Reviewed by the Benton Metal Depot team · Updated
If you're building a horse barn in Tompkins, don't plan around stalls alone. You'll also need to think about airflow, water access, feed, tack and where the horses will enter and leave. Benton Metal Depot supplies metal building materials throughout Camden, with 7 exterior colors available for applicable packages.
Key Points
- ◦Plan stall dimensions around the horses that will actually use them.
- ◦Horse barn exterior materials are available in 7 colors.
- ◦The current local setback for a horse barn in Tompkins is 15 ft minimum side yard setback for accessory buildings per UDC Sec. 222(c)(5) (a variance may be requested to reduce it); rear-yard figure and other-district figures not independently confirmed..
- ◦Applicable Benton horse barn packages use 29-gauge and 26-gauge Rib panels metal panels.
- ◦Benton Metal Depot is approximately 129 miles from Tompkins.
At a Glance
| Permit threshold |
Not found — Camden County's Unified Development Code confirms accessory structure permits exist and are processed online, but no explicit sqft exemption threshold was located. Needs direct confirmation with Planning & Development.
As of 2026 · Source |
|---|---|
| Setback (side/rear) |
15 ft minimum side yard setback for accessory buildings per UDC Sec. 222(c)(5) (a variance may be requested to reduce it); rear-yard figure and other-district figures not independently confirmed.
As of 2026 · Source |
| Wind load zone |
Coastal Georgia (St. Marys/Kingsland) — general secondary sources place coastal GA in the ~130 mph (ASCE 7-22, Risk Category II) band, similar to Chatham/Glynn/McIntosh, but no Camden-specific primary map figure was found. Must be confirmed with a GA-licensed engineer or the county building official before publishing.
As of 2026 · Source |
| Panel type/gauge |
29-gauge and 26-gauge Rib panels
As of 2026 · Source |
| Drive time from Statesboro |
148
As of 2026 · Source |
Permits & Setbacks in Camden County
Check the building rules before you settle on a location for the barn. Horse barn permit requirements in Tompkins are handled by Camden County Office of Planning & Development. The current threshold is Not found — Camden County's Unified Development Code confirms accessory structure permits exist and are processed online, but no explicit sqft exemption threshold was located. Needs direct confirmation with Planning & Development. square feet, but building size may not be the only consideration. Zoning, setbacks and how the property will be used can also affect the project. Confirm those details before preparing the site or beginning permanent construction work.
Delivery to Tompkins
A little planning ahead can make barn delivery much easier, especially on a working property. Horse barn material delivery to Tompkins currently takes approximately 1 to 2 weeks. Benton Metal Depot is approximately 129 miles away. Make sure delivery vehicles can reach the unloading area and that any necessary site work is handled before the materials are scheduled to arrive.
Representative product photo — a Camden County-specific project photo is pending (rotates in from Trey's weekly upload per the freshness cadence).
FAQ
How long does it take to get horse barn materials delivered?
Current delivery to Tompkins is estimated at 1 to 2 weeks. Use that window to work through permits, contractor schedules and site preparation. Confirm the estimate for your specific order when placing it and planning the overall construction schedule.
What kind of floor is best for a horse barn?
Different parts of the barn may need different flooring. Stalls, aisles, wash areas and storage rooms don't necessarily work best with the same surface. Drainage, footing, cleaning and slip resistance should guide the decision. Plan the floor system with someone familiar with horse facilities before installing concrete or other permanent surfaces.
Should a horse barn have insulation?
That depends on the building design, local climate and how the barn will be used. Insulation may help manage heat transfer and condensation, but it doesn't replace ventilation. In horse housing, airflow and moisture control are important. Discuss the complete roof and wall assembly with the building designer before choosing insulation materials or enclosing the interior.
What kind of metal panels does Benton use for horse barns?
The applicable horse barn package uses 29-gauge and 26-gauge Rib panels panels. Metal roofing and siding help enclose the building and protect it from the weather, but panel selection is only part of planning a barn. Ventilation, condensation control and the safety of surfaces horses can reach should also be addressed in the finished design.
How big should a horse barn be?
Start with the number and size of your horses, then add the space needed for safe handling and daily care. Stalls are only one part of the layout. You'll also need room for aisles, doors, feed, tack and possibly a wash area. If you expect to add horses later, think about that before choosing the building dimensions.
How close can I build a horse barn to my property line?
The current setback in Tompkins is 15 ft minimum side yard setback for accessory buildings per UDC Sec. 222(c)(5) (a variance may be requested to reduce it); rear-yard figure and other-district figures not independently confirmed., subject to the requirements of Camden County Office of Planning & Development and your property. There may also be separate rules affecting livestock buildings or where animals can be kept. Check those requirements before marking the barn location, particularly if neighboring homes or property boundaries are nearby.
What size should horse stalls be?
Stall size depends on the horse, including its height, build and how comfortably it can turn around and lie down. A layout suitable for one horse may not work for a larger animal or a mare with a foal. Have an experienced equine facility designer or qualified professional review the stall dimensions before construction.
How wide should the aisle in a horse barn be?
The aisle needs enough room for horses and handlers to move without crowding doors, corners or stored equipment. Think about how horses will enter and leave stalls, whether you'll move wheelbarrows through the barn and how daily cleaning will work. Have the layout reviewed for safe horse handling rather than choosing an aisle width based only on available space.
Definitions
- ◦ Feed Room
- A space used to store and organize feed and feeding supplies, with appropriate protection from moisture and pests.
- ◦ Post-Frame Construction
- A building method that uses regularly spaced structural posts or columns to support the roof and walls. It's commonly used for agricultural buildings.
- ◦ Eave Height
- The height of the barn's exterior wall where it meets the lower edge of the roof.
- ◦ Panel Gauge
- A measurement related to sheet-metal thickness.
- ◦ Lead Time
- The period needed to process and prepare the building materials after the relevant order stage.
- ◦ Setback
- The required distance between a barn and a property boundary, road or another feature covered by local building or zoning rules.
- ◦ Roof Pitch
- The slope of the barn roof, usually described by how much it rises over a set horizontal distance.
- ◦ Tack Room
- A dedicated area for storing saddles, bridles, grooming supplies and other horse equipment.
- ◦ Stall Partition
- A wall or divider separating one horse stall from another or from an adjacent area.
- ◦ Ridge Vent
- A ventilation opening near the roof peak that allows warm, moist air to escape when designed as part of a functioning ventilation system.
Tompkins, Camden County — At a Glance
- Permit Authority Name
- Camden County Office of Planning & Development
- Permit Authority Url
- https://www.camdencountyga.gov/102/Permits
- Permit Threshold Sqft
- Not found — Camden County's Unified Development Code confirms accessory structure permits exist and are processed online, but no explicit sqft exemption threshold was located. Needs direct confirmation with Planning & Development.
- Setback Feet Side Rear
- 15 ft minimum side yard setback for accessory buildings per UDC Sec. 222(c)(5) (a variance may be requested to reduce it); rear-yard figure and other-district figures not independently confirmed.
- Wind Load Zone
- Coastal Georgia (St. Marys/Kingsland) — general secondary sources place coastal GA in the ~130 mph (ASCE 7-22, Risk Category II) band, similar to Chatham/Glynn/McIntosh, but no Camden-specific primary map figure was found. Must be confirmed with a GA-licensed engineer or the county building official before publishing.
- Coastal
- 1
- Drive Miles
- 129
- Drive Minutes
- 148
- Nearby Towns
- Seals, Colesburg, Clarks Bluff, Billyville
- Delivery Weeks In Stock
- 1
- Delivery Weeks Custom
- 2
- Panel Type Gauge
- 29-gauge and 26-gauge Rib panels
- Color Count
- 7
Why Benton Metal Depot
Benton Metal Depot has manufactured metal building products in Statesboro since 2004 and supplies materials for agricultural projects throughout the region. For someone planning a horse barn in Tompkins, that means working with a regional supplier familiar with metal roofing, siding and the materials used on farm buildings. The barn's design and animal-housing requirements should be worked out alongside the material specifications.
Ready to talk through your horse barns project in Tompkins?
Sources
- Internal: category-data.php (pole-barns / agricultural-pole-barns copy) (2026)
- color-collection.php Weather XL Rib/PBR color chart: Polar White, Pebble Gray, Granite, Onyx, Vanilla, Sand, Chocolate (29ga; 5 of the 7 also available in 26ga). Real Benton color count for this panel line -- not confirmed as the specific palette Jim/Trey intend to offer for horse barns specifically. (2026)
- https://www.camdencountyga.gov/102/Permits (2026)
- https://www.co.camden.ga.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/644 (Unified Development Code) and https://www.camdencountyga.gov/1250/Permit-Fee-Schedule (2026)
- Camden County Unified Development Code, Sec. 222(c)(5) — verify against the primary UDC document at https://www.co.camden.ga.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/644 (2026)
- Aggregated from windload.solutions and similar secondary sources — no Camden-specific primary map found (2026)
- Given/client spec — Camden County (St. Marys/Kingsland) is a coastal Georgia county (2026)
- Computed 2026-09-16: GeoNames zip centroid -> OSRM public routing engine (real driving route from Statesboro, Bulloch County, GA). Deterministic and reproducible, but a free public demo routing server, not Google Maps -- spot-check a sample before confirming. (2026)
- Computed 2026-09-16: same OSRM routing result as drive_miles, converted from seconds. (2026)
- Computed 2026-09-16: 4 nearest cities in benton_service_area_cities.php by straight-line (haversine) distance from zip centroid. (2026)
- Bulk-set via dev-fact-review.php (2026)
Other Cities We Serve in Camden County
See the Camden County hub for horse barns
