Traditional Construction vs. Steel Buildings
There are a couple of choices when you are considering a new building project. Most people choose between traditional conventional construction or a Turn-key pre-engineered steel building provided by a dealer.
Option number one is traditional conventional construction which is also known as design/build. This is also the “old school” method of getting a new building completed. Structural steel is utilized. First, you would hire an architect to design your new structure, paying them hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to come up with an acceptable building design. Then you would need to find a General Contractor who will bid your total project and possibly guarantee the price for a period of time. You and your General Contractor would agree on a tentative completion schedule that will include cost overruns and potential time delays. This has been the traditional process in building structures. It is also the most expensive choice. Compare this with the assembly of the first automobiles. Cars were originally designed one at a time and were extremely costly to produce. Henry Ford created the assembly line and cut car production costs in half.
You have an alternative to traditional conventional construction by considering pre-engineered all-steel construction. This process accomplishes the same cost-saving objective for buildings that Henry Ford provided for automobiles. Building dimensions in this choice are standardized and structural designs and calculations are pre-determined and formulated. This eliminates the need for expensive individual building engineering costs. You will save money and time with this option. Building assembly and finish is quicker and easier with pre-engineered components that are pre-punched, pre-drilled, and pre-welded at a factory prior to shipment to your job site. You get a solid, long-lasting facility for a fraction of the cost of traditional construction methods and a building that will be assembled quickly.
The other option available to purchase a steel building is by ordering that building as a full service, turn-key project from a steel building dealer. A building dealer is usually a General Contractor who can complete your entire project, much like the agreements with traditional building construction. In this instance, you pay for services that you may be able to handle by yourself or with the help of other qualified individuals. A General Contractor will charge you fees for initial design discussions, managing any of his selected sub-contractors, and, as needed, for engaging the services of a supplemental architect (especially for interior layouts such as plumbing, electric, lighting, etc.). They get paid to manage your project. Often they will specify and obtain the materials required for the project (including the base building packages) marking them up significantly for additional profit. You have little control other than agreeing to a finished price with this arrangement as it is with traditional conventional construction. The advantage is the lower per square foot cost of the all-steel finished project versus traditional conventional construction.