# Diy Metal Building Kits On Ebay?



## Chip

I have been kicking around the idea of setting up a workshop out in the country.  I have seen several properties that interest me, however the building setup is generally less than ideal or too expensive.

So I started pricing metal buildings to see what I could expect to pay and noticed these DIY buildings on Ebay in many shapes and sizes at reasonable prices. Maybe too cheap?

I saw one beautifully laid out acreage that had an old manufactured home that needed to be demolished.

Any opinions or experiences on building something like this, or one of the many other DIY metal buildings on Ebay as a workshop?




Also, I am not by any means dead set on this particular design, or about having integrated living quarters. It just seemed like a pretty good setup for $13,000.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STEEL-INSUL...G-Shop-KIT-with-or-w-out-garage-/181568149058


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## brino

Hi Chip,

I am slowly(?) outgrowing my current shop in my 2-car garage......I really would love to park vehicles inside during the winter....anyway I have also been wondering about a new steel building. 

Due to my inquiries I am currently on mailing lists of two providers. I went as far as scanning in a few options from the flyers and photo-shopping them into a photo of my yard. 
My biggest issue is how "industrial" some of them look.....I mean the half-round "culvert" types.

However, I like the look of that!
Your picture looks like it would fit right in in my yard.

There are a few other things you need to consider:
-getting power to the building; putting in a couple of hydro poles could cost as much as the building
-does it meet your local building code? (I guess you don't need to consider snow-load like we do!  )
-security; if you build on a remote property will you have trouble with people helping themselves to your tools?
-what about insurance?

I am very interested to see other replies.
Thanks for posting!

-brino


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## pineyfolks

When I went to look at buildings I asked about orders that were cancelled and bought a 32 x40  10' ceiling height for the same price as a 30 x40  8' ceiling height. Just something to check out.


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## jpfabricator

I built metal buildings as a job for a short while. If you have a metal building supply close, can read a tape measure, and have a welder. Then you can DIY a building.

I have about $4,500 invested in my 20'×18' shop with 9' ceilings.
Thats the metal framing and "skin" the slab was  pre-existing. I spread the construction out over 2 years so to keep all cost "out of pocket".
That price includes a metal ceiling and insulation.

Depending on the price of your slab, wich will be required for the "kit", you can build that same building for half the cost.
Another bonus to non-kit construction is that you build what you want from the ground up!
If you have it in you, pm me for more information, I can walk you through it, and answer questions.



Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker


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## cvairwerks

Built a bunch of them when I was in tech school. Unless you are willing to fork over a lot of bucks for either foundation work, or slab mounts, stay away from the steelmaster type arch buildings.  In the Austin area, look at Rhino or Meuller kits. I believe both companies offer them in bolt up or weld up kits.


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## den-den

The only real advantage of a "kit" is the engineering stamp on the plans, if you don't need that to get a building permit then just buy the steel and build it the way you want.  Whether a kit or a DIY design, a square and level concrete slab is extremely important part.


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## cvairwerks

Den-den: Don't forget to factor time into the kit advantage. I know that I don't have the extra time or the space to lay out and build the trusses or beams that I will need for my building. I can call up Rhino  or Meuller and have the kit enroute within a few weeks, whereas doing it all on my own, it will be several months. If you live where permits are required, most places have a time limit on job completion. Around here, it's 180 days from permit application to final inspection for anything less than about 10K square feet.

Additionally, the bigger kit people have the advantage of beig able to buy the base materials by the rail car loads, so that can be a big factor too.


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## Ozwelder

G'day Chip,
I have not long had a steel workshop erected so some of things I looked for are still  fresh in my head. Of course there will be a wide variation of pricing in your steel buildings offered for sale.
To get value for money a bit of knowledge and research is required.What I found was the construction and strength varies so much.

The area I live in is prone to cyclones which are the equivalent to your hurricanes I suppose. All the ones I looked at are touted as meeting the Australian standard and I was shocked when I started looking deeper and asking questions.

Looking at some of the poorer quality building examples, the columns are just bolted to sh--ty angle brackets and then screwed into the concrete.In addition the wall thickness of the rolled C channels and top hat members were way thinner than the more expensive buildings. Some of the columns wall thickness weren't much thicker than the top hats and sheets they held up.

Most kits I encountered have the weight of the kit listed. Obviously heavier kits  (size for size) have thicker component  wall thickness and are the ones to opt for.

Being close to the sea I am very cognizant of destructive storms and would imagine the same applies for you. I opted for a paint over coated zinc alume coated  sheeting  system They manufacturers and suppliers might try to catch you on lesser quality fasteners. Some are just painted and not galvanised. Its a common thing around here to here of people having to have the roof bolts replaced as the original roof screws did not suit the sheeting and corroded prematurely.

For portal frame construction I made sure the bolts were better than structural GRD 8.8, in my case and sized appropriately. I saw other sheds where bolts looked undersized  to the materials they were joining, to my eye, anyway. Better too big than too small,I say.  Also check the knee braces for substantial thickness and bolting sizes at the frame joints.

Thats all I can think of for now .I wish you well in your search for the best shed.

Ozwelder​


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## Chip

Great info so far!


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## Firestopper

Mueller building is who I purchased from. Great quality and good to work with (no hidden costs).  40' x 80' erected myself and saved for interior upgrades. As mentioned, foundation layout/quality is paramount for  smooth results.
In the end around $28/SF,  that includes everything. I'm sure farming out would have ran $55-60/SF. Living in the S/W  made the most sense to go with this type of construction.  

Best of luck.


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## Plum Creek

Hi Chip
I built my shop from a kit a few years back and have assisted friends in building theirs as well. I love my shop and highly recommend doing it yourself. 
In fact, since I am close I will volunteer to help out if you like, I have a portable welder I could bring if needed, as well other stuff. 
I also recommend Mueller, altho there are other kits locally available as well as steel wholesalers where you can buy steel beams.
If you are in the "Black dirt" east of I35 be prepared for higher cost on the slab due to soil plasticity.


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