How Much Does a Steel Barn Cost?

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Quick Summary: Metal Barn Prices #

A metal agricultural building will cost between $10 and $25 per square foot. On average, an 800 sq. foot barn will cost around $10,000, a 2,000 sq. foot barn will cost $20,000 and a 5,000 sq. foot barn will cost $50,000 or more.

The things stored inside of your barn are of the utmost importance to your business, so why would you trust them to the whims of an inferior building material? Choosing a steel barn over one made from wood will help provide superior protection for your valuable investments, whether they are animals, produce, or other goods and equipment.

Used extensively during World War II to provide cheap, transportable, easy to assemble housing and storage, steel buildings have since been adapted to civilian purposes and today provide an affordable, durable alternative to traditional construction techniques.

Keep reading to find out the advantages of steel barns, along with how much you can expect to pay for a commercial steel building.

Types of Steel Barns #

Two basic types of metal barn designs are available:

• Arch style steel barns: Also called Quonset huts, arched metal barns have a semi-circular shape built from interlocking metal supports. They are simple to construct, making them a favorite of do-it-yourselfers, but overhead storage can be limited in spots and doors and windows can only be placed on the end walls.
• Rigid frame steel barns: Straight-wall metal barns resemble traditionally framed buildings, except that steel framing, roofing, and walls are used. They are much more customizable than Quonset huts, as windows and doors can be placed anywhere, and expandability is relatively simple. Because construction is more complicated, however, rigid frame metal barns are not-typically do-it-yourself projects.

The Advantages of Steel Barns #

If you want to protect your valued agricultural or other assets from the elements, steel barn buildings are the way to go. Compared to wood structures, metal barns offer the following benefits:

• Value: Building with wood entails bringing all of the materials to the site and constructing the barn there. By contrast, metal barns are pre-fabricated, meaning that the components are made in a factory and assembled on-site, resulting in significantly reduced labor costs. And not only does building with steel save you money in this way, but the durability of metal buildings results in far less maintenance over the long term (manufacturers typically offer 20-30 year warranties).
• Protection: While wood is subject to rot, infestation, parasites, and fire, steel barns offer much better resistance from all of these potentially-devastating problems. As evidence of this, consider that metal barns are typically much cheaper to insure than wood barns, which is another way they can reduce your expenses.
• Environment: It's increasingly difficult to ignore the impact of deforestation on the environment, and steel barns offer business owners a way to reduce their environmental impact. Steel may be more energy-intensive to create, but this ensures that it is a highly-coveted recyclable. In fact, steel is the most recycled material on earth.

Steel Barn Average Costs - Samples #

• Pre-engineered steel barn kits might cost you approximately $10 to $25 per square foot. On a larger project, you may be able to get the cost per square foot down to around $7.50 to $10 per square foot.

• Alternatively, you could purchase just the materials, which might cost around $5 to $15 per square foot, and either assemble them yourself or hire a local contractor for assembly. Assuming the second option, labor costs would be around $5 to $10 per square foot, while the cost to pour a concrete foundation is approximately $4 to $8 per square foot. Adding insulation would tack on another $1 to $3 per square foot.

• For the following steel barn sizes, you can expect to pay approximately:

• 800 square feet: $10,000 to $12,500 for both rigid frame and arch style

• 2,000 square feet: $20,000 to $25,000 for a rigid frame steel horse barn and $15,000 to $20,000 for an arch-style steel barn.

• 2,500 square feet: $26,000 to $30,000 for rigid frame; $22,000 to $26,000 for arch style

• 3,500 square feet: $34,000 to $38,000 for rigid frame; $22,500 to $27,500 for arch frame.

• 5,000 square feet: $50,000 to $55,000 for rigid frame; $32,500 to $37,500 for arch style.

Resources:

• Agricultural Farm Buildings
• Top Selling Farm Buildings

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