Showing their metal

Prefab steel housing alternatives can cut costs, construction time and waste.

June 08, 2008|Michelle Hofmann | Special to The Times

When software engineer and Santa Clarita resident Ken Abbott, 58, priced his 1,200-square-foot, four-car garage in 2004, estimates for a traditional wood building exceeded $100,000.

Abbott hired Knight and ended up with a metal garage for about $35,000.

Pre-engineered steel buildings are not without limitations, however.

Because the steel is a lighter gauge and weighs less than structural steel, which can be used in large buildings, L.A. city building code design requirements limit these structures to one- and two-story structures of up to 40 feet in height.

Some impracticalities

In addition, homeowners considering small structures with cut-up rooflines may lose some of the cost advantages of metal because of the additional engineering required.

For homeowners looking to add space to their existing home, pre-engineered steel would most likely not be a viable solution, said Dick Woodworth, a Southern California district manager for pre-engineered-metal building manufacturer Varco Pruden Buildings Inc.

"If you're doing a room addition, steel is not the way to go. It doesn't work well when we try to attach it to conventional construction," Woodworth said.

"But for custom homes . . . or to increase space on a property for a garage or barn," he added, "pre-engineered steel is very practical and cost-effective."

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Michelle Hofmann can be reached at michellehofmann@earthlink.net.

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