The difference is obvious – steel is ideal for farm buildings

Agricultural buildings can be built from a wide variety of materials; farmers quickly realize the long-term benefits of choosing steel.

Most people don’t give a lot of thought to the importance of farm buildings. Often “out of sight and mind” by most people living within urban centres, they are a necessary and sizable investment into a successful and incredibly valuable food supply system. Without those barns and other processing and housing structures, farmers wouldn’t be able to harvest and store the food to keep Canadians fed and healthy.

The team at Summit Steel Buildings has been involved in constructing agricultural buildings for decades. Their experience helps ensure farming operations get a building that’s ideally suited to their needs at an affordable price. Whether it’s for housing grain, seed, feed, livestock, poultry, fertilizer or other agricultural supplies and equipment, farm buildings are an essential investment to a successful operation. They safely store and protect crops and offer insulated roof and wall panels to keep animals comfortable from weather conditions and harsh temperatures. They also work just as well for workshops or office space.

More and more, farm buildings are also being used as production facilities to turn commodities into value-added consumer products, or as markets to sell directly to consumers. 

Building with steel is less expensive

A misperception exists that building with steel is more expensive than using wood. While steel can be more expensive on a per-square-foot basis for small structures, once a facility reaches 40’ x 80’ or more, construction costs become comparable, and significant engineering savings happen as the footprint gets bigger. 

Industry averages suggest a large steel barn will cost between $25 and $35 per square foot on average, while a wooden barn can cost $45 to $65 (material costs only – installation for both types of structures would be additional). Of course, steel-built facilities offer better strength, a longer lifespan and better protection against the elements, predators and other concerns. Working with steel is generally 30% less than the price of traditional brick-and-mortar construction and can be completed in about a third of the time than with wooden framing. And you get more open space without all the pillars and posts to obstruct storage space. 

It’s easy to focus on how much your farm operation will need to lay out to purchase the building and get it constructed on site. Cost is always going to be an important factor for something that’s going to provide its worth as an investment over many future decades.

Read how steel farming buildings require less maintenance to save you money and free up your time.

As a turnkey provider, design and engineering costs are built in already

For one “all in” price, Summit Steel Buildings is your turnkey erector, providing the foundation, the building itself and all the construction. Our experienced team of professionals is composed of architects, engineers, project managers and skilled tradespeople so we handle all aspects of every construction job ourselves. The price you see in our quote includes all the necessary elements to get your building finished.

With metal building kits offered by other companies, the price may only include the cost of the building, leaving you to prepare the foundation and organize the rest of the installation. Setting aside other financial and insurance costs, finding the right team of skilled labour, proper plumbers and electricians is time-consuming and expensive. Hiring separate teams of contracts to handle the building erection yourself is not a good use of your valuable time. Leave all the details to us!

Read our article on the difference in engineering needs based on climate and geography. 

Choosing to build with steel is the first step,
Summit Steel Buildings takes care of the rest 

Once you’ve reviewed your building needs and compared the pros and cons of each type of building material, you’ll quickly realize that cost is an important factor, but not the only one. For the same price of building a wood-framed barn, you could have the protective and climate-controlled comfort of a steel building that will serve you for a lifetime. And only steel’s higher strength-to-weight ratio can deliver the large, open clear spans your farm operation requires. 

After you've decided to build, contact Summit Steel Buildings and we’ll provide you with a free quote and the initial drawings you need to start turning your vision into reality. Reach out to us at 877-417-8335 for a free quote.