will become. For barns adapted to housing needs the general rule is roughly a year. It really depends on how fast you make decisions. Once the barn has been designed by your architect we will give you an arrival date based upon our current schedule. We can tell you that we've never been late or held up a contractor from finishing a project.

How long does it take to reassemble my barn frame?
Usually we are on the site for a period of roughly a week to ten days.

Can we reassemble the barn ourselves or have our contractor do it?
Over the years we've found that the people who took down the barn should be the same people that put up the barn. Each frame has its own idiosyncrasies and sequence of procedures. We must take responsibility to avoid discontinuity and mistakes. The Barn People love to travel and you can't take that away from us!

If we have a barn in our area, will you come and take it down, restore it and put it back up for us?
We find that it is just too expensive to dismantle distant barns. We also strongly prefer our workshop for the repair and adaptation phases. We're well set up in an efficient weather-tight space and all the spare parts are here as well. We have done distant barns before but it was usually for State or Federally funded projects where locating someone with our specific skills was difficult.

Do you purchase barns from all over the country?
Again the cost of travel, etc. keeps us in the Northeast. We do offer barns from New York, all of New England as well as neighboring Canada, but the majority of our inventory comes from Vermont.

Why do people want their barns taken down in the first place?
There are a number of reasons people call us to take their barn away. Probably the biggest is upkeep and maintenance. Most foundations are failing and the repair costs can be outrageous! People cannot afford the taxes and insurance. This is a biggy! Many barns are located across the road from the house and block the view of some beautiful hillside or valley. And lately, many people have called us because they'd rather see their barn saved and enjoyed by others rather than to watch it fall into ruin. Almost everybody is hoping we'll pay something for the barn and old barns aren't as cheap as they were when we started out twenty-five years ago.

Is there grant money available for saving a barn?
Yes, there is. But it is usually stipulated that the barn has to be restored in its original location.

Will you ever run out of these wonderful old barns?
Yes! But hopefully not until we retire! Many are on their last legs after too many years of neglect. Many are being torn down to saw the timbers into floor boards. And, many just aren't that wonderful. We have to be excited about the barn from the very minute we first walk into it. Barns do have a silent language or an aura that speaks to us. If we like what they say, we save them.

VINTAGE BARNS BIBLIOGRAPHY

home