One of the most popular residential uses for steel buildings is as garages. Steel building kits are often created specifically for building garages, which can make it easier to choose the right building kit. On the other hand, with the many dealers on the market offering steel garages and building kits, making a choice can be a bit confusing and overwhelming. These tips can help you choose the right steel buildings for use as garages.
Check Local Building Codes
Your first step – even before you start looking at steel buildings – is to check with your local zoning commission to find out what the building codes are for your county, city or town. Nearly every local zoning commission has standards for building garages, and your steel building kit will need to conform to those standards. You certainly don’t want to get your heart set on a particular design only to find that it doesn’t meet the building codes for your city.
Write down the building codes for reference while you’re shopping and comparing steel buildings.
Ask for What You Need
You may not see exactly what you need on a website, don’t be afraid to send an inquiry. Codes vary from one county to the next, so there’s no one size fits all building. The better steel building dealers will ensure that all of the applicable codes are incorporated into your garage steel building kit, and include it in the overall price you pay for your kit. If you don’t ask, though, you may never know what accommodations may be offered for your building code needs.
Consider the Future
Always plan ahead and buy up. The general suggestion when building garages is to figure out the square footage you need and add 20 percent. Even so, there’s a chance that you’ll want to expand even more in the future. Check with the supplier of steel buildings to find out if they offer expansion kits for the garages you’re considering or if you’d need to replace the entire structure if you want to upgrade in the future.
Generally, constructing steel buildings is easy enough that many homeowners build them as a DIY project, though most hire a contractor to lay down the foundation before they start. You can save money by doing it yourself with the help of a few friends, or do the basis work yourself and leave the foundation and finishing details to a contractor. Either way, when your steel building kit arrives, be sure to check the delivery against the directions and packing sheet to make sure that everything you need is included before starting work. That way, you can follow up and get any missing parts shipped so that they arrive before you need them.
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