Buyer education
Ask for the AISC number
Most of the companies selling metal buildings online do not make them. That isn't automatically a problem, but you should know which one you're talking to. It takes three questions to find out.
What should I ask a steel building supplier?
Nine questions, each with a verifiable answer. A broker can answer some of them; a manufacturer can answer all of them and point you at a third party who confirms it.
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What is your AISC member number?
The American Institute of Steel Construction publishes a searchable membership directory. A member number is a fact you can check in under a minute, against a body with no interest in the outcome.
Our answer AISC member #3426126. The directory link is in the title block at the foot of every page on this site. Look it up rather than taking our word for it. -
Which facility fabricates the frame, and where is it?
A supplier that fabricates can name the plant and its address. A broker will usually describe a network, a partner, or decline to be specific.
Our answer Our operations facility is at 2993 McKnight Rd, Seguin, Texas, and we run a nationwide network of partner fabrication facilities for capacity and freight. -
Who employs the engineer who seals my drawings?
If the engineering is outsourced, revisions go into someone else's queue. That is the difference between a design change and a three-week delay.
Our answer Engineering and detailing are in-house. Our team includes multiple licensed professional engineers, among them a managing partner with 17+ years in structural steel. -
What design loads is this price engineered to?
Governing code, wind speed, exposure category, ground snow, seismic site class. Without these, two quotes cannot be compared, and a quote that can't produce them wasn't engineered to a site.
Our answer Site-specific design loads per the locally adopted IBC are stated inside the proposal, not discovered at plan review. -
Exactly what is and isn't in this price?
Slab, site work, permits, erection, insulation, gutters, doors, and liner are the usual gaps. A cheaper number with fewer inclusions is not a cheaper building.
Our answer Proposals itemize included features and carry a payment schedule with a 10-day price validity. -
What grade and gauge of steel, specifically?
Vague answers here are the single most common warning sign. Grades and gauges are not proprietary information.
Our answer ASTM A572 Gr 50 primary with AWS welding, galvanized 16-gauge S350GD secondary, 26-gauge PBR profile sheeting in PPGL G550. -
What insurance do you actually carry?
Ask for the categories, then ask for certificates. This is routine for a company that carries them.
Our answer General liability, excess liability, errors & omissions, and workers' compensation. -
Who supports me after the building ships?
The gap between the salesperson and post-delivery support is where most complaints in this category start. Ask who you call when a part is missing on erection day, and whether that is the same company that sold you the building.
Our answer Customer support during construction is part of the delivered package, and the proposal includes a customer portal for documents, financials, progress, and delivery tracking.
None of this makes brokers dishonest. A good broker who knows the category can genuinely help a first-time buyer, and plenty of buildings sold that way are perfectly sound. The point is narrower: you are entitled to know whether the company quoting you is the company engineering and fabricating your building, because that determines who fixes it when a detail is wrong.
Why does in-house engineering matter for a home or shop?
In-house engineering matters most where deflection does. A warehouse can sway an inch or three under load without anyone minding; a building with drywall in it cannot, because the drywall cracks.
That is the practical difference between a warehouse and a barndominium built to the same span. Both stand up. Only one of them has finishes that record every millimetre of movement, and the frame has to be designed for that from the start rather than stiffened afterwards.
It is also why the question of who employs your engineer is worth asking. When engineering sits in-house, a change to the deflection criteria is a design revision. When it is outsourced, it is a request in somebody else's queue.
What you can verify about us
Every item here links to a third party or names a specific fact. None of it is a badge we drew ourselves.
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AISC member #3426126
Listed in the AISC membership directory, which anyone can search. The link is in the title block below.
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MBCEA member
SNAP Steel Buildings is listed in the Metal Building Contractors & Erectors Association member directory.
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BBB business profile
A Better Business Bureau profile exists and is public. Read it, including anything unflattering in it.
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IAS registration
All partner facilities are registered in accordance with IAS standards for metal building manufacturing. We state that in exactly those words and do not upgrade it to 'accredited'.
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Named leadership
The managing partners are named with their backgrounds on the SNAP Buildings team page, not presented as anonymous 'experts'.
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Texas addresses
League City head office, Seguin operations facility. Both are real addresses you can look at.
Run the checklist on us
Bring these nine questions to the consultation. If we can't answer one of them straight, that tells you something worth knowing.