9 Must Read Steel Building Tips to Help You Land Your Dream Building

As I’m sure you know, there isn’t a handy guidebook to life. You can’t flip to a random page and find out how to be the perfect parent or be the best at your chosen profession. There’s no life hack to add millions to your bank account. I’ve found that hard work and dedication is the most helpful advice to tackling life’s mysteries. Luckily for you, in the Armstrong Steel Network, we’ve laid out all sorts of steel building tips and advice to help you budget and plan for your next steel building project. Are you ready for your dream steel building? 

Have a plan

An organized steel building project is a successful steel building project. Create a timeline with milestones to keep track of your responsibilities and ensure your steel building will be erected according to a realistic timeline. Ask about the customization process, and plan with your project manager. Don’t forget to continually work with your steel building provider and communicate with them on a regular basis. Organization saves time and money.

Make your move

If your goal is to have the smoothest building project possible (and frankly, everybody should have this goal), you’ll want to identify what time of the year is best to purchase. Spring time is usually the busiest time of the year for steel building providers, so savvy consumers usually lock in their steel order and purchase in the winter, then have all summer and fall to build. The best time to erect a steel building is in the warm weather. You don’t need to contend with bad weather and there’s less risk of your building or foundation being unnecessarily damaged. Of course, many people still purchase in the spring and summer, but those smart consumers who purchase in the winter get to enjoy the rest of the year in their dream steel building.

Still, it’s not too late. If you’re interested in a steel building, you should start to do your research and pick a steel building provider now. Economic experts are forecasting a significant rise in steel prices in 2016, so prices aren’t going to be lower than they are at this very moment. Don’t put off your project any longer, or you’ll be faced with a significant increase in the price of your garage, barn or workshop down the road soon.

Investigate a steel building manufacturer

To ensure you’re getting the best price and the most control over your building project, it’s recommended you buy from a steel building manufacturer. A manufacturer has the capability to fabricate your steel building in its very own factory, not depend on other companies to produce its own product. Ask for a manufacturer who also designs, details and engineers each building in-house, as opposed to outsourcing every aspect of a project. You’ll be able to take advantage of the specialized knowledge a manufacturer has to get the highest quality and most durable building available. Plus, you’ll be able to stay in constant communication and customize your building to your exact specifications. Your other option is a steel building broker. A broker doesn’t manufacture anything other than the contract between both parties. They don’t have their own factory, and sometimes don’t do their own design and engineering work. A broker is basically just a middleman between you and an actual manufacturer. Brokers might take your specifications and shop your order around, and pick what works for them best. It isn’t rocket science – buy from a manufacturer you can trust.

Choose your own accessories

Don’t go for deals where “everything is included.” You want to pick your own accessories out for yourself! Why should you pick out your own doors, windows and insulation? So you know the price of each item! Some companies might choose accessories for you. How do you know if you received the cheapest or most expensive add-ons? How do you know they weren’t cheap, and then ‘marked up’ because you agreed to them sight unseen? Some manufacturers will often provide a project manager who will answer your questions and save you money by showing you actual prices. These Project managers will let you choose what goes into your custom dream steel building. 

Get your drawings

Once you receive your drawings by locking in your steel order, you’ll be able to mark them up and fully customize your own building. You won’t always need an architect to design your steel building project. Sometimes, all you’ll require is the humble talents of a civil engineer at a steel building supplier. Now, we’re not trying to take business away from any architects here. Architects provide beautiful drawings and design some of the most intricate construction projects in the world. However, the more lines they draw on paper, the more expensive your project becomes. Skip the expense of an architect by obtaining steel building drawings from your steel building supplier. Preliminary building drawings are usually included in the price of your engineering and drawing payment when you lock in your steel order.

Use the Direct Buy process

If you’re a first time builder, don’t fret! We’ve outlined a typical customer experience for you! Take a look at the steps of the Direct Buy process and integrate it into your plans. Now you’ve read of of the biggest steel building tips and know exactly what to expect, instead of wondering what will happen next. Just by locking in your steel order, you’ve already completed the first 2 steps. Take a closer look at buying a building factory direct!

Be ready for delivery

One major step is to make sure you’re ready for delivery. If your foundation hasn’t had the time to properly cure, you’ll suffer a major setback. Be sure to contact an independent concrete engineer to help you with your foundation. It’s also important to have all the proper tools on site, as well as a forklift capable of lifting 3,000 lbs. to unload the building. Don’t forget to make sure your job site is accessible to the delivery truck. If you don’t plan on erecting the building right away, confirm you employ the right steel building storage techniques so your building remains safe.

Erect the building yourself

When the big day arrives, you’ll receive all the pieces of your steel building and some easy to read instructions. This is your chance to roll up your sleeves, break out the tool box and build something that will last for generations. Erecting your pre-engineered steel building yourself will save you on labor costs too. People do it everyday and if you can read simple construction plans, you can erect the building yourself. 

Ask questions and get answers

You can do as much research as you want, but chances are you’re bound to have some questions. A dedicated project manager is ready to help you at every step of the project, from conception to completion. They’ll gladly answer questions even after your building has arrived too! You’re not alone at any time in the steel building process.

Of course, if you need any more steel building tips, check out the First Time Builders section of the Armstrong Steel Network. Can you think of any tips to land your dream steel building? We’d love to share them!

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