Steel Building

Purchasing

Guide

With as many options, components, and sources for steel buildings as there are today, having an A-Z guide to help you through the purchasing process it critical.

This guide will review the following:

Trends

Types

Specs

Building Components

Questions to Ask a Dealer

For a more in-depth review of the these topics, please see our full length Purchasing Guide: http://www.purchasing.com/construction-equipment/steel-buildings/purchasing-guide/

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

Trends

While steel buildings were, until recently, mostly used in commercial and industrial areas, today, steel buildings offer economical and versatile solutions for numerous building needs.

Major benefits to steel construction:

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

Cost

• Fewer laborers needed

• Prefab constructions results in little waste

• Construction and maintenance are easier than traditional materials

Speed of Construction

• Prefab construction is quick and easy

• Assembly drawings provide step-by-step instructions

Durability

• Withstands hurricanes, earthquakes, and high winds

• Won’t rotate, buckle, or distort over time

Depending on your building needs, there are numerous steel building types available. Let’s review the four most common types:

1) Quonset Huts Requires no support beams or interior posts One of the cheapest and strongest structures available Easily assembled – no cranes needed Great for remote locations Windows, doors, and insulation is slightly more expensive due

to unique shape

2) Pole Barns Very affordable and can be quickly built Ideal for livestock and storage Can be susceptible to strong winds

Pole Barn

Quonset Hut

Types

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

3) Straight Wall More flexible designs than with arch style buildings Work well for small retail stores, offices, and other

commercial applications Cost roughly 30% more than arch style construction

4) Clear Span Requires no supporting pillars Maximum amount of usable space Suitable for warehouses, factories, and hangars Because of self-supporting construction, costs are higher

than supported structures

Clear Span

Straight Wall

Types

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

Specs

When it comes to planning and designing your next steel building project, you may find these two components to be the most important:

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

• Roof pitch can be a more important decision than people think; well utilized, under-eave space can be extremely affordable

• Include aspect and orientation into building planning; sun and wind directions can play a role in insulation, windows, and thermal heating

• *Pro tip – Choose one size bigger than you currently need; you’ll thank us in the future

1 - Size

• Smaller buildings (under 40ft) average around $10 per sq/ft; larger buildings (100ft) average closer to $7 per sq/ft

• Remember to consider the lay of your land; leveling and moving ground costs around $25 per metric meter

• Other land considerations include drainage, erosion, and access to utilities

• Lock in material costs early – steel costs tend to fluctuate

• *Pro tip – cheaper is not always better. Missing parts and uneven holes can cause delays in construction and cause costs to skyrocket

2 - Cost

Building Components

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

If your steel building will be occupied, you’ll need to know your insulation. Batt is least expensive, while spray form or loose-fill will more effectively insulate.Insulation

Doors can be a significant expense. Know how many you need, and what style (overhead, self-framed, mechanized, etc)

Doors

For optimum ventilation choose more than one of the following to move air around your building: wall louver, gravity vent, ridge vent, or turbine vent.

Ventilation

Great for augmenting lighting inside building.Skylights

Precut end walls are easily installed, but be aware of your customization options like weather stripping and heavy-duty curved angles.

End Wall

Support columns are needed to break a large space into different rooms. Remember that clear spans do not need columns, but are much more expensive.

Columns

Helping maintain aesthetic and protect your investment, gutters and trim are often overlooked expenses. Can not be used on Quonset frames.

Trim and Gutters

Depending on your building style, rafters help support the roof.Rafters

Before consulting with a dealer, it may help to revisit some of these common components:

Building Components - Kits

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

For many residential applications, a steel building kit might make the most sense. These kits can be constructed with regular man power and basic tools.

Common building kits:

Structure Size Price

Car Garage for Single Vehicle 12x12 $10,000

Car Garage for Two Vehicles 24x24 $12,000

Storage Building 30x24 $13,500

Garage for RV 40x20 $14,000

Questions to Ask a Dealer

Steel Building Purchasing Guide

Maintenance•Regular building inspections should be conducted twice a year (and after major weather events). Make sure to inquire whether these additional costs are included in construction, and whether or not your dealer will maintain inspection records.

Building Codes and Permits•To avoid costly delays, be sure your dealer can provide the following for building codes and permits: blueprints, structural assurance, building schedules, foundation details, and zoning regulations.

Climate Considerations•Before agreeing on a final cost, be sure to ask if climatic considerations were included. Land leveling and raising, extra weatherproofing, and hurricane and earthquake resistant modifications can all add to the final cost of construction.

Dealer Specialties•Past steel construction experience is really important. Inquire about past projects, research the dealer’s reputation, search out previous customer feedback, and compile all this before making your final decision. *Pro Tip – lower bids shouldn’t trump reputation

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Thank You

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Remember, for a more in-depth review of the topics mentioned here, please see our full-length Purchasing Guide:

http://www.purchasing.com/construction-equipment/steel-buildings/purchasing-guide/

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