New vs. Used Grain Bin Gazebo Kit: What You Actually Save
Every few weeks someone asks me whether they should just buy an old grain bin at a farm sale and convert it themselves instead of ordering a kit. The bin itself is cheaper, no question. What it costs to actually turn that bin into a gazebo is the part people underestimate, so let's walk through the real math.
What a Used Bin Conversion Actually Involves
A used grain bin is built to hold grain, not to stand open as a gazebo. Getting there means hauling the bin home, cutting the roof free, removing or reworking the bottom rings, cleaning and re-coating steel that's often rusted or dented, fabricating support legs, and re-engineering the roof so it sheds weather instead of leaking at every seam. None of that is a weekend project, and most of it needs a welder, a trailer, and someone who actually knows structural steel.
The Real Cost Comparison
| Cost Item | Used Bin vs. New Kit |
|---|---|
| Bin or kit itself |
Used: $500–$2,500 (farm sale or scrap price, highly variable) New kit: $5,669.95–$7,899.95 |
| Hauling |
Used: $300–$800, needs a flatbed or heavy trailer New kit: Included — freight is quoted to your address |
| Cutting, reinforcing, legs, roof rework |
Used: $1,500–$4,000+ in labor and materials, more if you're paying a welder New kit: Included — arrives cut, punched, and engineered |
| Rust treatment or re-coating |
Used: $200–$600, plus your own time New kit: Factory galvanized, no coating needed |
| Warranty |
Used: None New kit: 1 year (Behlen) or 10 years (Sioux Steel) |
| Timeline |
Used: Weeks to months, depending on your schedule and the welder's New kit: 3 weeks (Behlen) or 7–14 weeks (Sioux Steel), built and crated for you |
| Realistic total |
Used: $2,500–$7,900+, plus your own labor and time New kit: $5,669.95–$7,899.95, done |
Once you add up hauling, cutting, reinforcing, and re-coating, a used bin conversion lands close to kit price anyway, and that's before counting your own hours or a welder's invoice. The only scenario where used wins on pure dollars is if you already own the bin, already own a welder and a trailer, and treat the labor as free because you enjoy the project.
What a New Kit Buys You That a Used Bin Can't
- Engineering, not guesswork. Both kits are designed as gazebos from the start, with wall sheets and stiffeners rated for real wind and snow load, not retrofitted from a structure built to hold grain.
- A real warranty. One year from Behlen, ten years from Sioux Steel. A homemade conversion has no one standing behind it if a weld fails or a panel shifts.
- A predictable timeline. You know the build window before you order, instead of discovering mid-project that the roof rework is harder than it looked.
- Every part cut and punched. No field-fabrication, no guessing at hole spacing, no trip back to the hardware store for one more bolt.
Who Should Actually Go the Used Route
If you already have the bin sitting on your property, already own the welding equipment, and genuinely enjoy this kind of build, go for it. You'll save real money on the structure, and you'll end up with something nobody else has. But if you're pricing this out from zero — no bin, no welder, no trailer — the math almost always favors the kit once every cost is counted honestly.
Final Verdict
Price out the kit first, even if you're leaning DIY. Most people who run the full math, including hauling and labor, end up ordering the kit anyway and spending their weekends on something other than cutting rusted steel.
Common Questions
Is a used grain bin cheaper than a kit?
The bin itself is cheaper to buy. Once you add hauling, cutting, reinforcing, re-coating, and your own labor, the total often lands close to kit price, minus the warranty and the engineering.
Can I convert a used grain bin myself without a welder?
It's difficult. The roof and leg work typically needs welding to be structurally sound, so either you weld it yourself or you're paying someone who does.
Does a converted bin come with any warranty?
No. You're the only one standing behind the work. A new kit carries a manufacturer's warranty — one year from Behlen, ten years from Sioux Steel.
How long does a DIY conversion actually take?
It varies enormously by skill level and how much time you can give it on weekends. Kits, by comparison, have a known build window before they even ship.
Ready to buy the kit instead? Shop the Behlen BinVista or the Sioux Steel grain bin gazebo directly, or see both side by side on our grain bin gazebos collection. For full pricing by size, read How Much Does a Grain Bin Gazebo Cost?, see the full feature breakdown in Behlen vs. Sioux Steel Grain Bin Gazebo, or get ideas for what to do with the space in Grain Bin Gazebo Ideas: 12 Ways to Use One. If you're set on the DIY route, read DIY or Prebuilt? Pros and Cons of Installing a Grain Bin Gazebo Kit Yourself next.
Questions on either kit, call Kristin at 1-800-914-0074 or email sales@optimaloutdooroasis.com.