Custom Steel Buildings vs. Traditional Construction: A Side-by-Side Comparison

For generations, traditional construction methods used wood and concrete to build everything from homes to industrial facilities. But custom metal buildings are stealing the spotlight—and it’s easy to see why.

At Armstrong Steel, we specialize in these innovative structures. We take the entire process in-house—from design and engineering to fabrication—to give you a seamless experience. The result is a custom metal building designed to your exact specifications and delivered ready for easy assembly on your site.

If you can’t decide between traditional construction and custom steel buildings, we will help you compare them in this blog. We will share the differences between these options to help you pick the best solution that suits your needs.

Metal vs. traditional construction

Steel or metal buildings feature steel framing and panels that are versatile and durable. The total overall cost of building them is considerably cheaper, especially when pre-fabricated and pre-engineered off-site. At Armstrong Steel, we ship custom metal buildings to our customer’s job site as soon as we are finished. Everything is pre-punched, numbered, and ready to assemble, offering a more efficient and streamlined building process.

In contrast, traditional construction involves using materials like brick, concrete, and wood to build a structure. This approach often requires building on-site, with qualified laborers to assemble the building according to the project’s specifications and architectural drawings. Now, that might sound like a tried-and-true approach to building. However:

Traditional construction tends to be more labor-intensive and time-consuming than fabricating and assembling custom metal buildings. This results in higher costs, longer project timelines, and potential delays.
Masonry and wood have limitations when it comes to fire resistance and durability compared to steel. Wood can succumb to fire, pests, and rot, while masonry calls for specialized techniques and skilled workmanship to ensure optimum weather resistance and structural integrity.
Traditional structures often require frequent maintenance to keep deterioration, mold, rot, and rot at bay. Temperature changes, UV radiation, and exposure to moisture can make them degrade sooner, so regular inspections, protective treatments, and timely repairs are necessary to preserve their appearance and structural integrity.

Benefits of prefab metal buildings

Custom metal buildings by Armstrong Steel are known to deliver the following advantages:

DurableSteel has unmatched resilience and strength, making prefabricated metal buildings capable of surviving harsh weather conditions, environmental changes, and earthquakes. This inherent strength also ensures protection against corrosion, pests, and fire, ensuring longevity and reliable structural integrity.
Cost-effectiveOur metal buildings are designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house to help minimize material and labor costs. Plus, they have few maintenance requirements, further reducing their long-term costs.
Energy efficiencyMetal buildings are effective to insulate, especially with advanced insulation technology. This translates to optimum energy efficiency and reduced cooling and heating costs. High-performance insulation solutions can be easily integrated into your building to improve indoor comfort and minimize thermal bridges.
VersatilityArmstrong Steel, custom metal buildings, come with clear-span framing systems, ensuring usefulness for any application, including industrial facilities, warehouses, manufacturing hubs, homes, and retail structures. Our projects offer endless possibilities in layouts, sizes, shapes, and expansions, thanks to advances in manufacturing processes and design technologies.
Construction speedPrefabricated steel buildings are quick and easy to assemble, allowing for shorter construction times. This also means you can use your building sooner. In addition, metal structures have a bolt-together design to increase efficiency in on-site assembly, reducing disruptions to neighboring properties and speeding up the project’s completion.

Can you build your dream home with a metal building?

We understand you might think twice about choosing a custom pre-engineered metal building, especially when building a home. Some customers are concerned about the steel building looking too industrial or like a warehouse. But don’t worry—our building consultants will support you throughout the design process, ensuring an aesthetically pleasing property.

At Armstrong Steel, we have years of expertise transforming custom metal buildings into dream homes, including barndominiums. Steel structures are easy to customize and transform into comfortable housing. Plus, they are more cost-effective than traditional options in today’s housing market. We apply our years of experience in designing and fabricating unrestricted spaces that deliver flexible floor plans. Our clear-span designs allow you to maximize the building’s interior height for any application.

Additionally, metal buildings are also more flexible than traditional construction. They make it easier to use all roof and wall designs or interior and exterior finishes without needing extra costly treatments. This means you won’t have to worry about the metal building resembling an industrial warehouse.

All these benefits also apply to custom metal buildings for other applications. At Armstrong Steel, we have delivered prefabricated custom steel structures to customers from various industries, including retail, aviation, automotive, self-storage, and agriculture. Steel’s flexibility also makes it possible for us to create bespoke religious, equestrian, recreational, and institutional steel buildings.

Which is the right choice?

When choosing between traditional construction and custom prefabricated steel buildings, it’s important to consider your aesthetic preferences, unique needs, timeline, and budget. If cost-effectiveness, durability, and faster construction times matter, Armstrong Steel buildings offer an attractive solution.