Red iron or carport style shop?

Tacoma747

Tacoma747

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem
Planning to build or have a shop built. Been quoted ~$14,500 delivered for a 30x40 red iron, 12x12 framed opening, and 4' blanket insulation for roof/walls.

From the looks I can get a slightly larger carport style building with multiple doors for slightly more (not including insulation). I know the roll up doors on the carport style suck, so I am really leaning towards the red-iron and then get a nice panel door.

The plan for this building will be to put all my stuff in while building a house, and then in a few years I hope to do some more grading and build a 40x60 or so to actually have room to work on larger trucks, at that point, the 30x40 would be for parking my excursion (or f-350), UTV, tacoma, etc.

So, talk me into or out of the red iron. I really am thinking of adding a 2nd framed opening though because I think one door might make things too hard to park multiple vehicles inside.
 
Buy a post frame building from r&r and do it exactly how you want the first time. The versatube style buildings aren't terrible but definitely a little flimsy when you're talking something that big.
The building you're looking at through r&r is roughly 10,500.
Put a lean to down both sides and be about the same as your red iron building quote.
 
Another red iron vote. (and buyer)

The carport style would be OK for smaller buildings...I wouldn't like it over 24x30 or so. That's red iron territory.

For just pure storage space, connex boxes are about as cheap per square foot as you can get and are move-in ready. I got one, put a solar panel on it and a bilge blower, and it doesn't get unbearably hot in the summer. (Eventual plan is to get a tin roof over it that extends out for a tractor shed.)
 
They sit on top of a solid concrete block and then you pour around them, so they're not even reallllly in contact with the ground. Then you just pour a slab inside the base board, maybe add a footer under the doors so it doesn't crack. This way uses a lot less concrete. I'm really considering a pole barn myself.

Don't forget about the labor/cost of installing red iron.


Would I greatly prefer a red iron building myself? Absolutely. Last quote I got was the better part of 20k to erect. Could I do it myself? Probably...but it'd take a while. Once I get shop materials here, I'm gunna want a shop NOW :D
 
Do you want it to look like a barn or an industrial building?

Red iron is more expensive, but probably the "better" option. But pole barn/post frame is cheaper and probably give you more options for finishes.
 
Then again...I forgot about how much the price of lumber has increased this year. So...there's also that.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
Then again...I forgot about how much the price of lumber has increased this year. So...there's also that.
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So is steel. I priced liner panels back in January, and again last week. Was 1.49/lf. Now, 1.99/lf
 
Croatan_Kid said:
They sit on top of a solid concrete block and then you pour around them, so they're not even reallllly in contact with the ground. Then you just pour a slab inside the base board, maybe add a footer under the doors so it doesn't crack. This way uses a lot less concrete. I'm really considering a pole barn myself.

Don't forget about the labor/cost of installing red iron.


Would I greatly prefer a red iron building myself? Absolutely. Last quote I got was the better part of 20k to erect. Could I do it myself? Probably...but it'd take a while. Once I get shop materials here, I'm gunna want a shop NOW :D
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My uncle does construction (and doesn't really have a job) so I can pay him to help me put it up. I have a crane with man basket so lifting the beams is not an issue once concrete is poured. I had read that some inspectors don't want the wood posts in concrete, because the wood shrinks and leaves a gap for moisture which rots the post. If I did a pole barn I would bolt the posts to the top of the pad, but that isn't as strong so they say, so it's a crapshoot on what to do.

Sunward steel has a red iron 36x48 with two door openings for $14,100. I am going to check and see what the blanket insulation would add (it added about $1500 to the. 30x40). That is a big reason I am thinking the red iron is the 4" fiberglass blanket insulation cost was cheap, nice looking, and durable. To insulate a 30x40 with the 2" foam boards it would be around $2k on a quick calculation.
 
Tacoma747 said:
My uncle does construction (and doesn't really have a job) so I can pay him to help me put it up. I have a crane with man basket so lifting the beams is not an issue once concrete is poured. I had read that some inspectors don't want the wood posts in concrete, because the wood shrinks and leaves a gap for moisture which rots the post. If I did a pole barn I would bolt the posts to the top of the pad, but that isn't as strong so they say, so it's a crapshoot on what to do.

Sunward steel has a red iron 36x48 with two door openings for $14,100. I am going to check and see what the blanket insulation would add (it added about $1500 to the. 30x40). That is a big reason I am thinking the red iron is the 4" fiberglass blanket insulation cost was cheap, nice looking, and durable. To insulate a 30x40 with the 2" foam boards it would be around $2k on a quick calculation.
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I know nothing about building something like this, but there are two different types of brackets on the R&R website posted above if you don't want the wood post in concrete.

Scroll down:
https://www.rrironworks.com/products

@89wrangler is putting up a pole barn/shed for his RV. He probably has some tips.
 
Haven't priced them but have considered these for my pole barn.
Home
 
Just know that those red iron building prices companies advertise are for the basic shell. Once you add insulation, large insulated garage doors, insulated man door, interior paneling, you have now added another 10-15 grand to the advertised price. Some companies charge extra for delivery and engineer stamped plans too.
 
tknopp said:
Just know that those red iron building prices companies advertise are for the basic shell. Once you add insulation, large insulated garage doors, insulated man door, interior paneling, you have now added another 10-15 grand to the advertised price. Some companies charge extra for delivery and engineer stamped plans too.
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To me, it was worth it to to it turn-key from a local steel building place. They contracted concrete, building, insulation, doors, they did install in-house, etc. All I left for me was interior and electrical. Which isn't done yet.

A lot less headache. Came in at $33 psf with insulated with 4 bay doors and 2 man doors, 6" slab.
 
kaiser715 said:
For just pure storage space, connex boxes are about as cheap per square foot as you can get and are move-in ready.
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X2. My parents actually bought one and used it to move. They had it set in they're driveway and loaded all their stuff in it. Then they had it moved to their new house and unloaded it. They then used it for storage afterword.

Another benefit of containers are they require no permit because they're considered a movable structure. We have 30-35 at work because of this.

kaiser715 said:
I got one, put a solar panel on it and a bilge blower, and it doesn't get unbearably hot in the summer.
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If you don't mind sharing, how did you make this work?
 
kaiser715 said:
To me, it was worth it to to it turn-key from a local steel building place. They contracted concrete, building, insulation, doors, they did install in-house, etc. All I left for me was interior and electrical. Which isn't done yet.

A lot less headache. Came in at $33 psf with insulated with 4 bay doors and 2 man doors, 6" slab.
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I've been looking at a local builder to do a turn key place for me. At $33 psf It will be a while if I go with red iron.....
 
kaiser715 said:
To me, it was worth it to to it turn-key from a local steel building place. They contracted concrete, building, insulation, doors, they did install in-house, etc. All I left for me was interior and electrical. Which isn't done yet.

A lot less headache. Came in at $33 psf with insulated with 4 bay doors and 2 man doors, 6" slab.
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Who did you go with if you don’t mind sharing?
 
I can't afford turn key so either way I have to put it up myself, but I feel like (based on 30x40 size) I would rather spend $14,500 (delivered) for the red iron building with 4" insulation than I would spend ~$10k for the pole barn, plus another $500 for permacolumns, plus have to buy insulation for it as well. The pole barns do LOOK nicer, but I don't really care if it looks industrial as it won't be visible from the house. With either option they don't include the garage doors so that is another $1500-2000 per door, but I would rather have a panel door than a roll up door.
 
YotaOnRocks said:
Haven't priced them but have considered these for my pole barn.
Home
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i was gonna suggest something like that. I followed RRBuilding (Rural Renovators) on instagram and thats the style of connections they use for their buildings. They dont use the precast, just the top brackets on their on poured pillars. I have no idea on cost either but if i was gonna do a pole style, I think would use something like that.
 
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