Don’t be fooled – just because a steel building is big it doesn’t mean it’s a complicated item to buy.
But you want to get it right – and you quite possibly have never bought one before – so here is Allied Steel’s guide to the kind of questions you have to be asking in order to be sure you got the right building.
And as our 3rd grade teacher told us: there are no stupid questions!
1. How much will my steel building cost?
You have to know the cost of your building. But, as we’ve explained in other articles, it’s not quite as simple as people think. There are numerous variables that go into how the building has to be designed – and those considerations strongly influence the final price for a building.
The size of the building dictates how much steel is required – and steel prices vary almost daily. Where the building will be located determines what additional loading factors we have to build in for. For example wind, snow and seismic activity create unavoidable extra loads on your building that have to be compensated for by a heavier construction. Which means more steel and a higher cost. Custom additions – windows, doors, insulation and so on – also affect price.
We talk a bit more about “How much does a steel building cost?” here.
But we also have a useful price estimator HERE. Type in a couple of basic details and we’ll create a budget price for you.
2. Are there ways of reducing my steel building costs?
You may already be aware that Allied’s Steel Building Kits cost significantly less to construct than traditional buildings. They’re also quicker to erect and cost less to insure.
But just because they offer great value for your money that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t want to save on costs if possible.
Well, there are things you can do to help us keep costs down. Specifically flexibility. Flexibility on design and delivery dates can make a big difference to what we quote you.
Your flexibility means:
- We don’t have to rush the development of your approval or permit drawings.
- We can combine work – say the delivery of your structure – with another project in a nearby area and so can pass on delivery economies
- Giving our designers time to build in design efficiencies
Basically, not having to rush – and having some choice about delivery dates – helps us to help you.
Just keep in mind Allied Steel provides value prefabricated steel buildings – not cheap ones. Cheap construction is the very worst construction – low quality materials, rushed construction, poor design. It’s cheap at the beginning but can quickly become more expensive when fixes and alterations start to drive up construction costs.
3. Who will design my steel building?
We will. Allied Steel has been advising, designing and fabricating steel buildings for clients like you for more than 15 years. Our beginning-to-end process provides ease and peace-of-mind so that you finish with a building that does everything you need it to do.
It’s all done for you in-house – so you don’t have to coordinate different firms for different parts of your job.
Of course, there may be occasions when you choose to involve an architect in the process – that’s fine with us. Many steel building projects don’t require them though.
If you want your building to have curb appeal, then Allied’s experienced structural engineers will be able to show you options and finishes that will give your building just that. There are various design additions that the engineer can suggest to you to help your building fit in with any kind of environment.
Your building can be plain if plain is all that’s required. Or it can be finished in such a way – wood, brick, stucco etc – that it barely even looks like a steel building.
And if you need additional functionality or have specific requirements for your building well, that’s what we’re expert at. So ask us and we’ll design a building that works exactly how you want it to.
You have options – and we can walk you through them. If you’d like to speak to Allied Steel about those options then please call us on 1.877.997.8335.
4. Can I put up my steel building myself?
Yes, you can erect the building yourself or you can hire an experienced contractor to do it for you.
Our prefabricated steel buildings come measured and cut to size with the necessary holes already drilled into the steel. The work to erect the building is more of an assembly task and the comprehensive instructions that come with the building mean that in many cases the customer themselves can erect the building.
A spare pair of hands in the shape of a helpful friend could come in handy. Depending on the height in some cases you may need to use a forklift or cherry picker for the task.
Of course, you are more than welcome to hire a contractor to do the job for you. And we seriously, seriously recommend that once we have completed your building drawings, you hire an experienced concrete engineer to build the foundations for your new building.
5. I’ve bought a new steel building… and now I have a question about it. What do I do?
Call us!
If you’ve got a question before you buy or a question after you buy we’re going to help you with it. If it’s about the design or the delivery, if it’s about customizing a steel building or the erection of the building… Basically, if it’s on your mind let us know and we’ll help you.
6. Do you do the whole design, engineering and manufacturing job yourself or do you outsource work?
Be wary of a supplier who outsources any of the major aspects of its service – be that the design function, engineering or even the fabrication services that turn the plans into an actual building.
In the event of a problem or question, you do NOT want to have to go from one firm to another while they argue over whose responsibility your question is. If there’s ever a problem with your order – even a minor one – the possibility of buck-passing looms large.
All accountability for your project should reside within the one firm. At Allied Steel Buildings this is exactly what happens – everything is in-house so whatever the question, whatever the issue – everyone is crystal clear that Allied will manage the issue.
7. I want to run through the entire process – from choosing the type of building that’s right for me all the way to it being installed ready for use. Who do I speak to about this?
We’d be pleased to help you with this. You can schedule a call with one of our advisors and we’ll go through the entire process.
There’s two ways to do this:
Fill in our contact form by clicking HERE.
Call us directly now on 1.877.997.8335 and we’ll either help you there and then or schedule a call with one of our expert advisors.
If you have anything else on your mind let us know. Whether you’re a residential or a commercial customer we know you’ll have questions that need answering – so get in touch, ask and we will answer!
