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Steel Buildings Buyer's Shopping Guide
The 19th century invention of mass-produced steel was the first big step towards making steel one of the most popular building materials in the world. Did you know that more than a billion tons of steel are now produced each year? While at first steel was used just for storage facilities - here, think barns, hangars, warehouses and sheds - today steel is a major component of most buildings.
Shopping for steel buildings comes with its own learning curve, just like anything else new. One thing to know is that you will have lots of options - probably many more than you expect to encounter! In addition to size and shape, design and layout, you will want to carefully choose the steel type and the seller you work with. If this is your first time selecting a steel building, this Buying Guide will get you up to speed quickly so you can browse and buy as quickly as you need to.
Benefits of Steel Buildings
Steel buildings are a smart choice for a variety of reasons. One of the biggest is cost. Steel buildings are easy to construct and even easier and quicker to install. Not only will you save money on the cost of labor to install your new steel building (buyers report savings of 30 percent or higher on labor), but your installation can finish in as little as 60 to 90 days (compare that to 6 months for traditional commercial buildings!)
Another huge benefit of choosing a steel building is durability. Did you know the average steel commercial building can last for up to 50 years? Manufacturer guarantees typically start at 30 years and go up from there. This also translates to lower insurance costs, because the known durability and low maintenance of steel buildings factors in to the premiums you pay. For companies seeking to establish a green-friendly corporate culture, steel also offers significant environmental benefits. Steel is one of the most recycle-friendly building materials in use today!
Steel Building Designs
The original modern steel building was represented by the Quonset Hut of the 1930's. This round-top bunker style design is inexpensive and works very well for storage. However, it is not friendly to customization. A red iron steel (rigid frame) building is a newer invention. Red iron steel is formed from flat panel steel - additional panels can be added as needed to expand available space. If you start looking at local churches, warehouses, retail spaces and aircraft hangars, you may notice the steel panel construction - these are red iron steel buildings. Pole barn style steel buildings, in contrast, feature steel roofing but wood siding and floors. These are most commonly seen in rural areas (think barns).
A Word About Size
It can be very tempting to dive into the spaciousness a steel building purchase can offer you. All that space - it can be simply glorious to contemplate, especially if you have been dealing with cramped quarters for some time. But along with size comes the potential for increased costs. From cooling and heating to organizational systems, parking to interior furnishings, the bigger you go the pricier your monthly expenses can become. So it can be wise to sit down and carefully calculate how much space you need for various components, including warehousing of parts or products, employee office and work spaces, meeting and showrooms and other necessary components.
Columns or No Columns
A clearspan steel building is one which does no have any interior columns. If you need a smaller steel building, you may be able to get away with a clearspan building without as significant cost increase. The largest you can typically go with a clearspan building is 150 feet wide, and at this size you may need reinforced framing and a bigger bank account. In contrast, you have nearly unlimited space and size options with commercial modular steel buildings, but your trade-off is that you will have visible interior columns.
Incorporating Upgrades and Add-Ons
Finally, it is important to recognize that your baseline cost for just the building itself typically will not include any of the dozens or more add-ons and upgrades (bells and whistles) that can personalize and customize your new steel building.
Size Options
For steel buildings, size is typically expressed as exterior height by interior clearance. Here, it is important to check your local zoning laws before you begin your search for a new steel building to learn of any height restrictions. Interior clearance can be heavily influenced by your choice of roof. From the old-style arch roofing and peak or gable roofs, where clearance drops off sharply or gradually the farther you get from the center, to single slope roofs where clearance is much higher at the high end than the short end, consider who and what needs to enter and exit before you begin shopping.
If you are not seeking a flat roof steel building, then you also need to consider the pitch, or slope, of your roof. The pitch reflects how fast the roof rises with each inch of width. For example, a 1:12 pitch roof rises 1 inch for each foot of width. A steeper pitch can come in especially handy if your area gets lots of rain or snow. But it will cost you more.
Important Extras
Depending on your intended usage, you may be required by local energy codes to add insulation. While you may pay more on the front end to add in insulation, your energy budget will thank you later! If you choose to add in solar panels, you can realize even greater energy savings in warm weather. Here, many also like to add in a vapor barrier to guard against condensation from humidity and weather extremes.
Other important extras to contemplate include doorways (for people, supplies and vehicles), windows and skylights, and downspouts/gutters for runoff. From here, you may want to consider other additions for cosmetic or branding purposes.
Pricing
How much you pay for your new steel building will depend on what is happening with raw materials prices. For this reason, most quotes will only be honored for up to six months. Pricing can range from $12 to $40+ per square foot, depending on the building type, size, add-ons, customization and overall look. As well, you typically will pay less per square foot for a larger finished building.
Contracts
Your construction contract is not a document to skim - it is important to read it in detail. In particular, keep an eagle eye out for substitution clauses (you don't want this), responsibilities (aka who is responsible for what by when) and specific details (the more the better). Now that you have read through this Buying Guide to become familiar with the major basics of purchasing a new commercial steel building, it is time to dive in and begin searching for the building that is right for you!