Metal Building Kits

The History of Kit Homes

Between 1908 and 1942 Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Sears) sold over 75,000 homes from their Sears catalog. You could order a set of plans and a homebuilding kit from Sears and the company would ship you the complete home package to your lot. Then you and your family and friends could build the home. A modern day owner-builder program. It was a community effort to build neighborhoods. Fast forward 75 years later and BuildMax has modernized the Sears catalog concept for barndominiums.

What’s included in a metal building kit?

With BuildMax’s metal building home kit, you get engineered and stamped drawings for your state. This saves you a lot of headache since you won’t need to find someone to engineer your plans. Metal roofing, siding, and soffit material are included in the kit and come with a 40-year warranty. The siding can come in a variety of colors, so you’ll be able to pick a color that fits the vision of your home. Steel columns, trusses, and grits are included in the kit and are galvanize-coated, meaning you’ll be able to worry less about corrosion. Window and door cut outs, porch posts, and all roofing and siding trim are also included. All hardware needed to install the structure is also included, giving you less to have to worry about when it comes to shopping for the materials needed to have the home built. The kit also includes assembly drawings, which is helpful for people looking to do it themselves or for contractors who aren’t as familiar with metal buildings. 

You may be wondering what isn’t included in this package. Not included are the slab, plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall, and interior finishes. The windows, doors, and interior framing are included in the metal building kit.

The windows included with the metal building kit are Pella 250 series windows, which come with a multi chambered frame and fully welded sash. This means there is improved strength and thermal performance. There is also the option of performance upgrades for the vinyl window sashes which will be metal-reinforced, giving extra strength and wind resistance. These windows can come with or without grids, and if you prefer them in black as opposed to white, that is also an option. Worried that the black vinyl will fade? With the Pella Impervia windows, you won’t have to worry as these are some of the best on the market, giving you a color you’ll love in a sleek, timeless style. 

The standard doors that can be added are Therma-Tru doors. These are the preferred entry doors by most building professionals and that is because they combine durability with style. The standard doors included are fiberglass paintable doors, but you can also opt for a fiberglass woodgrain stainable. You don’t just get the exterior doors, but also the garage doors. Do you really love the look of barn doors for your garage? Those can also be included! Two types of garage doors are an option, so if you want a more conventional garage door style, the option is there. The garage doors are provided by C.H.I. but do not come with an operator. They also come in different colors, so you have a variety of options to get your garage looking the way you want.

Why buy a kit home?

What makes a barndominium kit preferable to getting your materials somewhere else? Well, the convenience alone is a big bonus. At BuildMax, you can pick a floor plan you love, or even work with designers to build a custom barndominium just for you. Once you’ve done that, you can then get a metal building kit in the same place. You won’t have to look around and figure out where the best place to get your building materials is and you’ll also be able to have the windows and doors included as well. That’s a lot less for you to have to worry about in the stress-inducing process of building a home. The materials alone are convenient, but also being able to include windows and doors? A complete game changer. You’ll be able to select a color you’ll love and won’t need to shop around to figure out who can give you what you’re looking for.

Another convenient factor is the assembly drawings. If your contractor isn’t familiar with metal buildings, or if you’re wanting to put it together yourself, you’ll have the assembly drawings to guide you through. Think of it like a Lego set – you have a manual that shows you which Lego to use and how it needs to go together in a step-by-step process. So whether you’re looking to take on the project yourself or with the help of a contractor, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and in what order it needs to be done in.

Pre-designed kits versus box store lumber

Convenience aside, why should you choose a pre-designed kit vs box store lumber? Box store lumber yards like Lowes and Home Depot don’t typically offer #1 grade lumber, which is something you’ll be able to get with a kit. With the metal building kit, you’ll get pre-cut steel which has less waste than lumber packages since the kits are pre-cut in the factory. You’ll also be getting exactly the amount of materials you’ll need for the house plan of your choosing, so you won’t have to worry about missing a few things here or there. Nobody wants to deal with the stress that comes with triple-checking the amount of materials you’ll need for the build and then later finding out you still missed something, or the materials you got were defective or of poor quality. A kit allows you some peace of mind when it comes to the materials needed to build your dream home.

Can home building kits be shipped nationwide?

By now you’re probably intrigued by the idea of getting a home building kit for yourself, so it’s only natural to take location into consideration. BuildMax’s home building kits can be shipped nationwide. Regardless of how far you are from the material provider, you’ll be able to have the materials shipped directly to your build site. This means that you won’t have to sacrifice quality materials just because you live outside of a certain delivery zone.

There’s a lot that goes into building a home, so why should you add more stress and steps when you can have the convenience of a kit? Metal building homes kits provide stability and quality to deliver exactly what you need in the home you’ve worked hard to bring to life.