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.