More and more companies want to buy a steel structure for warehousing, office space, retail floor, or manufacturing. However, for warehousing, we find that many customers ask about a building having an area of around 50,000 sq. ft.
The cost of these varies with many factors, but when steel is cheap and plentiful, and the economy runs smoothly, you can expect to pay between $12 and $20/sq. ft. for this size metal building. In total, this would cost $600,000 to $1,000,000.
In addition to this, the concrete base costs from $4 to $7/sq. ft. or $200,000 to $350,000. Furthermore, additional expenditure depends on your chosen features to make your steel building unique to your business.
50,000 Square Foot Warehouse Uses
Typically, the only use for a 50,000 sq. ft. steel warehouse is as a warehouse. However, this size structure has many uses, entirely separate from storage.
Factory
Suppose your company produces mass-produced material goods requiring a large floor area. Then, this size building is ideal.
Furthermore, if you have conveyor belts and overhead cranes or need unimpeded floor space, choose one of Rex Metal Buildings’ clear-span structures.
Agriculture
The agricultural industry has many uses for this size of building:
- Livestock shelter
- Machinery and equipment storage
- Animal feed storage
- Seed and produce store
Speak to our sales team; they will be happy to help you choose suitable customizations for the structure’s purpose.
Retail store
Many food, clothing, and DIY supermarkets use large steel structures like these to have everything under one roof.
Not only is it cheaper to erect one building rather than several, but there are also savings in heating and ventilation, security, number of checkout tills, delivery, bulk storage, and the number of colleagues required to work in one large building compared to several smaller ones.
Auto repair and assembly shop
50,000 sq. ft. structures provide ample floor space for working on vehicles of all sizes and categories. There’s enough room to have your mechanics working on several vehicles at once, giving ease of supervision and more efficient use of resources.
Also, you can repair or build any size vehicle, such as cars, trucks, buses, or even aircraft and luxury yachts.
Office Space
If you have a company employing hundreds of people, it makes sense to have them all under one roof. Your employees don’t have to walk outside between buildings and expose themselves to bad weather.
Meanwhile, there’s less chance of them hiding for a quick nap during work. Therefore, using large structures such as these for open-plan offices makes sense.
Furthermore, if you want to add private offices, meeting rooms, and canteens, it’s easy to install internal partitions or mezzanine floors to use the entire interior space.
E-commerce
Online shopping outlets rely on large warehouses to house the millions of products that today’s discerning internet shoppers expect.
Additionally, companies prefer to spend their money building large, out-of-town, no-frills warehouses to operate from rather than pay inflated ground rents on in-town retail outlets designed to catch the shoppers’ eye.
It’s not only companies like Amazon that use large warehouses. There are also companies providing data centers to house the growing number of computer servers needed to back up websites and data for cloud computing.
How Much Do 50,000 Sq. Ft. Warehouses Cost?*
No matter how hard you try, a steel building will always be expensive. But, it will be cheaper than building a warehouse using conventional materials.
Overall, buying a structure from a company that can provide a turnkey warehouse is the best way to save costs. That is, design, build and install all the features using one set of contractors.
Our teams at Rex Metal Buildings have extensive experience in turning your ideas into workable plans and functional structures, ready for your company to move into and start trading immediately.
In contrast, we can also provide a kit for you to erect on a pre-installed concrete base and install the interior build layout using your own contractors.
The following table provides typical warehouse costs. Remember that the prices will vary considerably, depending on the warehouse’s design, purpose and location, and other factors outlined elsewhere.
| Building Type | Unit Price (per sq. ft.) | Cost To Build A 50,000 sq. ft. Warehouse | Total Price, Including Features, And Customization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefabricated Kits | $7.50 to $9 | $375,000 to $450,000 | $600,000 to $1,000,000 |
| Warehouse Packages | $15 to $20 | $750,000 to $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 |
| Rigid Frame Warehouse | $10 to $20 | $500,000 to $1,000,000 | $800,000 to $1,250,000 |
| Finished Warehouse | $20 to $40 | $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 | $1,250,000 to $2,400,000 |
*The prices shown in this guide are only ballpark figures. The true cost will depend on the build location, design complexity, and other custom features. Only use these figures as a start for your research.
For a full list of our metal build products, complete the contact form on this page or call (855) 202-1242.
Four Steel Warehouse Pricing Factors
Several factors affect the price of a steel 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse. Such as type and number of doors and windows, roof style, insulation level required, and exterior finishing paintwork.
Also, pricing factors depend on whether you have the warehouse designed and built by us as a turnkey project. Or ask us to supply the kit and let you handle the many teams of contractors needed to turn a steel warehouse kit into functional commercial premises.
Steel Price
Like other metal building suppliers, Rex Metal Buildings is at the mercy of international steel prices and can’t negotiate the cost of steel with our customers. Also, our designers always use the correct steel grade and quality to ensure your new purchase is safe and will reliably perform as we promise.
Furthermore, we are legally responsible for supplying a structure that will withstand its weight and the loads inflicted by earthquakes and extreme weather conditions such as winds and snow. Therefore, we are at the mercy of global steel prices, which can change daily.
The commodity price of steel reached an all-time high in 2021. However, we expect the price to reduce from now up to 2024.
But, as with all things dependent on unforeseen circumstances such as geopolitical problems, COVID-19, and others, this forecast isn’t set in stone and may change at any moment.
If you’re interested in steel’s current and historical prices, you can read about it here.
Fuel costs
Like steel, this is also a commodity whose cost is set by international markets, which we cannot influence.
Fuel costs determine the expenditure when shipping the raw steel to our factories and the fuel used by trucks when delivering a kit to the customer’s site.
Labor costs
Labor costs vary with the contractor’s skill set, the size of their business, their overheads, and in which part of the country the construction takes place. Typically, labor costs average between $5 and $10 per square foot.
So, when constructing a 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse, expect labor costs to represent between 20% and 40% of the total project budget.
Design Complexity
The complexity of the warehouse’s design determines the building’s cost.
This includes features such as the style and pitch of the roof, whether the building has a clear span with no internal supports or pillars, the number and style of doors and windows, thickness and type of thermal insulation, and many more.
Ongoing Expenses
In the initial stages of budgeting for your 50,000sq.ft. warehouse, you should consider how much the project will cost you in the long term.
Keeping a close eye on factors such as energy bills, insurance, and maintenance costs, are essential to maintaining an affordable operating budget.
But, you should also plan for changes in your company’s requirements, the building’s horizontal and vertical expansion, and new loading conditions. These factors will ensure the building extends its life beyond the original design brief.
Maintenance
As an owner of a thriving business, you will already be aware of the benefits of scheduled and planned maintenance. This maintenance method allows you to keep the business operating without costly downtime.
Even something as simple as changing the light bulbs can slow down or even stop production. Using this scenario as an example, the solution is to change them at a time to suit you before they unexpectedly blow.
Typically, maintenance operations can include:
- Building inspections for damage and subsequent repairs
- Identification and removal of pests and vermin
- At least twice yearly cleaning. Possibly more often, depending on your product
- Snow removal
- Painting touch-up. Typically, our paint has warranties lasting several decades. Under normal conditions, our paint won’t peel, crack, blister, or chip during this time.
The running costs for this type of maintenance will vary depending on the size and complexity of your building. However, a 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse typically costs $1.50 to $2.00 per square foot per year.
Insurance costs
Insurance companies determine the size of your warehouse’s insurance premium on its ability to withstand damage. If it’s difficult to damage, you won’t pay as much.
Usually, steel buildings attract lower insurance premiums than conventional buildings. Often, you can save as much as 30% to 40% or more by using steel.
Typically, the following list contains factors that insurance companies consider when calculating your metal warehouse’s insurance premiums:
- Steel has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than other construction materials. And, has an inherent resistance to structural damage from heavy snow, high winds, and earthquakes. Typically, our buildings can withstand wind speeds up to 180 mph and snow loads of 120 lbs/sq. ft.
- Steel is entirely waterproof, so it is less likely to be damaged by flood water.
- Suppose your steel warehouse is involved in a lightning strike. In that case, the electricity will pass harmlessly to ground through the outer metal framing or skin. Therefore, your personnel, stored product, and manufacturing plant will stay safe from damage and fire.
- Steel is inherently fire-resistant. Therefore, your building’s structure is safe from fire damage.
- Many pests enter a building through small holes caused by damage. Steel panels and frames don’t get damaged the same way as conventional construction materials. Therefore, it’s more difficult for pests to enter.
- Because steel is an inorganic material, it doesn’t provide food and a place to grow for mold, mildew, and pests such as termites to take hold and multiply.
Energy savings
Rex Metal Buildings precisely cuts the pieces that make up your steel warehouse to reduce the gaps around doors, windows, and between panel joints.
Furthermore, steel is stable and won’t expand or contract when exposed to moisture. Therefore, openings don’t appear, which reduces contamination with outside air, thus reducing costs associated with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
However, steel isn’t a good insulating material, so that you will need insulation with an appropriate R-Value for your climate region.
Why Choose Rex Metal Buildings?
Rex Metal Buildings is one of the USA’s leading companies producing steel building kits. We have a qualified team on hand to handle your call seven days a week and can ship to any part of the USA.
But, apart from these reasons, why choose Rex Metal Buildings in the first place?
Fast lead and build times
As you’d expect from our name, Rex Metal Buildings specializes in metal buildings. Therefore, our factories and sales teams are equipped to give our customers the best product in the shortest possible time.
We are the experts in prefabricated metal building kits and provide one to suit almost every purpose. But not only that, our production lead times are short, so there’s no hanging around while we change our manufacturing processes.
Also, we design our kits to be erected within a few weeks for large buildings or a few days for the smallest. Alternatively, compare this to a few months for large structures or weeks for small installations using traditional methods.
Low risk of pests
In many factories not using steel as the primary building material, lumber and other materials can become damaged by pests and rodents and often get transferred to your site by being carried with the materials.
Our factories, producing steel building kits, don’t have that problem and certainly don’t transfer pests onto your property.
Pest-free metal warehousing
Steel warehouses are ideal for preventing pests from entering your premises. Rex Metal Buildings are expert in providing metal warehouses of all sizes.
We don’t make them from wood or other material easily chewed by termites or rats. Termite damage in an average house can cost upwards of $3,000 if you’re lucky. So imagine how much damage you would pay for in a 50,000 sq. ft. warehouse!
It’s not only damage, either. Steel panels have gaps smaller than a typical mouse can squeeze through. So, you won’t have mice in your insulation panels.
Cost efficiency
Every business, from a multinational enterprise to a regional retail outlet, must look after costs.
A new metal warehouse from Rex Metal Buildings takes less time to build and needs fewer materials, and therefore will cost less per square foot than conventional building materials for an equivalent size and design complexity.
Lower running costs
A metal warehouse from Rex Metal Buildings isn’t indestructible. But, your out-of-pocket expenditure is as low as anyone can get it. We use good quality steel and paint that will keep its color for years.
Furthermore, it’s no secret that insurance companies view steel buildings as a safe investment compared to other construction types. They won’t rot, crack, or need replacement panels for at least 50 years. And, made from steel, they’re inherently non-flammable, which is a huge benefit when looking for structural insurance.
Typically, you can save 30% to 40% or more on insurance packages for your steel warehouse.
Fixed Quotations
Until you sign on the dotted line, our prices will vary depending on the mentioned factors. To produce a fixed price, Rex Metal Buildings must know specific information.
- Overall dimensions. We need to know the length, width, height of eaves, and height of the roof ridge.
- Project location. From this data, we can determine how far you are from our supply center and the ease of transportation.
- Do you want mezzanine flooring? A Mezzanine is a good way of using the available vertical space that would otherwise go to waste. To allow for this in our design, we need to know the load on the mezzanine in pounds per square foot or kilograms per square meter, whichever is convenient.
- Do you need a single-layer steel sheet wall or a sandwich-insulated steel panel? The purpose of the building will determine this. For example, farm machinery and feed storage usually need a single-layer wall, while offices and areas needing protection from extreme temperatures need a sandwich panel.
- What extreme weather does your region usually experience? Snow load and wind speed are a minimum requirement; if you are in an earthquake zone, add that information too.
- Do you want a clear-span building, or can we include support columns and pillars?
- Does your company use overhead cranes? If so, how heavy are they, and what capacity can they lift? We need this information to provide the correct support.
- Any other special requirements that you need for your business to run smoothly.
Next Steps
Rex Metal Buildings can supply the steel warehouse kit for you to use with your favorite contractors, or we can provide a complete turnkey service, so you don’t have to worry about anything except telling us what you want. It’s up to you.
We ship to customers across the entire country and can accommodate the building codes in your area.
Contact us for a free estimate on your construction project by completing the form on this page, or call us at (855) 202-1242. Then, one of our sales agents will reach out to you.