Steel buildings: Cost and timeline

When thinking of your best construction options, cost and time are sure to be foremost on your mind. It is important to keep in mind, however, in construction, multiple factors can affect both the cost of your project and how long construction can take. There is no hard-and-fast, tried-and-true formula to give you exacts on either every single time. One thing stands true — building with steel is a cost-effective choice.

Factors affecting steel building costs

When looking at costs, constructing steel buildings will typically come in cheaper than your traditional construction materials of wood and brick. However, there is still a cost. How exactly is this cost formulated? Let’s look at five determining steel cost factors:

• Building design — One of the biggest determining factors of your cost will be the building design you choose. The dimensions of your steel building will impact your cost. A smaller structure will be less expensive than a larger structure. Increasing the width of your building will have more of an impact on your cost than increasing the length of your building. A simple layout will be less expensive than a more complex layout. The rating of the steel you choose to use for your steel building will also affect the price. A steel building in an area needing a higher wind load rating will cost more than a steel building in an area not requiring the higher rating. The same will be for a snow load rating.
• Steel price — The market value price of steel fluctuates, which will then affect the cost of your project. Sometimes the fluctuations happen quickly in a 24-hour period, or more slowly over month to month. To give you a more accurate price, the monthly average price of steel will be used. Keep in mind if you are just beginning your planning and don’t have plans to purchase quickly, your cost may change.
• Fuel price — Fuel is a commodity cost like the price of steel. The fuel price factors in the transportation of steel from the supplier to the manufacturer, then from the manufacturer to you, the customer. Fuel price doesn’t typically fluctuate as rapidly as steel, but it still fluctuates, which can affect your cost depending on how quickly your project will happen.
• Buying power — The price of your building can be reduced if you are buying the steel in bulk. However, this can be difficult for an individual to do. Larger manufacturers are more capable of buying raw material in bulk and able to offer more affordable prices without compromising the quality of their products. This still allows the customer a chance of savings.
• Customizations — While customizations help make your steel building exactly what you want and how you need it to be, those customizations do come with an added cost. The more extravagant the customization, the steeper the price of your project could be.

With all these components in mind, it is important to remember that steel buildings are the best investments for their price and have other added benefits as well.

How long will it take to build your steel building?

Knowing the expected price of your steel building, you’ll now want to know how long it will take for your building to be constructed. Just like with your project cost, there are factors that can affect the expected construction time. It is also prudent to expect delays. Weather delays can happen even with a beautiful forecast.

Construction of steel buildings is shorter compared to brick and wood structures due to the prefabricated nature of certain steel building components. It is also important not to cut corners to try to save even more time. Proper installation is key to get the most out of your steel building. Factors that can affect your timeline can include:

• Building size — A larger structure will take longer to complete than a smaller structure.
• Complexity of design — A simple and open layout for your building will make construction much quicker than if you have a more structured interior.
• Crew size — A smaller crew can work efficiently, but a larger crew may be more likely to get work completed more quickly.
• Crew experience — A trained construction crew will work better and faster than if you and some of your buddies work together to complete your project. Working with professionals may be more expensive, but the installation will be more likely to be done properly.
• Weather — Weather can change frequently, even with a clear forecast. Safety for construction is important, and weather delays will be for the safety of the crew.

Once your steel building is constructed, you’ll have years of benefits from your quality investment.

National Steel Buildings can help you with all your steel building needs

Our National Steel Buildings team will provide top-tier quality steel buildings with a prompt timeline. We can help you design the perfect building to meet all your custom needs. As one of the leading steel building manufacturers in the United States, our experts are knowledgeable and involved with every step of the process, bringing your building to fruition.

Contact us today to discuss your metal building needs. We are happy to provide you with a free quote .