Buyer’s Guide: Raised Center Aisle Pole Barn Plans

Whether you’re buying a property and building for the first time or trying to maximize the acreage you already have in Sioux City, careful design and layout make a significant difference in how everything comes together. And if you’re considering agricultural buildings in the Sioux Falls area, sooner or later you’ll find yourself browsing raised center aisle pole barn plans. So what do you need to know about this popular building style, and how can you plan successfully for your project? With our experience as post-frame building contractors in the Tri-State area, Koskovich and Murphy can help.

What’s a Raised Center Aisle Pole Barn?

The raised center aisle barn, sometimes called an RCA barn or monitor barn, has the same function as nearly any other barn: keep your livestock safe and provide some space for storage. What’s different is how it accomplishes this. The raised center section is a second floor that adds a second “stage” to the existing roofline. 

Raised Center Aisle Barn Advantages

So why bother with this configuration? Windows can be run the length of the second level. To begin with, that offers the flexibility of a second floor that can be put to all kinds of different uses. The light is better, but—very importantly—so is the air circulation, so your livestock and workers are healthier and safer. 

Planning Your Raised Center Aisle Barn

Now that we know our “why,” let’s get to the fun part: how we’re going to make this happen. It’s not enough to simply buy blueprints online; while those blueprints can be useful in generating ideas, they may not be up to code, sending you back to the drawing board (literally). So it’s better to work with an experienced designer who’s versed in local code requirements. This has some other advantages as well.

Use Cases

No matter what kind of structure we’re building—even something as simple as a storage shed, or as complex as a barndominium in Sioux City—this is our first and most important step. Knowing what you’ll use the structure for will guide many of the design and construction choices that follow, so it’s vital to get this right. Prefab construction from off-the-rack plans is one-size-fits-all by definition, so it isn’t customized to your use the way a custom design from an experienced contractor is.

Siting

Post-frame construction has a built-in advantage, in that it requires less site prep and works well on terrain that could be cost-prohibitive for other building types. But “less site prep” isn’t the same as “no site prep,” so the choice of site, and considering how your raised center aisle barn will fit in the context of other structures on your property, is important too.

Roof Type

RCA barns are flexible in many ways, not least of which is the number of possible roof configurations. Each, of course, will affect how you can use the loft space, so it helps to speak to someone experienced who can tailor the design to your needs.

Time and Budget

You probably have a budget within which you’re working and a date by which you’d like to see your building finished. That’s something that should be accounted for from the beginning, so why are we putting it close to the end of our list? Well, this is something that we’ll be revisiting frequently, especially at times that you may want to make changes as the project unfolds; each can cause your budget, or your deadline, to change. We’ll disclose anything that could cause these changes from the beginning so there are no surprises, and may remind you from time to time so things stay on track.

Other Considerations

Who builds your RCA barn is just as important as how and where it’s built. That’s why so many trust Koskovich and Murphy. We’re involved from the very beginning of your planning process, through to permits, construction, finishing touches, and inspection. But just as importantly, we’ll be available for a long time after for any post-frame building maintenance and repairs you may need in the future. We back our work to the fullest.

Raised Center Aisle Barn Pricing

If you’ve read this far, you realize that’s a lot to consider, on your part and ours alike. That’s also why no two of our projects are quite alike, from their overall design to their particulars like pricing. Your material choices, finish, and everything else involved in delivering a turnkey structure that’s ready for use from the beginning means a written price quote that’s as individualized as your project.

Post-Frame Building Contractor in the Tri-State Area

Planning is important for any major project, monitor barns included. Koskovich and Murphy helps you plan better so the result is a raised center aisle barn that you can use and enjoy for decades to come. Reach out to us for a free consultation today!