Custom Barn Construction
Pole Barn, Horse Barn, and Metal Barn/Buildings
General Contractor Services
Create a Custom Barn - Types & Styles of Barns
We understand that there are many, many different types of barn types and styles. Below is a list of common barn types and styles. There are also a multitude of shapes a barn can be made into including round, octagon, hexagon, pentagon, and more. If you are looking for a timber frame barn or a mortise and tenon barn, then check out the Pole Barn section as they are both considered to be post and beam barns.
message the experts
Construction Services
Pole Barn Installation
Also called a Post & Frame Barn is by far the easiest and most economical way to construct a barn. They can be used for storage and even as a garage! Pole barns are primarily made up of a wood framing system that connects to sidewall posts and a roof trusses system. The secondary structures are composed of roof purlins, wall headers, and wall girts to support the exterior siding and roofing.
General Contractor Services
Post and Beam Barn Construction
The post and beam barn includes a lot of well-known names such as Mortise and Tenon barns and most notably, Timber Frame Barns. They are characterized by their frame being built with different sizes of heavy wooden beams. This includes the headers, grits, posts, and rafters. They also tend to be built with various different timber connection techniques.
Construction Services
Modular Barn Installation
Modular Barns can be completely built or partially built modular barns. Completely built modular barns are delivered fully built and can include shedrow barns, horse sheds (usually portable horse sheds), and storage barns (for smaller purposes). If you were to order this type of barn online, odds are an Amish building company built your barn and you purchased it from a third party. Here at Mill Run Builders, you can order directly from us to save you time and money.
Partially built modular barns are delivered partially assembled and require some building on-site to finish the job. Typically the roof needs to be built on-site.
General Contractor Services
Steel Barn Construction
Steel barns (or steel buildings) are built primarily using steel as a structural material. Steel barns will still have grits, rafters, purlines, and support columns. Often, the roof and siding are also composed of steel.
We recommend staying away from steel barns. If you like the look of a steel barn, the photo in this section demonstrates a wooden barn with a metal roof and siding. Our recommendation would be to stick with a wood barn and get metal coverings so it still has the appearance of a steel barn!
Barn Styles
Gable Barn Style Construction
Gable barns are easily identified for their A framed, triangular-shaped roofs. The A-frame roof allows the barn to be built somewhat more easily, for a lesser price, and the roof can be built with a variety of different A framed angles. The biggest disadvantage of a Gable barn is the A-frame typically reduces the amount of usable attic space.
Barn Styles
Gambrel Barn Style Construction
Built with any type of construction or framing technique, Gambrel Barns get their name from the roof. On one or both sides, the roof includes a double slope. The lower slope is usually much less gradual than the upper slope and the lower slope often provides cover from the elements. One huge advantage of a Gambrel Style Barn is the tremendous amount of attic space you gain from using that type of barn. This makes Gambrel Barns an excellent choice if you need additional storage and/or living space.
Barn Styles
Bank Barn Style Construction
Bank barns get their name from where they are built. Since they are constructed on the side of a hill (or bank). The advantage of a bank barn is that the landscape can be used as a ramp to easily access the second floor. Instead of carrying something heavy to the second floor, the land acts as a ramp to more easily access the second floor for storage. Due to this type of functionality, it is of vital importance that an experienced builder is contacted because a poor foundation can result in the bank barn collapsing. That is why this particular type of barn should be built with concrete/cement blocks or poured concrete walls to ensure the walls do not collapse. Thick walls are a must!
As a result of this additional functionality and the necessity of a stronger foundation, bank barns can get costly compared to the other barn styles. This is a direct result of the additional excavation involved, the construction of larger/thicker concrete walls, a stronger second story floor, strong metal/wooden I-beams, and working with the landscape/hill/bank during construction.
Barn Styles
Monitor Barn Style Construction
Also known as the raised roof barn, monitor barns get their name from the center portion of the upper level of the barn that is raised compared to the other barn styles. This creates additional space for storage or to keep a lookout and monitor the surrounding area (your land!). A monitor barn is often purchased solely for the aesthetically pleasing style or look of these barns. The extra room and unique design, allow windows to be installed on the new center portion that is raised. Overall, these barn types look sharp but tend to be more costly than a gable barn style.
Areas we service
Below is a list of areas/cities that we commonly service. We also service a variety of locations in the tri-state area including Pennsylvania (PA), Delaware (DE), & New Jersey (NJ).