metal building info

[fubar62172]

hey everyone
I'm in the process of looking for property in Maryland and I have a question about steel buildings. If I can't find a property with an acceptable garage already on it I'm going to have one put up asap . Any local people on here point me in the right direction to start getting quotes? People or companies you've used in the area good and bad.
I have some machine shop/ fab equipment that I use and also gonna put in a lift because I'm tired of working on the ground...lol. Thanks for any info
Mike

 

[Snapped-off]

@readhead is your best bet for metal building knoweldge, but I don't believe he's in Maryland.

 

[My Old Tools]

Figure out how you will use it. Red iron, carport style, etc all are called metal buildings. They all have different costs and attributes. Mine have all been red iron. It's common here, provides great strength, and it's easy to find builders here. I like because you can use the strength to design in things like clear span lofts and overhead lift points. Mine has a 20x30 clear span loft and a 1 ton overhead hoist on a traveler running the length of the building. It's really handy. It all depends on what you need.

 

[fubar62172]

mainly machine shop and fabrication
will be heated and a/c
will also have a 2 post lift

 

[jack stand]

Where in MD?
I'm sure they're all around the state, but if you're fairly close to the PA line there's tons of pole barn builders that will travel to Carroll, Frederick, Washington and west counties.
Like Old Tools kinda suggested above, check your terminology. There's a big spread and many of the terms are almost slang or regional.
Pole building is pretty much just that and basic wood carpentry and metal roofing and siding is the norm.
Then there's the tube or "carport" type that's assembled by a roving crew and manufactured, some where else.
Then the heavy steel "Red iron" building that is a more commercial building. You might think of a roller or ice skating rink or bowling center.
I believe that any of the 3 would not happen really fast, like several months.
If you run a regular business with year round heating and cooling with real insulation and interior wall closed and finished, I'd recommend a conventional 16" o/c framing on an appropriate thickened edge slab or frost footer. It'll be the widest choice (= fastest) of local trades to get it under roof, wired, plumbed, heated, painted, finished and you moved in that either of the others.

 

[readhead]

Do you have a planning and or building department? If so that should be your first stop. You may know what you want to build but they will tell you what you can build.

Metal buildings come in various forms. Tube steel, Quonset, cold formed, weld up and red iron. We don’t know what size you are thinking about so it is hard to say what may be best for you. You should not discount wood frame or post frame.

The first thing to do if the planning department says go is to develop a set of plans and specs for the building you want. That way everyone is quoting the same thing. When you get the quotes back and the sticker shock hits, you can figure out what to cut. You are doing what ninety percent of potential buyers do. You look for the least expensive building and then might start realizing that there is more to the project.

The building is usually the least expensive part. Then you have excavation, concrete, erecting, electrical, HVAC, final grade, concrete up to the building and then interior finish. Do you have a budget? Will you be your own contractor? Are you going to do any of the trades I just mentioned? If so you will need to factor in equipment rental for a telehandler and a couple of sizzor lifts.

Don’t think about eave height. Interior clearance should be looked at carefully. Depending on the building type there can be a lot of structure below the eave.

Not trying to bust your chops but you need to be very careful. The metal building business can be pretty dodgy. Lots of bad actors with slick websites. Depending on the size of the building metal might not make any sense. Around here the crossover is about thirteen hundred square feet. Below that wood makes sense, above that metal.

There can be a lot more to this discussion. I have just hit the high points. Please be careful and best of luck with your project.

 

[Mike65]

When we bought our "retirement home" here in sw Virginia it only had a carport & we needed a garage for my tools, Mustang & my wife's motorcycle. We found a local metal shed dealer who worked with a steel construction company out of NC that builds garage's, carport's & barn building's. We sat down with the shed dealer told him what size garage we wanted & he gave us a quote. The shed dealer did all the site prep & had a company do the foundation & slab work. Then the stell construction company came in & put up the garage in two days. Here is the finished product.

 

[E1271]

Very impressive! Good stories are great to read.

 

[macdabs]

Up in Bedford Pa is one of the best building Red Iron manufacture and building suppliers close to Md. is Corle Buildings in Claysburg Pa close to Sheetz warehouse. They can supply all the material design or turn key with engineering any size or in parts and pieces with your design . I got a 40 x 80 with a seamless roof 4/12 pitch . They are commercial buildings not pole barns or carport grade . When I did mine it was a little more than a wood /block build since everything is commercial grade steel like seamless roof , gutters , three man doors with panic and closure hardware , commercial garage doors ,insulation and foundation design with stamp drawings .