We had some serious thunderstorms overnight which meant that Village Landscape Development would be delayed yet again in starting our front sidewalk/stairs and rear retaining walls drainage projects.  At this point it will very likely be early July before they start, assuming it ever stops raining.

We are expecting company tomorrow, so today was house cleaning and repair day, along with more laundry and some pole barn related work.  Gary from GM Construction finally made it over and we had a long chat about the pole barn project.  He seemed to have a good understanding of what we are trying to accomplish and a good understanding of how to get it done in Oceola Township, Livingston County, where he also lives and works.

The pole barn is proving to be a difficult and discouraging project.  Conceptually it is a relatively simple building.  In practice it is a medium-large building with very high side walls.  The trusses have to span 32 feet with 2 foot overhangs, so they will be 36 feet long and 6 feet high from the bottom cord to the ridge.  Building 16 foot high walls requires scissor lifts to do it efficiently and safely.  Getting the trusses on top of walls that high requires a crane, while securing them to the walls requires a scissor lift on each end.  I got a quote from Chelsea Lumber for the building materials and it was 80% of what we hoped to spend on the whole project.  I already have the site prep and finish grading quote and it’s a third of what we hoped to spend on the whole project.  I don’t even have prices yet for concrete, electrical, or spray foam insulation.  What this is adding up to is a project that may cost 150 – 200% of what we were prepared to spend, and I’m not sure we are prepared to do that.  That’s money I would rather put into the bus, yet the fact remains that one of main reasons for moving was to have property on which we could build a pole barn for the bus, not just to get it out of sight, but to get it out of the weather where I could work on it.  Ugh.