Choosing the Right Supplier for Steel Buildings

If you’re considering a new storage building or workshop and have decided that a metal building will fit the bill, your next step is to choose the right supplier for your project. There are many factors to consider when choosing among the companies that supply steel buildings to the public. These factors hold true whether you’re making your purchase online or buying from a company that sells steel buildings locally. Thinking through these considerations can help you make the right decision about the business you work with, and ensure a good purchase experience.

Start by searching online for “steel buildings” and look for the manufacturers and suppliers that consistently rank highest in the search engine rankings. While high rankings aren’t a guarantee of good service and quality materials, they are a good indicator that the website provides good information that will help you in your search.

Look for companies that give you full details about their quality standards and their practices. Avoid companies that plaster their websites with big, flashing “SALE” “BARGAIN” and “DISCOUNT” signs. The best steel building manufacturers and brokers don’t have to rely on gimmicks to make sales. They rely on providing good service, quality products and competitive prices.

When reading about quality standards, keep in mind that when it comes to gauge, lower numbers mean thicker steel. Look for a company that offers 26-gauge steel buildings, which is the most common gauge for construction applications. There are companies that sell metal buildings made of cheaper steel for considerably less, but your building won’t stand up to use. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Avoid any company whose salespeople tell you that they have a building on the lot that they can let you have for a low price. Every municipality, town or county has its own standards of construction for building projects, and your steel building will have to meet those standards. There really is no such thing as a “standard” steel building because every situation and location is different. In fact, steel buildings must be designed and engineered specifically to meet the standards in your county or town and the unique requirements of your building site.

Shop around for a good price, but keep your ear tuned for quality service as well as low price. When it comes to steel buildings, you’ll be working fairly closely with the manufacturer or supplier for some time. You want to be certain that you’re working with a company that will be there to answer your questions and help you with all of your needs.

Why Steel Buildings Are Better

Better is a relative term. Generally, when people say something is better than something else, they’re talking about a personal preference. When it comes to deciding whether steel buildings are better than conventional construction, however, there are some clear facts that demonstrate how steel buildings are better than wood-frame or concrete conventional structures. Whether you’re considering construction for a store, a garage, a storage building, a barn or nearly any other use, steel and metal buildings offer clear advantages over conventional buildings.

Ease of Construction

Steel buildings are easier to put together than conventional wood or concrete buildings. Whether you purchase a steel building kit or a pre-engineered metal building what arrives at your worksite are the pieces of your structure, cut to the right shape and size, and with all the holes for screws and fasteners in exactly the right place. It may not be quite as easy as playing with an Erector set – the pieces are considerably bigger, after all – but it’s considerably easier than measuring and cutting lumber, pouring concrete walls and framing your building with lumber. Generally, you don’t need any special equipment and putting your building up is simply a matter of following the construction instructions.

Speed of Construction

Smaller steel buildings, such as carports, garages, storage buildings and home workshops, can usually be assembled in a day or two, often by the homeowner with the help of a few friends. Even larger steel buildings, however, take far less time to construct than the typical wood-frame or concrete building. The shorter time means less money spent for contractors and their workers, who are paid by the hour, of course. It also means that you can get into your building and start using it sooner, which means that you can start recouping your expenses and increase your ROI.

Maintenance Costs

Most steel building components are finished with a corrosion-proof finish and a powder-coat color that’s guaranteed for up to 20 years. That greatly reduces the maintenance costs for your new building in contrast to wooden buildings, which may require repainting or refinishing every four to six years. Even concrete buildings require occasional sand-blasting to keep them clean and reduce the effects of pollution on their facades. With a metal building, the only routine maintenance required is an occasional wash-down with a power hose.

Those are just a few of the advantages of choosing steel buildings for your construction projects. Learn about how steel buildings are greener, less expensive to own and safer than traditional construction by talking to a supplier of steel building kits.

Things to Consider When Erecting Steel Buildings

When you choose steel buildings, there are a few issues you should keep in mind and consider to make sure that you get the best structure for your purposes and make all the right, important choices. Some of these are basics that must be considered with any building. In many cases, choosing a steel building kit or choosing among the prefabricated or custom-engineered steel buildings available will solve problems you might encounter in your planning and building.

Budget

Your budget is obviously a major consideration when choosing among the many options available for steel buildings. Because metal buildings are inherently more affordable than other types of construction, though, you’ll find that your budget goes further when building with steel. Be sure to factor in the cost of pouring a foundation, if necessary, and the cost of shipping your metal building components from the factory to your worksite. Finally, be certain that you consider the cost of any trim or finishing materials that aren’t included in the cost of your steel building package.

Trim Packages

Most manufacturers of steel buildings also provide optional trim packages, or include basic trim in the cost of the metal building package. The most basic trim includes gutters and trim to fit over the seams where the corners of the building meet, including the roof ridgeline. Always check to find out if your package price includes the trim or if you need to pay for it separately.

Doors and Windows

Most steel buildings include openings for doors and windows, but not the actual doors and windows to fill those openings. Generally, though, you’ll have to choose the doors, windows and skylights for your metal building project when placing your order so that the openings can be cut to the right size for proper fit.

Site Preparation

You’ll need a level site prepared for the construction before your building arrives. If you can’t do the site preparation yourself, you’ll need to budget for it and make the proper arrangements to have your site leveled and foundation poured in time for your building to be erected.

Permitting and Inspections

Before ordering a steel building, check for any requirements with your local code and zoning office. Most cities have specific standards that your structure must meet, and some don’t allow some types of steel buildings – or any steel buildings at all – in some zones. You may have to file architect drawing with the zoning office, or arrange to have the site inspected before, during or after your building is erected. Any manufacturer of steel buildings will work with you to make sure that the building you order meets the required standards, but you have to know what they are!

Careful planning and attention to detail will ensure that you make the right choices when you’re shopping for a metal building. No matter what your requirements are, you’ll find that there are many steel buildings on the market that meet your needs.

Steel Buildings for Winning Portable Offices

You’ve probably noticed small steel buildings being used on residential properties as storage buildings, garages, greenhouses and for various other uses. You may also see larger metal buildings, particularly Quonset steel buildings, in agricultural uses, for grain storage and animal housing, among other things. Those uses only barely scratch the surface of the ways that you can use versatile steel buildings. Consider, for example, how easy it would be to erect a steel building as a satellite office or a portable office for use on job sites.

Steel buildings are the ideal solution for strategic offices used to oversee and guide the opening and deployment of a new business. Setting up a new satellite office is challenging at the best of times. Businesses that are launching a new store, branch location or restaurant often end up renting hall space or hotel/conference room space in local hotels to interview prospective employees and provide a headquarters space for the overseers and managers. That can run into considerable expense, especially when you’re opening a string of satellite branches around the country.

Steel buildings offer a practical and elegant solution to the problem of providing office space for the layout team. One of the little-discussed advantages of using steel buildings is that they be taken apart, unbolted from their foundation and rebuilt on another site – with the same high quality standards each time you rebuild them.

While some companies set up a construction trailer to serve this purpose, a metal building has a sense of permanency and professionalism that a trailer doesn’t offer. A small steel building with room for a reception office, a conference room and one or two private offices doesn’t need much in the way of a foundation. In fact, pouring a basic concrete slab foundation will cost less than it costs to hire out a conference room and offices for the duration of your stay – and the benefits are much greater.

You can design the building to suit the needs of your startup staff so that no matter where you set it down – or set it up – geographically, you’ll be bringing the functionality you need with you. And because the buildings are so easy to erect and tear down, you can have your portable satellite office up and ready for occupancy within a few days to a week. Once you have your home base office set up, your management and launch team can move in and be on site to deal with issues as they arise. When it’s time to move on to another location, the building can be disassembled, packed on a truck and shipped to its new location, where a new foundation is waiting for it.

Steel buildings offer many advantages and benefits, and their versatility suits them to being repurposed for any use you might have in the future. If you’re getting ready to launch a new business or need a satellite office, consider how a steel building can work for your needs.

Steel Buildings Make Superior Garages

Garages are among the most popular uses for steel buildings. Custom-engineered steel buildings and metal building kits offer a variety of advantages for use as garages. If your garage needs replacing or you’re one of those whose property has never had a garage, consider these benefits and advantages of choosing a steel building as a garage.

Quick and Easy to Put Up

Steel buildings are delivered in pieces, or components, that are precut to shape, pre-drilled where the fasteners go and carefully marked to make them easy to assemble into garages, storage sheds and other types of buildings. They’re so easy to assemble that many consumers gather a group of friends and build their garages as a do-it-yourself project on a weekend. As long as you’ve made arrangements to have a sturdy, level poured foundation laid down and are generally handy with tools, you should be able to put up your own garage when you choose a pre-fabricated steel building kit.

Safe from the Elements

Steel buildings stand up to extreme weather better than wood frame construction and other types of construction. They’re engineered to meet local building standards, and designed to withstand high winds, heavy snow and even earthquakes. In fact, because of their precision engineering, steel buildings are among the most popular garages put up in areas prone to earthquakes.

More Affordable than Other Materials

Garages made of steel are more affordable than most other traditional types of construction. The recycled steel often costs less to start with, and there are many other opportunities for savings along the way. You save money by reducing the amount of time you need to pay for a contractor. You can save more money by electing to do the erection work and even more money over the years when you save on maintenance. To top it off, most insurers will offer discounts on steel buildings because they’re much safer than wood construction.

Lots of Interior Room

Quonset hut steel buildings are a popular choice for use as garages, as are modified hoop steel buildings such as A-frames and P-frames. They all have the advantage of requiring no interior struts or support beams, maximizing the space available for your car – or two cars – and any other belongings you want to store in it.

Styles and Sizes to Suit Your Needs

Steel garages come in a wide assortment of sizes and styles. Steel buildings can be small enough for a single compact car or large enough to hold your whole fleet – and your boat and motorcycle, too. You can choose an exterior style and color that matches your house and looks right at home in your neighborhood and property.

You can easily order steel buildings to use as garages from many online merchants who will ship anywhere in the United States. Prices range from about $1,500 for a utility building size up to less than $5,000 for a double garage. Research your options and choose the best steel buildings for your needs.

The Costs of Steel Buildings

So you’re interested in putting up a steel building but you’d like a little more information about pricing before looking more seriously. You’ve heard that steel buildings are more economical than more traditional construction, but are wondering just how much more economical. These facts can help you understand the factors that affect the pricing of steel buildings and how choosing a metal building for your construction project can save you money.

Developer Involvement

One of the factors that will affect the price of your steel building is just how involved you want to be in the design and construction. The final cost of your building will depend heavily on what services are required in its manufacture. Some owners want a turn-key project, where everything from design to finish work is done for them. Some are content with a base design, while others want to be involved in working with the designer and engineer to customize the design completely. You may choose to purchase a steel building kit and do all the work yourself, or employ a local general contractor to do the actual construction work. Each of these choices will affect the finished price of the steel buildings you choose.

Size

Obviously, the size of your building will affect its price, but larger buildings may actually end up costing less per square foot than smaller buildings. The complexity of the project will actually have more effect on the finished price than the size. Steel buildings that require more engineering and design work will cost more than a simple Quonset steel building, for example.

Finish and Trim Options

The price for steel buildings will also be affected by the trim and finish options you choose. Many manufacturers of metal buildings offer standard trim packages that are economical, but you may choose to customize your building with more expensive options. Your local building codes may also affect the trim and finish options that you choose. Some localities, for example, require that metal buildings have non-metal exterior walls in order to fit into the environment around them. That kind of finish option will add considerably to the price.

Accessories and Extras

In many cases, standard steel buildings don’t include the actual doors or windows, so you’ll need to add their cost into your estimate. The cost of the foundation will be another additional cost – and most experts recommend that you engage a professional contractor to pour your foundation for safety and structural reasons. You’ll also have to figure in the cost of any interior design work and materials – interior walls, flooring, plumbing and wiring will all add to the price for your finished steel building.

Final Pricing

While the price for steel buildings varies widely, you can usually figure on paying between $20 and $25 per square foot for a residential-sized metal building suitable for use as storage buildings, sheds or garages. Shop around among the many dealers and manufacturers to find one that offers the best combination of expertise, service and price to get the best deal.

Five Reasons to Love Steel Buildings

Whether you need additional storage space on your property, a workshop for your woodworking hobby or a place to launch your new business, steel buildings are the best solutions to your problem. Steel buildings, available in many shapes, sizes and configurations, can serve as anything from garages to home offices, depending on the choices you make in outfitting them. Why would you choose a metal building over a wooden structure? Here are five reasons to love steel buildings.

A steel building is a green solution to your storage needs.  Steel is green. Nearly all of the steel used in constructing pre-engineered and custom steel buildings is recycled. That means that you’re not drawing on any more of the earth’s resources when you choose a metal building for storage or other needs. In addition, steel buildings require less energy to heat and cool, making them more energy efficient. And because all the components of your building are shipped at once, you’ll be reducing the overall energy and carbon footprint of your new building.

Pre-engineered metal buildings go up quickly.  You can get into your new building more quickly when you choose a steel building or metal building kit. All of the cutting, drilling and designing is done off site. When your building components arrive at your work site, all you need to do is bolt them all together and affix the whole thing to a foundation. As far as the foundation goes, in most cases, you’ll only need a simple concrete slab, making the whole process even quicker. The typical 10 by 12 foot storage shed can easily go up in an afternoon or over a weekend, even if you do the work yourself.

You can do the work yourself.  Speaking of doing it yourself, assembling a steel building is far simpler than building a wooden storage shed from scratch. All of the pieces are cut, drilled and marked, and your metal building kit will come with an assembly diagram and instructions. You don’t need special tools or equipment to get the job done. Chances are that you have everything you need to put together a typical metal storage shed sitting in your garage or workshop.

You won’t spend the rest of your life repainting and repairing your steel building.  A wooden structure will need sanding, refinishing and repainting every few years to keep it looking fresh. The powder coat paint used on most steel buildings is fade resistant, rust resistant and corrosion resistant, and usually carries a 15 to 20 year warranty. The only real maintenance your steel building will require is a good hose-down to remove surface dirt and debris.

Steel buildings fit your property.  Finally, you can order steel buildings that fit your property perfectly – the right colors, the right trim, the right style to suit your neighborhood and your property. Unlike an old wooden shed, a well-designed steel building will add to the value of your property over the years.

Concrete Foundation Tips for Steel Buildings

The foundation of a steel building is a major factor in ensuring that you get all the benefits of building with steel. It supplies the strength, stability and flexibility that make steel buildings the strongest and most durable types of structures built today. Most small steel buildings will only require a basic concrete slab, but larger steel buildings may need a more extensive foundation with ground support walls. If you’re in doubt, experts suggest, always build a foundation with perimeter support walls. These tips can help you plan the foundation for any steel buildings you’re planning to erect.

Do You Need a Foundation?

Every steel building will require some kind of foundation, even if it’s as simple as pier footings. The type of foundation you need depends upon the size and weight of the structure you’re building on it. You can erect a lightweight steel building with concrete piers for anchor bolts to hold your building to the ground, especially if you’re essentially building a “cover”, such as a carport or a structure to provide shade and allow your animals to get out of the rain in your pasture. Steel buildings that consist of more than two side walls and a roof, however, will require at least a slab foundation.

Foundations for Small Steel Buildings

A small metal building, for example the typical 10 x 12 steel storage shed, will only require a concrete slab foundation about 8 inches deep. While it’s a labor-intensive project, pouring a slab foundation is not difficult to do and most home DIYers can pour the necessary foundation for a small storage building. In general, you’ll have to dig out the dirt to the right depth, level the surface and create a pouring frame with lumber to square up the perimeter and ensure that the concrete shapes up properly.

If you’ve never poured concrete before, this may not be the best time to start. Pouring a concrete slab foundation is a relatively inexpensive job for a general contractor, and you can be sure that the job is done right and the foundation will properly support your metal building.

Foundations for Large Steel Buildings

Metal buildings that weight more than 2,000 lbs. require a deeper foundation and may require concrete perimeter walls to support the slab. Most companies that manufacture or sell steel building kits will advise you on the foundation needs for your building, but it will be up to you to ensure that the requirements are met.

If you have any doubts about your ability to pour a strong, even and stable foundation, consult a professional contractor with experience in pouring foundations for steel buildings. It’s the most important part of your steel building and the last place you want to skimp.

Steel Buildings Can Be What You Want Them to Be

Prefabricated steel buildings are an easy and inexpensive way to add square footage to your storage or living space. While most people think of these small metal buildings as garden sheds or storage spaces, steel buildings have so much more potential. From playhouse to pool houses, pre-engineered or custom-designed steel buildings could be the perfect solution to your needs for additional space. Consider these common but creative uses of prefabricated metal buildings.

Instead of a Tree House

Tree houses may have that adventurous air that children love, but some yards just don’t have that perfect tree for a tree house. A small steel building provides the perfect framework for a kids’ outdoor playhouse. Turn a garden shed into an adorable dream house with window boxes and flowers, and furnish it with a miniature kitchen, bookshelves and “nursery” for dolls and teddy bears. For the more adventurous set, add nautical touches and a pirate flag, or side it with fake logs to make a cowboy bunkhouse.

Seasonal Storage

If you have a backyard pool, you know what an annoyance it can be to haul pool chemicals and water conditioners, furniture cushions and pool toys in and out of the garage whenever you need them. There are many styles of steel buildings that are ideal for use as pool storage and storage for other seasonal items. Set aside a part of the shed to store out-of-season items – patio furniture in the winter and snow blowers in the summer – and use the rest to store items that you need frequently for outdoor maintenance in the current season.

Spark Your Creativity and Feed Your Spirit

It doesn’t take much to turn a steel building shell into a creative retreat where you can unleash your inner artist or get in touch with your spiritual self. Steel buildings as small as 8 feet by 10 feet easily become comfortable havens with the addition of insulation, electricity and a window for natural light. Furnish your building with carpeting and cushions, or make room for your tools and equipment. Steel buildings are also easy to soundproof, making them an ideal choice for a band practice room or recording studio.

Those are just a few of the many ways that creative homeowners can make use of steel buildings. If you need a free-standing space to practice your hobby or provide more space for storage, consider a cost-effective steel building as a solution.

Pouring a Slab Foundation for Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are a popular option for many uses on residential and farm properties. Besides being used for storage, homeowners use them as garages for ATVs and snowmobiles, pool houses, hobby rooms and home offices. One of the major reasons for their popularity is the ease with which they can be assembled. Many vendors offer pre-engineered steel buildings that are delivered to you with all the components cut, pre-drilled and ready to put together. Unless your town requires it, you don’t even need a professional contractor to put one up. Many homeowners assemble their own metal buildings with the help of a few friends.

One of the major reasons that steel buildings are so easy to build is that smaller buildings only require a cement slab foundation – or no foundation at all.  In fact, if your steel structure is a small one and you have basic DIY construction skills, you can easily pour a concrete slab foundation for it yourself. These basic instructions explain how to do it.

A basic slab foundation is built up using standard 6-feet by 6-feet by 4-inch thick slabs of concrete and putting them together to build a floor/slab big enough for your building. Check with the building codes office in your town or county to find out whether that will be sufficient for the steel building you plan to construct.

Clear the location where you’ll be placing your slabs down to bare dirt and prepare them for building. Remove any grass, debris and plants from the area and smooth the ground.

Assemble pouring frames from 2x4 lumber, using two 6-foot boards and 2 8-foot boards for each frame. Attach the two 6-foot boards exactly one foot in from the end of the two 8-foot boards to create a 6-foot by 6-foot square with 1-foot overhangs on each corner.

Assemble as many pouring frames as you’ll need for the floor area of your steel building. Arrange the pour frames on the cleared ground side by side, leaving enough space between them to insert 3 2- by 2-inch wooden pins along each side of the pour frames. These pins will help stabilize the pour frames so they don’t move or shift when you pour the cement. Drive one into the ground about every 2 feet, then cut off the top with a hack saw to make it even with the top of the pour frame.

Dig a 4-inch deep trench around the inside perimeter of each frame no more than the width of your spade. This will make the concrete deeper and strengthen the edges.

Wet down the dirt in the center of each frame lightly and tamp it with a hand tamper to firm and level the dirt surface.

Pour a 1-inch layer of concrete into the first pour frame and spread it with the shovel. Lay a 5-foot long reinforcing rod over the center of the concrete and wrap a piece of #3 rebar around the inside of the pour frame, about 2 inches from the wood.

Pour the rest of the concrete into the frame and bang on each side of the frame with a hammer to settle it and pop any bubbles in the concrete.

Screed the surface of the concrete, then smooth it with a float. Allow it to cure for 30 minutes, then float it again. Repeat the float after another 30 minutes. Let the concrete dry until there is no moisture on the surface and smooth it with a trowel.

Fill the remaining frames the same way. Allow the concrete slabs to cure for three days, spraying them with a garden hose once daily. After the slabs have cured, remove the pour frames.

While it sounds complex, making a cement slab foundation for steel buildings isn’t difficult. It does require physical labor, persistence and attention to detail. Remember that the cement slabs are the base of your building and their quality will determine the strength of your steel building. If you have any doubt about your ability to construct a strong, stable foundation, hire a professional to make sure the job is done right.