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We understand that buying and erecting a metal building kit can be intimidating. We’re here to make the entire process as simple as possible. Below are questions we commonly hear. If you need more information than you see below, feel free to reach out to our team!
A simpler structure will always result in cost savings. Complex design features like hipped dormers, multi-level roofs, and extensive overhangs can increase your prices. Of course, the team at Great Western is happy to include these features if they are what you’d like. Simplicity is the key if you’re looking for the most cost-effective solution. Similarly, a great practice to keep overall project costs down is to present your Great Western building design to your architect (if you are using one) before the interior design begins. This way, you’re working within the confines of your already-designed building to prevent costly design additions to your steel building. Ultimately, this practice can save thousands by eliminating extra building materials.
We’ve designed buildings for a wide variety of sides and roofing materials to comply with HOA requirements or simply to fulfill customer requests. Our team can engineer your building for wood lap, log, or vinyl siding. In addition, we’ve designed buildings for use with masonry, stucco, and even T1-11. In most cases, HOA restrictions do not restrict roofing materials, but we can engineer buildings to use tile roofs and more. However, it’s worth noting that, in many cases, a simple wainscot or vertical color break is all that is necessary to meet HOA requirements. Simply let our team know what you want or need, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
In most cases, lenders providing a loan for this kind of project need a cost breakdown of the project. This includes a material list and building plans that can be appraised. For this purpose, Great Western will provide you with engineered building drawings. You can use these drawings to obtain estimates for your concrete and dirt work, overall costs for doors and windows, interior architecture, contractor pricing, and more. From there, you’ll be able to provide the overall project cost to your lender for financing approval.
Great Western Building Systems offers several different ventilation systems for your structure, including cupolas, circular vents, and ridge vents. Options like operable or static louvers and fans allow you to optimize your ideal ventilation system completely for your specific needs.
Absolutely! The Great Western team has monumental experience designing buildings with integrated residential spaces and storage solutions. Simply provide us with your intended use of the space, and we’ll provide several solution options. Our designers can incorporate two or four-foot spacing for your building’s girts and purlins and even integrate hat channels on 16-inch centers for interior wall structures. Many customers build these additional quarters with standard timber construction. However, our designers can also incorporate all-steel mezzanine systems or allocate space for a hybrid wood/steel solution.
Not at all! Great Western’s metal house and shop kits are designed with DIYers and first-time builders in mind. Our precision-engineered buildings and industry-leading erection manual make it an intuitive process for anyone with basic construction experience. So long as the building is erected correctly, no structural modifications are made to the design, and no building materials are subjected to any damage from misuse, abuse, or improper storage, your warranties are applicable. We provide complete warranty documents with each of our buildings at the time of delivery, and, of course, customers may contact us via our 24/7 support hotline for any clarification or assistance.
Installing a stud wall of light steel or timber studs does not require any modification to your Great Western building’s design. Simply installing the walls between the building’s girts and purlins within the wall or roof system allows sufficient interior buildout without additional materials from your standard design. Our designers can also outfit your building with girts spaced at either two or four feet with hat channels placed on 16-inch centers for a more straightforward interior finishing experience. This requires us to adjust the roof and wall design to support the extra material, but it’s a simple process that our designers have no problem accommodating. Do keep in mind, though, that this addition will raise the cost of your building.
Notify your Great Western representative of any chemicals that may come in contact with your steel building structure. A handful of products at your disposal can limit or protect your building from direct exposure to harmful chemicals and materials. However, if your building is exposed to an abnormally corrosive environment and there are no proper maintenance procedures enacted or preventative measures taken, there is a good chance that it will fall outside of your warranty. We provide customers with a complete maintenance guide and log of each building we manufacture upon request, which can help ensure you’re taking proper care of your steel structure. Discussing these potential corrosion issues with our team up front can help clarify whether or not your warranty will be voided.
A full concrete floor is not required for a Great Western Building agricultural metal building. Dirt, gravel, or Asphalt floors are all applicable and commonplace for structures like livestock shelters, hay storage buildings, and more. A proper foundation for anchoring the building’s columns is, however, required. Our team of experts is here to help you understand how much concrete is required for your individual project and can even help in getting an estimated cost for your specific concrete application with local vendors.
We advise that all of our customers insulate their buildings regardless of their use of permanent climate control systems. Insulating your building prevents condensation from forming on the interior panels and secondary framing. Without it, you could face premature corrosion due to moisture accumulation. Great Western can supply simple-to-install and cost-effective insulation solutions for your building that prevent this and increase your resale value. In addition, if you plan to occasionally heat or cool your garage or shop while it’s in use, insulation will increase the amount of time your temporary climate control solution is effective.
