Important Considerations When Buying Steel Buildings

Steel buildings are among the most popular choices for people who are building garages, barns, storage buildings and other small buildings on their property, as well as larger steel-framed buildings used as factories, warehouses and retail stores. Before you choose a steel building for yourself, however, there are some important things to consider.

Local Building Codes

One of the most important factors that will influence nearly every decision you make about the metal building you choose – including whether or not you can erect a steel building – is your local building codes and standards. Before you start looking at steel buildings for your property, check the local building codes office to find out what standards your structure will have to meet. Some urban and suburban areas actually don’t allow steel buildings at all, though that’s rare. More commonly, there will be specific standards your building will have to meet for wind load, snow load and other engineering factors. In addition, the local building codes may rule out certain areas of your property as building sites – most cities and towns specify how far structures must be from property lines, frontage and other boundaries.

Affordability

Decide how much you can afford to spend on your metal building, and don’t forget that it should include labor and erection costs, as well as finishing costs. That will give you a starting point for negotiating a price on a steel building that meets your needs. Shop around, and don’t be taken in by fake “sales” and “closeout specials” – most people in the industry agree that they don’t exist. That doesn’t mean you won’t find a wide variation on prices for steel buildings – but don’t expect to find one that’s available at half the price of others. If you do, be very suspicious.

The Process

Before you dive into buying a steel building, research the process so that you understand what to expect. It’s not like going to your home improvement store and picking out a plastic or fiberglass storage shed. Each piece of your building will be custom-engineered and the whole package will be delivered to you ready to assemble. Understanding the process will help you avoid being scammed and ensure that you get the structure you actually expect.

As with anything else, the more you know about steel buildings and the process of buying and erecting them, the more equipped you’ll be to get a good deal, and the more likely it will be that you get the style and type of building that suits your needs.