Building Types
36x60 Steel Horse Barn
- Width
- 36 ft
- Length
- 60 ft
- Floor area
- 2,160 sq ft
- Perimeter
- 192 ft
Use
How a 36×60 Horse Barn May Be Used
Stalls and aisle
Stall depth on one or both sides sets the width; aisle clearance is planned for equipment access.
Feed and tack
Enclosed rooms are commonly placed at one end so the aisle stays clear.
Turnout and access
Door placement at both ends supports circulation to paddocks.
Riding and training space
Clear-span width is the practical constraint for any working area under roof.
Example
Example Configuration
Quick dimensions
At a Glance
Width
36 ft across the gable end.
Length
60 ft along the sidewall.
Floor area
2,160 sq ft of clear floor.
Eave height
14 ft at the sidewall on the stored profile.
Configuration
How This Building Is Configured
Configuration summary
| Building type | Horse Barn |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 36 ft × 60 ft |
| Floor area | 2,160 sq ft |
| Eave height | 14 ft |
Planning
Footprint & Space Planning
Footprint
Width and length are chosen together: width is usually fixed by what has to fit side by side, length by how many bays are needed.
Height
Eave height affects door options, storage height and how open the interior feels.
Access
Where vehicles and people enter changes the whole interior layout, so access is settled before anything else.
Doors and openings
Opening width, height and position are specified with the supplier; they affect the frame and the wall bracing.
Site
Slope, drainage, access for delivery and erection, and the foundation are confirmed for the actual property.
Expansion
Extending along the length is usually simpler than changing the width later, which is worth deciding up front.
Access
Doors & Access Considerations
Opening width
Across a 36 ft gable end, the practical opening width is limited by the frame and confirmed with the supplier.
Opening height
A 14 ft eave sets the ceiling on door height before any frame change.
Drive-through
Matching openings at both ends avoid reversing, at the cost of usable wall.
Similar sizes
Other Sizes for a Horse Barn
36′ × 40′
1,440 sq ft
36′ × 80′
2,880 sq ft
26′ × 60′
1,560 sq ft
Related
Related Building Types
Example configuration — for planning purposes only.
FAQ
Common Questions
36 ft × 60 ft is 2,160 square feet of floor area before any interior partitions.
Length is usually adjusted in bay increments, and width is a larger design change. Both are confirmed with the supplier for the final design.
Site preparation, foundation and erection are commonly quoted separately from the building package. Confirm the scope of any quote you receive.
Compare nearby sizes
Related footprints for this building type
Each page works through one footprint for one building type.
Cost drivers
Quantities that move the estimate at 36x60
Quantities, not prices, are publishable here: roof cladding runs 2,226 square feet — 3% above the 2,160-square-foot floor at a 3:12 pitch — with 26.7 cubic yards of nominal slab beneath it. Whoever operates the building daily should read the plan before it is frozen, because they know where the pinch points are.
The two halves are built to different standards — the stall end fitted, the storage end plain — so the estimate reflects where the dividing line sits more than the total area does.
- the aisle width and the stall count it serves
- ventilation provisions above the stalls
- wash bay drainage and water supply
- interior partitions, stall fronts and durable linings
Overview
A 36x60 horse barn planned as a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage
This page is ordered around the stall zone, because at this width the plan has a genuine choice between more stalls and open working space, and that choice governs everything else.
3 storage bays fit across the 36-foot width with only 0 feet left over, which is a tight fit: the width is fully committed and nothing can be widened later without moving a wall.
What distinguishes 36x60 is depth behaviour: 3 rows along 60 feet after 11 feet of circulation, with 1 feet unaccounted for at the end of the run. The mezzanine that is added afterwards is the change order that reprices the frame.
A 36 by 60 footprint is a clearly directional plan: 2,160 sq ft enclosed by 192 ft of wall, at a 1.7:1 length-to-width proportion. Along its 60 ft dimension it takes 3 runs of storage bays at 16 ft, leaving 12 ft over — the 12 ft is where the argument about this size actually happens. Taken purely as arithmetic, 36 by 60 gives 2 storage bays across the 36 ft dimension once 11 ft is reserved for movement, and 3 deep along the 60 ft dimension. Run as a a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage, 1 ft across is below the 10 ft this use needs to be worth planning, so there is no buffer, so stored material sits directly against the stall run and delivery traffic passes the stall fronts Manure and bedding removal is a daily route with a vehicle at the end of it, and the barn plan either includes that route or exports it to the yard.
This footprint is planned as a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage. Spent as a square 46 by 46 instead, the same 2,160 sq ft would stand 2 storage bays across rather than 2, and would trade this plan's length for parallel access. That is the width-against-depth decision this footprint has already made. Compared with a 36 by 50 of the same width, the extra depth here adds run rather than reach: it buys about 3 storage bays in line, and every position past the second is retrieved by moving what stands in front of it. At this scale the building is usually operated by one or two people who know where everything is, so the plan can be loose and the doors matter more than the divisions. The longest internal travel on a 36 by 60 plan is about 70 ft corner to corner, and the shortest useful one is the 36 ft cross-run. For a a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage that matters where barn storage end planning sits, because shortening the 36 ft run to serve it lengthens every trip along the 60 ft dimension. Dust is generated by everything that happens in a barn, and where it settles is decided by where the openings are.
Areas, perimeter, roof area, ridge height, slab volume and the storage bay counts on this page are computed from the stored 36x60 record and this platform's planning module for the horse barn category.
Allocation
Dividing the floor for a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage
The barn arrangement this width and depth could equally carry is a long riding arena planned around a continuous track: the width is fully committed to the working surface, so mounting, viewing and equipment all live outside the arena footprint. Divide across the building rather than along it: the stored end takes the full width for a defined length, and the stall run takes the rest. A storage strip running the whole length alongside the aisle is the arrangement that fails.
The 1-foot leftover depth falls under the 10 feet this platform treats as usable for a horse barn, so there is no buffer, so stored material sits directly against the stall run and delivery traffic passes the stall fronts. Storage expands until it meets a wall, so give it a wall on purpose.
Width is fully committed at 36x60. With 0 feet spare, wall storage and passing room compete with the storage bays directly. Judge the plan by what has to happen on the worst day of the year, not on an average one.
Spent as a square 46 by 46 instead, the same 2,160 sq ft would stand 2 storage bays across rather than 2, and would trade this plan's length for parallel access. That is the width-against-depth decision this footprint has already made. Compared with a 36 by 50 of the same width, the extra depth here adds run rather than reach: it buys about 3 storage bays in line, and every position past the second is retrieved by moving what stands in front of it. At this scale the building is usually operated by one or two people who know where everything is, so the plan can be loose and the doors matter more than the divisions. The longest internal travel on a 36 by 60 plan is about 70 ft corner to corner, and the shortest useful one is the 36 ft cross-run. For a a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage that matters where barn storage end planning sits, because shortening the 36 ft run to serve it lengthens every trip along the 60 ft dimension. Dust is generated by everything that happens in a barn, and where it settles is decided by where the openings are. That movement pattern, not the 2,160-square-foot total, is what decides whether the leftover 1 feet is useful here.
Usable area
How the 2,160 square feet divides at 36x60
Computed storage bay fit for a 36x60 horse barn
| Measure | Computed at this footprint |
|---|---|
| Storage bays across the 36-foot width | 3 at a 12-foot module |
| Leftover width | 0 ft (0 sq ft as a full-length strip) |
| Rows along the 60-foot length | 3 at a 16-foot module after 11 ft of circulation |
| Leftover depth | 1 ft (36 sq ft across the width) |
| Total storage bays | 9 |
| Share of floor committed | 80% |
Module footprint used here is 12 by 16 feet, this platform's planning module for a horse barn. It is not a code minimum or an engineered clearance.
Example allocation of the 60-foot length — planning model, not survey data
| Zone | Length along the building | Computed area |
|---|---|---|
| Stalls and animal housing | 27 ft | 972 sq ft |
| Aisle and handling space | 18 ft | 648 sq ft |
| Tack, feed and storage | 15 ft | 540 sq ft |
Shares applied to the stored 60-foot length; areas computed against the 36-foot width.
Module footprints and allocation shares come from this platform's use typology and are published as example planning models. They are not recommendations and do not describe a majority of projects.
Configurations
Configuring 9 storage bays at 36x60
At 20-foot nominal bays the structure works with the layout instead of against it: one storage bay per bay line, walls free of awkward half-positions. Rows that cannot be entered independently end up used as one long space.
Two-plus rows change the access question entirely. Every rear position at 36x60 needs either its own opening or an aisle, and 0 feet of spare width is what that aisle has to come from. Circulation width is the first thing surrendered under pressure and the first thing missed afterwards.
Extension is cheapest along the 60 ft dimension, where each added bay repeats work already framed; widening past 36 ft is a different frame rather than a longer one. Growing to 36 by 76 adds a 4th run of storage bays — useful if the constraint is storage bays rather than the 12 ft already spare at the far end.
Configured as a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage, 36x60 is judged on whether the 9 storage bays it holds match the operation, and on whether the 0 feet of spare width leaves the route this mode depends on.
- Does the work need two parked lanes with a walking gap between them, or one lane and a deep work zone, or does it need a second lane that this 36-foot span cannot give?
- Is the 60-foot length being bought for depth, or for the repeated bays — five or six repeated bays, so functions are assigned bay by bay?
- How wide is the aisle, and does it work with a horse being led past a barrow?
- Where do feed and tack sit relative to the daily routine?
Bay division shown here is a planning module computed from the stored length. Actual bay spacing is set by the manufacturer's frame design for the building.
Openings
Openings for 3 storage bays across
Openings are the pinch point here. With 0 feet of spare width the gable cannot host 3 separate doors, so access is either shared or moved to the 60-foot sidewall. The plan is only as good as the route into it, which is a site question rather than a building one.
A wide opening at the stored end and aisle doors at the stall end, on different elevations where the site allows. Sharing one opening means every delivery passes the stalls.
Hay and bedding delivered by vehicle to a door near the storage end, handled by hand or barrow from there.
Framed-opening sizes, headers and the structure around them are engineered for the specific building. Confirm every opening with the door supplier and the building manufacturer before ordering.
Height
Interior height for a 36x60 horse barn
Across a 36-foot span the 3:12 pitch adds 4.5 feet between eave and ridge. The centreline measures 18.5 feet; anything parked or stacked near a wall lives with the 14-foot eave. Two feet of spare width reads as nothing on a plan and as a great deal when a machine is being turned.
Height on a 36 ft span is a separate decision from the 60 ft length, and it is the span that sets the frame's behavior. Raising the eave over 2,160 sq ft affects every bay along the 60 ft dimension, so the test is whether barn storage end planning genuinely needs the extra clear height or only the floor area.
Condensation control matters more than warmth; horses generate their own heat and a sealed barn causes problems.
Clear height below purlins, bracing and lighting is lower than the eave height. The usable figure comes from the manufacturer's framing for the selected building.
Comparison
What changes at adjacent footprints
Computed comparison of nearby footprints for a horse barn
| Footprint | Floor area | Storage bays |
|---|---|---|
| 24x36 | 864 sq ft | 4 (2 x 2) |
| 30x30 | 900 sq ft | 2 (2 x 1) |
| 20x45 | 900 sq ft | 2 (1 x 2) |
| 24x40 | 960 sq ft | 4 (2 x 2) |
| 20x50 | 1,000 sq ft | 3 (1 x 3) |
Areas computed from each stored size record; storage bay counts computed with the same 12 by 16 foot planning module.
- 24x36 moves the count from 9 to 4 storage bays (2 across by 2 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
- 30x30 moves the count from 9 to 2 storage bays (2 across by 1 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
- 20x45 moves the count from 9 to 2 storage bays (1 across by 2 deep), which is the reason to choose between them.
Nearby footprints read for a horse barn: exact change in area and in planning storage bays
| Footprint | Area Δ | % Δ | Storage bays at that footprint | What changes for this use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30x70 | −60 sq ft | −2.8% | 10 (2 x 5) | +1 storage bay on the same planning module. |
| 40x60 | +240 sq ft | +11.1% | 9 (3 x 3) | Same storage bay count on this planning module; the difference is circulation and stored depth, not capacity. |
| 30x80 | +240 sq ft | +11.1% | 8 (2 x 4) | −1 storage bay on the same planning module. |
| 30x60 | −360 sq ft | −16.7% | 8 (2 x 4) | −1 storage bay on the same planning module. |
Areas are arithmetic on two stored size records; storage bay counts use this platform's 12 by 16 foot planning module and are not a capacity statement.
Because this footprint is planned as a barn combining a stall run with hay, bedding and equipment storage, the useful next reads are different from the ones a differently shaped horse barn suggests: barn storage end planning, delivery access separation, hay and bedding zoning.
Visualization
Reading the 36x60 footprint as a horse barn
FAQ
Questions about 36x60 horse barn projects
3 storage bays fit across the 36-foot width with only 0 feet left over, which is a tight fit: the width is fully committed and nothing can be widened later without moving a wall. Those counts use a 12 by 16 foot planning module with 11 feet allowed for circulation, so a different module changes the answer.
Reserving 11 ft across the 36 ft dimension for movement leaves 25 ft of working width, which takes 2 storage bays at 12 ft. Along 60 ft it takes 3 runs at 16 ft. That is 6 positions out of 2,160 sq ft, and the remainder is circulation, walls and the margin every plan needs. Whether that count is enough depends on can stored forage, bedding and equipment share this building with stalls without the storage taking the aisle. These are planning figures computed from the footprint, not a quoted layout.
A 4-inch slab across 2,160 square feet computes to 26.7 cubic yards before thickened edges, piers or waste. The final design comes from the foundation engineer.
By giving it a physical boundary and enough vertical capacity that growth goes upward. An open dividing line is treated as provisional and used accordingly.
2,688 square feet of wall and 2,226 square feet of roof at a 3:12 pitch — the roof exceeding the floor by 3%.
Methodology
How this page was produced
Sources and methodology
Find Steel Buildings dimensional records
Find Steel Buildings · Primary platform dataset · Tier 1 — code authority, standards body, primary dataset or manufacturer engineering
Supports: Stored nominal width, length, eave height, roof pitch and slab thickness for this subject.
International Building Code and International Residential Code
International Code Council · Model code · Tier 1 — code authority, standards body, primary dataset or manufacturer engineering
Supports: The framework of adopted codes and local amendments that decides permitting, separation and opening requirements. Cited as the governing framework, never as a local requirement.
- Dimensional figures: Width, length, eave height, roof pitch and nominal slab thickness come from this platform's stored record for the subject. Floor area, perimeter, wall area, roof area, ridge height and slab volume are computed from those inputs rather than transcribed.
- Storage bay fit: Counts, leftover strips and per-module areas are computed from the stored 36x60 record against this platform's 12 by 16 foot planning module for the horse barn category, with 11 feet allowed for circulation. The module is editorial planning typology, not a code minimum or an engineered clearance.
- Allocation model: Zone shares come from this platform's use typology for equine housing and riding space and are applied arithmetically to the stored 60-foot length.
- Allocation and layout models: Layout splits are arithmetic on the stored footprint, published as example allocation models. They are not survey findings and do not describe what buyers most often choose.
- Clearance and opening guidance: Clearance and opening statements are planning guidance. Final dimensions depend on the selected door system, header detail and the manufacturer's engineering for the building.
Methodology notes
- Prices: No price figure appears on this page. Cost data is published on this platform only with a documented inclusion basis, a collection date and a named source.
Drawn to scale
Plans and dimensions
Every drawing below is generated from the exact dimensions for this building, so proportions and areas are accurate.
Continue your research
Related planning topics
Background reading on the questions this page raises. None of these pages sells anything.
Compare 36x60 horse barn configurations
Review the allocation models for this footprint side by side, then estimate the configuration you intend to build.