What Questions Should You Ask Your Steel Erector?
An expert steel building erector is critical for any successful industrial or commercial metal building project.
The steel building company should follow the best steel erection practices to ensure that your steel structure is done correctly and efficiently.
A sloppy or hastily assembled pre-engineered metal building can affect its structural integrity and have disastrous results.
You could experience countless problems later on, including waterproofing issues with your structure.
That's why you must hire the best steel erector possible for your next industrial metal building project.
That means you have to do your due diligence, which includes asking all potential metal building erectors the right questions.
In the article below, we will go over a few questions you should ask your steel erection company before you hire them.
Table of Contents
- How Experienced Are You?
- How Have Past Projects Turned Out?
- What Are Your Internal Processes?
- How Do You Hire Your Talent?
- What Licenses and Certifications Do You Have?
- Too Good To Be True Usually Is
- Work With STEVENS, The Best Metal Building Erector
How Experienced Are You?
When looking for structural steel erectors, you should pay close attention to their experience with metal building projects.
You first want to ask how experienced they are and ask about past and current types of projects.
You'll want to see the practical, hands-on experience that they can verify.
You'll want to see examples of their building process, so ask them if they can point you toward similar projects they've completed.
You will also want to vet everyone that was involved in their past projects.
You'll want to know if their engineers are good at translating drawings into viable projects.
Are their tradespeople certified in their field and dedicated to what they do?
Do their project managers understand the entire process inside and out?
Vetting your industrial metal building company is a two-step process that includes seeing what they've done in the past and who you'll be working with.
How Have Past Metal Building Projects Turned Out?
In addition to the above, you will also need to check references and reviews.
Potential steel building installers should be able to tell you about their past projects and provide you with a list of contact information.
Then, you need to call their references and ask them about their project, their compliance with safety standards etc.
When you speak to their previous clients, ask about the error rate, how their steel structure is holding up now, and whether it has met or exceeded their expectations.
If any issues are brought up, don't hesitate to ask the steel erector about them.
When you ask about current projects, make sure they aren't overextended.
Over-extended production capacity is typically a sign of poor management skills.
If a time crunch is involved, it often leads to inferior workmanship and poor commitment to safety.
If your own experience with metal buildings and the erection process isn't enough, you can hire a qualified metal building consultant to help you with these tasks.
This is especially important if you have complex projects that need to be completed.
What Are Your Internal Processes?
You should expect the best from your steel building company and their metal building department.
To receive the best, you need to find an experienced steel building erector with reliably implemented internal processes.
Asking about the processes your structural steel fabricator has most often implemented is very important.
Every steel erector should adhere to all building codes, like the AWS D1.1 code, which details the types of building materials and processes that they should use in structural steel fabrication procedures.
Working with a company that adheres to these standards is a must if you want your entire steel-building project to succeed.
How Do You Hire Your Talent?
As a metal building owner, you should ask your steel fabricator about the hiring policies that they use.
How they hire their talent and the guidelines they use will tell you a lot about how they locate their welders, fabricators, and erectors.
If they have clear policies about hiring and they only hire or train welders certified by the AWS Certification Department, it will be a good indication that their work will be up to par.
What Licenses and Certifications Do You Have?
You need to ensure they have valid licenses and up-to-date certifications regardless of which steel erector you consider.
You should be able to look this up online or make an easy phone call, so there's no reason to skip this step.
You should also check the training level of the erector's crew, including safety training and training for your specific project.
Good erector crews will ensure they adhere to OSHA requirements.
Your erector should also have a copy of their OSHA-approved safety program to show you.
Ensure that the program is up-to-date and current on all safety requirements.
You can also ask your building contractors if they hold regular safety meetings on the job site, something else required by OSHA.
If the erector you're considering can't produce these documents, you should consider someone else. 
When it comes to a metal building construction project, too good to be true almost always is.
If a metal building erection company gives you a bid that is markedly lower than the rest, it is almost always a red flag.
You don't want to settle for an inexperienced steel erector or for a construction company that only erects the occasional steel building just to save some money upfront.
In the long run, it will likely cost you a lot more money to fix their mistakes.
Again, any professional steel building erector should be able to supply multiple references.
Check all their references, especially if they give you a lowball offer.
Work With STEVENS On Your Metal Building
Using pre-engineered metal buildings and steel structures for an industrial building project has several benefits, including rapid building construction time, ease of expansion, limitless design options, and unlimited, customizable components.
However, you need to be sure you work with a trustworthy steel erection company, and that involves asking the right questions.
If you're ready to begin a steel construction project, it's important to work with an experienced steel erection company.
With STEVENS, you have a full-service construction and building systems team (design, engineering, project management, installation, erection, and completion) for your next steel buildings project.
To start your steel building project with an experienced steel erection company, click the button below to contact them today.
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