Gutters on a Pole Barn — Added to an Existing Barn or Shop
Every rain dumps a sheet of water off the barn roof right along the wall, splashing the steel, soaking the post bases and washing out the gravel. Gutters fix the water side; setting them right fixes the snow side.
Gutters on a pole barn keep roof water off the posts, the wainscot and the floor edge. JMB Builders adds oversized gutters and downspouts to existing pole barns and steel shops across the north metro and central Minnesota, set low on the eave so sliding snow clears them, on close-spaced heavy hangers, with downspouts piped away from the building. Priced per project from photos and the eave length.
- Priced per project, by eave length
- Oversized gutters for big metal roofs
- Set for snow slide off steel
- Downspouts piped away from posts
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Most pole barns are built with no gutters. A big steel roof sheds a lot of water fast, and without gutters it lands right at the base of the wall: splash on the bottom steel, water at the posts, a trench in the gravel, and a wet floor edge inside. On a shop with a concrete apron, it pools at the overhead door and freezes.
Snow is the problem with gutters on steel. A metal roof lets snow slide off in one sheet, and a gutter in its path gets bent or ripped off. The fix is sizing and setting: oversized gutters with large downspouts for the roof area, hung low on the fascia so the roof edge sheds over them, on heavy hangers at close spacing screwed into the girt or fascia board. Snow guards above the doors and walkways keep the worst slides off.
Downspouts matter as much as the gutter. Each one is piped out to daylight or a splash pad well away from the posts, and on the eave over an overhead door the downspouts go at the corners, not across the door.
What you supply
- Photos of each eave, the roof steel edge, and the ground where the water lands
- The building length and width, and the roof pitch if you know it
- Where you want the downspouts to drain, and any buried lines you know of
- Your gutter color, usually matched to the trim
What JMB supplies
- Oversized seamless or sectional gutters sized for the roof area
- Large downspouts, elbows and extensions or buried outlets to daylight
- Heavy hangers at close spacing, screwed into the fascia or girt
- Gutter set low for snow slide off the steel
- Fascia board added where the eave has only trim to hang from
- Snow guards over doors and walkways when you want them, and photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Total eave length and number of downspouts
- Roof size and pitch, which sets the gutter and downspout size
- Whether the eave has a fascia board or needs one added to hang the gutter
- Building height and access around equipment and doors
- Buried downspout lines versus extensions and splash pads
- Snow guards on the roof above doors and walkways
A photo of the eave edge up close shows what the gutter can hang from, which is the biggest unknown on a pole barn.
How long it takes
Most pole barns: one day for both eaves. Longer buildings or buried downspout lines: two days.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Gutters on a Pole Barn — Added to an Existing Barn or Shop: questions, answered
Should I put gutters on a pole barn?
When water off the roof is splashing the steel, soaking the post bases, washing out gravel or running into the building, yes. On a barn in an open field with good drainage and no concrete apron, many owners skip them. The more you use the building and the more concrete around it, the more gutters pay off.
Will snow sliding off a metal roof rip the gutters off my pole barn?
It can when the gutter sits in its path. Setting the gutter low on the fascia so the roof edge sheds over it, using heavy hangers at close spacing, and adding snow guards above doors and walkways keep the gutters on. Some eaves on steep roofs are better with no gutter and a rock drip line.
What size gutters does a pole barn need?
Bigger than a house, usually. A steel roof on a large barn sheds a lot of water fast, so oversized gutters and large downspouts are the norm. We size them from the roof area and pitch on your building.
How do you hang gutters on a pole barn with no fascia board?
Many barns have only steel trim at the eave. A fascia board is added behind the trim, fastened to the truss ends or the girt, and the gutter hangs from that. Screwing hangers only into thin trim steel does not hold under snow and ice.
Where should pole barn downspouts drain?
Away from the posts and the floor edge, to daylight or a splash pad several feet out. Buried lines to a low spot work well on a busy yard. Keep downspouts at the corners and off the eave over an overhead door so they are not in the way of equipment.
Do gutters help pole barn posts last longer?
Yes. Water off the roof lands at the base of the wall, right where the posts meet the ground, and keeps the soil there wet. Moving that water away with gutters and downspouts takes a lot of the moisture off the part of the post that rots first.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All pole barns pages
Where we work
Pole barns near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: