Humor me here – do a Google, Yahoo or Bing search for either “Free Pole Barn Plans” or “Free Pole Building Plans”. Up should come a million or so choices. With all of those possibilities, it has to be a great way to go….right?

To begin with, keep in mind free pole barn plans are most probably going to be worth exactly what they cost.

Nothing!

Want to totally embarrass yourself? Download and print a set of free pole barn plans and try to submit them as plans for permit in any jurisdiction which does any sort of structural plan review.

Chances are about 99.4% of obtaining one of two results from the Plans Examiner. Result Numero Uno – the Plans Examiner will do his or her best to not bust a gut rolling on the floor laughing, and will send you to get a real set of plans designed by someone with some actual structural knowledge (can we say, “Registered Design Professional”?). Or, behind Door Number Two – out will appear the red pencils as correction marks will be made all over the plans and a lengthy list of items to be corrected will be handed back with the lovely, now red colored, free pole barn plans.

But – there exists a saving grace….where you want to build does not require a Building Permit, or does not require a plan review or do inspections! Wow, really cool, right?

Please, do not fool yourself. If the plans are not adequate to pass a structural plan review, is it worth taking the risk to life and limb to attempt to build from them just because they were free?

In my mind this would be the equivalent of assembling one’s own Ferrari from a set of free Ferrari plans off the internet. Pole barns, while they may appear simple to the casual observer, are actually structures which, to be constructed correctly, require more than a passing amount of engineering.

Hence, avoid the “free pole barn plans”. You will be glad you did.