Customize Your Steel Warehouse Building To Improve Operations
Keep your branding forward facing while having full functionality of your warehouse to maximize productivity.
Conventional wisdom has long stated that the logical choice for a warehouse is a commercial lease agreement. And while there are a number of valid reasons for this approach, many savvy business owners have come to understand the merits of erecting a pre-engineered steel building of their own to achieve the same goal.
If there’s one thing a warehouse provides, it’s space. And growing companies need plenty of it. Pre-engineered steel buildings that are purpose-built to your specifications hold a number of advantages over existing lease spaces.
Your Vision, Your Steel Building
With a lease property, you’re forced to conform the way you operate to the space provided. This can:
- Hinder productivity
- Drain human resources
- Cause logistical challenges
- Lead to inferior product quality
- Disrupt your supply chain
Starting from scratch allows you to plan and customize pre-engineered buildings the way you want so that you end up with a building that’s the right size and perfectly aligns with the way you do business.
The options to customize a steel building are endless. You get to decide:
- Dimensions
- Interior layout
- Number of rooms
- Daylighting
- Exterior appeal
- Office space
Plus, if you ever decide that you require more space at a later date, you can allow for expansion in the original design. Here are some great examples of custom designs that can be incorporated into any steel building design.
Clear Open Space
As warehouses tend to be used for storage, often you need a wide-open space without columns or other interruptions. This is especially helpful if there is a lot of traffic flowing in and out of the building or if you have large equipment. What makes commercial steel buildings so attractive is their ability to allow for clear-span design. A pre-engineered steel building can be constructed to allow up to 150-feet width of open space void of any support beams or posts.
Strong Roof Choice
Metal buildings tend to have stronger and easier-to-maintain roof designs. A standing seam roof is the most popular for pre-engineered steel buildings, as it features metal panels that are joined by an interlocking seam. If you decide on a clear-span design for your steel warehouse, you have your choice of roof options, including a gabled roof, which features a peak in the middle, or a single-sloped roof, where the roof slopes in one direction. Both allow for the same wall height.
The Bottom Line
All business decisions should be made with profitability in mind. One of the main arguments supporting leasing commercial space is that it doesn’t require an upfront expenditure. In turn, this frees up capital to support other aspects of your business.
However, when you look at the long-term cost of running a warehouse, you might find that you save money when you own a steel building. Another downfall of leasing is that you can’t build equity in the property because you don’t own it.
By constructing a pre-engineered steel building, your lease payment becomes a mortgage payment (unless you have the financial means to buy the building outright). Over time, your steel building becomes an asset.
Operate the Way You Want
One underestimated perk of owning your own building is that you can operate the way you see fit. Some commercial leases contain restrictions that prohibit you from carrying out specific activities or operations. Others limit the times you can access the building. In other instances, you might be required to pay additional warehousing fees on top of your monthly lease payment.
None of these are conducive to running a productive business. Yet, there are all things you need to be aware of if you’re considering the lease model.
Metal Structure Concepts is the leader in steel buildings across Western Canada, contact us today to start building your custom steel warehouse building.