Choosing a Steel Building Company: A Guide to Selecting a Quality Manufacturer or Supplier
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are a number of steel building manufacturers and suppliers that purport to be the best company for your needs. You need to be able to narrow down the companies that really will fulfill your requirements. The following article will familiarize you with the essential questions to ask any company from whom you are considering buying a steel building.
The first consideration is references. Can the steel building company refer you to satisfied customers who have used their services? The company must have a record of dealing fairly with its customers. Check into the resources of any company; their steel building project experience; and their reliability.
Always ask for a fully itemized purchase order. You need to know exactly what you are paying for. The steel building contract should break down the cost of each item and option, and line item prices for all accessories such as insulation need to be included, because you may want to consider purchasing locally. The manufacturer and model number should be listed for any doors and windows. If they are not, and these items are only expressed in general terms, you are probably going to get the cheapest component that the supplier can provide.
You need to be provided with a comprehensive set of erection plans for your steel building that includes detailed diagrams of every connection. You can ask for sample drawings before you buy from many reputable suppliers. Your purchase contract must specify the gauge of the steel that will be used for your building. Twenty-six gauge steel is highly recommended over thinner gauged 29 gauge metal. The profile of your roof and wall panels should specify purlin bearing leg for faster erection, better stability, and improved appearance.
Written warranties for all applicable products (framing, roof, paint) need to be provided. Insist on at least a UL90 roof. This is the highest approved wind uplift rating and it may help to lower your building’s insurance premiums. Lifetime roof fasteners are also highly recommended and should include a lifetime red-rust warranty in case of any roof deterioration.
Your steel building should also have a deluxe trim package included. At a minimum, this should include features such as hemmed edges and factory-mitered rake and gutter trim that eliminate field-modified corner boxes. These features enhance appearance and help prolong the serviceable life of your steel building.
Your building should also include welded-on clips to connect all structural components, such as main frames, girts, purlins, flange braces and framed opening jambs and headers. All of these parts should be pre-welded at the factory prior to delivery to your job site so that you can start erecting components as soon as they are unloaded from the truck. You should not have to spend hours locating, sorting, and attaching bolt-on clips or waiting to have missing clips delivered.
Finally, all framed openings should be engineered into the building at specific locations. All structural elements should be pre-cut and pre-punched for bolt-together assembly to eliminate your need to measure, cut, burn, and attach components at your construction site. Make sure that a manufacturer or supplier can provide all these aspects before you commit to buying. A quality company will be able to meet all your needs and provide you with a modern and durable steel building.