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STEEL BUILDINGS BUYING TIPS
So, you’ve finally decided to purchase your new pre-engineered steel building. Whether you’re doing it for your congregations new house of worship, for a new office building or for storing your farm machinery, you are on the right track because building with steel has a lot of advantages over other construction methods and materials. Steel buildings have demonstrated sturdiness, durability and flexibility. Steel building construction can save you time and money. Since they are pre-engineered based on your design, specific needs and preferences, there are no surprises. They are manufactured to suit your budget and designed to meet your local building codes. The latter attribute makes the building permitting process easy.
Here are some steel building buying dos and donts that you need to know before buying your first steel building:
• Do make a call to your local building department and inform them of your intention to build a pre-engineered steel building and give them the exact location of your lot. Ask the office whether the local building codes allow for pre-engineered steel buildings. If they are permitted, ask whether there are possible obstacles and other code requirements that may prohibit the construction of prefabricated metal buildings or any other type of building on your lot.
• Don’t ever make the mistake of assuming that all building codes are standard. Some suppliers of steel buildings will provide code information based on the standards set by the metal industry. However, there are no standard building codes that will satisfy all local building codes. Seek a reputable steel building supplier who will make sure that the design, specifications, and quoted price, incorporates all applicable building codes in your locality.
• Do a background check on your steel building supplier by reading the Dunn & Bradstreet report.
• Do have an in-depth talk with your building supplier about the design of your steel building. You should be able to talk in detail about the exact purpose of the steel building and your expectations as to what it can do for you or your business. Many design decisions and the final price, are greatly influenced by the final use of the steel building.
• Do make sure that you know the exact details of what the steel building is going to be. Decide on its dimensions - the width, length, and height of the building. Where exactly is it going to be located? Do you want to add other steel building accessories, such as, skylights
• Don’t assume that the doors, windows and other accessories are included in the order. These are additional components of your steel building.
• Do consider your roof options. You can choose between a standing seam roof or the screw down roofing system. The latter is the most commonly used roofing system for steel buildings. Proper installation of this roofing system will provide with many years of weather tightness.
• Do take time to select the color of your steel building with your project coordinator. Many steel building owners choose Galvalume coated roof panels, which is a silvery color, primarily because these may qualify for Energy Credits under the Federal Tax Code. However, some metal building companies provide other options for roof color. These steel building roofs are coated with energy efficient siliconized polyester that allows you to save more on energy costs.
• Do decide on the roof pitch or the steepness of the roof slope. Pre-engineered steel buildings have a standard roof pitch of 1:12 precisely because this is the most economical option in terms of heating and cooling. Basically, a steeper roof pitch is not required because the structural steel frames are sturdy enough to support the roof. Owners of steel buildings prefer a steeper roof pitch if they want to build a church or if they want to have a more traditional look for their buildings.
• Do consider your sidewall options like brick, stone, or stucco. Make sure the steel building supplier can provide you with these options and other materials. Ask if they have pre-cast panels that give the look of wood, stone or brick to complement your pre-existing construction. However, make sure that the sidewall options you choose satisfy the local building codes because some of areas of the country do not allow the use of metal sidewalls.
• Don’t let your steel supplier talk you into buying a "leftover" building that is available on sale because someone cancelled their order. A reputable steel building supplier, like Armstrong Steel, is committed to work with to provide you with the steel building best suited for your needs.
• Do refrain from making any changes to your steel building once the order has been made. In fact, if you follow the tips above, there won’t be any changes needed. In case you need to make modifications after placing the order, keep them to a bare minimum since there can be extra costs involved.
• Don’t assume that the price of your steel building includes the cost of erection because it DOES NOT. Specifically, ask your supplier if the final steel building price includes erection. If you want to find erectors for your steel building, ask your project coordinator for referrals. Surely, your supplier can refer you to reputable erectors whom they have done business with before.
• Do make sure that when making price comparisons of steel buildings from different suppliers, they have identical specifications. If the price of one building is markedly lower than the other, take a closer look – the supplier might be cutting corners and you might not get the best deal for your steel building.
• Don’t be fooled to assume that all steel buildings are equal.
