Steel Erectors – Tips on Finding a Crew

For most customers considering a pre-engineered metal building, one question that looms over them from the very first stages of their project is "who am I going to get to erect the building?". Of all the parts of the building process that need to be completed successfully, in order to ensure the overall success of the project, erecting is the part the customer has the greatest exposure to. It is the steel erectors who combine the efforts of everyone else involved with the project and assembles the finished product. A properly designed, engineered, and expertly fabricated building without professional erecting is a recipe for disappointment. Let us share some tips to keep in mind when you are searching for steel erectors to erect your metal building project.

Preferably, you want to find your steel erectors through referral of some kind. Ask other metal building owners in your area who erected their buildings and you'll likely find owners eager to share their positive (or negative) erecting experiences with you.  Another source of referral might be the concrete contractor pouring your slab, as concrete contractors often have interaction with steel erectors.
 

Show the steel erectors a copy of your steel building quote or building engineering so that they have a good understand of the job they are quoting. Be sure to pin down the details regarding not only the amount of the job, but what the amount includes (mobilization fees, equipment rental fees, lodging, etc.). After negotiating the price, make sure you get everything in writing.
 
Make sure that the steel erectors you are considering erect steel buildings for a living. There's a big difference between a crew that is together and erecting a wide variety of projects throughout the year - versus a crew that erects the occasional steel building when their painting and drywall jobs finish up.
 
Professional steel erectors not only earn a living erecting metal buildings but also have enough regular work to allow them to stay together as a crew. A metal building erecting crew that regularly works together will generally produce a higher quality finished product in less time than a fragmented crew that has high turnover.

Whether your steel erectors came to you via referral or some other source, ask for references and call them. Ask the referral specifics about their experience. How big was the their project?  Were they happy with the finished work? Was the crew organized and attentive to details? What time did the crew start/stop every day? Was the referral disappointed with any aspect of the erecting job?
 
Ask the steel erectors you are considering using about insurance. A professional erecting crew will carry both liability insurance and workman's compensation insurance. Additionally, you'll want to make sure any vehicles they bring onto your property are insured as well.
 
The steel building erector will likely need to rent some local equipment to erect your project (ie: a lull or similar lift). When the steel building erector quotes the erecting for your job, be sure to ask if the quoted amount includes any/all equipment rental.
 
It's common for us to hear reports from people who hired a "cheaper" crew to erect their project, only to be hit with a $1,500 or $2,000 equipment rental charge at the end.

The erecting of your new metal building is an important part of your project's success. We hope that the tips mentioned in this article help you to find and select a crew of professional metal building erectors for your metal building project.
 
Do you have questions about the erecting of your metal building project? Our dedicated staff is only a phone call away and will be glad to help answer any questions you might have. Don't hesitate to contact us.