How Can a Project Manager Help You with Your Steel Building Plan?

One of the biggest reasons I love my job is because I get to talk to different people, from all backgrounds and walks of life everyday. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first time builder, do-it-yourselfer, or experienced builder, I take every project seriously. That’s exactly what a Project Manager does. But not all project management is created equal.

When you decide to buy a building of any kind, you’re going to be given a choice. You can plan, budget, and erect the building yourself with little to no help at all, or you can take advantage of the assistance a supplier gives to you. As with some companies, that support comes at a certain price. Others, like Armstrong Steel, include trained Project Managers at no extra cost to the buyer. There isn’t a wrong way to go when it comes to managing your project. Some people like to have a contractor take care of everything from start to finish. Others like to control every little part of their project by using the Direct Buy process, where they investigate discounts and pick their own accessories, colors and finishes. Some folks, who know exactly what they want, but don’t have the time to handle their circumstances at all, have a retail option as well.

Now that you’ve made your purchase and locked in your steel order, your project management experience begins. Your file moves to our engineering department, where our in-house designers get to work on the specifics of your structure. I know you’re excited, but have a little patience right now! Our engineers keep your location and different loads and codes in mind at this part of the process, and you want them to do it right. It’s the reason you bought a pre-engineered metal building in the first place!

After the first round of drafting is finished, I’ll contact you, and we’ll walk through the process together. This is your opportunity to ask me questions as we go over your approval drawings. Think of approval drawings as the ‘rough draft’ to your building. These are structurally sound blueprints with the dimensions you ordered. Now, because none of us are perfect (that I know of), if you want to make any changes, you can do so in the revised approval stage. I want to caution you, don’t sign your approval drawings right when they arrive in your mailbox or email inbox. If you do, the building could be fabricated in our manufacturing facility as it appears on the drawings. I don’t want to scare you, but I’d rather have you know now, than be surprised later.

There is an art to being a Project Manager. In any endeavor in your life, especially one that you will spend a substantial amount of money, wouldn’t you like to have a safety net? You obviously can’t go through life with someone directing you at every turn, giving you best odds on each decision you make. But, if you could have some kind of assistance, wouldn’t you think that would be in your best interest?

Ok, back to our plan. Yes, I said “our.” No longer is this just your pre-engineered metal building project. We’ve entered into this together, and I’m going to help you see your way through it until the very end. You’ll see the phrase, ‘from conception to completion,’ a lot on the Armstrong Steel Network. Once you have and agreed to final revised approval drawings, we’ll move on to the permit phase. These are drawings that Armstrong Steel provides, and are submitted to your county for review and permitting. Keep in mind; you’ll want to add this part to your budget planning. There are usually certain taxes, from your city or municipality you must pay to receive your steel building permits.

Once that step is complete, we’ll go over your plans one more time and review your project. Did you choose your colors? Are you happy with everything? Sign your fabrication release form, and let’s turn a set of engineered drawings into a real building!

After you complete all these steps, you’ll plan to take delivery of your building. Our freight and logistics department will provide you with information to help you plan your shipping and prepare your job site. If you would rather not erect the building yourself, you can investigate a partnership with a local builder of your choosing.

Once the building is delivered, you can erect your building whenever is convenient for you. Pre-engineered metal buildings are designed so the rigid frames and parts fit together seamlessly. Again, that’s why we spend so much time in the engineering process. The engineers understand your time is valuable, and you want your building to go up just like an Erector set. At this point, we’re finished! However, you can still feel free to contact me if you have any issues with the erection process, or any part of the project.

When it comes to managing your pre-engineered metal building project, you can be as involved as you want to be. Rest assured, I’m going to be there through every step of our project together.