Aside from conventional brick and mortar buildings, pre-engineered buildings and modular building systems are go-to options, often because of their speedy construction and versatile designs.
The most popular modular building styles are steel buildings and pre-engineered fabric buildings. But which one is right for you? That depends on your project and intended building use, and your bottom line - not just today but for the lifespan of the building.
Consider the speed of construction, building maintenance, and the lifespan of the roof system.
Speed of installation
Considering how long it will take to install your building is certainly something you want to think about. The longer the total construction timeline is, the higher the labor costs, and the longer your operating downtime. Operating downtime can affect the revenue you would normally be generating if the building was completed and performing its intended use.
Building construction will always vary depending on the foundation type, the building finishes and special accessories like lighting, heating and cooling, hydro, plumbing, etc.
On average, a steel building will typically take twice as long as a fabric building to complete.
Where a steel building takes six weeks, and fabric building will likely take three to install, for example. This will include foundation installation, framework assembly, siding installation, and roof installation.
Many steel buildings and fabric buildings are pre-engineered and modular, so the framework will often go up quickly. The rest of the building finishes, notably the siding and roof installation, however, is where there is a difference.