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Industrial Steel Building Prices: 5 Factors that Affect Cost Planning

Industrial Steel Building Prices: 5 Factors that Affect Cost Planning

Steel building prices can be affected by a number of factors, including the size of the building, distance from manufacturer and cost of materials.

There are many factors that go into determining industrial steel building prices. Contractors and business owners recognize prefab metal buildings as a cost-effective option for this sector, and they accept the pricing will depend on the nature of their specific requirements and how the building will be used.

To help clients gain a better understanding of what goes into a quote, we’ve broken down the process into finer details.

1. Proximity to raw materials

The distance steel building kits have to travel—from the manufacturer to the jobsite—will have an affect on the overall price. In some situations, there won’t be a manufacturer in the vicinity of the building site and higher transportation costs will be unavoidable. 

For instance, a warehousing project in Nunavut that sources its materials from a manufacturer in Hamilton, Ont. will pay considerably more in transportation fees than a similar project in Mississauga.

2. Availability

Most steel building design firms will work with a number of trusted manufacturers. When a project comes up, they’ll typically put a request out to these partners and see who comes up with the best steel building prices. This can be influenced by a number of factors:

  • Type of building required
  • Required turnaround time
  • Current production level
  • Raw material costs
  • Complexity of design

In instances where quick turnaround times are required, a contractor may prefer to choose a manufacturer who can deliver a steel building fastest, so long as the price isn’t too far out of line with lower bids.

3. Who’s Erecting the Building?

Obviously, when companies order custom steel buildings, someone has to assemble them. There are a number of companies like Metal Structure Concepts that specialize in providing complete design-and-erect services for the projects they provide.

They also offer design-only services for contractors who prefer to use their own workforce, or a third party. However, there can be a number of hidden costs for companies that choose to work with crews that are unfamiliar with the construction methods for pre engineered steel buildings: 

  • Increased labour costs due to longer erection times
  • Project delays
  • Lower build quality

To learn more about construction options for industrial metal buildings, read our post: Why Choose Firms that Offer Complete Design-and-Erect Services.

4. Size of building

Along with labour, the cost of the raw materials will have a considerable impact on a building quote. The larger the building, the higher the cost.

5. Complexity of design

In their most basic form, industrial steel buildings are comprised of a frame, roof and walls (some don’t even have cladding). Beyond that, the level of intricacy that can be achieved with this building type is endless. As complexity increases, so do steel building prices. 

Depending on the need, many different features can be incorporated into the design that’ll affect price:

  • Man doors
  • Hangar or garage doors
  • Insulation
  • Windows, skylights and other rough openings
  • Mezzanine levels
  • Exterior cladding and design accents

Looking for a pre engineered metal building specialist that offers competitive steel building prices? Metal Structure Concepts offers value-added service by providing complete design-and-build options for clients who want the job done right from start to finish. Call us to discuss your next project.