Metal Building Homes in Texas

Metal building homes use a structural steel frame, typically red-iron rigid frames with steel girts and purlins, covered in metal wall and roof panels or a mix of metal with stone, wood or stucco. The result can look like a classic barndominium or like a conventional ranch house from the road. Inside, the steel frame allows wide rooms without interior bearing walls.

Why Texans choose steel

Steel does not rot or feed termites, and long clear spans make it easy to add large shops, RV bays or open living spaces. Texas Farm Credit notes that steel construction offers added protection against tornadoes in Central Texas and hurricanes near the Gulf Coast. A steel building still has to be designed for the loads at your site, which vary widely across the state.

Regional loads and inspections

In the 14 coastal counties of the Texas Department of Insurance designated catastrophe area, most new homes need a WPI-8 windstorm inspection while construction is underway, done by an appointed Texas professional engineer or a TDI windstorm inspector. If that is missed, the after-the-fact WPI-8-E inspection can cost more because finished buildings are harder to inspect. In the Panhandle, Amarillo averages 17.9 inches of snow a year and gets 10-inch-plus snowfalls about once every five years, so roof loads and drifting at parapets and lower roofs matter. Spring thunderstorms there bring large hail.

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Keeping a steel home comfortable

Steel conducts heat quickly and humid air condenses on cold metal. A metal building home needs a continuous insulation and vapor plan. Closed-cell spray foam, which HomeGuide prices at about $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot of surface area, is a common choice because it insulates and seals in one layer. HVAC is sized after the envelope is designed, not before.

Finishes that hide the steel or show it

Exposed beams and corrugated wainscot work in some homes; others get drywall throughout, stone skirting and a standing-seam roof. We price exterior and interior finish options side by side.

Panel colors and heat

Lighter roof and wall colors reflect more summer sun than dark ones, which helps across most of Texas. Combined with deep porches on the west side, they reduce heat gain before the insulation even comes into play.

Metal homes and appraisals

Because metal building homes are less common than wood-framed houses, appraisers sometimes have fewer comparable sales to work with. A clear set of plans, a detailed materials list and finishes that match local homes can help. Talk with your lender early about how they handle steel-frame homes.

Inspections where counties have adopted state standards

In unincorporated areas of counties that have adopted Local Government Code Chapter 233, Subchapter F, new homes must meet the International Residential Code version published as of May 1, 2008, or the version used in the county seat, with at least three inspections: the foundation before concrete is placed, framing and mechanical systems before the walls are covered, and a final. For a steel home, that framing inspection is the point to confirm frame connections, anchorage and mechanical runs before spray foam and drywall hide them.

Wind on open ground

Some Texas sites get steady wind, not just storms. Lubbock averages about 12.4 mph, which ranks it the 10th windiest city in the United States, and Corpus Christi has one of the highest average wind speeds of any coastal city in North America. On open, treeless land, bracing, frame-to-slab anchorage and sealed trim matter every day of the year. Lubbock sits on the southwestern edge of Tornado Alley, where spring storms bring a risk of tornadoes and very large hail, so roof panel gauge and a safe room are worth discussing there.