Can you DIY a 30 x 40 tube steel building? I gave it a try as a complete novice.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ย. 2024
- I ordered a 30 x 40 steel tube metal building, and even though I had no experience, I decided to build it myself. This video simply details my experience with the project, and I share my thoughts as the project moved along.
If you (or someone you love) is thinking about building their own metal building, make them watch this video first! It just might save you a lot of trouble.
A more detailed explanation of the framing is in part two.
• Can you DIY a 30 x 40 ...
The building was from www.kandgmetal...
The music from the 20:00 mark was licensed from / @blustudiosnpn6331
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This is Mandy with K&G Metals!! I would like to thank you Jason for the honest reviews and your awesome video!! Good news for new customers we now have a full-time drafter who drafts the layouts of our custom kits. We also provide a Parts list. This is very helpful now when installing your own DIY metal building. Sorry, Jason that we did not have this awesome feature when you bought yours but you did an awesome job non the less. Thanks again ~The K&G Team
Thank you for your work, I will be looking a buildings, and you will be kept in mind
Would you mind if I ask how much it cost for the kits for that metal building now.
Where are you located K&G? FL chick here. And do you have installers near?
Fantastic to know. I am looking to get a 60x80ish building (or 2 ) in Southern GA. I will look you guys up. Only, I will NOT be DIYing it lol.
Ngl im tryin to diy mandy
Great Video! And I have this conversation with my wife all the time: "I can do that." She says "just hire someone." End the end she's usually right but if I listened to her all the time I would have fewer stories to tell.
More often than not, I learn a lot when doing it on my own. Plus, I need video content.
I think the video was great thank you for all your content and things that could go wrong and did lol but I think it came out very nice I love the way you leveled it with the jacks good idea
Dude...this was one of the best educational self-build barn build videos I've seen. Explaining your research and reasons for your decisions was enlightening. Doing all this for the first time, while full time employed was a BIG challenge, trying to save you (and your wife) thousands of dollars. And with all that stress mid-build, instead of support, she's giving you the sh*t while you're attempting to learn and overcome some pretty massive obstacles to save the project...? Sorry, but not helping. Must. Move. Forward. That's pretty typical of people who never have built anything. No disrespect...just the way it is. But you did it. Kudos x 10 to you. Impressed.
Like, what it is, like, Dude! 😂
I fabricate and install these buildings for a living and I appreciate how open you were about them. You did a good job.
Do you install in Tampa, Florida?
Do you install kits or custom?
I've got to say this.
I have watched thousands of videos on TH-cam on hundreds of different subject matter. This video in particular I am impressed at your ability to communicate effectively not only is it informative but it is relatable and spoken in colloquial non salesman like language. So good job man.
Hey Jason. Great honest video. I live down in Dothan. I have been in the rental business for over 20 years. When I first started I did just about everything myself. I have learned that it is easier, cheaper and, most importantly, safer to let the pros did it.Quick Story: When I first started I had to replace an interior door. I bought one and absolutely butchered it. There is an art to hanging a door and getting it will work properly. I finally called a guy who had done some work for me and got a quote which I thought was high. I told him that I thought the price was too high just to hang one door. His answer was a classic. He said " Oh no Mister Gene you are not paying for just this one door, you are helping me pay for all the doors I had to destroy, like the one you did, in order to learn HOW to hang this door!!" I laughed and he hung the door perfectly. Sometimes you have to pay for what a man KNOWS, not just what he does.
I used to install storage buildings and garages. For a beginner with a absolutely no experience. Great job! Buildings are a pain to build and get right. There is a lot of unknowns building these. For you to do this is a feat that you got it right less the insulation lol.
Thank you. You either just crushed my dreams, or saved me a ton of head & heart ache. I guess I will not be building it myself.
I built a 48x72 wood frame building during the time the building lumber was going up. I built it with my wife and some help on the concrete with my brother. Its not easy and I think anyone watching your video will realize that now. This is the first real build it your self I have seen. I used lifts and help with the trusses and the front roof metal (22 foot pieces I could not do by my self. Too big and too heavy. Concrete was done 9 yard at a time (88 yards total). I had some of the same problems you had with contractors (no show, too high, no good in prior builds), so I even wired it myself and passed inspection, and was about a 1/4 of an inch off on any direction which is nothing in that length of building. I even subscribed to give you thumbs up.
I had a similar shop built with all of the same problems. My first builder abandoned the project because he wanted to complete building his own building while interest rates were low. In the meantime, my project was delayed again as rising pandemic pricing kicked me in the balls. By the time it was over, I'm estimating that my material budget alone was $100,000 more than expected.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned about was loyalty. My electrician and second construction contractor each kept their men on the job until the end, and for that, they earned my loyalty and a lifetime of referrals.
@@TqSNv9R0iG5Ckxew If I read you right it was 100 grand more than you thought....I may have about 70 grand total and I built a bathroom with shower and tile on the floor and shower. That was including metal on the outside. Maybe the difference is I built it mainly by myself over 6 months. It's not the first thing I built, but is the biggest garage or barn. Business practices have changed in the last years. I have heard of contractors doing the same things to other people. I guess they figure no one will find out until its too late. Never pay a draw to a contractor until they have completed a job. And always hold money back until the whole job is done. it keeps them honest.
@@joegarage6132
Yup. $100k over what I would have paid for the same thing before the pandemic. I probably spent almost as much as you with just my HVAC. (Geothermal / heat pump / hydronic floors / redundant air handlers for fast warmups / multiple zones, etc). I really shouldn't complain though because I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to own something like this. Never even dreamed this big before, but I have big dreams about what I plan to do there now 🙂
One thing I would recommend people look at is "pole barns". It is basically this but the interior frame is made from wood. The only thing you need to understand is it's durability will be on par with this IF you use concrete pillars in place of the old school design of the posts going into the ground. Basically you mount these pillars into the ground and have them come up at least 18" out of the ground and attach the posts to the top of these pillars. Then you never have to worry about the posts rotting out. Then you use "advanced framing" to build out the frame and interior frames because it's equally as strong but uses about 20% less lumber saving you money in materials as well as labor. I have got price quotes for $27 a SQ ft for a L60xW40xH14 for a 4" slab, walls, roof, doors, bat insulation, interior rooms frames and windows installed (the windies you have to purchase separately and they install them). They chose not to provide windows because everyone wants different levels, sizes, energy ratings, etc, so you have to purchase those on your own and they install them. So in the end you will have a waterproof, insulated building.
What state did you get this quote in?
I liked your open and candid account of your building experience. those instances you had where things didn't go as planned serve as reminders to others so that THEY won't have the same problem, and so you are doing an immense service. I admire your stick-to-it attitude and how you managed to deal with some trying circumstances (such as the lift that failed). A well put together video that provides a lot of substance and very little "fluff".
Can’t even begin to tell you how much I appreciate this video!
ok being a kid of a Vietnam vet middle class worker when i was to we add on to the mobile home we lived in now back then our neighbors planed on doing the same so we had 3 adult men and us kids between 11 and 15 so each weekend we added on to a house but what my dad did say was we got the shell up during the weekend because the guys that drove around to check building site were not out checking cause i know he didn't pull a permit on it that was just they way back in the 80's but we got all three houses done in 3 weekends so it was all fun growning up no that im way older ive built several sheds and others houses' pools i built my dad a shed it was 20 x 24 and it took me a week because it was only me but also it was from complete scratch i marked it got the floor down and level and squared then the next day i framed all the walls got the walls standing and windows and door in following day i got the pan roof on and the last 2 days i did the house wrap and then lap siding needless to say my old man was impressed and when i come inside to take a break for a bit i told him this is what i learn from you over all those years and we had a great time hanging out
Just wanted to say thank you for posting your project. Excellent video and I greatly appreciate your candid feedback about what went wrong with your build and what went right.
Great video...Much credit to you for seeing it through......As you age and the more projects you do like this the more you see value in "YOUR TIME" and as you age, your wisdom and experience say "SCREW IT PAY SOMEONE TO DO IT"
I appreciate your candor, a lot of people watch a half hour show on tv and think it works that way! Great video!
Looks good. I got old fast in just a couple years... I decided after seeing your video that I will just pay someone to build mine when time comes
I just had a metal building installed at my farm. At 58 years old, I was happy to let 4 young, strong and experienced men put up my 30x50 building in 2 1/2 days!
@@theElderberryFarmer Brother, I hear you. Luckily, I got my 40 x 130 put up by a local builder when I was 42 and still healthy. At 55 I injured my back and good grief, I can't do near what I used to.
Just watched this video and got tired, Lol.
Video came up in my feed and I watched it again. Hoping to get on mine next year
The fact that they didn't supply you with a drawing and labelled pieces or at least called out the pieces is insane. Custom means they designed which means they have drawings. That's a big fuck up in my opinion.
I’m looking at building and found this extremely helpful. Even though I’ve been a residential electrician for almost 20 years you’ve got me thinking about what exactly I’d like to do. Thanks!
I paid K&G to erect my building and I’m very glad I did. Mandy was a pleasure to work with and the subcontractors were tops 😊‼️ We we’re originally told they were 10 -12 weeks out, and that’s exactly when they built the building (May 2022).
My guess on the price "cliffs" you mention at the beginning is that you're reaching the max spec for a certain size or configuration of the materials. Akin to a narrow window only requiring 2x4 headers, vs. a wider one needing 2x6. I bet it's something like the steel frames needing an extra 16th inch of wall thickness (which ain't chump change when you're going 30 odd feet).
Yeah I did metal fabrication many years ago and was a certified welder, and it was cheaper to buy one type of material to build custom trailers. So although the material was overkill for say a 10 ft trailer, it was cheaper to use that "overkill" material on the smaller trailers because we got such a nice discount for buying so much of it. If we bought a little of this, a little of that, we wouldn't have got the discount. However, once we exceeded around an 18 ft trailer, which was rare for people to order, we had to step up the frame and tubing thickness to handle the larger span. This was now "custom" material and the price increase was significant.
So on his trusses, I'll bet that once he exceeded a certain distance, all those hundreds of feet of material had to be upgraded to meet the required load rating. That cost increase per ft might only be .50 cents a foot, but times that by 20 qty ; 30 ft trusses, that each truss has maybe 120 ft of material, that's now thousands of dollars more increase. To maximize your expense in this situation, you would have significantly upsize the building until you see another price cliff. This is where that first price cliff would eventually start seeming like a better deal. For example the material they stepped up to might be rated to handle a building double the size of what he had so although there is a cliff at 1 ft beyond, additional feet up to possibly 60 x 80, should in theory be subtle because you already took that step to upside the trusses and material past the 30x40. So basically you want to try to hit the highest size for the material rating to maximize your cost per SQ ft.
In addition to these potential pricing bumps, you may also run into "drops". Meaning that if the material ordered comes in a 20 foot length, and you order a 22 foot building, you may be paying for a length that has 2 feet cut off a 20 foot length. Ideally the manufacturer minimizes these off cuts, but the material still had to be purchased. All of these drop pieces can add up when you consider that it may be for each material past a given "standard" building, or that the manufacturer might not be able to make use of the drop pieces at all. They may just become scrap that is too small to use for another building.
Thank you for helping me understand that this is definitely NOT a one person job! My husband and I are quite handy, but hearing your first hand account of what it takes to put this together, helped convince me that this is best left up to the pros!! Kudos to you for hanging in there and sticking the course, phew! You made it!! And thank you for making this very honest, and helpful video. Cheers!
I watched a video on pole barns the other day and the guy suggested that you ALWAYS use house wrap on these buildings if you are planning on using spray foam. If you ever need to replace a damaged section, it will be easier. You won't have to deal with the foam sticking to the metal siding or roofing. He also said that having wainscoting is a good idea too. Most times the lower section will get hit or damaged before the upper section and all you will have to replace is a 3' or 4' section and not the entire piece.
That would negate the structural properties of the foam strengthening the building greatly by not gluing everything together.
@@safffff1000 Spray foam is not intended to be structural, just happens to help in that regard. Building should be able to stand up by itself, wither that is a stick built, metal PEB or pole barn.
@@Jerry-ko9pi Go to Spray Jones youtube and see his report on it. They test 3 walls, and the spray foamed wall 2x4s, drywall and single plates was as strong or stronger than the wall with 2x6, double plate and batts. You can built with less lumber and still have a stronger wall. That foam is a powerful glue, if you got on you you would see, it will make the structure like a foamed door which would be nothing without the foam
Spray Jones, th-cam.com/video/bekgWsR2V5Y/w-d-xo.html
@@safffff1000 yes but only for a short period of time. Buildings move because of wind/heat/humidity/cold aka frost heaves and so on. This movement weakens the adhesion of the foam and your underbuilt wall or building becomes weak and potentially falls down. Be warned about so called experts on y tube and their ,expert" opinions
@@holmes1956O There is no proof of what you said but countless spray foamed buildings standing strong after decades. If I took what you said is right that would negate the entire adhesive product industry used extensively in buildings as going to fall apart.
I love your honesty. I have to say the final product looks very good. You should be proud of your accomplishment. For someone who doesn't do that for a living, it looks great.
For all the DIYers out there understand that this is what us general contractors go through. This is why we charge what we charge. We have to make sure that everybody is on site,the trucks are ready, the people are ready, the mud is ready the electrical is in the right spot the framing is where it needs to be. The corners or square somebody didn’t bring lunch. Bobs mom is drunk again. Ect… construction is not for weak people who cannot handle a lot of stress. I’ve been doing this for 17 years and I can take a serious ass whooping every day for about 300 days a year and the rest of the year is my time.
You know why contractors charge so much? Because it's worth it!
so you give immediate refunds when workers arent on site, trucks broken down, electrical and framing is wrong? nope, then you haggle about fixing it.
@@BornHandy worth it as long as you have the right contractors. If they’re good you’ll question if you paid too much, if they’re not… you’ll know you paid too much.
@@BornHandy Thank you. I know that you're referring to decent contractors...that's a given. We're not always easy to find or vet, and we always cost more, but hiring a cheap hacker is "expensive".
@@sladeoriginal If it's in the contract, yes. If it's not, then no.
Hey brother, I’m just checking in here a year later. I’ve had a metal shop up about 3 months now and am moving to a phase two of it, building a tractor gear “lean to” on a gable end. Because of some of the limitations and restrictions the builder faces, I decided to get a lean to engineered for what they were allowed to design for me but DIY it with assembly. Much of what you covered helped me maintain a bit of precision in the framing. The method of jacking the vertical structural tubing was especially helpful. You took a bit of pain out of my smaller project and I thank you.
Thanks for the compliment.
The building looks great and you did well. If you ever build another one always start you metal at the back of the building and work forwards. That way when you look down the side the overlap joints are much harder to see.
You should go towards the prevailing winds. No use having the seams for high winds to grab.
Drones are great for flying along roofs to check for damage after storms as well.
*Yeah it does, I watched this video and said "Wow, one guy really can put this thing together lol", If the mfr had done it they wouldn't have leveled half the things you did, trust me.*
@@1nvisible1 that’s a very important point. 👍👍👍
I just had a 30 by 40 building put up in one day by 6 guys a 10 by 10 garage door a man door and 4 windows, it was done in one day and cost 17,300 dollars, money well spent
After reading some of ur comments I want to say I did use Carolina carports they came 3 weeks after ordering the concrete I thought was a little high at 9000 but they came just days after I called
That is totally something I would do so I really appreciate you showing the pitfalls and reminding me that I would be doing it after work and on weekends. I also appreciate the hint about the price increasing dramatically after 30' x 40'.
Glad it was helpful!
@@BornHandy its because of the height of the roof. once you get past 30 feet the height on the roof is too tall. it becomes a oversized load. and you cant haul it on a regular truck and trailer you have to have a semi. plus, getting that long the materials get more expensive.
I want to thank you for this honest and quite eye-opening video. Everybody else I have seen so far makes it look so easy and does not tell you the honest truth about every step.
This has been so helpful. Thank you
Jason, I can't begin to thank you for putting this video together. The information and pitfalls are very helpful and as I go forward with my shop, I'll be better informed about what I'm getting into.
DUDE! You have built one. That makes you a GURU to me. Don't hesitate to help others to put one together. Although; maybe the best help you can be is to be honest about the time and trouble and suggest having it built. You convinced me.
Your Laser level is money well spent,I have used a water level (garden hose and some clear tubing on each end) 40 years ago. Yes it’s cheaper, but doesn’t work if it’s below freezing unless you use alcohol as antifreeze. Great explanation and photos and videos. Thank you
They are cheap enough as well now. I've seen them for $50 for single level line. $300 for 6-8 line for squaring and plumbing. Definitely getting one before I tile the master bath.
Actually cheaper than the clear tubing is now.
Everything you experienced is normal for most people. You did fine. I would prefer to build myself rather than pay someone. There are allot of factors though.
Good on you for putting this out. I am in the process of re shingling my own roof and know how all the "what could go wrong" diy fun is. I'm still happy to suffer thru further DIY projects, because it is the only way to learn how to learn without an apprenticeship.
...Me too. I'm a glutton for punishment I guess.
The honesty of this guy was great. Very informative. Greetings from Sweden.
I am a little surprise that the concrete contractor did not order the concrete. The contractor should have a good working relationship with the concrete supplier. this will not eliminate all delays but should help.
Sounds like the owner had secured the concrete order himself and seperately on purpose. Otherwise yeah, i found that weird too.
I didn't expect that either. HE just handed me all the info that needed to go to the supplier and told me a few companies along with their general rates. I called the closest one to me, and you know how that turned out...
Love the fact that you freely admit that you would pay the experts to do it next time. Good for you!
I work for a building manufacturer and run a handyman business as well outside of my 9-5. The reason for the big jump is the engineering after you get from 30x40. At least for the company I work for, we engineer every building and when it gets bigger the small custom details are all engineered and those engineering hours are out towards the job.
Bingo. Example: Every truss member must be up-sized when exceeding a certain span, etc .
When building composite decks I experience this since the decking comes in 12, 16 & 20ft lengths & at $4+ per foot per board, efficiency of design is a must.
@@probuilder961 this makes sense if the building is getting "wider" (requiring longer trusses), but it still seems like it could get "longer" (just add more trusses) with exactly the same materials, just more of them repeated over and over.
Congratulations on having the guts to take on this project yourself. Thank you for the no bs honest review.
The insulation mishap was a blessing in disguise. Spray foam is superior in almost every way compared to fiberglass between the structure and sheet metal.
and completely ugly
The part where you put up the siding only to learn you needed to put up insulation first killed my soul. Thank you for the vid!
What is amazing to me is you had very very little help to do this. I would expect 2 people could have done this in about 1/3 the time (as a guess). Climbing up and down ladders takes a huge amount of time.
Two is the minimum if for no other reason the buddy system for emergencies.
4 is what is needed to get one of these done efficiently. Also, a telehandler and a scissor lift. Don't try to do one by yourself or with just one other person.
Lol....I'm building a 30x50x16' by myself right now....I have zero experience and the drawings and instructions suck balls......butni have a forklift,ladder and a battery powered impact gun so getting done ot is......hopefully without breaking too much
@@hitekredneck109How are you doing on your project?
@@keithhelmich4344 welp, the structure is done!! I got all the framing etc done by myself but I did hire the professionals to put on all the cladding etc. I am currently working on installing the overhead door. I sold the big forklift and picked up a straddle stacker for 500 bucks and I am using the same ibc tote basket and paracord for lift/lower on it. I'm hoping to have the overhead door done this week so that I can start building the workshop/loft area. I'm building a separate 20x20 area with 2x6 for a workshop area and loft on top.....that way I dont need to insulate/heat the entire building.....at least right now. The company I bought the building from did at least offer good support with answering questions etc and it got to the point where as I would start the next part of the build.....say installing girts or purlins I would install 1 or 2,email a pic of it to the manufacturer and they would confirm if it was correct or not. I started doing that for each next step that way if I was doing something wrong, I wouldnt have to tear the whole thing apart again. I woulda considered doing the cladding etc myself if I knew I had at least 3 dedicated helpers but for the 4300 that the contractor charged,it was pretty much a no brainer. I'd say if you dont have lotsa time or a big forklift, I'd suggest just paying the 10k to have the professionals build it. If you're doing the cladding yourself you will want some kind of a lifting device....ladders will do but it gets pretty dangerous up there!!
I love the unbridled honesty and emotion!
My hats off to you for tackling that job. I was wondering how you were going to insulate, because i always seen it put on before any sheet metal gets put on. This is a very good video for anybody attempting this job. You have answered many questions that may or may not have been asked. Definitly eliminated hardship for the next builder.. Good job!!
After watching around six videos of this type, I can say that, by far, this video is the most important one for me and my family. Thank you, sir, for being real and so open about your experience. I am going to continue to live in my Mother's basement. No not really. But I will spend the money to have experienced contractors and builders do the job. THANK YOU!
Great info and really helped me rule out a DIY install. No freakin' way I'm doing all that! Guarantee you I'd have the building out of square, not plumb, would have random holes drilled here and there and have missing pieces and extra pieces at the same time. 😆
Great video, very helpful because I’m considering a metal building for new property. Thanks. 😅
Aside from the insulation mishap, that is what you deal with every time you build a pole barn or shop, it was just the knowlege/ experience you lacked.. You would do it in half the time now.
I’ve built several of these in my lifetime and I envy your frustration because if you’re not a construction person you can see what people like me go through in a construction atmosphere. Most jobs we did every thing from pouring the concrete to building the building and then wiring it up, so you just found out how important a good contractor can be. I don’t have any regrets in my lifetime of learning everything I could about construction because you can pass it on to younger people in your area. I’m retired now for about nine years and still get calls about buildings and concrete jobs and anything in construction, often go help people with a lot less knowledge than me. One example is when I was retired for three years ago friend came to my house and asked me to pour 30 yards of concrete for his foundation and slab for his new home and I did telling him I need a lot of help. Which years ago I would have poured myself.
Great Video. Really liked the thoroughness and honesty of your experience. Its the way things really go. Folks need to see this one. I look forward to more . Great job on the time lapse as well.
I appreciate that!
you get more respect from me for sharing your mistakes and your honest opinion than you would by saying it was easy and you had no issues! Just because you can do something, doesn't always mean you should, and it's great for you to acknowledge that.
Thank you for posting this real-world experience. It was very informative. I think most people contemplating this are similar in that they have never done this before, and you don't know what you don't know. Thank you for sharing this.
I just had a 30x40x12 tube building built , I had supplier install it , took 1-1/2 days , did spray foam insulation and 4 ton central unit , couldn't be happier with results ...
how much did that end up costing you? and what is the wind rating on that?
The main thing I've learned is that the framing has to be perfectly square and level. There can be no "close enough". Its the difference between pretty easy work, and long backbreaking grind.
I agree and I think it's also important to emphasize square and level footings, foundations, and concrete slabs. If you screw up early and get those wrong, you'll create other problems you won't notice for weeks or months later.
Got a new subscriber mate, big thank you from Australia. Well worth as you have helped hundreds maybe thousands of men build their sheds !!
Spray foam is the best thing for a metal building it titans it up and gets rid of the echo
It also adds structural strength which I think helps make a tube steel building closer to the strength of red steel.
@@SetitesTechAdventures I've heard good and bad about spray foam for metal buildings. The bad is that it can trap moisture on the inside that rusts the metal from the inside out. This was from someone who had this happen. I did not know this person and was just getting advice on different types of insulation.
What a great honest video! It's so frustrating seeing so many other people claim how easy it is to DIY these things - whilst showcasing B-roll footage of $200k+ tractors, machines and 7-10 people putting it together every day. Your scenario and experience is MUCH more common and likely for average viewers. I'm just a man who has a full-time job with limited time and no expensive machinery. So doing something like this would be a massive time-consuming challenge.
I contemplated doing mine myself too, but due to my limited time and many of the issues you ran into, I opted to have the building manufacturer do it.
However, seeing your honest review showing your determination to get it done despite your limited time, equipment, and help along with all your setbacks is really inspiring.
Really enjoyed your video! I've been thinking about doing this for a garage for my cars. And like you I definitely figured I would do it myself. Your video gave me tons of info and questions that will need answered before I start this project.
Thanks again for the honesty and all the info!!
I went custom, mainly because I was able to get the design done by a local architect, which included a new site plan, electrical plan, e-building design with Hardiboard and comp roof, which passed County first day. Architect: $4k, County: $4k-$5k (fire tax/permits). This was in Northern California, Lake County. And tell me about contractors that don't show up, tell me about it...but for me the county is worse...🙄
Great video. Appreciate seeing a different perspective on DIY a project like this. I been considering doing something like this.. now I have more research to do...
THANK YOU, THANK YOU times a 1000! You KNOW what you saved me! Seems it could cost me more time than I would want to spend.
I'm interested in this type of construction or post frame variants. Ive watched a lot of videos. A lot. This one , from my perspective, was the most valuable.
Thank you for a professional objective honest evaluation of your experience. It also help5s that you held reasonable expectations for your suppliers and contractors as well.
Man, I can't thank you enough for making this video! After several delays with my family's health issues, I'm trying to get started on my building project again. In my earlier research, I found only 1 company that sold building kits (Versa-Tube) and all the others wanted to do the construction. On comparably sized buildings, Versa-Tube was actually $1000 higher than the other buildings' costs including construction. I'll be going over all this again before the purchase. I've found that my building shape had to change in order to fit where I want it, and the 24 foot dimension on the width seems as though it will make building it myself more practical. I have a long way to go, but your videos are going to be a big help!
Glad to hear. There are other videos actually showing construction of this building if you need more info. They're just hiding on my channel somewhere.
Great video! I will be building a similar sized building and this info is invaluable!
I love how honest you’ve been. I’m a very experienced home builder but I’ve never built a metal building. That’s what led me to your video. I’d say this is an 7 or 8 out of ten on the difficulty scale in my opinion. Having built most of my life I think they should have had a directions guide with the kit that could have helped with the suggested planning of the building process. Great job
I think the issue is that it wasn't a kit, it was a custom design. The kits do come with instructions, pre marked and pre drilled holes, etc. And he said the supplier told him that.
If I were a supplier, I would not sell customs to non-contractors and DIY people and leave them to the kits with instructions.
Hi! I've worked with a steel structure dealership for about 3 years now, and this was very interesting to watch! I'd like to give some insight on some things you mentioned in the video, despite how long ago this project was in case there were some things you or other viewers were hoping to know about. First though, I'd like to state a few things about where I'm coming from.
All of our manufacturers cover multi-state service areas, and include their delivery and installation in the price of the structure. In our estimates, we do not include any surcharge for these services. However, we do include % off discounts for customers wanting to assemble it themselves, provided they understand that there would be no warranty on the installation, only the materials. All of the buildings we sell are custom per-order, as we do not expect our customers to install these themselves. However, having seen some installs, I can tell you that the process is pretty much the same universally.
Pricing Intervals:
I can't speak for everyone, but most manufacturers we work with have their width pricing in intervals of two and in three different groups; standard, double/triple wide, and free-span commercial. Standard buildings range in width from 12-24ft wide, and those are usually the simplest and most affordable. Anything beyond 24 wide, a different style of truss is used which is why the price goes up. Same with anything after 30ft. Also, a lot of places will not charge extra for sizes in-between size intervals. I.e. a 23 and 24ft building would cost the same, though I'm not sure if there's much appeal to an odd-sized building. The same usually goes for the width, which I've seen is typically priced in intervals of 5.
Temporary Structure & the Elements:
While the way your building was installed would be considered a temporary structure in most cases, this is only because the anchors can be removed and the structure can be torn down very easily as most of it is assembled with screws (as you know). All you'd have to do is backtrack the installation process and boom, you have your kit in pieces again. However, this does not mean that the building cannot withstand the tests of time. While your mileage may vary, all the buildings we sell come with a 120-140mph wind rating (gusts) and a snow load rating of 35-40lbs/sqft. That's usually standard in my experience, and can be increased upon request by including extra materials. 14-gauge framing typically has a one-year rust warranty and 12-gauge framing typically comes with a 10/20-year rust warranty. I'm not saying every company does this, but rather that the fact that there are these guarantees should give the material some merit.
Concrete Levelling:
This was probably the only concerning part of the installation, but I'll get to that in a bit. Most of our manufacturer's installers come with the legs marked from the factory, and they check their levelling with string once the whole frame is set up. As I don't put these up myself, I can't attest to the method, but at the same I've never heard a customer complain about warping or bulge. If the crew finds that the legs are not level, they usually provide the customer two options depending on how un-level the foundation is: 1. if it's only a matter of an inch or so, the customer can opt to leave it and bear the burden of slight malformation of the structure, or 2. the customer can have the crew cut the legs level at the expense of a labor fee. I've personally heard/seen customers go both ways. However, jacking the legs and screwing them suspended is not something I've ever seen... and I can't imagine it's a good long-term solution. It might serve as an okay short-term solution, but I can't imagine those screws holding up forever.
Delays:
Yes! We work with companies from California to Florida to Maryland and I can tell you, this is one of the most common issues any customer faces when going with steel buildings, especially if they aren't local. One of the first things I tell customers when they ask for a lead time is that we cannot provide dates at the time of order and that all estimates are a range and are subject to change due to many different factors. I'm not saying that this is a good thing, but we can't help that it's common. We had one time when a whole schedule of installs couldn't be done because the depot got flooded by a monster storm. Other times, there might not be enough of a certain size door, window, or color paneling. There are many things that can affect the delivery and installation of these buildings so we make sure to communicate that to the customer and inform them of any delays we're made aware of. ESPECIALLY with how the market got affected with the pandemic. Between August and September, 2021, the price of steel went up 300%, so we were constantly struggling to keep up with supply issues and price changes which nearly put us out of business.
Install Time:
I just wanted to mention that the professional installation is definitely worth whatever premium you need to pay. Typically, installation of these kinds of buildings for most of our manufacturers is done within 1-3 days. Granted, that's with a crew of four or five working the whole day, but that's the benefit of having it done by the manufacturer. And, you can guarantee that the installers have plenty of experience and know exactly what they're doing.
Hat Channels:
Coming from one of our more reputable manufacturers, the hat channels on the roof are typically spaced about 3ft apart. Granted, not all buildings will be able to have this interval perfect, so there's usually a gap in the center that is a different size, but going from the legs to the peak at 3ft intervals is usually a good bet. As for the walls, I'm not sure if that's 26 or 29 gauge paneling, but no matter what it's usually pretty thin. If you're expecting bumps & collisions, I'd imagine it's probably have a lower channel to absorb that impact instead of letting it sink into the panels, but like I said, I'm not an installer so I might be dead wrong.
All in all, I think you did a pretty good job. I'd look into securing those legs that got jacked, but it should otherwise serve you well!
Anyone else more experienced than me or who does field work on these is welcome to correct me. I just work in a sales office so I can very well be mistaken on certain things. :)
Thanks for all the info. Especially the part about the legs being suspended. That's something I'll address in a later video.
I'm sheetmetal mech by trade and have erected a few tube steel buildings. We always leveled the floor plates first. Never once cut or raised a wall stud..
@@BornHandy Drill a 3/8 hole and put bolt and nut thru all your raised studs.
I think you and the help you had did an awesome job. I really don't know how anyone can be critical when you were doing it practically by yourself.
From what I saw you had (at 17:04) areas that were1-1/4 plus inches off, thats your concrete guys issue. The Slab should never be out more than a 1/4 inch overall. problem jacking the studs up is now you are putting the load of the roof and structure on the screws alone and not bearing directly on the base frame. One thing I have learned from 45 plus years as a carpenter and contractor, leave things you don't have experience doing to those that do. Hope you get it done and kudos to you trying to do it on your own.
You're right. It would be a good idea to cut steel plate or angle iron to hammer/wedge into the gap to carry the weight. Could even cut sections of old bed rails, cut one side of the angle down to the needed height to lift it 1/32 to take load off the bolt, and hammer it into place using it as a lever to lift the cut side. Then bolt the uncut side into the concrete if you don't feel like welding the 4 angles into a full square flange.
Exactly what I saw, these vertical studs (and they aren't 16 on center) now need a "filler" piece under them so that the screws aren't holding the entire load. And if the forms were level, the concrete should be within 1/4" - 1/2" max.
When you fasten things together the fastener doesn't support the weight friction does. The fastener isn't under shear load only pull. It takes a lot of force to pull a screw apart. You'd be surprised how much draw a screw can have too. It's up into the tons. Even for relatively small screws. Which is why what they did worked.
i work for a massive "steel building" manufacturer. we make buildings all shapes and sizes but generally "warehouse" style or industrial buildings are our main focus. we do make garages and storage units like you built as well. the reason prices jump so fast after you hit the 40 foot mark is due to how we (the industry) buys steel. generally everything comes in at 20 and 40 foot lengths. if you want a 42 foot building we then have the splice together steel to make it longer. that greatly increases our cost in labor and material.
thats the shortened version and the easiest way to describe the insane price different between 30x40 and a 35x42 building
Thanks for the response. Makes a lot of sense.
What a lucky mistake you made, that foam is far superior to the other insulation. It makes the building 3 times stronger and it will keep it so much cooler and warmer with absolutely no concern with condensation against the steel. Well done!
I agree the spray foam is much higher but worth the extra money also the heated slab with the circulating pump is the way to go
"...3 times stronger..." PLEASE CITE SOURCES for this claim?
@@hypnotherapycw After going through some of his other posts, the account is either a troll or shill.
@@hypnotherapycw Surely that means one can cut out 1/3 of the metal, right?
@@bradleykreider3358 u can do what u like. Especially if u follow the fake black book mythology.
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Yep. I went THERE!!!
It's pretty impressive that you did the whole thing single handedly. I framed houses for a couple of years, and to do it well you really need a minimum of three people.
Great work and you are a brave soul! My question is did you save any money doing it yourself not including the time lost in being able to use the building while you finished it? Thanks for giving us all a heads up.
I saved $5500 in money, but lost most of that in down time, so it was a break even at best. Not worth the DIY.
That reef tank is gorgeous...that building is gorgeous
Beyond 30ft width the trusses have to be engineered. And there’s your cost.
Im up to sheeting my new shed now. It's nice to know that another person absolutely regrets their decision to build it. Haha.
Yeah-So the entire load of your building is being supported by zip screws?(that wasn't a question) What you should have done was found your shortest truss bent and cut the others to fit its height...that way the individual trusses loads would transfer to the base and not those zip screws on the trusses you jacked up. This will fail. Ive built plenty of post frame buildings and I'm not guessing. Mig welding the truss post to the base leg is your only permanent fix.
YUP!
Only permanent fix? Nope, and arguably not even the best fix. Maybe in Alabama that would be OK with a competent welder. But anywhere with high snow loads, I'd not want the entire roof/snow/ice weight relying upon the shear strength of welds, in a building designed to be entirely mechanically fastened.
I'd build a flange under each post, out of plate steel or heavy angle. Personally I'd lever each of the 4 flange pieces into place in a way to jack the weight off the existing bolt, but it would also be fine to just have it sitting there waiting to take the weight when the bolt fails. Whether to do it on all 4 sides of the base leg, or just 2, and whether to keep each side independent or welded into a single flange/base, is mostly a matter of taste.
Having said that, jacking the post to unload the bolt, then welding, then building the flange under it, would be even better. Just waiting for the bolt to fail and sit the weight on the flange, would possibly allow high winds to lift the building off the legs if enough of them had failed.
When you screw things together the screw only holds them together. Friction bears the load.
Smiling!
I feel your pain!
I added a 1100 sq. ft. room with basement to my house in KC, with a 300 sq. ft. deck with cover. Lets just say once it was rough in I quit it for about 7 years before it was complete. Looked finished on the outside and it was insulated and wired but the rest had to wait due to money and new job. Was nice once it was done, and we used the the basement and bedroom up stairs till the rest was done. I, like you did most the work, except the basement with a 6 inch slab top. I worked myself into the ground got down to 170 pounds and my wife said I looked like a cancer patient, not to mention how many times I hurt myself trying to a two man job alone. Assume you did too. Not bad but cost me weeks with a broken toe and other little things ... Big Smile. At 72 years young I think I feel every nail I hammered in the thing.
Great story sir.
Midway through my IT career I decided to advance into the "big money" and became a project manager. That lasted for about 3 years. I stopped doing that and dropped down a couple of notches to escape the kinds of things you ran into in your project. Good PM's and contractors are worth every penny they earn. Watching you stepping out like you did made me cringe with remembrance of what I escaped. I'm still trembling with anxiety from watching this. 😧😧
Just found your channel one year later. Loved every minute of this build. Your a true DIYer I believe, in the middle of this project your best advice is too get someone else to do it, when the dust has settled and you are sitting on your chair, ya, you'd probably do it again, I thought that was great. Kudos for taking that on without a layout sheet, very difficult, if you miss a beat you'll only realise it very late. Also well done to K&G for taking on board what you said, it'll only be a better product for it.
Wow! That was quite the project you undertook! Thanks much for sharing this with us!
Jason, great job on the building! Thanks for putting everything out there. Beyond successfully navigating your build, I would like to commend you on a great presentation. 26 minutes without repeating yourself and logically moving from one section to the next quickly without bashing the suppliers, the weather, the tools, your brother-in-law - just the facts. Very informative. Thank you.
Great video Jason. For taking on a project like this you have lots of salt! You have a great delivery and self deprecating humor, which I appreciate. Congratulations on getting it done and hopefully the video and viewers make the job worth it. Thanks again!
Very valuable guidance. To be foretold... is to be forewarned !
Longer buildings and the land use which means; permits and stronger steel for the longer span.
These could be some reasons as to why the prices fluctuate from distributor to you.
Wow, hats off to you for putting that together mostly by yourself! That's a ton of work. Great video!
Yes it was! Thank you for watching.
Thanks, this is exactly what I needed to be convinced to pay someone else to build the building!
Such a helpful video! Thank you for your direct, honest information about the process
you know someone is a real DIYer when their recommendation is "don't do it, hire someone else" lol. Great video, It was awesome to see.
I'm fixen to build my 3rd shop...it's an adventure you will back some and think...I did this...and laugh...great memories and great job. Rock on brother looks great.
I often take on task where I say “I can do that” and when I get started begin to say “this wasn’t such a good idea.” However afterwards when the job is done the large feelings accomplishment that wash over me is more than words can describe. Just like you I asked myself would you do this again. The answer is the same as you closed your video. My wife like one of your other viewers commented “just call someone.” Sometimes she will call and get the job done as she knows me and how long this could drag on. Often in the beginning I would be upset, but when it’s done I feel relief. However with someone else doing the job that could be a DIY the stories won’t be there.
Great video and awesome insight. Thank you for sharing. The building looks great by the way.
The Man. GOOD JOB for sticking through it! Looks good
Great video, very well explained, and it's good to hear the honest opinions about what and what not to do. I live about 10 miles from the coast of Florida in St. Augustine. Where I live, steel buildings have to meet 200 mph wind standards. I had a 30x60 building erected by a contractor in 2008, because I knew for sure that I couldn't do the job myself, or even with a full crew of friends. It's a red steel frame building, made by American Buildings in Eufaula, AL. Even the concrete footings for the uprights had to be 18" thick, and they are rebar reinforced in every direction there is. Even though it was nearly 50K for the complete building, and that includes everything (the concrete, contractor, crew, electrical, 2 10ft roll-up doors, 2 walk-in doors, 6 skylights, and batting insulation throughout) I'm so glad I had someone that knew what they were doing complete the job for me. I haven't had a hint of issues with the building or the completed work at all. I'd definitely buy another American Buildings product, and I'd definitely have a contractor build it, especially now that I'm in my late 60's. You did a fabulous job with your building, and I commend you for taking on such a big job, especially with everything else you have going on in your life. I really liked this video, liked and subscribed. Thank you for posting.
Great video! I’m keeping it in my “library” of saved videos for when I build my own such building. Thank you!
Saw the shirt. Subscribed.
Excellent video.
Thank you Jason! I am purchasing land here in Nevada to build my Metal/Steel Barn and turn my building into a recording studio here in the desert.
I've been watching videos in constructing a Metal Barn. Educating myself watching these videos is so very important. Glad to have found your video. Now I understand what you mean about companies not getting back with you. I guess it's normal. I'll keep watching this video and others to continue to educate myself.
Thank you. I am looking at 30x40 and 30x60 red steel/metal structures.
I love the honest closing - "If I had to do this again, I'd let someone else do it"
*That* my friend was a great video. I am in the process of finalizing a decision with one of the myriad of suppliers that offer these metal tube-framed buildings. I had toyed with the idea of doing it myself as I am relatively handy having grown up on a large dairy farm and after spending my entire life doing various DIY projects that many people wouldn't tackle. BTW.... I am retired, but after watching your video I am not interested in having this be DIY. Don't think for a second you steered me wrong... I can envision all that can go wrong with trying to get a 28'x46'x10' structure plumb and square to stand the test of time... I simply don't want to put myself (or my wife 😂) through that. Thanks again for the video... it definitely gave me a lot of insight as to how these structures go together. Much appreciation for you. Best regards.
Thank you so much for this video. I have been mulling over the idea of building one myself but based on your experience, I think it'll be smarter to pay someone to do it. They'll likely do it faster and better.
As for your rhetorical question: "was it worth it?" A thing my rugby coach used to say is "when you lose, don't lose the lesson." You clearly have insight now on the process, the processes, the tricks, and s on that you didn't have before. Best of all, you know that your personal time with family is more important than the time it would take to build one of these.
This obviously wasn't a DIY educational video in the sense that I can now use what you told me to build my own building. However, the world needs more videos like this. Your realist view and explanation is a breath of fresh air. I also appreciate that you can highlight your, often poor, treatment by contractors and vendors without whining. It makes the credibility of the companies that did you right stand out.
Thanks, but there are video's of the builds process too. Here is the framing. th-cam.com/video/LM8Vs4lc4is/w-d-xo.html