Before you start, here’s the most important thing to understand:
Pricing is only guaranteed when you receive your engineered plans, secure your permits, and are ready to pay your final balance to start production. Until then, steel pricing remains volatile — moving daily — and guesses at price aren’t reliable.
So the entire process below is designed to help you reduce uncertainty, minimize risk, and position yourself to lock your price at the right time.
1
Get Preliminary Approvals From Your Local Planning Department
Contact your local planning department early to confirm:
- You can build a steel structure on your property
- Snow load requirements
- Frost depth requirements
- Wind speed requirements
This gives you clarity on what your building must meet before engineering starts.
✔ Knowing this upfront helps your plans and permits go smoothly — and protects you from surprises later.
2
Start With a Free Design Consult
Use the Free Design Consult on our homepage to begin your design.
During this call, we’ll help you outline:
- Width, length, height of your building
- Placement of doors and windows
- Your initial layout vision
Within 24 hours, you’ll receive a preliminary quote based on your design details.
⚠️ This quote is an estimate — not a guaranteed price. The only guaranteed prices come after engineered plans + permits — explained below.
3
Order Preliminary or Architectural Plans
To move from an estimate to real pricing, you need plans:
🔹 Non-Residential Buildings
If you don’t need full architectural plans (e.g., shops or basic layouts), you can start with a preliminary plan review packet to scope requirements with the planning department.
🔹 Residential Buildings (Barndominiums, Cabins, ADUs)
You’ll need a full architectural plan set that includes:
- Floor plans
- Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical layouts …and more.
This gives you a real structural plan ready for permitting. Those plans become the foundation of your engineering set.
4
Order Your Engineered Plans — This Is Your Protection Move
Once you have your architectural plans scoped out, it’s time to order your engineered plans.
💡 Why this matters:
Engineered plans take your building from a concept to a real structural design that meets code.
Only at this point can we give you a final production-ready price.You’ll receive:
- Stamped & signed engineered plans
- Digital copies within ~5–7 business days
- Hard copies mailed to you
This is the moment you gain pricing clarity and timing leverage.
5
Submit Your Plans for Permits
Take your engineered set and architectural plans to your planning department to obtain your building permit.
Permits vary by location, but getting this approval means your project is officially buildable.
✔ Permits + engineered plans = readiness to lock pricing.
6
Lock Your Price & Order Your Steel Eco-Kit
Once your permit is approved and you’re ready to move forward:
- We calculate your current final pricing
- You pay the balance to lock your price
- Your production slot is secured
- Your steel eco-kit enters manufacturing
After payment, your kit goes into production (usually within ~3 business days) and should arrive in ~4–8 weeks.
📌
Quick Summary: What You Get at Each Stage
| Stage | What You Receive | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Free Design Consult | Estimated quote | Helps shape your project |
| Architectural Plans | Set of build plans | Ready for permitting |
| Engineered Plans | Stamped signed set | Real price ready |
| Permit Approval | Approval to build | Protects your timing |
| Final Payment | Price lock | Production begins |
Why Starting Engineering Now Helps You
Steel prices can change quickly. By beginning engineered plans early:
- You shrink the window when prices might rise
- You gain real numbers — not guesses
- You can compare apples-to-apples with other builders
In other words: Engineering doesn’t lock your price — it locks your ability to act faster and with confidence.