How to Square a Pole Barn

Squaring a pole barn enhances its appearance and ensures that it will be of the desired size after completion. The following instructions are written assuming the pole barn will be 30' x 30' in base area and we will be starting from the ground up. For different sized buildings just change the dimensions and the angles will still work.

Things You'll Need

• Large carpenters T-Square or angle square
• Several hundred feet of string
• Post Level
• Line Level
• Tent posts
• 8 3' sections of 2x4
• marker

Instructions

1. Place a stake in the ground where you intend to start building. This will be your 'Cornerstone'. Measure and cut two lengths of string for 31 feet long. Place a mark or a piece of tape 6 inches in from both ends of the strings. Tie the strings to your stake so that the mark or the tape is flush with the stake. Decide what direction you want the barn to extend from that point and stretch your string in perpendicular directions from your starting point.

2. Square the first corner. For best results, use a carpenters square to attach two 3' sections of 2x4 lumber at a 90 degree angle. Attach stakes to the outside endge of the 2x4's and place in ground so that the inside corner of the 2x4's is touching your 'cornerstone' stake and the arms point in the rough direction that your strings are going.

3. Square the second corner. Tie the end of one of your stings to another stake so that the mark or tape is flush with the stake. Extend the string until it is taut and runs parallel or flush to the 2x4 corner that you built around the first stake. When both of these conditions are met, place the stake in the ground. Then build a second 2x4 corner using your carpernters square and make sure that it too has a 90 degree angle. Attach stakes to it and place it so that the side pointing towards your first stake is perfectly flush with the string and the other arm points 90 degrees away.

4. Square the third corner. Follow the steps from above to set a stake and 2x4 apparatus to the other loose section of string. Then measure and cut two more 31' sections of string and place marks or tape 6'' in from each end. Tie them to the second and third stakes so that the mark or tape is flush with the stake and extend them 90 degrees away from the other line.

5. Square Fourth Corner. The two measures of string should meet up at a point where the mark or tape section overlaps. Just to be sure, attach a stake to one string first and square in the same way that you did in the previous steps. Once your stake has been set, extend the last loose section of string to the stake. If the mark or tape in the string matches extends right to the stake, and the string is flush with both of the 2x4 corners that you built, then your whole barn is square.

Tips & Warnings

• This How-To was written to describe how to square the foundation. When digging post holes, keep in mind that the stake represents the outside edge of your post, so you will want to make sure that the post hole extends passed the location of the stake.

• Once your posts are in the ground but not cemented in, use this same process to square the posts. When your first post is square, use two 2x4 braces attached to the post and into the ground to ensure that it remains square and level as you pour cement and measure your other angles.

• When measuring your posts, make sure to take terrain into account. If there is a large decline in the area you are placing your barn, you will want to use longer posts for the lower sides.