“Pole barn builder” read the title of the ad

“I am looking to contract a licensed pole barn builder for a few jobs that I have in xxxxx. I can provide materials or if cost effective, you could supply the materials. I would also like to affiliate with an experienced concrete person. Please provide your company information and indicate any licenses that you have or insurances. Also, I would like to know how much you would charge per square feet for labor. I receive plenty of requests for pole barns in xxxxx, so this could be a long-term flow of work.”

The ad went on to say:

“Compensation: $2.25 per square foot”

There are a fair number of costs involved in being a legitimate registered contractor.

The obvious ones – are the tools to be able to effectively build.  And they don’t come cheap, even if obtained second hand at pawn shops or sources like Craigslist. An efficient “work mobile”. All of the good tools on the planet are meaningless, if the crew can’t make it to the jobsite every day. And the work mobile doesn’t run for free. Last I looked, gasoline wasn’t a bargain and the price at the pump is just a small portion of what it costs to maintain a good vehicle.

Chances are, an efficient pole barn builder does not work by himself. A good crew needs not only more tools, but also has to be trained and watched over. Training is not free either. A reliable, long term crew needs benefits as well.

Now – leap into the government being involved. In many locales, being able to be registered is more than paying a few dollars for the license. It takes attending classes and being able to pass them. The classwork has nothing to do with proficiency or construction skills; it is about what it takes to be legal.

In order to obtain registration, the pole barn builder must create an “entity”, whether it is a sole proprietorship, a partnership, an LLC or a form of corporation. Again – costs, and at times the needs of an accountant and/or an attorney.

The entity will need to obtain liability insurance, industrial insurance and may need to post either a bond, or a cash deposit account signed over to the state, before being granted a license.

At the end of the day – none of these things come as cheap. This is why legitimate quotes for pole building construction labor generally run about equal to 50% of the value of the materials for the building itself. Unless the building to be constructed is a fairly short in stature roof only, the cost of materials is probably going to run significantly more than $4.50 per square foot.

My feelings, the ad writer is living in a delusional world, trying to hire help at pay scales from the 1980’s. Searching for a building erector? Be realistic with expectations of the true costs of doing legitimate business and chances are, all involved will be much happier.