How to choose a steel building manufacturer? What to check before signing the contract

We explain how to assess a steel building manufacturer, before you sign the contract and pay a deposit.

Manufacturer or middleman?

The first and most important question is: does the company you are considering fabricate the structure itself, or does it order it from a subcontractor and merely coordinate erection? A manufacturer with its own production hall is directly responsible for the quality of the welds, the corrosion protection and timeliness, because it does not depend on an external fabricator's schedule. It is worth asking directly for the address of the fabrication plant and, if possible, arranging a visit.

Projects you can see with your own eyes

A portfolio on a website is only the beginning – a good contractor will readily give you the addresses of completed buildings in your area or put you in touch with a previous client. Pay attention not only to the appearance of the building but also to how it looks after several years of use: whether the coating is corroding, whether the roof leaks, whether the façade has discoloured unevenly.

Scope of responsibility in the contract

Before you compare prices, check exactly what the offer includes – the steel structure alone, the structure with cladding, or the full scope including foundations and services. Cheap offers sometimes leave out items that will have to be bought separately anyway, so the final investment cost rises above the original estimate. We described a similar mechanism in the context of choosing between a ready-made building and building from scratch. In both cases, the devil is in the detail of the contract, not in the price on the first page of the offer. A good contract also specifies the deadlines for each stage and the rules for settling any design changes.

Warranty and after-sales service

A steel structure is an investment for decades. It is therefore worth checking how long a warranty the manufacturer gives on the structure and cladding, and whether it offers post-warranty service, e.g. if the roof is damaged in a severe storm. Companies that fabricate their own components usually find it easier to supply missing or replacement parts, because they have access to the same technical documentation and the same sheet metal suppliers.

Experience in your industry

Warehouse, production, agricultural buildings and sports and leisure buildings have different technical requirements – loads are calculated differently, and ventilation and daylighting are designed differently. It is worth asking the manufacturer how many buildings with a similar purpose to yours it has already delivered, because experience in a specific segment translates into more accurate advice at the initial meeting, before the design is even produced.

Response time and transparent pricing

The way a company responds to the first enquiry often shows what the whole cooperation will look like. A reliable manufacturer prepares a specific quote broken down into stages, instead of a vague “it depends”, and can explain what the price is made up of – just as in our article in which we break down the cost of building a steel building. At MatBud we prepare every quote individually based on your plot parameters and the building's purpose. You can also get a quote for your building yourself in our configurator.