What to Look for When Buying Steel Buildings

While steel buildings are extremely cost-effective, they still represent a significant cash investment for any business or homeowners. Chances are that if you’re shopping for a metal building, you’ve seen a huge range of prices, from those that make you gasp in shock to those that make you look twice to make sure there’s no typo. As with anything else, there are certainly legitimate bargains on steel buildings – but there are also “too good to be true” deals out there. These tips can help you avoid those deals that are too good to be true while ensuring that you find the best price for your metal building.

Who is the Seller?

There are two basic types of dealers for steel buildings – brokers and manufacturers. Manufacturers actually fabricate the buildings that they sell. When you deal with a manufacturer, you’ll be working directly with the company that is doing the actual fabrication of your building components, and often, dealing directly with the engineers and architects. Brokers, on the other hand, handle steel buildings fabricated by many different manufacturers. Either type of seller may offer their buildings at a discounted price for various reasons.

What’s the Deal?

There are various reasons that dealers or manufacturers might end up with a building on their lot that they’re willing to sell at a discount. The most common reason given for having a discount building is that a previous client put down a deposit on the unit and then changed his mind. This may or may not be true – and it may not be a good deal even if it is true. Consider these things before making any decision.

What are the Specifications?

Look for a building made of 26-gauge steel. If the building is 29-gauge steel, it’s lower quality and won’t stand up to the rigors of regular use. Get to know the standards of quality for the type of building you want so that you’ll know when someone is offering a substandard building as a “great deal”.

Will it Meet Your Local Building Codes?

Contrary to what many high-volume dealers of steel buildings will try to tell you, there’s no such thing as “standard building codes.” The building codes differ from county to county and even from city to city. In most cases, you’ll need to have your building plans approved by your local code office. Before you agree to any sweet deal on steel buildings, make sure that you check the building specs against the building codes where you plan to erect it.

Is There a Time Limit on the Deal?

High pressure sales tactics are a danger signal. If the seller tells you that the price is only good till the end of the day or some other unreasonable time period, say thanks but no thanks and find another dealer.

Those are just the very basics to help you pick out true deals when you’re looking at steel buildings. Buying your steel building from a reputable and honest dealer or manufacturer will make your entire experience easier and ensure that you get a quality product.