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General Steel Buildings – Is It Worth Building With Them? (Review)

Plan your project successfully with General Steel Buildings, a full-service metal building construction company that’s with you throughout the whole process.

No matter what stage you are in the process of building, you can trust that General Steel Buildings will provide the proper guidance to help you successfully complete your project. With over 24 years of being in the industry, it has been known as the “General” of steel building companies. The contractor has a wide range of successfully finished projects, all of which are stamped with their clients’ satisfaction.

They have a growing library of resources for you to utilize in designing and building your metal structure. Plus, you will only have to follow three simple steps to get a quote for the project you have in mind.

Front view of metal barn from General Steel
Image via Gensteel.com

How General Steel Buildings Began

It all started in 1995. While in his office in Littleton, Colorado, the founder of General Steel Buildings Jeff Knight thought of an idea that might be successful. The idea was to create a company that would become a leader in the industry of steel structures. With all that in mind, he emptied all of his savings and gambled on the fate of his newly founded company. He landed an advertisement spot in a nationally famous radio program. This would hopefully give the company the attention it needed.

However, even after the advertisements were run, there were still no calls received and no clients visiting them. Fortunately, they received a call from the local Sanitation District Office and Ken Caryl Water. Their offices were located in the same business district as General Steel Buildings. They informed General Steel Buildings that they were receiving a lot of calls inquiring about the steel building company’s service. With this, they were able to get the traction they needed.

Now, General Steel Buildings has solidified its foothold in the metal building industry, successfully building more than twenty thousand steel structures all over the world.

A large metal barn with sliding barn doors and a green gabled roof from General Steel Buildings
Image via Gensteel.com

Contractor’s Products and Services

The primary products that the General Steel Buildings offer are the I-Beam Metal Buildings and C-Channel Buildings. They also offer project consultations to help you assess your project and give you the best solution. For residential projects, their main product is barndominiums. In a nutshell, it is a residential home built on a metal framing structure. If this explanation is not enough, we encourage you to visit our barndominium 101 guide filled with examples and floorplans and learn more about this type of construction and its main pros and cons.

General Steel Buildings also offer preconstruction services, on-site construction services, and for those who are interested they also have dealership opportunities. Additionally, you can also customize your building. The resources are readily available on their website. You would also have hundreds of options to choose from. There are plenty of downloadable brochures as well.

Two things that they do NOT offer are pole barn home kits or custom pole barn homes if you are after one. People tend to mix these types of homes with barndominiums or other types of metal homes, but they are a totally different breed. However, if you’re more after wood than metal, then have a look at this list of prefab pole barn home kits and their builders or read this comprehensive 101 guide to custom pole barn homes to get to know their similarities and differences.

How Much Will You Need to Have A General Steel Buildings Structure?

From carports to commercial and residential metal structures, General Buildings can erect them all. Typically the price per square foot would range from $20 to $31 for a very basic package. The final price would depend upon the type of building you have chosen, the number of customizations, and of course, its size. We won’t even mention the interior finishings, because these are totally up to you.

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One thing that is clear – steel buildings are similarly priced compared to wooden pole barns. And guess which one is more durable? You’re right. Steel buildings are taking over the market due to their many benefits including durability and longevity. However, we know that they aren’t for everyone. Thus, if you are leaning towards regular wooden pole barns or pole barns homes – we understand. Here’s a great 101 guide to pole barns if you’re after one.

SIZEPOLE BARNSTEEL BUILDING
30X50$30,000-$55,000$30,000-$46,500
40X60$48,000-$60,000$48,000-$74,400
50X100$100,000-$125,000$100,000-$155,000
The table compares steel building prices vs. wooden pole barns.

Times aren’t the most predictable in 2022 due to fuel and metal prices going up like crazy, thus we always advise contacting the builders directly to get the up-to-date pricing for your area. Visit General Steel Buildings website to get a precise quote on your project.

Why Choose General Steel Buildings?

If you are ever on the lookout for a new facility, storage, or any other building for personal or commercial purposes, then it is most likely that using steel buildings are topping that list. With General Steel Buildings, you will have a variety of options to choose from.

The Main Advantages

It is important to remember that although they are all made of steel, they are not the same. With the resources this company provides, you will have a complete grasp on which type of building to choose and the specific advantages it features. General Steel Building makes sure that you understand the process your project has to go through.

A large storage shed with gabled roof and brown sliding door from General Steel Buildings
Image via Gensteel.com

They also ensure that everything used in the construction of your metal structure from the frame down to the windows are of the highest quality. The company guarantees that it will not sacrifice quality just to save on cost. General Steel Buildings can also assist you with your permits, procurements, and designs.

What’s more, they provide long warranties, such as a forty-year warranty on paint, a twenty-year warranty on a galvalume roof, and a twenty-five-year guarantee for the standing seam roof. And on top of that, of course, they provide a 50-year warranty on their structure. General Steel Buildings also make sure to deliver your purchases safely to both domestic and international project sites. You will also only have a single point of contact for all your inquiries.

Warranty TypeDuration
Paint Warranty40 years
Galvalume Roof Warranty20 years
Standing Seam Roof Warranty25 years
Structural Warranty50 years
The table displays different types of warranties that
General Steel Buildings provide for every product.

What Are The Disadvantages?

General Steel Buildings do not have any negatives that stand out. Their client testimonials are mostly positive, they do provide quality structures and extraordinary service to their customers. Although, they are limited to metal construction only, and they do not manufacture Quonset type of buildings with rounded/arched roofs. But it is hardly a disadvantage for most people.

A large grey  metal barn with attached garage
Image via Gensteel.com

Client Testimonials

Other than quality metal buildings, General Steel is also known for its high number of satisfied customers. Professionalism and commitment are their best business features.  It is even quite hard to find even a single negative review about them and trust us, we tried and dug through multiple Google pages.

One of many clients shared that while he was going through the planning stages of his project, staff from the company openly shared ideas and options that could benefit the project. They even made sure that all the requirements were done in a timely manner as revisions were being worked through.

erected metal frame structure by general steel buildings
Metal framing structure by General Steel Buildings. Uploaded by their satisfied client. Image via Gensteel.com

Another satisfied client shared that they contacted a lot of companies before speaking with General Steel Buildings and most of these pressed for a sale. Meanwhile, the staff from General Steel Buildings only answered questions and provided ideas that they can use in choosing the right metal structure.

Go ahead and google success stories and reviews left about General Steel Buildings, we guarantee you will have hard time finding anything negative, neutral at best.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How long will it take for General Steel Buildings to contact me back?

A: If you filled out the form on the website or have sent them an email, you would probably receive their reply within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. However, if you do not have enough time to wait, you can always call the number that’s displayed on their site.

Q: Which Building System Should I Purchase?

A: The building you choose would depend upon the structure’s future use and your budget. General Steel Buildings have building systems for agricultural uses, hangars, auto shops, barndominiums, barns, breweries, car washes, carports, and other commercial or residential structures. Your best option is to contact them directly via email or phone to discuss your project. Professionals working there would surely advise you better than us.

Final Remarks About General Steel Buildings

General Steel Buildings is definitely one of the best companies in the steel building industry. Not only do they have an impressive list of features included for your structure but you will have access to hundreds of ways to customize your building. What’s more, the company also sells pre-engineered steel building kits which also cuts down your expenses up to fifty percent compared to traditional methods of construction. Navigate through your projects successfully with General Steel Buildings. They will surely provide you with innovative solutions and proper guidance in every step of your metal building process.

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Written by Metal-Building-Homes.com

We strive to deliver informational and inspirational content for unconventional homes. From barndominiums to steel-framed modular homes, this is the place to browse if you're looking into untraditional housing options.