Steel buildings – What Size is the Right Size?What

Once you’ve decided that a steel building is the right choice for your project, you’ll be faced with a number of other decisions. One of the most important is the size of the building you buy. Whether you’re building for industrial use, office use or home use, choosing the right size is of major importance. A building that’s too large will cost you more to heat, cool and light – in addition to costing more up front. One that’s too small will be cramped, and may not suit your needs. Luckily, steel buildings are available in just about any size you need.

The general rule of thumb when choosing among steel buildings is to estimate the amount of space you’ll need and add 20 percent. However, coming up with that first figure can be confusing. There are many factors to consider when choosing the right size for your building.

Measure Your Space

The first factor, of course, is the amount of building space you have. It’s impossible to shoehorn a 50-foot long building into a 40-foot long space. Measure your lot carefully, and be sure to account for access space. You’ll need to allow at least a few feet on all sides to get around the building, both for construction purposes and after it’s built.

Determine Your Needs

The second important factor is determining your minimum space needs. These standard sizes for common uses of steel buildings may help you decide.

The minimum size for a single car garage is 12 ft. wide by 22 ft. long. Double car garages may be as small as 18 ft. by 22 ft. long. Keep in mind that those are absolute minimum sizes. If you want to do anything more than park your car, you’ll need to add more space. In addition, local building codes may specify minimum sizes for garages in your area.

Garden sheds can be as small as 4 x 4 feet to as large as you want. A 4 x 4 shed gives you just enough room to store basic gardening equipment, and perhaps a lawnmower. An 8 x 8 foot shed will house your riding mower and a set of shelves, but not much more. An 8 x 10 foot shed is the most popular size for garden sheds. That size allows plenty of room for storing garden equipment, shelves, a small potting bench and your lawn furniture.

Steel buildings are often used for workshops, which come in varying sizes depending on what you’re planning to do in them. In most cases, you’ll want your wood shop or craft/hobby center to be the size of a small room – at least 8 feet by 12 feet to give you room for your equipment and for maneuvering. If you want a metal shop or are planning to do car repairs or restoration, plan on building to garage size.

Keep in mind that local building codes may determine the largest size you can build in your area. Once you’ve figured out how much room you need for your building project, check online to see the range of steel buildings available in that size.