Frequently Asked Questions

Cascade Pole Buildings was established to provide top quality custom pole buildings to the residential, agricultural and commercial customer.

Q - How do I decide where to build?
A - When deciding where on your property you can fit a pole building, there are some things to take into consideration.
* County set back requirements – meaning how close you can place a building to property lines, other buildings and utilities.
Set backs vary depending on the county and location, check with yours for specifics.
* Steep grades – how steep the slope on the property is can change engineering and fill requirements, check with your project manager if there is a steep grade.
* Fill dirt – can change pole length and may require compaction reports for the county. Check with your project manager  if this is your issue.
 
Q - What do I need to know before receiving a bid?
A - To receive a quotation on your desired building will require us to ask you questions. If you don't know any of these answers , don't worry.  You can schedule to have a free site evaluation and skilled professional from Cascade Pole Buildings will come out to your building site to help answer any of these questions and more.

County requirements? Each county has specifications regarding snow loads, wind speed, and exposure. These vary so greatly even within your county, you will need to check with your county official for your property.
Style of building? Gable, Monitor, Gambrel, or shed, roof only are a few of the many styles available.
Ag-use or permitted? Not all counties require permits for buildings. What you will be using the building for is the main issue. Many times it is more cost effective to permit the building in the beginning to save headaches in the future.
What will you be using your building for? No we are not noisy! If you let us know what the main purpose of the building is we can make some very helpful suggestions that may save you money, time and aggravation.
Will you be parking a RV in the building? Then it will need to be tall enough.
Planning to store hay in a loft? Then the loft will need to be adequate for the weight.

Overhead doors need 2' of clearance below the eave height to open correctly and sliding doors need 1' of clearance below the eave for the door hardware. Make sure your doors are the correct size and clearance for your vehicles.
 
Q - How do I get the construction process going?
A - Accepting your bid and receiving the contract.
When you receive the contract , check it carefully. It should include everything that you discussed with Cascade Pole Buildings. If not, we can send you a change order or new contract. When you sign the contract things really start going. You will then be scheduled onto the construction calendar and will be assigned your own project manger who can advise you on all phases of construction.

Q - How do I get my permit for construction?
A -You will need your ENGINEERED drawings that have been provided by Cascade Pole Buildings. Take these to the county office to apply for your permit as soon as possible. All counties require a PLOT map to go with the engineered drawings. Check with Cascade Pole Buildings and/or county official regarding how to draw the plot map.
Some counties will issue a permit in one day and some can take up to two years. When you turn in your permit, ask how long the average turn around time is so you can be prepared.

Q- How do I prep my Site
 A - It has been our experience that excavation/site preparation can take longer than most people realize. We request that you plan to have your site totally prepared two to four weeks before we arrive, to give ample time for complications, should they arise. It is also necessary to let us know how much, fill there is on the job site, if any, so that we may account for this in the take offs. If you don't want to do your own site prep Cascade Pole Buildings can do this for you and work it into the bid.
For instance, access to the job site for a 60,000# concrete truck and delivery truck are just two of the issues.

Also: Clear area of trees, stumps, old structures, fences, sod, etc. Make work area five feet larger in all directions. Level site with a tractor (if required); knock down high spots. Place fill (dirt/sand/gravel,etc) and spread it over the building site as level as possible. A local man with a tractor or blade can usually get a site fairly level to build on within a couple of inches. Recommend compaction every 6 inches.

CALL FOR A LOCATE:
Locate all underground utilities (electrical, water, sewer, septic and phone).
In OREGON call (800)332-2344/Portland/Metro (503) 246-6699.
In WASHINGTON (800) 553-4344 Clark County (360) 696-4848.

Q - What are my responsibilities before, after, during , construction?
A - There are several things that are not included in the standard price. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Cascade Pole Buildings.

• Original Site Preparation (Required to build a structure on)
• Final grade preparation (required to pour a floor upon)
• Furnish all permits Good clear access to site for delivery trucks Redi Mix Concrete for concrete pads (two bags per hole)
• Supply 110 power and water within 100 feet
  
• Costs incurred if heavy equipment, blasting or pumping is required for post holes
• Paint any exposed wood (door jams, Dutch doors etc)

Q - What Should I expect when materials arrive?
A - When you hire us to build your building, our crew will arrive soon after the material is delivered. In general it takes them about one day per bay to construct your building. In most cases they prefer to arrive early in the morning and leave early in the afternoon. During construction the foreman can answer most any question for you and will do a "walk through" when they are finished to make sure you are happy with your building

Q - How does the final inspection process work?
A - When we are building we will call for all final inspections that are necessary. If you are putting in a concrete floor, electricity or plumbing at a later date, we will only be able to call for a framing inspection and you will be responsible for calling for a final when everything is completed. The phone number and website to call for inspections is listed on your permit.

Q - What is a pole building?
A - "Pole building" is a method of construction that allows you to build with vertical, up right posts, then attach the wall framing horizontally to the post. First the post hole is dug in the ground. Then, the post is placed vertical in the hole, next the concrete or crushed rock is added around the post and you fill up the hole.  Posts have been properly treated with chemicals to preserve them. ( See the Warranty Information). The Post Frame type of construction has been around for hundreds of years. This framing design is the most economical way of constructing, compared to other types of framing structures.
 
Q - Can I have "house type siding"?
A - The post frame design will allow you to have any choice of house siding. Inform your sales staff of what type of house siding you choose to have installed, we can help you with what type of substructure sheet that may be required.

Q - Can I have "house type roofing"?
A - Just like the prior question, the post frame design will allow you to have any choice of roofing that you would like to have. Inform your sales staff of what type of roofing you plan to have and they can design the proper strength of truss that can handle the weight of the roofing material.

Q - What insurance should a contractor have?
A - All contractors must have comprehensive general liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance for the employees, and they are to have a construction bond approved by the state, in which the construction is being completed. All subcontractors that are hired by your contractor are required to have the same items.
Clear span buildings use trusses which may span up to 80 feet. You can have wider buildings by using additional single sloped buildings that are attached to the main section building. This single slope roof can be attached on one or both sides of the main section.

Q - How do the trusses work for this type of construction?
A -The trusses have standards that have been put together by the Truss Plate Institute to insure the strength of structural components joined together with steel plates. These trusses can be engineered by for heavy snow load areas, as will as high wind areas.