Thread: Cost of Steel construction v. Wood

The cost of steel continues to rise,
Is it time to revert to wood construction?

What is the difference in project cost for steel v. wood framing with a asphalt shingle roof.
I have heard that wood is more 'green' than steel.

Your thoughts Please

Good questions. Steel is rising based on a weaker dollar and also because it is a green material. It is very costly to slope a roof with wood because with wood you are not able to spread the load out with light weight strength. Example would be that wood requires a minimum of 24” center with 16” being much better. With steel you build out as far as 8’ to 12’ depending on loads and codes. The weight of the wood then also becomes an issue. For new housing these issues are different I am sure. We however are not building houses. And remember, steel has a much longer life than wood has.

bjvan;

The other issue that you need to consider is the Codes in your area. A metal system gives certain protections that you will not receive building with wood. I would also talk to your insurance agent to get quotes on the differences in premium between metal and wood structures.

Best of luck with your facility.

MisterJim444

Hi BJVan
You will probably pay more in insurance premium for a facility built with wood. It increases the fire load and the likehood that a fire will spread more quickly. Wood construction "could" also make your facility less desirable from an insurance standpoint.
Ask you insurance professional to provide a pro forma quote with both construction types so you are not surprised.
Good luck!
Randy

I wouldn't recommend wood at all. Looking at it from a construction stand point (which is the business I am in) when you build with steel your buildings will be stronger and last longer. Look at my website and find the page that shows the tornado damage. Our office there was torn up but our buildings were still standing. Also, when somebody hits one of your buildings, it is much easier to unscrew a few panels and replace it compared to wood.

Plus if people start building with wood, I'm out of a job...

Typically most buildings done with wood would still have a steel skin. Coming from Wisconsin we have allot of Morton style buildings for self storage around. The cost comparison that we see for all steel vs. say a wood building with a shingled roof is about 5%. So if your wood building was 100k our metal building would be 95k. There are other issues to keep in mind. Fire restrictions by code are allot tougher for wood buildings. I think you need a fire wall every 9,000 sq ft or so vs. 12,000 sq ft for a all metal structure. Then you also have a combustible structure so your insurance will be higher over time. I have seen wood buildings in Sacramento that have been rotting at there base where it connects to the slab. Probably poor workmanship but it was a issue. Wood absorbs moisture. Moisture creates odor. Store your good furniture in a all wood building for a summer and store the identical stuff in a all metal structure and I think you will notice a bit of a difference. With the price spike that the steel industry had last summer I would imagine that at one point wood was less expensive as the housing market was and is horrible. Times have changed fast.