A pole barn, what the trade calls a post-frame building, is still the most common way to put up a big, useful structure without paying for one you don't need. That's the shape we build. What's different at Uncle Josh's is what holds it up: steel posts as the main frame, steel panels wrapped around the outside for the skin. No wood anywhere in the structure. Same clear-span interior you want out of a pole barn, none of the rot or termite conversation that comes with a wood-framed one.
What It's Good For
If you need a lot of usable space and you're not trying to build a house, a pole barn is usually the answer. That covers a wide range:
- Equipment and hay storage for a working property
- General-purpose shops and workshops
- Vehicle and toy storage — trucks, tractors, boats, RVs
- A shell you'll finish out yourself over time
The clear-span interior is the big selling point. No posts in the middle of the floor means no fighting around a support column when you're backing in equipment or laying out a shop.
Why We Build It In Steel
Most pole barns you'll see quoted around here still use wood posts as the load-bearing frame. Wood posts sitting in Pocono ground spend decades taking on moisture, and moisture is what eventually brings rot and termites into the conversation, sometimes years down the road, sometimes sooner. We stopped offering that option. Every pole barn we build swaps the wood posts for steel — same footprint, same clear-span layout, same look from the road, but nothing in the frame for rot or termites to get a foothold in. That's the only way we build a pole barn now.
What's Included, What's Extra
This is where most quotes get people in trouble: a low number gets thrown out that only covers the shell, and everything else gets added on after the fact. We'd rather walk you through the categories up front:
Usually part of the base build:
- The steel posts and trusses that make up the structural frame
- Steel roof and wall panels
- One standard overhead door
Usually priced separately, depending on your job:
- Concrete slab or flooring
- Insulation
- Electrical service and wiring
- Extra doors, windows, or a walk-in door
- Wainscot (that lower accent band of trim you see on a lot of buildings) or other finish upgrades
- Interior finishing if you're planning to use the space as a shop or living area
None of this is a trick. It's just how the trade works, and we'd rather you know it going in than get surprised at the end. Ask and we'll tell you exactly what's in your specific number.
How It Works
- You tell us what you're building and where. What size, what use, what property.
- We walk the site with you. Poconos ground isn't flat, and slope and rock affect what your foundation and site prep actually cost. We'll tell you that before you sign anything.
- You get a real number, broken down by category, before anything gets signed.
- We build it. Foundation work first, then the steel frame goes up, then the skin, then whatever finish work you've chosen.
Best building windows around here run late spring through fall: firmer ground, and fall in particular tends to move faster since the ground's dry and schedules open up after the summer rush.
Pole Barn FAQs
Do I need a permit for a pole barn in Monroe County? Probably, depending on size and use — Pennsylvania's building code (the UCC) is applied township by township, so the answer depends on where your property sits. We'll help you figure out what your specific township requires. See our permit guide for the full breakdown.
Should the concrete slab go in before or after the building goes up? After, in almost every case. Pouring the frame in first lets us set the structure to the actual building rather than the other way around. That's standard practice across this trade.
Can posts go straight in the ground, or do I need a full foundation? Setting posts in concrete footings (no full slab) is a legitimate, common foundation method for a lot of pole barns — it depends on your intended use and your township's code. We'll tell you which option fits your project.
Do you build a wood post-frame option, or is everything steel? Everything's steel. We used to hear this question a lot back when "pole barn" automatically meant wood posts, but we made the call to build every frame in steel — no wood posts, period. You still get the pole-barn shape, the clear-span interior, and the price point people expect from this build; you just don't get the rot and termite exposure that comes with wood in the ground for decades. If you want to understand the tradeoff in more detail, our all-steel buildings page walks through it.
How does snow factor into a pole barn built up here? We design with Pocono winters and your township's code requirements in mind, as part of every build we quote. If you want the specifics for your project, ask us and we'll walk through it.
Tell us what you're building and where. We'll give you a straight answer on what it actually takes.