If you are looking to build a stable on your horse farm, it is worth thinking about constructing it out of metal.
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In this guide, we are going to answer your questions about using metal for horse barns. We will explain how much they cost, and what you need to know about sizing, features and options. Then, we will introduce you to some of the top builders for horse barn buildings. To get started, let’s explain the benefits of metal as a building material for horse barns.
Why Choose Metal for Your Horse Barn?
Here are a few of the advantages of metal horse barns:
- Strong: First of all, the strength of metal, particularly steel, is excellent. It is far less likely to take damage than a softer material such as wood. That is a key consideration when building stables for horses, namely because of the horses themselves. If you already are a horse owner, you know from firsthand experience just how strong horses can be, and how much damage they can cause if they get upset or are not yet well-trained.
- Non-combustible: If a wooden structure catches fire, the entire thing can burn down. This is a particularly horrific prospect when we are discussing a stable, of course. A metal building that is exposed to fire can trap heat, so it remains dangerous. But at least the walls and roof are not combustible the way they would be if they were wood. This may give you more time and opportunity to get the horses out safely in an emergency.
- Weather-resistant: Your stable not only exists to shield your horses from wind, rain and snow, but also to keep them safe. A metal building is better at this than a wooden building during harsh weather, as it is sturdy enough to stand up to high winds. You do not need to worry about it crashing down.
- Pest-proof: Wood buildings can sometimes be attacked by pests such as termites. But your metal horse barn will not have this issue. As pest problems are quite common in barns, it pays to have a structure that will not be compromised by them.
- Cost-effective: Building a metal horse barn is a good way to save money compared to traditional stick-built construction. You can get a prefabricated structure in a metal building kit, and then assemble it on the site.
- Quick construction: Speaking of construction, it typically takes a lot less time to erect a prefab horse barn than it does to build one from the ground up all on-site. So, you can have your horse barn ready to go much sooner.
- Low maintenance needs: You will not need to do much work to keep your metal horse barn in tiptop shape over the years ahead. It will rarely require maintenance, and when it does, it will be minimal and inexpensive. That means that you will not need to worry about finding temporary shelter for your horses very often.
- Longevity: An investment in a metal horse barn is one that can pay off over many, many, many years to come. Metal structures can outlast wooden ones, offering decades of service in fantastic condition. Long after neighboring horse farms are forced to replace their dilapidated wood barns, your metal structure will continue to stand.
- Style: Metal is a versatile building material that can be used to construct barns with a wide array of sizes, styles, and finishes. That means you can fully customize your stable to fit your needs and match the other structures on your horse farm.
After you construct a metal horse barn, you will likely discover many other advantages. There truly is no contest from wooden barns, even though they are more traditional. In fact, you can even style a metal barn to have that classic, old-fashioned look while offering modern convenience and durability.
How Large Should A Horse Barn Be?
What size your metal horse barn needs to be depends on a number of factors, including how many stalls you need it to house, what size you want the stalls themselves to be, how much space you want in the middle of the stable, how much room you need for equipment, and so forth.
To give you an example, a 36’ x 48’ metal building is large enough for four horse stalls.
But you might need eight stalls, or twenty, or sixty, or a hundred. So, horse barns can be fairly small or quite massive.
When you contact a builder for a quote, they will go over horse barn sizing considerations with you in detail.
How Much Does a Horse Barn Cost?
As you might have guessed, the cost for a metal horse barn can also vary dramatically, in part based on how large or small the building is.
Although a smaller stable will have a lower overall cost, the cost per square foot will be lower for a larger structure.
Additionally, the cost for the horse barn will depend on what features and options you choose.
To give you an idea what you can expect, here is the breakdown for the costs for a 36’ x 48’ metal horse barn by FBi Buildings:
| Item | Cost | |
| 36’ x 48’ Building shell | $65,000 | |
| (4) 12’ x 12’ FBi Standard Stalls | $19,000 (since the stalls are separate) | |
| 12’ x 12’ Storage | No additional fee | |
| 12’ x 12’ Wash Bay | $3,500 | |
| 12’ x 12’ Feed & Tack Room | $5,500 | |
| (2) 36” x 36” Metal Cupolas | $4,600 | |
| (2) 12’ x 12’ End wall standard sliding door | $4,800 | |
| (2) Double Dutch Doors | $10,400 | |
| (4) Sliding Windows | $3,960 | |
| (4) Window grills in stalls | $1,800 | |
| 8’ x 48’ Porch with miter joints | $14,000 | |
| 12” Overhang | $6,000 | |
| Crossbuck Walk Door | $1,950 | |
| Weathervanes | $300 | |
| TOTAL | $140,810* |
As you can imagine, costs can add up quickly if you need a lot more stalls. And remember, this is just one example from one manufacturer. You may find other builders quoting higher or lower prices (a good reason to shop around).
Equine Barn Design Options
There are so many options you can choose to enhance your metal horse barn, such as:
- Removable partitions for stalls
- Door options such as a grill, yoke, mesh, or crossbuck
- Stall door accessories like a stationary swing-out thermo bucket or a swing-out feeder
- Extra doors for stalls
- Extra windows
- Larger windows
- Dutch doors
- Cupola
- Vented overhangs
- Fans
- A roof with a continuous vented ridge
- Skylights
- Eavelights
- Condensation barrier
- Flooring options
That is not an exhaustive list of all options and features available for metal horse barns. When you are comparing builders (see below), remember to ask each one for a full list of customization options. Choose the builder that offers you all of the features you need for your horses and staff to live and work comfortably and safely.
Top Metal Horse Barn Builders
Having gone over pricing information and options for horse barns, let’s check out a few recommended builders for quality metal stables.
1. FBi Buildings
https://info.fbibuildings.com/blog/horse-barn-cost
FBi Buildings is a company that has been around since 1958. Over the decades, they have built more than 20,000 structures, including quite a few horse barns. They may be a suitable choice if you need someone to build you a metal horse barn in the Midwest. One of their claims to fame is their Qlyft Building System.
This company makes it a breeze to order a horse barn or even create your own custom one from scratch. They provide a free tool you can use online to design the barn of your dreams. It is quite a cool tool.
In addition, FBi Buildings provides some of the best resources we have encountered online for planning your barn with respect to size, features and pricing. By creating those useful guides, they have demonstrated their expertise as well as their commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
2. Morton Buildings
https://mortonbuildings.com/projects/stable
Morton Buildings is another company we recommend pretty often for metal buildings. It does not surprise us to learn that they also offer an excellent selection of horse barns. They have been around since 1903, so they have built pretty much everything by this point, giving them all the experience you could ask for. We also appreciate that Morton Buildings is a 100% employee-owned company.
When you contact Morton to order a horse barn, you can tell them where you are located, and they can recommend layouts and features that are well-suited to your climate.
Another advantage of going with Morton is the company’s rock-solid warranty. That is important with any building, but with a horse barn, it is extra vital. After all, your stable needs to not just stand up to weather, but also to the horses themselves. One good kick can do a lot of damage even to a strong structure.
Build Your Own Metal Horse Barn
You have an idea now how much you will pay to build a horse barn, some reasons to consider choosing metal for your stable, and you know some metal building companies that can take on the job. To get your custom quotes now, click on any of the links in this post.