How Easy Is It to Construct Steel Buildings?

Many people look into steel buildings as a solution to their additional storage needs, but find it hard to believe that they can possible be as easy to erect as the manufacturers say. When they say “Anyone with moderate DIY skills can put up a steel building with the help of a couple of friends,” exactly what do they mean by “moderate DIY skills”? If you’ve been considering a steel building for your garage, storage shed, home office or carport needs, this information may help reassure you that really, it’s true – almost anyone can put up basic arch-construction steel buildings with little experience and no special tools.

Most steel building kits come with everything you need to put your building components together and get them standing. If you work with a reputable supplier of metal buildings, your kit will also come complete with an easy-to-follow step-by-step manual that will get you up and running in no time. There are only four basic parts to putting together your building, and those four parts are the same for garages, storage sheds, barns or home offices.

Laying Foundations

The foundation and footings are vital to the success of your build, and they’re also the one part where many home builders call in the pros. The right foundation depends on the soil and loading conditions where you’re planning to build, as well as on local code restrictions. A local contractor or construction professional can help choose the best site for your building, determine whether you need any type of site preparation and design the best foundation for your building. In many cases, a small metal building will only require cement footings and a poured concrete slab as a foundation. In other cases, especially if you don’t need or desire a floor, the footings are the only part you’ll need to worry about.

Building the Arches

Putting the arches together is truly a DIY project, and if you can do it yourself, you’ll save thousands of dollars in construction costs. You’ll do most of the actual assembly on the ground, before you raise the arches. You simply put the pieces together, using basic power tools that you probably already own.

Raising the Arches

Once the arches are assembled, you’ll need to stand them up and move them into place. For larger buildings, you may need the assistance of some heavy equipment. But in most cases, you and a few friends can easily stand the arches up and move them into place. If you follow the instructions in the kit precisely, the pieces you put up first will help support later pieces. The precision fit of the pieces will ensure that all of the arches will overlap where they should, allowing for fast, accurate assembly.

Add the End Walls

The final step in the assembly of your steel building is to add the end wall panels. The arches provide the sidewalls and the roof in one. The end walls finish off the exterior of the building. Each end wall panel is precut and ready to put together, then stand and bolt into place.

The only tools you’ll need to put up most small steel buildings are a power drill with a screw socket, a hammer, a tape measure, a level and a crew of friends with a free weekend.