Metal Barn Roof Types Around Tallahassee
Farm buildings in Leon County range from a single run-in shed to long equipment barns. The roof on each one is built for what lives or sits under it.
Pole Barns
A pole barn has posts set in the ground and purlins running across the trusses, with metal sheets screwed straight to the purlins. There's no deck, so panel strength and purlin spacing carry the load. HomeGuide prices a whole new pole barn at $15 to $40 per square foot, roof included. Re-roofing one usually means new sheets and screws on the existing frame, plus replacing purlins that have rotted.
Horse Barns and Stables
Stable roofs want overhangs that shade the stall fronts and keep rain off the aisle. HomeGuide lists a shed-row barn, a run-in shelter with storage, at $40 to $60 per square foot as a complete building. Noise matters more here than on a hay shed. HomeGuide's view is that a metal roof isn't loud once it's installed and insulated properly. Bare sheets on open purlins over a stall are neither, and you'll hear every shower.
Hay Barns and Equipment Sheds
These are open on one or more sides, which makes the roof the whole building. Wind can get under an open-sided roof as well as over it. That puts more demand on the screws and purlin connections, especially at the eaves and corners. For tractors and trailers, the eave height and clear span set the frame, and the roof follows.
Poultry and Livestock Buildings
Fla. Stat. 604.50 names the poultry house as a farm building. One fastener supplier notes that fertilizers and airborne pollutants in agricultural areas speed corrosion at screw heads and threads, which shows first on a roof over animals and feed. Ask about coated or stainless screws and a painted panel rather than bare galvanized for these buildings.
Lean-To Additions
A lean-to hangs off the side of an existing barn at a shallower pitch than the main roof. The Florida code wants lapped, non-soldered metal panels at a slope of 3:12 or more without lap sealant, or as low as 1/2:12 with sealant. The joint where the lean-to meets the barn wall is where these leak, so ask how the flashing at that line will be detailed.
Why Tallahassee homeowners call Tallahassee Metal Roof Co.
- Free referral, no charge to homeowners
- Your request reaches a single metal roofing contractor, not a list
- Ask for panel, gauge and Product Approval number in writing
- Free, no-obligation estimate from the roofer
Farm Building Rules and Costs in Leon County
Barn roofs follow different rules from house roofs, and the rules depend on how the land is used.
Farm exemption
Under Fla. Stat. 604.50, a nonresidential farm building on land used for bona fide agriculture is exempt from the Florida Building Code and county or city codes and fees, other than floodplain rules. Barns, storage buildings and poultry houses are named in the statute. A barn on a hobby lot without an agricultural use isn't covered.When the code applies
A barn that doesn't qualify is built and permitted like any other building. The code assigns agricultural facilities to Risk Category I, the lowest, for structural design.Permit office
Rural barns outside city limits fall under Leon County. See metal roof replacement for the permit offices.Purlins or deck
A re-sheet over open purlins and a decked roof with underlayment are priced as different jobs. Make sure the quotes you compare are the same kind.Gauge
Ask for the panel gauge in writing. See 5V crimp metal roofing and R-panel and corrugated roofing for the panel choices.Working height
Federal fall-protection rules start at 6 feet on a steep roof (OSHA 1926.501), so ask how the crew will rig a tall barn.
Tell us the building type, rough size and whether the panels are over purlins or a deck. The request goes to the roofer we send farm work to, and you can ask for the panel, gauge and screw spec on the written quote.