Making the Right Decision About Steel Buildings

Once you’ve made the first and most important decision – to opt for a steel building, you’ll have a lot of other decisions to make. Steel buildings are very versatile and flexible. That’s a good thing, of course, but it does mean that you’ll have to decide among the many options for steel building design and utility – not to mention the choice of steel building supplier. Here are a few of the factors to consider when you’re getting ready to buy a metal building.
Locale and Laws
Before you set your heart on a steel building, check with your local building codes office. Some municipalities prohibit certain types of buildings, particularly steel buildings. If you belong to a homeowner’s association, check with the bylaws there, too. Some communities have an unreasonable bias against steel buildings. If you’ve already got your heart set on the metal building of your dreams, you may be able to get a waiver to permit your project, but you can’t do that if you don’t know that you need one.
Supplier or Manufacturer
Choosing the right steel building supplier will make all the difference in the world in your buying experience. There are two basic choices for buying steel buildings: direct from the manufacturer or through a metal buildings broker. There are advantages to either choice: working directly with a manufacturer can save you money and may offer you options you won’t have with a broker. Brokers, on the other hand, represent many steel building manufacturers and can shop around to help you find the best deal. More importantly, brokers are generally more familiar with customers who are outside the industry and may make your life easier by using layman’s language and offering more explanation that you’d get from most manufacturers.
Style
Steel buildings come in many styles, ranging from the iconic Quonset buildings with their hoop supports and dome shape to buildings with straight sides and gambrel roofs that are indistinguishable from traditional construction. The best choice for your needs will depend on a variety of factors, and appearance is only one of them. Quonset buildings, for example, tend to offer the most floor space and highest clearance at the center point. Buildings with straight walls, on the other hand, give you more usable space along the walls, and tend to fit into neighborhoods and communities visually.
Steel buildings are nearly always the right decision for your storage and space needs. Once you’ve decided that a steel building is right for you, be prepared to make lots of other decisions to ensure you get precisely the building you want and need.