Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire $10 per square foot metal building

First building is UP!



#2 is coming in next Monday.

Final price went up to $13.70+/-

WHY?

The people that sell these buildings write the contracts (there is a small clause about astronomical materials cost increases). We contracted for two buildings back in January with an install of early May anticipated.

Our beloved son Rob took his own life in mid April. We spent months after that at the bottom of a whiskey barrel (I will write about that in another post, so please do not offer condolences/cross posts/bumps about that here... THANKS!).

Back to the buildings...

Steel prices went CRAZY over the summer. 2"x2" tube steel went from $1.80 per linear foot to $4.80 per linear foot.

The fabricator of these buildings asked for $3,200 extra per building. 95% of the people that had contracted for building walked away from the price increase... and cussed the hell out of the fabricator. We did not.

The original post says $10 per SF... that WAS an accurate number for a normal 14 gauge 5' on center basic building. BUT, I decided (after my original purchase)... to go stronger. I paid extra for 12 gauge steel and 4' centers... Lateral loads are 120 mph wind now vs. 85mph (?) before... Roof loading went from 12" of snow to 3 feet... or something there about. I plan to add 8' on center pallet racking on the interior (attached to the vertical ribs)... this will make the lateral load CRAZY STRONG. I will also add "kickers" from the pallet racking to the bottom chord of the truss. Until I run calculations I can only guess that that will provide a dead load strength stronger than any possible WV blizzard... I get back to y'all later with pictures and calculations.

Other costs... site prep was maybe $1k, form-work and concrete placement/finishing was under $2k... concrete was 24 yards and about $4k. Rebar and #10 WWM was about $600. Electrical panel, weather-head etc. will be well under $1k.

Finished turn key job is around $19.60 per square foot. This building is "Double Certified" on strength... that is an actual term derived from the 12 gauge steel at 4' centers.

If I spent $150 on plywood, studs, shingles and paint to build a 3' x 3' doghouse... that would be $16.67 per square foot.

Truth in advertising... a tube steel metal building is NOT a premium product. Someone bragging on this product is kinda like someone bragging on T1-11 siding on their garage... or Formica countertops... or Pergo flooring... or a Chevy Camero with a 4 cylinder engine.

I describe my building as K-Mart grade that has been "Deluxe-ified" to my needs. That OK... I am satisfied.

Install crew was AMAZING... 4 illegal Mexicans... they worked so efficiently it was almost like watching ballet. Super nice guys... LOVE AMERICA...

These 4 guys could outwork any 8 white guys I have ever hired.

By 9:26 AM they had the rim joists down and half of the ribs up. By 10:02 AM, they had the front and back walls and ALL of the ribs up and plumb. By 4:30 PM the building was complete except for some trim and the 12' x 12' roll up door.

Not once did they stop... no lunch, no cell phones, no smoke breaks... they were like robots... I have run hundreds of millions of dollar of construction projects in my life... but NEVER seen anything like this... EVER. Hell, they even snapped chalk lines to make sure screws were aligned... and screw heads plumb and square.

Bottomline... we are doing two 30' x 48' buildings and a few cabins this year (hopefully). Pictures below are the various sites on our mountain... the work is satisfying and a hell of alot better for me than a whiskey barrel.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/D3EVwsEsLJMVdgDz9

Feel free to ask questions about the building or process... if you have any...

Current price for the exact same building (maybe $19.44 SF), plus the concrete and electrical... Turn key at $26.34 or somewhere thereabout. People that cancelled their contracts... shouldn't have.

Good luck fellas... Crazy world... Crazy times.