When you are considering a new building project, there are a couple of options available, ranging from conventional construction to a turn-key pre-engineered steel building provided by a dealer. Traditional or conventional construction is also known as design/build. This is the “old school”� method of getting a new building completed, and structural steel may be included. First, you hire an architect to design your new structure, paying them hundreds or thousands of dollars to create an acceptable building design. Then you must find a General Contractor to bid your total project, who may guarantee the price for a period of time. You and your General Contractor will 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 and built one at a time and were extremely costly to produce. Henry Ford created the assembly line and cut car production costs in half.

You may opt to purchase a steel building from a dealer who provides a full service, turn-key project. A building dealer is usually a General Contractor who manages your entire project, much like the agreements with traditional building construction. In this instance, you pay for services that you might otherwise handle by yourself or with the help of other qualified individuals. A General Contractor charges 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 for additional profit. You have little involvement, other than agreeing to a total price with this arrangement. The advantage of this option advantage is the lower per square foot cost of the all-steel finished project versus traditional conventional construction.

The alternative to either of the above is to consider 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 in a faster timeframe.