Before You Buy Steel Buildings

If you’ve decided that a steel building is the perfect solution for your extra space needs, you may think that you’re ready to start shopping for steel buildings online. Not so fast! There are a few steps you should take before you start looking and risk setting your heart on that adorable white garden house only to find out that you can’t build that. Here are a few steps you should take before you start your window shopping.

Check the Codes

While steel buildings are perfectly welcome in a lot of the best places, there are some neighborhoods that are just too snobby. Before you decide that a metal building is just perfect for you, check with your local zoning department, code department and, if you have one, homeowners’ association to make sure you can erect one on your lot. While you’re checking with them, get their code specifications so you’ll have them ready when the steel buildings manufacturer needs them. You’ll also want to know about things like how much easement you have to allow around your building and how close it can be to the street and to your neighbors’ properties.

Set Your Budget

Determine your overall budget for the project – and remember that you’ll end up paying for a number of things that aren’t included in the price of the building. Those additional costs might include windows and doors, flooring and finishing, and erection costs, plus the cost of your foundation.  In general, figure that you can afford to spend about 60 percent of your total budget on the actual building itself. Steel buildings average about $15 to $20 per square foot before construction. Knowing what you can spend will help you determine the styles and sizes of buildings available to you.

Sketch Out Your Plans

It’s important to be able to visualize what you expect from your new steel building. Grab a sketch pad and draw out a floor plan to help you figure out how much room you need for the interior. Some general figures you might find helpful: a one-car garage should be at least 10 x 10 feet. Most modern two-car garages are at least 24 x 24 feet to provide enough room for parking larger cars. A typical 8 x 10 foot garden shed will hold a lawn mower, a few sets of shelves and your garden furniture for winter storage.

Now that you’ve got some idea of what you’re looking for, and you’re sure that your town allows steel buildings on residential properties, you can start looking for the perfect metal building of your dreams.

Steel Buildings Aren’t Just For Business Anymore

Steel buildings have been popular for business and agricultural uses for many years. They’re used as factory buildings, warehouses and retail stores because they offer so many advantages: affordability, versatility and utility, for starters. Homeowners have been slower to warm up to steel buildings as solutions for cramped space and other needs, but over the past few years, metal buildings have moved into the residential market as well. These are just a few of the uses that people make of steel buildings on their residential properties.

Garages

Tired of parking your car on the street or in the driveway? Is it time to expand your garage because it’s not big enough for your truck or SUV? Steel garages are among the most popular types of steel buildings erected in the U.S. Metal carports and metal garages are affordable and can be erected quickly, making it an easy way to add a garage or upgrade your existing one.

Storage

Stuff. Somehow, homeowners accumulate more stuff as the years go on – and sometimes, it’s just not practical to sell it or throw it away. There’s the bedroom furniture you’re saving until your son gets his first apartment, the winter drapes and the summer patio furniture that all has to go somewhere. Why put up with the inconvenience and ongoing expense of renting a storage building when steel buildings are so affordable and versatile?

In-law Apartments

Whether it’s mom wanting to be close to the grandchildren or kids returning to the nest, more and more families are finding that they need extra living space – preferably detached from the house and offering privacy. Steel buildings are an affordable alternative to building an addition onto your home, and provide as much privacy as a separate home. A metal frame building is surprisingly affordable, quick to erect and can be built to suit any codes required by your town or state.

Home Offices

The trend toward decentralized offices has allowed more and more working people to do their work at home. A steel building is the ideal solution to keeping work and home life separate when you do both in the same place. A separate home office also makes it easier to deduct expenses on your taxes as long as you only use it for work.

Whatever type of expansion you’re considering, be sure to consider the advantages of steel buildings for your needs. Affordable, easy to build and versatile, a steel building could be exactly what you need.

Advantages of Buying Steel Buildings

When you need more space or another building for your property, but your budget is limited, steel buildings are often the perfect solutions. Metal buildings, often built from kits, are the perfect alternative for garages, barns, workshops, sheds and many other uses. If you’ve been considering building a detached addition to your property, whether for a home office, an in-law apartment or a garden shed, a metal building could be the most affordable solution for your needs.

Not sure if steel buildings offer you what you need? Here are just a few of the many things to consider when deciding whether or not to buy a metal building.

Affordability

Steel buildings are more affordable than other types of structures for many reasons. In addition to steel being a good value – one of the least expensive building materials available – metal buildings also save you money in other ways. Small steel buildings – the type that most people are erecting in their yards as garages and home offices – don’t require a dug foundation. It’s a lot cheaper to put down a poured slab foundation than it is to dig a cellar. In addition, many steel buildings are available as kits that you can put together yourself with the help of friends.

Faster

Even if you pay a contractor to erect your building for you, which your building codes may require, it will be a lot cheaper to erect your steel building because metal buildings go up much faster than traditional construction. Depending on the size of the building you choose, an experienced contractor could have the shell standing and ready for you to finish in a day or two. That means you can occupy your building faster, which could save you even more money.

Energy Efficient

Steel buildings are precision-engineered to fit together precisely, which reduces heat transfer between the inside and the outdoors. That means your heat stays inside and your air conditioning doesn’t escape through chinks where the walls meet. In addition, most metal buildings are designed for easy insulation and feature energy-efficient roofs and windows, making it even easier to keep them at the right temperature. That saves you money on your utility bills year-round.

You’ll find many different styles of metal buildings available, including Quonset buildings, arch-frame buildings, straight wall steel buildings and steel buildings with sloped roofs. Whatever your needs, you’re sure to find a steel building style that meets them all.

Tips for Foundations for Steel Buildings

About the only thing that doesn’t come with the package when you buy steel buildings is the foundation. In most cases – there are rare exceptions – your steel building will need a foundation. Foundations for steel buildings run the gamut from pier foundations to fully dug basements with supporting walls. The type of foundation you need for your metal building will depend on a combination of factors, including the size and weight of the building and the building standards in the town or city where you’re erecting it.

Tips for Small Steel Buildings

Most small metal buildings will only require a concrete slab foundation. If you’re experienced in working with concrete and pouring concrete, you can probably do it yourself. Most experts, however, recommend that you hire a general contractor to pour the slab because of the importance of the foundation. If your foundation is uneven in any way, it will be far more difficult to get your shed to go up straight and even. For the typical 10 x 12 steel building, you’ll need a concrete slab about 8 inches deep. That will involve digging out the dirt, leveling the surface and building a framework for the pour. If you’re not familiar with doing this kind of work, it’s best to contract with a professional.

Foundations for Large Metal Buildings

If your steel building will be larger than about 10 x 12, your manufacturer can give you information about the depth of the concrete slab and any other considerations. In most cases, you’ll need to install special supports to handle the combined weight of the building and its contents. You’ll probably also need to build concrete walls to hold the concrete slab because a wood framework won’t be sturdy enough. In most cases, building a foundation for larger steel buildings is not a do-it-yourself job.

Pier Foundations for Small Steel Buildings

If your building codes allow for it, you may be able to erect a small steel building using a pier foundation. This is especially popular for buildings with dirt floors, such as animal shelters and carports, as opposed to garages. The purpose of the foundation is to provide a solid supporting base to which you can bolt your building frame. You’ll have the engineering diagrams for your steel building to tell you where the bolt supports have to be installed in the concrete. Measure out your building perimeter and dig post holes at least 18 inches deep at each support location. Pour concrete into the post holes, and insert the bolt supports in the concrete before it is completely hardened.

Choosing the right foundations for steel buildings is vitally important to the stability of the structure. Always make sure you check your local building codes before you make your choice.

Five Reasons That Steel Buildings Are An Awesome Choice

Are you considering the purchase of a steel building for storage or other use but haven’t made up your mind yet? Have you been looking at steel buildings for your property but you’re still not sure if a metal building is the right choice? Have you made up your mind that a steel building is the best option for your man cave, but you need one more good reason that will convince your wife? Here are five excellent reasons in support of buying a steel building that you may not have considered.

We’ll Be Helping to Save the Planet

That’s right. Steel buildings are a green choice. Here’s why. Most metal buildings are made with 100 percent post-consumer recycled steel, which means your new building won’t be digging up any more of the Earth’s precious non-renewable resources. No one will be cutting down trees to make your man cave. The steel used for your building will be diverted from landfills, and, because your building will all be delivered in one shipment, you’ll be leaving a smaller carbon footprint on the planet.

It Will Be a Perfect Accessory for the House

Appeal to your wife’s fashion coordination sense. Today’s steel buildings are designed to fit into residential landscapes. You can buy a metal building in colors that match the most popular house colors, and choose finishing accents, like doors, windows and trims, that coordinate with the main building on the property. If your wife’s main concern is that your workshop or man cave will be an eyesore, take her window shopping on a site that sells steel buildings to see some of the attractive, affordable styles available.

It Will Get My Noise (or Dust or Smell) Out of the House

Face it, some of your hobbies kick up a mess and if you’re doing them indoors, that mess is all over your house. A woodworking shop in the basement, for example, is guarantee that someone – probably not you – will be doing more dusting upstairs. When you move your metal, automotive or woodworking hobbies into a detached structure like a steel building, you’ll be reducing the noise, the smell and the dust – which can definitely reduce the stress in your marriage.

You’ll Have More Room to Park the Car in the Garage

Steel buildings make great garages for a number of reasons, but one of the best is that they offer completely unobstructed interior space. Depending on the style you choose, you’ll have additional storage space along the sides and up above, and no one will have to maneuver around support posts in the middle of the parking space.

But Honey, We CAN Take It With Us

Yes, you can dismantle a steel building and re-assemble it on another site. And when you do, it will be just as sturdy and just as strong as it is on your current site.

So if you’ve got your heart set on one of the steel buildings you’ve seen online but your spouse isn’t quite convinced, try out one or more of these reasons. You’ll be placing your order before morning.

Questions to Ask When Pricing Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are taking the country by storm. They’re cropping up on suburban house lots, rural farms and in urban backyards across the nation. They serve as garages and barns, home offices and workshops, kennels and storage buildings – and that’s barely scratching the surface. In the world of business, steel has become the most common building material for manufacturing plants, churches, retail stores, factories and warehouses. They offer so many advantages to the buyer that it’s almost criminal for a business owner to choose another type of construction. If you’re considering purchasing a steel building for any use, there are a number of important questions you should ask dealers when making your choice.

What Is Included in the Purchase Price?

Many websites advertise low, low prices for steel buildings, but those prices are often deceptive. While they may say “Everything included,” that “everything” is a very fungible concept. Don’t let a salesperson fob you off with a pat answer – you’re idea of everything may not be the same as the broker’s idea of everything. Ask for a detailed list of all the parts and costs included in the price you’ve been quoted.

What Else Will I Need to Finish My Steel Building?

Yes, it’s the other side of the “what’s included” question, but it will give you a clearer idea of what other expenses you’ll incur. At a minimum, the quoted price for steel buildings generally doesn’t include shipping and delivery, and doors and windows are an additional expense. In some cases, you’ll pay extra for a color finish, while other companies include certain colors as part of their stock price. You’ll also usually have to purchase interior finish materials, such as drywall or paneling, flooring, wiring and any other items you’ll need to outfit your building for its intended use.

Are There Assemblers Near Me?

If you don’t plan to erect the building yourself, it makes sense to find an experienced erection contractor in your area. Many steel building manufacturers maintain a list of contractors who regularly work with steel buildings manufactured by their company, and who understand how they fit together. That generally means that they can get the work done more quickly and efficiently, which saves you money overall.

Choosing steel buildings for your construction project just makes economic sense, but be sure that you know all the costs you’ll end up incurring. Ask questions, learn all you can, and then choose the best supplier for your needs

From Quonset Buildings to Today’s Steel Buildings

Steel buildings have taken quite a journey since they first became popular as barns, grain storage and garages in the post-war years. For most people, the introduction to steel buildings – beyond the skyscrapers and huge commercial steel structures built in urban centers around the country – was the ubiquitous Quonset hut – the semi-domed, arch-framed construction originally popularized as a way to house troops and equipment in the European theater of the world wars.

Quonset buildings were easy to set up, easy to break down and easy to transport. The arched construction provided sturdy structures that withstood strong winds and shed heavy rains and snow. Because they had no need for interior support posts, these early portable steel buildings provided a maximum interior area that could be configured to meet many needs in the field. And as the wars ended and the Quonset buildings came home, civilians found the same advantages in the structures, which were widely available as Army surplus purchases.

The only problem with Quonset huts is that, as building go, they were plug-ugly. They were steel gray, squat and unattractive. For decades, this was the image that most people had of steel buildings, and this image prevented many from taking advantage of the many advantages offered by metal structures. Even as the manufacturers of steel buildings came up with innovations to design – innovations that included sloped roofs, straight walls and colored protective coatings – the general public clung to its impression of steel buildings as squat, ugly,  rusting structures sitting in the middle of acres and acres wheat or corn fields.

The costs of new building construction, however, have pushed many homeowners to examine alternatives to traditional structures and led them to consider steel buildings for use as garages, home offices, storage buildings and even residences. What they’ve discovered is that their image of metal buildings is outdated. Today’s modern steel buildings offer all the advantages of the original Quonset buildings – and more. Those advantages include:

-          Flexible floor plans

-          Low purchase cost

-          Affordable construction costs

-          Shorter construction times

-          Sturdy construction

-          Built to local codes and standards

-          Easy to insulate

-          Environmentally friendly

Whether you’re considering a replacement for your garage, a new storage building or place to store your off-season yard and garden equipment, steel buildings are an option to consider. Despite their long-standing reputation, today’s metal buildings are attractive, durable and extremely affordable.

Advantages of Residential Steel Buildings

Do you need a new storage shed on your property? Are you thinking of building a garden shed or a home office? If you’re thinking of adding a structure to your residential property for any reason, including garages, storage buildings and barns, your best option may be one of the many styles of steel buildings available on the market. If you haven’t considered a steel building for your needs, consider these advantages of metal buildings for residential storage and auxiliary uses.

Affordable

Steel is the most affordable building material available today, but that’s only one of the reasons that steel buildings are generally more affordable than other types of construction. Generally, small metal buildings don’t require a full foundation. Some, such as garages, require a poured concrete foundation. Others, such as those used as garden sheds, may be fine with a pier foundation. Either of those options is far less expensive than a full dug foundation.

Easy to Build

Many steel buildings are available in kit form that can be assembled by most reasonably skilled home handymen. They arrive with all pieces needed for assembly in one shipment and can often be assembled in a single afternoon. That saves you even more money, especially if you and friends do the assembly. Even if you hire a contractor to do the assembling, a metal building takes far less time to put together and therefore costs you less money.

Low Maintenance

Steel buildings require very little maintenance. The finish on the steel is designed to resist corrosion, rust and stains. Steel doesn’t attract pests like termites or invite rodents to chew on the structure. You won’t have to repaint a steel building for years, and the only major maintenance required over the years will be a good wash-down to remove debris and dirt.

Attractive

Put away all your preconceived notions of what a steel building looks like. Today’s residential metal buildings can look like just about anything you want. Most steel buildings come in a range of the most popular home colors, and in styles that suit your property. You can even choose exteriors that simulate stone, brick or other materials if it fits your property best.

Before you make a decision about your garage, storage building or home office, visit a supplier of steel buildings and look over the many models and designs available. You’ll find that the prices are as attractive as the facades.