Buying Tips for Steel Buildings

With the growing popularity of steel buildings sold direct to consumers, many vendors and websites have cropped up to take advantage of the trend. Frequently, buyers who take advantage of advertised low prices on steel buildings bought online find themselves disappointed when they learn, after placing and order and signing a contract, that the metal building they’ve agreed to buy is little more than a shell. In fact, many companies in the industry use a two-step sales process: first, they take the order for a steel building from the customer and arrange for the manufacture of the shell once the contract has been finalized. The initial sale price typically only includes the structural components, the walls and the roof of the building. Additional components, such as doors and windows, insulation, gutters and downspouts and other design modifications can be ordered separately after the initial contract is signed and the customer has paid a non-refundable deposit.

Consumers who are not familiar with this two-step process that is typical in the construction industry are often surprised by the additional cost. If you’re planning to purchase a steel building or one of the many steel building kits on the market, the Better Business Bureau offers some buying tips to make the process more transparent and prevent unpleasant surprises after the contract has been signed.

Before you make a decision, check with your local code authorities about zoning and building codes to make sure that any building you order will comply with the relevant codes. Most reputable vendors and manufacturers of steel buildings will make sure that consumers are aware that they have ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the building they order complies. Those details, along with the items that are included in the sale, expected delivery dates and whether or not deposits are refundable will be in the contract. Be certain to read it carefully before signing the agreement.

Be aware that many of the items required for the construction of steel buildings will often require additional expense. According to the BBB, your finished steel building may incur several different types of additional costs.

Permits

In many counties, you’ll have to pay for the appropriate permits to erect your building. Other administrative type costs may include inspections, especially if you’re adding electricity and plumbing to your building, and taxes.

Additional Openings

If you want additional doors, windows or skylights in your building, you’ll usually pay an extra cost for them.

Land and Land Preparation Costs

Before your building is delivered, you’ll need to prepare the land for it. That may include providing access for delivery vehicles, clearing the land, grading it and providing a concrete foundation.

Delivery and Construction

You’ll often have to pay separately for delivery of your steel building, as well as erection costs if you engage a contractor to put the building up. You can avoid those additional costs by doing the construction yourself, but before you do, be sure to check the building codes in your location. Some towns and counties require that construction of steel buildings above a certain size be done by a licensed, experienced contractor.

Steel Buildings from Decision to Construction

So you’ve decided that the best option for that workshop or storage shed you want is a steel building. Congratulations – you’ve made a great choice.Steel buildings offer many advantages over just about any other kind of construction, so you can be assured that you’ve made the best decision possible. But where do you go from here? Here’s a quick run-through of the steps you should take to get your steel building project on the way to completion.

Local Codes

Before you do anything else, check with your county or city government to learn about any requirements regarding steel buildings. You local code authority will have guidelines for you to follow. You should also check with your neighborhood association or HOA to find out if they have any restrictions about what and how you can build on your property.

Designing

The amount of actual design work you can do will depend in large part on the manufacturer or dealer with whom you choose to work. In some cases, you’ll be picking from a variety of pre-designed options. In others, you’ll have input into many different aspects of building design, right up to creating an entirely customized design for your steel building. Be sure to work with a company that can provide you with everything you need to know in order to make informed decisions.

Engineering

Steel buildings are not one-size-fits-all. Each one should be engineered based on location, use and size. For that reason, thecompany from which you buy your steel building will have a lot of questions about where your building will be located and how you’ll use it. That will help the engineers determine how to account for the various types of load that your building will need to bear.

Ordering

Every company has a slightly different order process you’ll need to follow. Once you’ve determined the design and confirmed the engineering plans, you’ll have to sign a contract for manufacture and delivery of the building. You can expect to pay a deposit of 25 to 50 percent of the final price when you place your order, with the remainder due upon delivery of your building components.

Choosing an Erector

If you’re planning to have your building erected by a contractor, you should schedule with the contractor several weeks before you expect delivery of your building. This is especially important if you’re building during the busy seasons – spring and autumn.

Site Preparation

Make any preparations needed on site before your building is due to arrive, and make sure that you have an area for offloading the steel building components and cleared access to allow a truck to reach it.

When your building arrives, you’ll be responsible for checking each piece and determining that you’ve got everything you need. Once you’ve got everything offloaded and set up, you can start construction. Whether you’ve hired an erector or are doing it yourself, you’ll find that most small steel buildings are up and ready for occupation within a couple of days.

Accessories for Steel Buildings

Typically, when you order a steel building, you’ll have the option to choose various accessories that complete your build. In most cases, steel buildings include the walls and frame, as well as all the fasteners you’ll need to put it all together. What you’ll end up with if you don’t pick out important accessories is a steel box – it might be a pretty steel box if you picked one in a nice color and shape, but it’s the accessories you choose that turn the basic metal boxes into functional, fashionable and utilitarian steel buildings. These are among the most important accessories you should consider when you’re shopping forsteel buildings.

Doors

Access is a vital part of any building, and choosing the right kind of doors can make your steel building much more functional and easier to use. The door styles available for steel buildings include those for vehicle and equipment access as well as walk doors. Overhead roll-up doors, such as those commonly used for garages, are common for utility sheds,garages, storage sheds and steel buildings used as hangars or boathouses. Rolling doors can offer as much access as overhead doors but are generally less expensive than overhead doors. For smaller steel buildings meant to be used as workshops, offices or for basic storage, a walk door may be all you need. Walk doors – a typical hinged door – are also useful additions to larger buildings that have vehicle access or loading dock doors.

Windows

Not every steel building needs windows, but they make a nice addition, especially in structures that will be used as offices or for other human occupation. Nearly any window that you could choose for a house can be fit into the plans for steel buildings, so you can easily match the style of your main house or main building. You typically have a great deal of liberty in choosing the location and configuration of windows in steel buildings because, unlike wood frame buildings, you don’t have to worry about positioning them between studs, or be careful to avoid structural support posts. That’s not an issue with steel buildings.

Skylights

In addition to standard windows, you can also choose to have skylights in many styles of steel buildings. Skylights are a great option for bringing in natural light and reducing energy consumption – and of course, they look great.

In addition to doors and windows, a gutter system is a must for any steel building. The gutter system is often included as part of the “trim” package, while other things you think of as trim, such as wainscoting and cupolas, are separate items entirely.

Whatever trim and accessory options you choose, steel buildings offer the best value for your money, even if you’re on a tight budget. Their versatility, cost and ease of construction make them a great option for nearly any use.

Popular Designs for Steel Buildings

When many people hear the words steel buildings, their first thought is “ugly” – but it’s been a long time since that was true. While you can still find cheap steel buildings that look like metal boxes, most metal buildings today are attractive as well as functional. If you haven’t considered steel for your building project because of the looks factor, take a look at the many attractive design options available for steel buildings today.

Architectural Design

Many of the most popular designs for buildings made of steel are based on steel Quonset buildings, the ubiquitous hoop construction that you’ll see all over the place in agricultural areas. Quonset buildings are still available, and often the least expensive design available, but modified Quonset designs are growing in popularity. These hoop construction buildings feature the stability and strength that made Quonset construction the choice for the U.S. Army with the design aesthetic required by today’s more discerning consumer. Designs that combine rounded slope roofs with straight sides are among the most popular of all because they look good and provide more interior space.

Doors and Windows

The most basic steel buildings have a back wall, an outer sheath that combines roof and walls, and a front wall with a door in it. The door is often an overhead garage style door – but there are many options that feature standard doors and windows as well. Depending on the style of building you choose, you can add skylights which provide natural light as well as aesthetic flair, and windows in the front, back or side walls. You’ve also got a variety of choices for doors in addition to the classic overhead garage door – sliding doors that give you full width access as well as pedestrian doors in the same styles you’ll find in your house. For garages and large storage buildings, many people choose a sliding or overhead garage door for easy access with a car or loading equipment, alongside a people-size door so people can easily enter and leave without opening the entire front of the building.

Exteriors

Forget about the corrugated iron look that’s so associated with Quonset huts from the World War II era. Even budget steel buildings today feature powder-coatings in many colors. White and buff are the most popular, but barn red and pale blue are also readily available through most manufacturers. Many owners choose to sheath their steel buildings in other materials, including brick face, stone cladding and vinyl siding, so that they blend perfectly with their homes or other buildings.

Everyone knows about the economical and ecological advantages of choosing steel buildings over wood frame or other construction, but few realize the many attractive options available to make your steel building look great, too.

If you’ve been researching steel buildings, you’ve probably heard it all – steel buildings are less expensive to build and maintain, they’re kinder to the environment and they’re available in a wide variety of styles to suit your building aesthetic. But there are other reasons to love steel buildings for just about any use as well. Here are five lesser-known reasons that metal buildings are among the most popular small building projects in the country.

It Takes Less Time to Go from Plan to Occupation

Businesses often choose steel buildings over other types of construction because they can get up and running faster – in a matter of weeks rather than months. The difference is even more pronounced when you’re planning a small building project for your residential use – a garden or storage shed, a greenhouse or garages. An experienced contractor can often have your building up and ready to use within a day or two. Even DIY homeowners can put up a steel building in a weekend with the help of a friend or two.

You Don’t Need Any Special Tools

You don’t have to be an experienced builder or woodworker to build a metal shed, and you don’t need a full workshop of construction tools to get it right. Most small-scale steel buildings can be erected by anyone who can follow the directions to assemble the typical build-it-yourself furniture from the department store. In most cases, all you really need is a tape measure, a carpenter’s level and a power drill.

Steel Buildings Are Almost Idiot-Proof

There’s always a chance that something can go wrong with any construction, but when you choose a steel shed construction kit, you eliminate the one place where most people go wrong – the cutting and measuring. Since your steel building kit comes with all of the pieces cut and drilled, you never have to worry about your measurement skills or that you’ll waste wood and materials by cutting them unevenly or to the wrong length.

You Spend More Time Enjoying and Less Time Repairing

Because metal buildings don’t require ongoing maintenance and care, you get more time to use your building and spend less time fixing it up, repainting it and defending it from the elements. Just be sure to choose a high-quality building with a powder-coated finish, and you’ll save weeks of repainting over the next twenty years or more.

Steel Buildings Are Safer

A well-built steel building is much safer than nearly any other type of construction. Steel construction is more tolerant of earthquake and earth shifting, and most steel buildings are constructed to withstand hurricane-force winds. The roofs are designed to shed snow that can be a major danger in northern states, and of course, steel is naturally fire-resistant. When you add in the fire retardant finishes and corrosion proofing that are standard with most steel in the construction industry, the sum total is a much safer building.

Whether you need a new storage shed or a whole factory building, steel buildings are the best option. Learn more about the advantages of steel buildings from a manufacturer before you make your final decision.

Questions You Should Answer Before You Buy Steel Buildings

One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they buy a steel building is buying a building that doesn’t suit their needs. While steel buildings are among the most cost-effective types of construction you can buy, it doesn’t make sense to save money on something that doesn’t do what you need it to do. You can avoid making a costly mistake if you sit down and ask yourself some basic questions about the way you intend to use your new building before you start shopping.

What Will This Building Do For You?

This is not the same as “what is this building for?” Think about how having this new steel building will change your life, because it will help you visualize the building itself and what you need in it.

What Size Building do you Need? What Size Building Will Fit on Your Property?

Most steel buildings suppliers will tell you to estimate the amount of square footage you need, then add at least ten percent. It’s a standard rule – you always need more space than you thought you needed.  Of course, you’ll have to consider how much space you have on your property for the building you want. Don’t panic if you think you need more actual space than you have available to build. A good steel building supplier will have suggestions for maximizing your available property to get the most square footage possible.

What Kind of Doors Will You Need? How Many? Where Will They be?

Steel buildings are a popular choice for garages and for garden storage, and many are designed for garage style doors. Consider the size of the door, as well as how hard or easy it will be to maneuver things in and out of the building. Depending on the style of building you choose, you may have the option to put doors at either end, or even in the side. Many people choose a garage door for equipment and vehicles and a regular door for people to enter and exit without having to open the big door.

Do You Need to Insulate the Building?

If you’re planning to use your new steel building as an office, workshop or extra room, you may need to insulate it, especially in colder areas of the country. Some styles of metal buildings are much easier – and less expensive – to insulate than others, so it can be an important factor in your decision.

Will you Want to Add on to the Building in the Future?

Most metal building styles are easy to expand, but it’s important for you to plan ahead if you think that may be an option in the future. Some styles are expandable width-wise. Nearly all are expandable length-wise. It’s important for you to position your building for easy expansion if you’re planning to add on to it in the future.

What Kind of Structures Does Your Town or County Allow?

Always check with your code and zoning office before choosing a steel building. There may be restrictions about the type, style, color, size – or even whether the town allows steel buildings on your property at all.

Steel buildings offer many advantages for nearly any use, but some metal buildings are better suited for your needs than others. Make sure that you’ve considered all the possibilities before you buy one.

Look Beyond Price When Buying Steel Buildings

If you’ve been considering steel buildings as an option for your residential storage needs or business needs, you’ve probably seen a lot of ads on the Internet that talk about the price. Many manufacturers and distributers of steel buildings tout low prices as the major advantage of choosing a metal building for your needs. If you investigate beyond the price, though, you’ll find that many of these economy-priced structures aren’t so much budget-friendly as they are simply cheap.

Before you make a decision about the steel building you’re going to buy, you need to look beyond the attractive price to see what you’ll actually be getting for the money. Chances are you’ll find that those great bargains aren’t quite the deals they’re made out to be. It’s important to compare quality, materials and service when you’re choosing among the many steel buildings on the market. If you choose simply based on the lowest price, you’re likely to find yourself with a sub-par steel building that costs far more to maintain than you expected.

What to Look for In a Quality Steel Building

The steel used in construction is obviously one of the most important factors in the quality of steel buildings. Premium steel buildings are made of heavy-duty 26 gauge steel. Many economy metal buildings are made using much thinner 29-gauge steel, which is considerably weaker and may not even meet the building codes in some areas. Because they’re thinner and of lesser quality, you’re also more likely to run into maintenance problems than you’ll have with a high-quality steel building.

The coating on the steel will also have a major effect on your maintenance costs and the durability of the building. Look for buildings that have a rust and corrosion-resistant powder coating rather than cheaper metal paint or dip coating. This is especially important if you’re choosing a color for your building – powder coating won’t flake off or rust away, while other types of paint and coatings might flake off and leave your building prone to rust and corrosion.

Look for a building dealer or manufacturer who asks for a copy of your local building codes. You may read advertisements for steel buildings that promise your new structure “complies with all local codes.” Since building codes vary from one county to the next, there is no such thing as a universally code-compliant building kit. Be leery of any steel buildings dealer who doesn’t ask about your local building codes.

Consider any additional expenses you’ll incur in building, insulating and making your new steel building habitable. Often, cheap steel buildings are nothing more than metal shells. You’ll end up paying extra for doors, windows and trim. Make sure that you get a complete quote that includes everything you need for your steel building.

Steel buildings are a phenomenal bargain, but it’s important to make sure that you’re buying a quality structure that will last you for decades.