Six Things to Look for When Pricing Steel Buildings

So you’ve decided that a steel building makes the most sense for your construction project. Now it’s just a matter of deciding who you should buy your metal building kit from and how much you should pay for it. Pricing out steel buildings may seem straightforward, but it can be a tricky process. Here are six important things to look for when comparison shopping for steel buildings.

Broker or Manufacturer?

It will nearly always be cheaper to buy a metal building from the manufacturer, but there can be disadvantages, too. If you’re going to cut out the middle man, be sure that you know the right questions to ask the manufacturer’s rep, who may not be used to dealing with end users. A manufacturer may simply assume that you understand certain things about the business, which could put you at a disadvantage when your steel building arrives – with no doors or windows.

What Components Are Included?

As noted above, the basic prices for steel buildings seldom include little niceties like doors, windows and hardware for them, though the walls and ends will have the openings cut for them. It’s often cheaper to order your doors and windows at the same time, but be aware that you’ll pay extra for them.

What Are the Payment Terms?

Generally, contracts for steel buildings require several payments. The first is a non-refundable deposit to secure your building and get engineers started working on the design. Some manufacturers then require a second payment before any of the actual fabrication for your metal building is begun. The final payment is usually due upon delivery of your building components. Check your contract carefully so that you know exactly how much is due and by when.

Is the Building Standards-Compliant?

Before you place your order for a metal building, check with your local zoning board and code board to get the most up-to-date building standards for your area. The steel building you buy must meet the building codes for your area, so it’s vital that the engineers have those codes in order to ensure that the building they design for you will be in compliance with local building standards. Have the codes in hand before placing your order so that the first quote you receive will reflect any customization required to meet local building codes.

What Are the Terms of Delivery?

The cost of your steel building will seldom include delivery, even if the manufacturer makes the arrangements to deliver the building to your work site. Make sure you get the full price, including delivery charges – which, by the way, seldom include unloading the building at your end of the delivery – when you get your quote.

What Kind of Foundation Does the Building Need?

Most small steel buildings, including garages and storage sheds, don’t need a dug foundation. They’re just fine with a poured concrete foundation. Some small buildings may even be perfectly safe with pier footings or a pier foundation. The cost of the foundation will add to the overall cost of your building, though, so be sure to price it in when doing comparison pricing for steel buildings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Residential Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are more and more popular with homeowners who want to add storage space, garages, barns and other outbuildings to their property. If you’re considering a sturdy metal building to alleviate your storage needs, you may have some questions about the use, costs and other factors related to steel buildings. This list of frequently asked questions about steel buildings may have the answers you need.

How Much Does a Steel Building Cost?

The prices for steel buildings vary considerably, depending on size, style, finishing touches and other factors. In general, though, you can expect to pay anywhere from 50 to 75 percent the cost per square foot for metal buildings as you would for wood-frame or concrete construction.

Can I Really Put Up a Steel Building Myself?

Smaller steel buildings are ideal do-it-yourself projects for experienced home handymen, but they’re not great for everyone. If you have reasonable DIY skills and some handy friends with muscles, though, you can assemble a metal building kit without a contractor – or any heavy machinery. In fact, all you really need are basic power tools for tightening connectors.

What Kind of Foundation Do Metal Buildings Need?

In most cases, smaller metal buildings, including storage sheds and garages, only require a cement slab foundation. However, the foundation is vital to safe construction of your steel building so most experts recommend that you hire a professional contractor to do the actual digging and pouring of the slab even if you intend to do the rest of the construction yourself.

How Long Will a Steel Building Last?

Most well-made steel storage sheds and garages can be expected to stand for 25 years or longer. Many steel buildings that were erected as “temporary” storage buildings in the 1950s are still standing 60 years later.

Will a Metal Building Rust Away?

Modern steel buildings nearly all ship with powder-coating that is resistant to rust and corrosion, including corrosion from salt air and pollution. As long as the finish isn’t damaged or scratched through, it should protect the metal from rust, acid and other types of corrosion for decades.

What Kind of Maintenance Do Steel Buildings Need?

One of the beauties of steel buildings is that they require very little time and attention. Steel is impervious to rot and damage from insects and rodents. It doesn’t shrink and swell with moisture and doesn’t get waterlogged and frozen in winter. The only routine maintenance your steel building will require is regular washing and cleaning to remove debris and dirt.

Steel buildings are the ideal choice for small residential buildings, such as garages and storage sheds. You’ll find a wide variety of steel buildings for various purposes at brokers and manufacturers’ websites online.

Choose Steel Buildings for Affordable Guest Houses

Is your empty nest filling back up with adult children and their families moving back home? The tight job market has made it difficult for many young adults to make it on their own and the obvious choice is to move back home with mom and dad. That can be awkward and uncomfortable for both kids and parents who are used to their privacy. A guest house offers an excellent solution for everyone involved, but building guest house can be incredibly expensive. Steel buildings, which are often used as garages and barns, also make excellent guest houses with just a few modifications.

Affordable and Easy to Build

Most people are more familiar with steel buildings used as storage buildings and garden houses, but the same structures can serve quite well as small guest houses, complete with plumbing for bathrooms and kitchens, and wiring for electricity, Internet and cable. Today’s steel buildings are very affordable, and if you’re reasonably handy, you can save on the cost of construction by doing the basic construction yourself. Metal building kits provide everything you need to put up the exterior of your building to customize as you desire.

Eminently Customizable

The many styles of steel buildings on the market make it easy to choose a structure that’s distinctive and attractive and that looks right at home next to the main house. You can choose from modified Quonset buildings, A-frames and arch frame construction, and pick out your choice of exterior color and trim. The interior is even more customizable. Steel buildings have no interior support columns, so you can adapt the interior to suit any floor plan you want.

Attractive and Easy to Maintain

The many choices of exterior color and trim makes it easy to match your guest house to your main house, making it an attractive addition to your property. You can choose from a number of trim packages, windows, doors and even skylights to make them comfortable and attractive inside and out. Even better, metal buildings require very little in the way of upkeep and maintenance. A new steel building won’t require repainting for decades. You’ll just need to hose it down once or twice a year to keep it clean and fresh.

Privacy and Comfort

Steel buildings are the ideal solution when you need to add living space to your property. With the right modifications and additions, a metal building is a comfortable and cost-effective way to provide a place for your adult children without sacrificing your privacy or theirs.

Consider All Your Options When Choosing Steel Buildings

Are you considering a new building to expand your business or provide more storage for your home? Steel buildings offer many advantages for nearly any type of structure. Versatile and customizable, they’re suited for many domestic uses, from guest houses to garages. You can use steel buildings as barns and riding arenas, sports arenas, office space or retail stores. Larger metal buildings are even more versatile, housing anything from an airplane to a new factory building.

Steel Building Advantages

Steel buildings are easy to erect. Since the building components are fabricated offsite, metal buildings go up fast and are usually ready to occupy much more quickly than masonry or stick-built structures. Whether you choose to put up a metal building yourself or hire a construction company to do it, you’ll save time and money on the construction costs. You can make design decisions to customize steel buildings yourself and watch your vision come to life right before your eyes. Before you place an order for a steel building, though, take some time to read a few buying tips about the many options available for steel building design.

Check Local Building Codes

Be sure you know the rules and regulations about steel buildings in your municipality or state. Some cities confine steel buildings to commercial districts only while others have specific rules about easement and building codes for steel buildings. You’ll also need a copy of all local building codes and regulations for a building of the size you’re planning so that the engineers designing your metal building know which standards they need to meet.

Make Sure the Price Quoted Is for Your Specific Building Codes

Don’t let a fly-by-night steel buildings manufacturer try to tell you that there’s such a thing as “standard building codes” when quoting you a price. While many areas have very similar building codes, every city, town and county has requirements in their codes that may add or subtract from the cost of your metal building. A reputable steel building broker will quote you a price based on the actual applicable building codes for your area.

Research the Steel Buildings Supplier

Before you place your order for a metal building, do some research on the company you’re planning to buy from. At the very least, check the Better Business Bureau in their home city or area to see if the company is listed with them and what grade the BBB has given them and how well they handle any complaints.

Ask the Experts

Any supplier of steel buildings has built up an expertise in the area that basic research on the Internet can’t match. Take full advantage of that knowledge when placing your order. Describe your needs and the use for your metal building in depth. Chances are that the distributor has supplied steel buildings for the same use and can offer you some valuable insights.

Advantages of Recreational Steel Buildings

Building a recreational facility can be extremely expensive, but there are ways to bring the cost down. Whether you’re putting together a gymnasium for your personal use, an indoor tennis court or community center, steel buildings are among the best options for your design needs. An expert steel building manufacturer can work with you on a custom design for a gymnasium, indoor soccer field, ice skating rink or even an indoor beach volleyball kit at a fraction of the cost you’d pay for a concrete or wooden structure.

The Many Benefits of Steel Buildings for Recreation

The basic benefits of steel buildings are well-known: they’re durable, affordable and quick to erect, among other things. But a metal building also offers specific benefits when it’s used for recreational purposes. They include:

Open Floor Plans

Because steel buildings don’t require any type of interior posts or load-bearing walls for support, they offer a completely unobstructed interior space. That gives you plenty of space for playing courts, fields and even practice rings for equestrian use, as well as the perfect setup for audience seats. When you choose a metal building as your entertainment structure, no one will end up sitting in a seat behind a beam.

Ceiling Height

There are steel buildings available with ceiling heights that can accommodate almost any type of sport or activity. Domed buildings are ideal for sports that require height – volleyball games, for example.

Attractive Designs

Steel buildings are both functional and attractive, and offer a wide array of panel, trim and exterior options. There are standard colors available for most trim and side panels, but most steel building manufacturers will also work with you to create custom colors, finishes and combinations.

Low Maintenance

Steel buildings require far less maintenance than nearly any other kind of construction. They come with rust-resistant and corrosion-resistant finishes, so you don’t have to worry about repainting every two to three years. It’s enough to give it a good hose down with a pressure washer to remove exterior dirt a few times a year.

Short Construction Time

The longer your recreation center takes to build, the more time you don’t have the use of it. When you choose a metal building, the construction time is dramatically cut. You can prepare the ground and foundation while the building components are being fabricated and begin construction of the outer shell as soon as it arrives. Depending on the size of the building and the experience of your work crew, your building can be up and ready for occupancy before you’d have the framework built for a masonry or wooden structure.

Recreational steel buildings are attractive, functional and cost effective. Whether you’re planning to build a small home gymnasium or a full-size stadium, check out the many advantages of metal buildings.

Top Ideas for Modifying Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are easily the most purchased small buildings in the United States today. They’re used by homeowners and business owners in many different situations. High quality metal buildings make great garages, equipment storage buildings, retail stores, barns, workshops and even airplane hangars. One of the biggest reasons that steel buildings are so popular is their versatility – and they’re versatile for one reason: no matter how you intend to use a metal building, the basic framework is the same. It’s the modifications that you make to a steel building that turn your empty shell into the building you want. These are a few of the most popular modifications for steel buildings.

Building Design

While the variations are nearly limitless, there are actually a very limited number of steel building designs that are popular with most people. They include Quonset buildings, and two modified versions of Quonset buildings, most commonly called A-frame steel buildings and P-model steel buildings.

Quonset buildings have no straight lines at all, other than the front and the back walls. They consist of steel semi-circular hoops that form the framework, and steel panels that form the walls and roof together.

A-frame steel buildings maintain the rounded roof of the standard Quonset metal building, but feature straight walls. The design provides less interior space, but more usable space near the walls of the building without compromising the strength of the construction. It makes A-frame buildings ideal for equipment storage, garages and aviation hangars.

P-model steel buildings have pitched roofs and straight walls, making them the most similar to standard house and building construction. While P-model buildings generally have higher clearance at the center, the height doesn’t extend as far across the width of the building. P-model metal buildings are the ideal choice for use in situations where appearance is important. They fit well into residential neighborhoods, which is why they’re often the choice of homeowners who want to add garages to their properties.

Exterior Trim Options

In addition to choosing a color finish, you can also choose trim packages to modify the appearance of your steel building. Most trim packages are standard and included in the price of the metal building. They’re often in a contrasting color to the color you choose for the exterior of the building. They generally include roof ridges, vents, end caps and seam covers for the places where the walls meet.

You can also add windows, doors, skylights and vents to your structure to make your steel buildings fit in – or stand out – as you wish. Choosing the best options for your building will ensure that you end up with a structure that serves your purposes well.

How to Ventilate Steel Buildings

Steel buildings have many benefits, but some of those benefits have another edge. Their custom engineering makes them nearly airtight, which is a bonus when it comes to heating and cooling, but it also makes metal buildings very susceptible to condensation. That makes ventilation an important consideration when you erect a steel building. Without proper air movement, moisture could build up on the inside walls and get trapped between the outer walls and insulation. That kind of moisture buildup is an invitation to mold and spores that could create an unhealthy atmosphere indoors. Luckily, providing proper ventilation for your metal building isn’t a difficult prospect, especially if you choose a supplier or manufacturer of steel buildings that can supply you with everything you need to make sure the air keeps moving inside your building.

How Much Ventilation Do You Need?

You’ll need more or less ventilation depending on a number of different factors. The building’s size, location and even the use of your building will help determine how many vents you need for your metal building and what type of vents you should provide. If you’ll be using the structure strictly for storage, for example, you won’t need to provide as much ventilation as you would if people or livestock will be inhabiting it or using it a lot. That’s in part because the very presence of living beings increase the moisture inside the building and in part because you’ll need to make sure that the air is healthy to breathe.

That’s part of the reason it’s important to let your steel building supplier know what use you intend to make of the building you’re buying. The architects and engineers who help design the tolerances and structure of the building will know where and how to place ventilation shafts, fans and louvers to help keep the moisture content down inside your building.

Types of Ventilation for Steel Buildings

There are three main types of vents used to ventilate metal buildings: ridge vents, circular vents and louvers. Generally, a 2,400 square foot building can be adequately ventilated by a single ten-foot ridge vent, unless you’re intending to use the metal buildings as barns or office space. If that’s the case, you may need to provide additional ventilation. In addition to the ridge vent, which traverses the roof, you may also need to provide louvers or vents near floor level to make sure that there is enough cross ventilation to keep the air moving.

For smaller steel buildings, you may get enough ventilation from a few strategically placed louvers. You can place the louvers on any unobstructed wall surface, but you’ll have to decide where you want them during the design phase of your building.

A reputable and experienced manufacturer of steel buildings can give you the kind of professional advice you need to make sure your building is properly outfitted with vents, as long as you provide him with the information he needs about the building’s intended use.

How to Choose Quonset Steel Buildings

Quonset buildings are among the most popular styles of steel buildings on the market today. They’re based on the design of Quonset huts that were used by the British and adopted by the U.S. military during World War I. After the war, many of the leftover Quonset buildings went on the surplus market and were bought up by farmers and ranchers throughout the West and Midwest who recognized the many benefits they provide for storage, animal housing and garaging heavy equipment.

Today, you’ll find three basic styles of Quonset buildings offered by manufacturers of steel buildings. Understanding the benefits of the three styles of Quonset steel buildings can help you decide which one is the right one for your needs.

Q Model Steel Buildings

The most familiar of all steel buildings, Q models are the least expensive style and provide a number of benefits for storage and agricultural uses. The standard hoop shape construction provides the most cubic footage of interior space, making them especially popular for grain storage and heavy equipment storage. The sloping sides mean that the center point is higher than the area along the sides, though, so if you’ll need clearance along the sides of your building, Q model may not be the metal building for you.

S Model Steel Buildings

S model Quonset buildings look more like barns than like a Quonset hut. They have a domed roof and straight walls, which gives full clearance along both long sides of the building. That makes S model Quonsets a better choice for use as garages and barns. They’re not as structurally sound as Q model metal buildings, but they’ll still stand up to heavy winds and snow loads, making them a good choice for the Northwest and Midwest agricultural belt.

P Model Steel Buildings

If you like a more traditional look to your outbuildings, then the P model Quonset building is the choice for you. These metal buildings have pitched roofs and straight walls, so they fit into nearly any setting. They’re very popular for use as garages, workshops, barns and storage buildings in areas where appearances are important. On the other hand, the pitched roof is the least able to withstand the strong winds common in the flat lands of the Midwest and the heavy snows common in the northern agricultural areas.

No matter which style you choose, though, steel buildings are attractive, durable and require very little maintenance, as well as being among the most cost-effective types of construction for agricultural and other uses. Choosing the best model of steel buildings for your needs will ensure that you get the best value for your money.