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Steel Building Suppliers...Good, Bad & Ugly

7K views 13 replies 7 participants last post by  Tex1978 
#1 ·
Gonna be building a metal building in the very near future. Gonna live in part and shop in the other. Looking at a 40x60x12. I have talked to Mueller, UnitedSteelbuilding.com, Freedomsteel.com, Steelbuilding.com, TIBsteel.com.

All were really close in price so far except for Freedom, they were $10K higher. TIBsteel were the nicest and said they manufactured for http://www.heritagebuildings.com/

Can anyone shed any light on any of these companies. Mueller is real popular around here, but slightly higher. I read a thread on here awhile back that touched on this very slightly but cant even find that now. Thanks
 
#2 ·
Be certain you're comparing apples to apples. Make yourself a checklist/spreadsheet and go down the list when you're on the phone w each company. The variations are amazing. Do they include (or the optional cost of) endwalls, insulation, doors, engineered plans (if necessary), gutters, windows, vents, flashing, etc etc. Do they seem reputable and stable enough that if you want to order anything additional in the future they'll be around and be helpful?

My first shop was a Behlen from ~1980. I tracked them down online and was able to order some more of their specialty self-sealing bolts and square nuts.

You'll find some real decent values, and some bldgs that are nothing more than a half-dome w two open ends at a surprisingly high price.

As you speak w each supplier you'll find more questions you want to add to your list.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Be certain you're comparing apples to apples. Make yourself a checklist/spreadsheet and go down the list when you're on the phone w each company. The variations are amazing. Do they include (or the optional cost of) endwalls, insulation, doors, engineered plans (if necessary), gutters, windows, vents, flashing, etc etc. Do they seem reputable and stable enough that if you want to order anything additional in the future they'll be around and be helpful?
x2 on this

I'm guessing most of the outfits you're talking to are the kind that don't use dealers...you get it right from the manufacturer...correct? I work for a Butler Buildings dealer which is an upper end commercial building line, this means I am also a liberty buildings dealer which is their budget building line. From this I can tell you that to get an equivalent quote between your different manufacturers is next to impossible. You'll have to Look at everything...basically all the stuff D60 mentioned...pay attention to the doors and hardware, how the roof panels are sealed, what is prepunched and what isn't, is all the flashing prebent, are the colors you want available as a "standard", what is the base attachment type, what kind of fasteners are included, how thick is the profile of their panels, etc.

I tend to be kinda suspectful of alot of these internet metal building companies. You might want to call around and talk to actual dealers that represent manufacturers...alot of them are like us...they supply and errect buildings but will be just as happy to sell you a building for you to errect.

Here's a list of members of the MBMA, (metal building manufacturers association), you might want to go thru.
http://www.mbma.com/display.cfm?p=4
 
#3 ·
I bought my house from Heritage. There were a few brackets that needed holes drilled in them and some of my decorative pieces had to be bent to fit. Other than that I was pleased with the product. I will probably buy from them again when I build my big shop in a few years.
 
#4 ·
#5 ·
That first thread is the one I read the other night and I read that second one today. TIBsteel.com called me back today. I really like those guys. They could not get where I wanted them to be so they sent me to Heritage Steel Buildings (there parent company) and they were the best price so far. What is the deal with the taxes if it comes from another state? He said I would have to pay them regardless where it came from one way or another.

I then called the bank and they said they would have to have a licensed builder sign off on everything......talked to a buddy of mine that is a licensed builder and he said I will run into some liability issues trying to get someone to sign off on it......he really did not want to get involved. I am running out of time and not sure what to do here. I cant afford to have someone build this thing for me....especially when I am fully competent enought to put it up!
 
#9 ·
what kinda price quote are you getting? The reason I ask is i priced a building from "Smith Steel and Supply", local office here and was quoted 59k for a
40x100, with 14' walls,
1 14' roll up door, 2 10' roll ups and 2 steel 36" entry doors,
foil backed insulation,
6"x6"x18' pressure treated posts,
trusses every 5',
slab and grade work,
turn key building.
I could save 8k buying doing the concrete work myself. i was just "window" shopping and stopped by to see.
 
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