Practical Ways To Lower Construction Costs For Metal Buildings

Metal buildings are well known for being quick and easy to build, but also low in cost. However, the cost of a metal building can vary depending on its size, shape, where it’s built, and added features that go into the building.

Low-cost metal buildings range between $16-20 per square foot (sf). Therefore, if you have a 2000 sf building, the cost might be between $32,000-$40,000. You might have additional costs for foundations, power, or other utilities or site work.

There are a lot of different factors that impact the cost of a metal building. Lets take a further look to see how you can keep your cost within budget.

What Materials Do You Need To Build a Metal Building?

The cost of your metal building depends greatly on the location, the additional materials you have to purchase, and the size of your garage. However, GEnsteel.com says the average metal building costs between $16-20/sf. The area is based on the area of the floor. So if your garage is a 20 X 20 sf garage, your area is 400 sf.

When building a metal building, you have to start at the foundation. Depending on how you’re using the building, you may not need a full concrete slab. However, the columns of the building at least need to be supported at the base with concrete.

If you’re just using the building for storage, you might not need power and lighting. However, if you enclose the metal building, you should consider installing lights. Lighting requires power, so you should consider installing a panelboard and an electrical service to the structure.

Restrooms, roof drainage, gutters, HVAC, and interior finishes can all add to the costs of your metal building. For example, if you want to insulate the walls of your metal building to improve energy efficiency, then you will likely see additional costs. Adding wall insulation might cost an additional $1-2 per sf of wall area.

How to Reduce Metal Building Costs

Metal buildings can be fairly low cost for a basic structure. However, added features can add additional costs. Keeping the structure simple helps to minimize the costs of materials and labor.

The most basic metal building consists of a roof and walls over a foundation. The cheapest foundation could consist of simple footings for each column with a compacted dirt floor. A high-quality finish on the slab, such as polished concrete, will cost more than plain concrete.

The larger the building, the lower cost you’ll see per square foot of building area. A 10,000 sf metal building with similar features will cost less per unit area than a 2,000 sf metal building.

Snow, wind, and other loads that the structure needs to support will increase the size of the structural members, making them larger and heavier. Therefore, a steeper roof pitch will reduce how much water or snow can build up, but if you live in a windy area, wind loss could cause the structure to be sturdier.

Doors, windows, and other openings can increase the cost. If you’re building a two-car garage, a single garage door opening might be cheaper than two, single car openings.

Interior finish materials can increase the costs. Metal walls aren’t good insulators, so many building owners might add insulation and interior gypsum, or sheetrock, walls, to help keep the garage warm in the winter and cooler in the summer. These walls can also hide the routing of conduits.

How to Build a Metal Building Cheaply

If you want to build a metal building for the lowest cost, you can buy kits online for pre-designed kits of parts. These barebones kits will provide everything you need for a set dimensioned metal building.

firstchoicecarports.com/ provides a 20x25x9 with a Vertical Style Roof for only $6,425.00. Other companies list their 21×24 garage for as much as $7,560.

If you come up with the list of materials yourself and purchase from a home improvement or hardware store, you may be able to purchase for cheaper. You still have to consider all the tools and equipment needed to construct the structure.

Keep in mind that most cities or jurisdictions require permits for building any buildings, even simple metal buildings without power or plumbing. Before buying your kit or materials, make sure you know what the regulations are in your city. You may have to hire a contractor to build your structure, even if you could do it yourself.

Building permits and hiring a contractor may cost additional money, but you can save yourself time and labor. However, if you don’t have the additional equipment necessary, you can save plenty in equipment costs to hire a contractor. If you have a tall structure, for example, renting or buying a forklift, scissor lift, or even power tools can save you money. By planning ahead, you should be able to make a reasonable budget for any size metal building