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Real Life Stories

Rather than just a bunch of testimonials, we thought we'd tell you some real stories from some real customers...

Pick the one that best describes you.

Problem: Pole Barn or Traditional-Built?

When farmer Merv realized he needed more space for his growing farm, he started investigating
the price difference between traditional/stick built and pole barns.
Merv wanted something that would blend in with his home and other outbuildings but wasn't sure if a pole barn could measure up.

Graber Solution: It's Going to COMPLEMENT Your Farm

Ira from Graber hears this all the time: "Folks just don't realize the choices they have when it comes to the look of your structure. We went out to the farm, and I was able to match the colors and the style on this new building to the rest of the structures. And we paid special attention to checking with the Merv on sticking to the budget he wanted, which is standard practice for us at Graber. The real fun part of this project was the way the horse stalls came out. Between the wrought iron and the natural wood no one would ever believe they were inside a pole building."

Result: "Liked Graber so much, I've come back three times..."

"I like the practically of my Graber building. These guys are really efficient. They got my project done way faster (and cheaper) than a traditional builder could have. I talked to a few other pole building designers, but I was most comfortable with Graber guys and all their experience. I could just tell, when compared to other jack-of-all-trade builders, that Graber really had the first-hand experience I wanted for my project. I especially was happy with the way the designer from Graber kept in touch with me during the project. I never had to wonder at all what was going on. I have three buildings and am looking to add a fourth and fifth. I did price checks with other builders, and Graber was the best price and gave the best service."

Problem: How to Start Up My Business Without Spending All Money on New Construction

Charlie, the owner of retail flower shop, needed to expand and to launch his new venture: mass producing dried flower arrangements. And since he was in the startup phase, he was trying to find a way to construct his new building that would give him the space he needed, but wouldn't suck up every bit of profit he would make for a building loan. In addition, Charlie was looking for a building that could do double duty: a retail flower shop up front, with plenty of work space in the back, so he had to have something attractive on the outside to bring in important drive-by business.

Graber Solution: Hmmm...Something That is Functional AND Sharp Looking from the Outside.

Dave from Graber worked with Charlie from the inside out. Together they made sure there was enough square footage on the inside to give Charlie what he wanted, then Dave went to work on the design. Graber was able to create an exterior that looked like an inviting retail shop- which was important for the shop's name recognition. Dave paid special attention to the curb appeal factor of the front by adding dry wall to give it a real finished look. And having years of design experience, he was also able to give the client the wide open space he was looking for back in his shop.

Result: "Astounding...But One Complaint"

Charlie was astounded at how much money he saved on construction by going with Graber rather than the local contractor. He got everything he wanted - plenty of space for the production in the back, and a great looking retail store up front. And he won't be paying huge payments to the bank for a ultra expensive construction loan!

And his complaint?

The Graber team had to offer some help when the local real estate tax office wanted to asses him a value about three times his cost! It took some real convincing to prove to these experts that his brand new building was a cost-effective pole barn.

Problem: There's NO Way We Can Get a Pole Barn that's 115,000 Square Feet...

When the senior management of a southeastern Pennsylvania mushroom plant was looking for a builder for their new processing plant, they were a little skeptical about talking to someone about a Pole Building. Dave from Graber explains the fun challenge with one of their largest projects, "Typically a structure to grow mushrooms is made of wood with 16" studs or maybe concrete. The bad part about using concrete walls is that it's really hard to insulate. AND mold grows a lot faster on concrete if there are any chips than it will grow on a post frame constructed building. Our client had to have the mushrooms at specific temperatures- anywhere from 60 degrees to 120 degrees. Keeping a structure that warm would cost a fortune to insulate with a concrete build. And because our mushroom-growing client had developed a new way of growing them, they needed a large wide open building. The told us they wanted a sealer to cut down on the mold- but the stick built proposals from the traditional builder wasn't too good: there was going to be a stud every 16" which creates a thermal break, making it harder to insulate.

Graber Solution: We Make Them As Big as You Want...

Right off the bat, Graber was able to show the company how much they would save by going with their post frame design - with all the advantages of a wood frame, but much less expensive than concrete. The execs really liked the Graber post frame proposal because the poles were 8' on center, which created the massive opening they wanted, but able to insulate easily. "The building needed to be 206 foot wide which was a challenge with wood trusses but since we're one of the few that has an in house truss designer, we were able to engineer this for them."

Result: Take a Guess How Much "30% Cheaper" Means on a Pole Barn This Size...

The client was happy. VERY happy. So happy that they've called back for different projects throughout the whole country. They were really relieved that that the hard to come by sealant Graber used prevent any vapors from escaping. It was the first structure of it's kind...anywhere into the world.

Problem: I'd Like a Professional Office Building...Can THAT be Done as a Pole Building?

When a developer was looking to build on a parcel that he owned, he knew that a commercial office space would be the best way to get the most return out of his investment. And being shrewd, he knew that the less he spent on initial construction, the greater his return would be. But he was concerned that post frame construction would give it a box-like look and scare away would-be tenants.

Graber Solution: For A Few Dollars More, We Can Really Jazz Up the Look of Your Building.

The designer from Graber approached this project just like all the others. Step 1- Listen to the client. And here, he learned and agreed with the client's concern about saving tons of construction costs versus an aesthetically pleasing building. The work on the interior came first, separating the inside into many different offices and suites, each with their own drywall finishes. Then to make the exterior look better, we suggested a wainscoting - or 1/2 wall treatment of stone on the outside. It cost the client only a fraction of all stone-but gave this building a strong professional presence.

Result: Wouldn't Do it Another Way

The client was first shocked, then suspicious, then downright thankful when he heard the original ballpark quote and when the final "to the penny" estimate came in, he moved right away. Even after the decisions he made about style, colors and options, the process was about 1/3 faster than had he gone with a traditional builder. "Anyone considering developing commercial real estate should at least talk to the Graber guys..."

Problem: I've Been Dreaming of My Own Indoor Riding Arena...but There's NO WAY I Can Afford One...Can I?

One of our arena customers was sure she couldn't afford an indoor arena. But she loved riding so much and hated not to saddle up just because it was too hot or too cold. "I wasn't a professional horse person, who could write off the construction charge as a business expense and when I checked around with some of the big name arena builders, I all but gave up hope. But then someone told me about polebarn.com in Pennsylvania. They said this company would construct a long-lasting, durable indoor arena for about half of what a traditional arena would cost..."

Graber Solution: Not Just for Zillionaires!

"One of the best parts of my job is being able to pleasantly surprise people with our prices," said Eric from Graber. Riding arenas, when built with the traditional concrete foundations, take a long time, and are expensive. Really expensive. But by constructing a riding arena with post frame construction, so much of those expensive labor costs go out the window. We worked with the client to include side wall windows to let in natural light, and made sure we used our vapor guard insulation which prevented condensation on the inside.

Result: I Can and I DO Have My Own Arena

The client told us several times how glad she is for calling Graber. From the very start she thought the the total price for her dream indoor riding arena was going to be way out of her league. But during the initial chat, when Graber found about some specifics, she soon realized that it was very much within her budget. She and her family are able to ride 365 days now and actually host several events for their local club. All this was made possible because she had a "what's it hurt to ask" attitude and called the arena experts at Graber.

Problem: My Family and I Have SO MUCH STUFF...More than any Storage Shed Can Hold...

"When I would visit the shed places, I could never find anything that would hold all our stuff. Not only did I want to store my boat and one of the vehicles, but we're a family of confirmed hoarders. I checked with some storage shed builders who said they could build me a structure directly on my site, but they wanted about $30,000. There was just no way I was going to spend that kind of money to store our stuff!"

Graber Solution: Think of Our Buildings as REALLY BIG Storage Sheds.

In this case, Graber recommended a 28 foot long by a 36 foot wide structure, with 10 feet ceilings. The tall ceilings were important during the design phase with this customer because we advised him to install some really basic heavy duty storage shelves to line all of one sides of the interior, giving him maximum storage space. And because the family was going use the building year round, we prepared it so that his electrician could easily come in and finish the wiring.

Result: We Now Live a Simple Life

"With all our stuff out of the house and attic and garage, it's like having a new home." The client had no problem filling all that space with their family treasures, and really appreciated the advice about the heightened ceilings. The are using a space heater for now, but plan on running some electric into the building in a while. They tell us they were especially pleased with the color choices they had so they could easily blend it with their home. And the funny thing - the guy that built their house gave them a price that was about $9000 more expensive!

Problem: "Can I Get My Own "Full Service Garage?"

Graber's Ira retells it best: "A customer from Delaware came in one day. We're only about 20 minutes north of the state line. He needed a garage with enough height for a car lift, but was restricted by his local building code to a certain height for the building. And this height would not be sufficient for a lift." Seems like our Delawarean wanted to be able to work on his cars steps away from his house. Who would have thought this possible? In checking around with the other pole builders, no one could figure out a way to give him the height he wanted. He was just about ready to give up when he heard about Graber...

Graber Solution: Some Ingenious Design Work

Ira had one of those no-obligation chats on the phone and was intrigued by the challenge. Thankfully, he has been working with customers on different kinds of pole buildings for years. "I designed a system where we separated the trusses directly above the lift from four feet O.C. to ten feet O.C.. By doing this, we were able to make it wide enough so a vehicle could be lifted up between the trusses...

Result: Delight!

It worked beautifully. The customer was able to stay within the code-restricted overall height and still have his car lift. He was delighted and recommended Graber to other folks, telling them about our willingness to tackle a project that other guys won't touch.

Problem: Farmer Dreams of His Own Farm Shop

A customer from New York hoped that someday he would be able to get one of those farm shops that big-time farmers have. On his wish list was a structure that would provide tons of storage, some stalls, an office, and a shop. He was leaning towards a kit but found out about Graber...and he was glad he did.

Graber Solution: The Truth About Pole Barn Kits

Although the kit pricing you can quickly get online may seem simple and attractive, it's really not a great deal. The cost to ship the materials to you is usually more than you would pay Graber to actually do all the work AND the design. And if you're not experienced at putting the kits together (there's tremendous room for error) you'll have to hire a contracting company anyway. So when it was all said and done, our price for this dream farm building came in less than the true cost of a kit.

Result: I'm a Big Time Farmer Now!

Our farmer friend still tells us how thankful he is he called Graber before he went ahead and ordered that kit. Seeing how efficient and experienced the Graber crew was made him realize that the local construction company (who have built only a few pole barns) just couldn't match the years of experience the Graber team has. And now, he has this combination storage/barn/office/shop that he never believed was possible.