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To determine the appropriate size of steel building that you require, you first need to determine what you will be using the building for. Is it a simple storage area, or a residence? Will it be a large automobile dealership showroom, or a small one-car garage? Figuring out what the building is to be used for will help you spend the right amount of money on the right amount of space.
Making a list of all the things that you want your building to do for you will also be helpful. The question to yourself should be: What is this building going to do for me and what needs will it meet? This should be enough circumspection to help you determine the proper size for your requirements.
If you are going to be bringing large equipment into your building, you need to determine if a roll up door, a sliding door, or a walk-through door is necessary. Determine how many doors you will need and where they will be placed. Do the doors need to be installed at the end of the building or on the sides? You need to determine where people will access the building and include alternate entrances in case large equipment ever blocks doors.
Figure out if you need column-free interior space. If you do, this is called “clear span” construction and it can be expensive. If you don’t mind interior support columns, opt for multi-span which tends to be a less expensive construction style.
You need to determine how tall you need your new steel building to be. You should allow for optimum vertical height if you are going to build or store tall items in your building. Although steel buildings can easily be designed for a second story, the inclusion of a mezzanine can be pricey.
One big decision is whether to insulate your building for the hot and cold weather. If the building will be occupied–even for just a portion of the day–insulation is strongly recommended. Decide also whether you wish to finish the inside of your building: Do you want to drywall the interior or leave the metal exposed?
Before building, find out the proper snow and wind loads from your local building code office that need to be engineered into your building. The proper loading of your building is essential for approval, but also drives the price up when more wind and/or snow loading is added.
Finally, the foundation should be considered and decided on. A concrete foundation is highly recommended for any steel building, except in some limited agricultural applications. Are you going to pour the concrete yourself or hire someone else to do it? Answering this question one way or the other will obviously impact your work load and budget.
Answer all of these questions for yourself before talking to any steel building manufacturer or supplier about a new steel building. That way you can determine how much it is going to cost and you will be better able to compare all bids.
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