Guide

Metal Building and Pole Barn Stamped Drawings

Kit buildings, pole barns and carports often arrive without drawings your county will accept. Here is when a stamp is needed, what the engineer designs, and what to send to get a permit set quickly.

By the PE Engineer engineering teamUpdated October 11, 20264 min read

Key takeaways

Many counties require stamped drawings for pole barns, metal buildings and carports, even when the building is a kit.
Pre-engineered metal buildings usually come with manufacturer-sealed building drawings, but the foundation is often a separate design.
Wind speed, exposure, snow load, frost depth and door openings drive the design more than size does.
Agricultural buildings are exempt from permits in some states and counties. Check before paying for drawings.
Send dimensions, height, roof pitch, door sizes, post spacing and the site address to get an accurate quote.

When a pole barn or metal building needs stamped drawings

It depends on the county or city, the building’s use and its size. Common situations:

Residential accessory buildings such as shops, garages and barns on house lots usually need a permit, and many departments want engineered drawings for post-frame and steel buildings.
Commercial buildings almost always need sealed structural drawings and a foundation design.
Agricultural buildings used only for farming are exempt from building permits in some states and counties. The exemption rarely covers a building used as a shop, storage for a business or living space.
Carports sold as kits often come with a manufacturer’s certification for a specific wind speed and snow load. If your site needs more, or the county wants site-specific drawings, a stamp is required.

Pre-engineered metal buildings vs. kits vs. pole barns

Pre-engineered metal buildings (PEMB) are designed by the manufacturer for your site. They usually come with sealed building drawings and a list of column reactions, but not the foundation. A separate engineer designs the slab, footings and anchor bolts from those reactions. See foundation design.

Steel kits and carports are often generic. The drawings may not match your local wind and snow loads, may be sealed in a different state, or may not show the foundation and anchorage at all. An engineer licensed in your state reviews and seals them, or designs what is missing.

Pole barns (post-frame buildings) are often built by local crews without any manufacturer drawings. The engineer designs the post size, embedment, truss connections, girts, purlins, bracing and openings from scratch.

What drives the design

Wind speed and exposure. Open terrain and coastal areas see higher pressures. Uplift on the roof often controls the post embedment and connections.
Large door openings. A big overhead or sliding door can make a building partially enclosed under wind design, which raises internal pressure.
Snow load. Northern and mountain sites can require much heavier trusses and purlins.
Frost depth and soil. Footing depth and post embedment must go below frost and suit the soil bearing capacity.
Seismic in western states, especially for heavier buildings or mezzanines.
Use. Storage, workshop, livestock or occupied space change the code requirements.

These loads are set by the site address, which is why two identical barns can need different designs in neighboring counties.

A recent example

A recent Louisiana project was a 36 ft x 60 ft pole barn with 12 ft side walls, a 6/12 roof pitch and a 12 x 12 framed opening at each end, built on 6×6 posts with metal trusses. The owner had the layout but no engineering. We prepared the barn drawing with post, truss and opening details designed for the local wind loads, and sealed it with a Louisiana PE stamp. See more on our projects page.

What to send for a fast quote

Site address
Width, length and eave height
Roof pitch and roof type (trusses, rafters, steel frames)
Door and window sizes and locations
Post size and spacing, if already decided
Intended use and whether it will be heated or have a loft or mezzanine
Any manufacturer drawings or certifications
The county’s permit checklist or comments

What you receive

A typical sealed set includes a foundation and post layout, framing plan, sections and connection details, wind and snow design criteria on the sheets, and calculations when the county asks for them. For metal buildings we can review and seal the manufacturer package, design the foundation and anchor bolts, or both. See pole barns and metal buildings and carports and canopies.