Do you need a steel warehouse? And wondering how much does a 5000 square foot warehouse cost? Check out our guide to the costs of a steel warehouse now.

Having the right storage space can be the difference between life and death for a budding business. A warehouse can help you maintain control of your product, your shipping, and keep your costs low.

Modern steel warehouses can be built fast and place you at less risk for uncontrollable hazards. But what does a modern steel warehouse cost?

Read on to learn what a steel warehouse will cost you up front and over time.

Modern Warehouse Cost Right Now

The cost of a steel warehouse will depend on what size of a structure you’re wanting to get. A general rule of thumb is that you can get a steel warehouse for about $7.61 to $10.25 per square foot.

This range depends on what you’re looking for out of your metal building. Options such as concrete flooring, more complex structures, or special finishes can add a little bit to the bottom line.

Your mileage will also vary depending on the end result of your building. Finished and enclosed metal buildings will always cost more than buildings that are just framed, but this may be worth it depending on your end goal.

The current warehouse cost has been impacted in recent years by the rising cost of metal, but this doesn’t mean that warehouses are a poor investment.

The Time Investment

There is almost an infinite amount of money in the world, but we’ll never get back missing time. The amount of time you invest can be even more important than the cash, so what’s the cost?

Having a metal building built will often take very little time. It will vary depending on the size of the structure, but an estimate of several months is way too long. When compared to something like wood, the time cost of a steel warehouse is much smaller.

If you want something like a prefabricated warehouse that is almost ready, your time estimate drops further.

Steel warehouses won’t rob you of your time, force you to deal with contractors, or seem to be under construction forever. These structures can be put up fast, saving you money and help you run your business faster.

The Ongoing Costs

Steel warehouses tend to last a long time, so there’s a good chance that the overall maintenance costs will come out to less than other comparable materials. Let’s take a look at the maintenance costs required for different materials.

Maintenance

Compared to a wood structure, a steel warehouse lasts a lot longer and asks for a lot less upkeep. Wood is more vulnerable to the elements than steel: extreme heat or extreme cold can have nasty effects.

Wood can also swell or warp due to humidity and weather conditions. There is a higher likelihood of injury due to animals or insects with wood than with steel.

Steel is also preferable to concrete. Over time, concrete can wear, break down, or have irreparable scratches. Any of these problems can require complete destruction and rebuilding of the whole warehouse.

The cost of a steel warehouse over time is where steel begins to show out over other building materials. Steel is lightweight, strong, and not susceptible to most environmental problems.

As long as you keep it out of a hurricane, your warehouse will last through storms. Bugs won’t chew through it. It doesn’t wear out or break down over time. Industrial steel is rust and corrosion resistant, so your upkeep costs are minimal.

Insurance

Another perk of steel warehouses is that these structures fair well under extreme conditions. This makes a big difference from an insurance perspective.

The lower the chance of environmental damage, the lower your insurance payments come out to be. Metal doesn’t catch fire, so your premiums will be lower than a wood warehouse of the same size.

Metal doesn’t crack or break when exposed to water and ice, so you’ll get lower insurance payments when compared to concrete as well.

What Does a 5000 Square Foot Warehouse Cost for Me?

We’ve covered the possible initial costs of a warehouse, the time costs, and the cost of ongoing maintenance. Now let’s get into the nitty-gritty and talk about how much does a 5000 square food warehouse cost exactly.

The first thing you’ll need to consider is what kind of building you’re looking at getting. Do you need a fully-enclosed, finished metal structure or just a rigid-frame steel building that is open?

Rigid-frame buildings run $11-$20 per square foot, so you’ll be looking at $55,000 to $100,000 for a 5000 square foot structure.

If you’re wanting a finished and enclosed building, those will run about $19-$28 per square foot. If your building is on the more complex end, these structures can run up to $40 per square foot, but that’s not as common.

For an enclosed and finished building with 5000 square feet, you’ll be looking at $95,000 to $140,000, but it can go up to $200,000 if your building has any special circumstances.

Low to Get Your Steel Warehouse Building for Less

You may have a few options if you need a building but aren’t loving the price tag. Instead of buying and constructing a new steel warehouse, you could think about buying a used one. Used warehouses often sell for far less than new structures.

Commercial steel buildings are right up the alley of a lot of banks, so bank financing is almost always an option for most buyers. If the bank won’t roll your building, you could think about a rent to own agreement.

Renting to own gives you the benefits of financing and many of the benefits of ownership as well. Since you are just “renting” the building, you don’t have to pay the full upfront cost for your warehouse.

But since you are renting to own, the current owner knows that you want to take it off his or her hands. The owner will often allow you to make special modifications or allow you to handle the building as if it were already yours.

Your Next Steel Warehouse

Now you know all the basics of steel warehouses, the initial investment, the time saving, and the incredible low-maintenance power of steel.

If you want to know what a steel warehouse costs for you, let us give you a unique quote. We can learn what you need and help you figure out a way to get what you’re looking for.