“How much will it cost?” is nearly always the first question, and “it depends” is a frustrating answer when you’re trying to set a budget. So here are real prices from our own buildings, what changes them, and the costs people tend to forget.
If you’re adding onto an existing building rather than putting up a new one, we’ve written a separate guide on steel frame extension costs.
Real Steel Building Prices
These are the prices for our current special offer buildings (October 2026, all plus VAT). They’re a good guide to what the building itself costs at different sizes.
| Size (length x width x eaves) | Floor area | Offer price | Roughly per m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6m x 6m x 3m | 36m² | £9,720 | £270 |
| 10m x 10m x 3m | 100m² | £13,850 | £139 |
| 12m x 9m x 3m | 108m² | £15,987 | £148 |
| 18m x 9m x 3.6m | 162m² | £22,105 | £136 |
| 30m x 6m x 3.6m | 180m² | £24,764 | £138 |
| 30m x 9m x 3m | 270m² | £26,122 | £97 |
The offer buildings come with a galvanised steel frame, roof and wall cladding, rooflight panels and a roller shutter door. Prices change, so check the special offers page for the latest.
Why Bigger Buildings Cost Less per Square Metre
Look at the last column. The smallest building works out at about £270 per m², while the 30m x 9m is under £100. A lot of the cost of a building is in the parts every building needs whatever its size: the gable ends, the door, the corners, the flashings, getting a team and equipment to site. Spread over a bigger floor area, those costs shrink per square metre.
So if you’re torn between two sizes, the bigger one is often better value than it looks. Our steel building size guide helps you work out what you actually need.
It’s also worth comparing the two 30m long buildings. The 6m wide one has 90m² less floor than the 9m wide one, but it’s only about £1,350 cheaper. It’s also 600mm taller, which is a good reminder that height costs money as well as width.
What Changes the Price?
Size, Span and Eaves Height
Wider spans and taller eaves need heavier steel. If you need a lot of height for vehicles, racking or machinery, the frame may need to be hot rolled rather than cold rolled, which costs more. We explain the difference in cold rolled vs hot rolled steel buildings.
Cladding
Single skin cladding is the economical choice for storage, plant and vehicles. Insulated composite panels cost more but control condensation and make the building usable as a workspace. It’s usually the biggest single choice you’ll make on price. See our steel cladding options.
Doors, Windows and Rooflights
Every extra roller shutter, personnel door or window adds to the cost, and electric or insulated shutters cost more than manual ones. Have a look at our steel building accessories.
The Ground
This is the one that catches people out. Firm, level ground is cheap to build on. Soft ground, old mining land, slopes, buried services or a high water table all mean more digging and more concrete. On one job in Chilton, County Durham, the site was old colliery land, so we needed a ring beam and raft foundation instead of standard pads. There’s more in steel building foundations explained.
Access and Location
A wide open site where a lorry and telehandler can get right up to the building is quicker to build on than a tight yard that has to stay working while we’re there.
Costs People Forget to Budget For
- Groundworks and the floor slab. These are separate from the building price and depend on your ground.
- Planning permission. Some buildings need it and some don’t. See do you need planning permission for a steel building.
- Building Control. You’ll need drawings and structural calculations. We supply those free of charge, which some suppliers charge extra for.
- Drainage. Somewhere for the roof water to go.
- Services. Electrics, lighting and water if you need them.
- Fit-out. Racking, offices, mezzanines and so on.
When you compare quotes, check what each one includes. Two buildings that look the same on paper can have very different steel, cladding, doors and groundworks. We set out what’s included in our quotes and any assumptions we’ve made, so there aren’t surprises later.
Is Steel Cheaper Than Other Options?
For commercial, agricultural and storage buildings of any real size, steel is usually the cheapest way to get a lot of covered space, mainly because it goes up quickly with a small team. We compare it with timber in steel vs timber frame. And if you’re currently paying rent for storage, it’s worth doing the sums in the benefits of steel storage buildings.
How to Keep the Cost Down
- Be precise about the height and width you need. Don’t pay for space you won’t use.
- Look at a standard size from our special offers if one fits.
- Use single skin cladding where insulation isn’t needed.
- Get the ground looked at early so the foundations are priced properly from the start.
- Use one company for the groundworks and the building so the two are designed together.
Get an Accurate Price
Send us a rough size, what the building is for, the site location and anything you know about the ground. Photos help. We’ll come back with a 3D design and a quote with no hidden fees. Take a look at our commercial, industrial and agricultural steel buildings too.
Request a quote or call 0191 359 2339.