Pricing Your Pre-Engineered Steel Building: The Complete Package
The purchase of a steel building and the ability to put it up yourself can save you a lot of time and money when compared to the complexity and costs of a more conventional structure. This is why constructing with red iron steel is becoming more and more the accepted mode. The purchase price of the building is far from the overall cost of your project, however. You should consider all of the ancillary costs of building with steel before embarking on your construction project.
The first item to consider is a concrete foundation. A concrete foundation may not be required in some agricultural applications, but for any other type of use it is strongly recommended. A concrete foundation is necessary for the stability and subsequent durability of the steel structure. A concrete foundation can vary from $6 to $10 per square foot. This cost should be added in to the price of the building for your initial budget computations. Most steel building manufacturers or suppliers will supply an Anchor Bolt Plan for your foundation with the purchase price of the building. However, the anchor bolts will have to be supplied by the company you hire to pour the foundation.
Most steel buildings do not have doors included in the price, except in some pre-ordained sizes known as “kits.” In most instances, doors are an added expense. You can purchase overhead and walk doors from the building supplier or source them locally.
Permits for a steel building are the buyer’s responsibility. Both the acquisition and costs of approval from a local building code office rest “on the shoulders” of the purchaser. Be sure that a steel building will be approved for your jobsite location before purchasing.
If you have not purchased land for your steel building, it is best to acquire the necessary parcel before purchase of any steel building. Never assume that land will be available at the price you need when you require it, or that the land will automatically be approved for steel building construction once purchased. Most steel building suppliers will want to ship your building within six months of purchase, so the time element in acquiring land is short. Land preparation is also the responsibility of the purchaser. You need to figure in the additional costs to your project of clearing, grading, and leveling the land.
Delivery costs of a steel building can be expensive. Make sure that the transportation costs for your steel building are not “hidden” in the contract and instead are expressed as a separate charge. Your site needs to be accessible by at least one 18-wheeled truck. Stay away from “married” or “shared” loads, as although these are portrayed as “cost-saving” they can become a nightmare if components from another building order get mixed up with yours.
The final major expense in pricing out your steel building project is the erection of the building. Unless you have experience in erecting a steel building, you will need professional expertise as most steel buildings, large or small, require a qualified erector. Contact several local companies to determine the best company to use for erecting your building, and confirm those costs before purchase of your steel building.