How to Compare Metal Building Quotes: What Affects Price, Delivery, and Installation

A reputable metal building provider is a company you can trust. Find out if there is an actual office you can visit. Sitting with a real person who specializes in metal buildings, like an engineer, is important. Buying and doing business online is OK, but a reputable dealer will also have an office you can visit in person if you need or want to.

Some companies may claim to do business nationwide, but upon inquiry, you may find that there are states or regions where they don’t deliver or install. Verify whether a building provider can serve your location before you get too far along in the process.

Checking a company’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating and customer reviews can give you another helpful data point as you evaluate a provider. While it should not be the only factor in your decision, it can help you spot patterns in customer experience, communication, and complaint resolution. If a supplier has very few reviews or a poor rating, ask follow-up questions and do additional research before moving forward.

Answers to these questions tell you their longevity and the strength of their organization. You should only work with a company that has a substantial history in its industry, so you know they have been around long enough to have a deep customer base. This indicates the level of success they have had through time and that they are more likely to still be in business when you need them in the future.

If you are working with a dealer, it is always better to go with one that qualifies the manufacturers they choose to partner with. Sometimes a single manufacturer may be too small to offer comprehensive services, so they team up with a dealer. Additionally, you don’t want to be just a number to a large manufacturer that doesn’t care whether you get your building on time or even that you are getting the right building for you to begin with. It may be preferred to work with a dealer who vets each of its manufacturer partners for high standards of quality, workmanship, and service. This way, you are better positioned to get the building you need, the way you need it, when you need it, and at the best price.

Typically, the metal building company can’t actually pull a permit for you. Still, a good service-oriented company can walk you through what you need to do to obtain the correct permits for your local area. A really good dealer can even be familiar with which permits are usually required for your specific location. If the company can provide engineered drawings for your building, it is a strong indication that it has solid in-house engineering staffing.

A strong organization can tell you where your order goes next. Your salesperson can clearly outline every stage of the process, who you will be dealing with, and who your contact person is, going from building the design and ordering, to fabrication, to installation, to beyond the sale. They should also be able to provide accurate timelines on delivery and installation, as well as the steps to properly prepare the site for a smooth setup on the day of installation. This information should be communicated to avoid unexpected hiccups on the day of.

This question isn’t just about the lowest price; it is about the best price. Many discount dealers try to get your attention by showing a low price, but it may not actually be the best price for what you want and need in terms of product quality, service, and customer experience. Sometimes, a cheaper building is really just cheap. Cheap can mean:

• Components used
• Poor fabrication
• Sloppy assembly
• Job not finished on time
• Poor communication
• No follow-up with the customer

It is never wise to go strictly with the low bidder, as you risk ending up with a poor long-term investment.