Key Highlights
- Ordering a metal building takes seven steps, from defining the use case through to installation day.
- Check permit requirements with your local building department before you place the order, not after.
- A deposit finalizes the order and moves your building into production.
- Your site must be level, clear, and truck-accessible before the installation crew arrives.
- Delivery and installation are included with Direct Metal Structures buildings.
- Financing and Rent-to-Own are available and are arranged when you place your order.
- Design your building at directmetalstructures.com or call 888-277-7950.
The Metal Building Ordering Process, Step by Step
Buying a metal building is a bigger purchase than most people make in a year, and the process has more moving parts than buying something off a shelf. That does not make it complicated - it makes it sequential. Each step depends on the one before it, and the buyers who have the smoothest experience are simply the ones who know what is coming next.
Below is the full process from first idea to finished building. Tap any step to see what falls to you, what Direct Metal Structures takes care of, and what to have sorted before moving on.
Step-by-Step
The full ordering process, start to finish
Tap any step to see what you handle, what Direct Metal Structures handles, and what to have ready before you move to the next one.
1 Figure out what the building has to do Size, use case, and what you are parking or storing
Before dimensions, start with the job. A building that stores a tractor and hay has different width, height, and door needs than one holding three vehicles and a workbench. Write down what goes inside, the tallest item, and whether you expect to add anything in the next few years.
What you do
- List what goes inside, including the tallest item
- Measure vehicles or equipment, roof racks included
- Decide if you need enclosed walls or open sides
- Think a few years ahead on space
What DMS does
- Talks through use cases over the phone
- Suggests sizes that fit the equipment you describe
- Flags where a taller wall solves the problem better than a wider one
Height is the measurement most first-time buyers get wrong. Wall height, not peak height, determines what actually fits through the opening and clears the inside.
2 Choose your building type and roof style Carport, garage, barn, RV cover, or commercial
Building type sets the frame and the layout. Roof style sets how the structure handles rain, snow, and wind. The three roof options are Regular (rounded eaves, most economical), A-Frame or Boxed Eave (horizontal panels, a residential look), and Vertical (panels run peak to eave so water and snow shed off rather than sitting on the roof).
What you do
- Pick the category that matches the use
- Choose a roof style for your climate
- Decide enclosed, partly enclosed, or open
What DMS does
- Explains the trade-offs between roof styles
- Recommends vertical roofs where rain or snow load is a factor
- Confirms which styles are available at your size
If you get meaningful snow or heavy rain, a vertical roof is the one upgrade most worth asking about. Panels running top to bottom shed load instead of holding it.
3 Customize it and get a quote Doors, windows, gauge, certification, colors
This is where the building becomes yours. Use the 3D Designer to set dimensions, add roll-up and walk-in doors, place windows, and try color combinations, or call and have someone configure it with you. Framing gauge, panel gauge, and certified options are all decided at this stage because they affect both the engineering and the quote.
What you do
- Set dimensions, doors, and windows
- Choose framing and panel gauge
- Say whether you need a certified building
- Pick colors for roof, sides, and trim
What DMS does
- Prepares a written quote for your configuration
- Explains what each upgrade changes
- Confirms what your area's wind or snow rules require
A quoted price can differ from a base online listing because it reflects your actual size, options, certification, and location. Ask for the quote in writing so every line item is visible before you commit.
4 Check permits and zoning for your property Do this before you place the order, not after
Permit rules are set locally, so they vary by county and even by municipality. Call your local building department with your planned size, location on the lot, and intended use. Ask whether a permit is required, what setbacks apply, and whether they require engineer-stamped drawings. Do this early, because the answer can change the building you order.
What you do
- Call your county or city building department
- Ask about setbacks and lot placement rules
- Check HOA rules if you have an HOA
- Ask whether stamped plans are required
What DMS does
- Provides documentation for certified builds
- Explains what certified drawings do and do not cover
- Points you to the right questions to ask locally
Permit requirements are the single most common reason an order gets delayed. Ten minutes on the phone with your building department early saves weeks later.
5 Place the order and make your deposit Financing and Rent-to-Own are decided here
Once the configuration and quote are settled, the order is placed and a deposit finalizes it. The deposit is what moves your building into production and reserves your place in the build schedule. If you are financing or using Rent-to-Own, that is arranged at this stage rather than at delivery.
What you do
- Review the final configuration line by line
- Decide on paying outright, financing, or Rent-to-Own
- Make the deposit to finalize the order
- Keep your paperwork for the permit office
What DMS does
- Confirms every detail before production
- Walks through financing and Rent-to-Own options
- Schedules your build and delivery
Read the configuration back out loud before you approve it. Door placement and wall height are the two details buyers most often wish they had double-checked.
6 Prepare your site Level ground and clear access before the crew arrives
The installation site has to be level, clear, and reachable by truck before the crew arrives. Ground, concrete, and asphalt each use a different anchoring method, so decide your surface early. An unlevel site is the most common reason an install has to be rescheduled, and the crew cannot grade the pad for you on the day.
What you do
- Level the site, this is the critical one
- Clear debris, brush, and low branches
- Confirm a truck can reach the location
- Have the slab poured and cured if using concrete
- Mark underground lines before anyone digs
What DMS does
- Tells you the pad size the building needs
- Explains anchoring for your surface type
- Answers site questions before delivery day
Level means level. A slope of a few inches across the pad is enough to stop an installation, and it is far cheaper to fix before the truck is scheduled than after.
7 Delivery and installation day Included with your building
Delivery and installation are included with DMS buildings. The crew arrives, assembles the structure on your prepared site, and anchors it to your surface type. Plan to be available, keep the area clear of vehicles, and walk the finished building before the crew leaves so anything you want to ask about gets handled on the spot.
What you do
- Keep the site and access route clear
- Be reachable during the install window
- Walk the building before the crew leaves
- Settle the remaining balance as arranged
What DMS does
- Delivers the building to your site
- Assembles and anchors the structure
- Confirms the finished build with you
Do the walkaround with the crew still on site. Door operation, trim, and panel alignment are all easiest to raise while the team is standing there.
Which Building Type Are You Ordering?
All metal buildings follow the same seven steps, but the decisions that matter most shift depending on what you are ordering. An RV cover lives or dies on wall height. A garage turns on door sizing and placement. A barn brings ventilation and aisle width into play, and a commercial building brings paperwork that a residential order never touches.
Find your category below to see what deserves the most attention when you reach the quote stage.
Which building type are you ordering?
Each category changes what you need to decide at the quote stage. Pick yours to see what matters most.
Ordering a metal carport
The simplest build to order, because there are fewer enclosure decisions. Your main choices are width, length, wall height, and how much of it you want closed in.
- Decide open, partly enclosed, or fully enclosed up front
- Wall height matters more than you expect for taller vehicles
- Anchoring differs between ground, gravel, asphalt, and concrete
- Vertical roofs are worth asking about in rain or snow regions
Ordering a metal garage
Fully enclosed, so door and window placement become real decisions. Car count drives width, and what you do inside drives depth and height.
- Roll-up door sizing determines what actually fits inside
- Add a walk-in door so you are not opening a bay to grab a tool
- Decide on insulation early, it is easier than retrofitting
- Concrete is the usual surface for an enclosed garage
Ordering a metal barn
Barns bring layout questions that other buildings do not: lean-tos, aisle width, ventilation, and whether animals or only equipment are inside.
- Decide between a straight barn and a lean-to configuration
- Ventilation matters if livestock will be housed inside
- Plan aisle width around your largest piece of equipment
- Check local agricultural rules, they can differ from residential
Ordering an RV cover
Height is the whole decision here. Measure your rig at its tallest point, including rooftop air conditioning, then add clearance on top of that.
- Measure to the top of rooftop equipment, not the roofline
- Match wall height, not peak height, to your clearance need
- Length should cover the rig plus any hitch extension
- Consider the rig you might upgrade to later
Ordering a commercial building
Commercial orders usually involve more documentation. Certification, engineered drawings, and local code compliance carry more weight than on a residential build.
- Expect to need engineer-certified drawings
- Clear-span interiors matter when you need unobstructed floor space
- Confirm commercial permitting requirements with your county early
- Plan for future expansion while you are still at the quote stage
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
Timelines vary, and any company that gives you a firm number before knowing your building and your location is guessing. What is worth understanding is which variables actually move the date.
Building size and complexity matter, because a simple open carport and a fully enclosed commercial building do not take the same time to produce. Your location matters, both for delivery distance and for how quickly your local permit office works — some counties turn permits around in days, others take considerably longer. Seasonal demand plays a part, as spring and early summer are busier across the industry. And site readiness matters more than anything else on this list, because a building cannot be installed on a site that is not prepared.
Here is the part worth sitting with: the two steps that most often delay an order are the two you control directly. Permits and site preparation. A buyer who calls their building department in week one and gets their pad leveled early is usually installed well before a buyer who waits until the building is built to start thinking about either.
For a realistic timeline on your specific configuration and location, call 888-277-7950 and our team will walk you through what to expect.
Not sure which step you are on?
Call and describe your situation in plain terms. Our team will tell you what to do next and what you can leave until later.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
You do not need to know what you want before you call. Plenty of buyers ring up with nothing more than a rough idea and a lot size, and that is a perfectly good place to start.
That said, there is a real difference between a first call that ends with a quote and a first call that ends with a list of things to go find out. The buyers who get a usable number on the first try tend to arrive with the same handful of details. Work down this list before you dial and you will likely finish in one conversation.
Before you call: the 8-point checklist
Tick these off as you go. Having them ready turns a 30-minute call into a 10-minute one.
Got most of these? That is everything our team needs to size and quote your building on one call.
Call 888-277-7950Common First-Time Buyer Mistakes
Most problems in the ordering process trace back to a small number of avoidable missteps. None of these are unusual, and none are anyone's fault — they are simply the things people do not know to think about the first time around.
Measuring at the roofline instead of the true high point.
This is the single most common measuring error. Roof racks, rooftop air conditioning units, satellite domes, and antennas all add height, and they are exactly what catches on the way in. Measure to the top of whatever sits highest, then add clearance on top of that.
Ordering before calling the building department.
Permit rules, setbacks, and lot placement requirements are set locally. Finding out about them after the order is placed is how buyers end up with a building that cannot legally sit where they intended. Ten minutes on the phone before you order can save weeks.
Assuming the crew can level the site on delivery day.
They cannot. The installation team arrives to assemble a building, not to grade a pad. If the site is not level when the truck arrives, the install gets rescheduled and everyone loses time.
Choosing width when height was the real constraint.
Buyers instinctively think about footprint, because that is what they can see on the lot. But clearance is usually what limits what actually fits. An extra foot of wall height frequently solves a problem that another few feet of width would not.
Sizing for exactly what you own today.
Vehicles get replaced, equipment gets added, and storage expands to fill whatever space exists. A building sized precisely to today's contents tends to feel tight within a couple of years. Building in a margin now is far cheaper than adding on later.
Approving a configuration without reading it back.
Before you confirm an order, read the details out loud — dimensions, wall height, door sizes, door placement, window placement. Door placement and wall height are the two details buyers most often wish they had checked twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.
What are the steps to order a metal building?
Answer: There are seven: define what the building needs to do, choose the type and roof style, customize it and get a quote, confirm permit requirements, place the order with a deposit, prepare your site, and take delivery and installation. Each step is explained in full above.
2.
Do I need a permit before ordering a metal building?
Answer: Permit requirements are set locally and vary by county and municipality. Call your building department with your planned size, lot placement, and intended use before you order, since the answer can change the building you need. Some areas also require engineer-stamped drawings.
3.
How much is the deposit on a metal building?
Answer: The deposit is based on the total price of the building you configure, so it varies with size and options. It finalizes your order and moves the building into production. Call [phone number] for the figure on your specific configuration.
4.
Does my site need to be level before installation?
Answer: Yes. The site must be level, cleared of debris, and accessible to a delivery truck before the crew arrives. An unlevel site is the most common reason an installation has to be rescheduled, and the crew cannot grade the pad on the day.
5.
Is delivery and installation included?
Answer: Yes, delivery and installation are included with Direct Metal Structures buildings. The crew delivers the building to your prepared site, assembles it, and anchors it to your surface type.
6.
Can I finance a metal building or use Rent-to-Own?
Answer: Yes. Financing and Rent-to-Own are both available, and both are arranged when you place your order rather than at delivery. See our Financing and Rent-to-Own pages for details, or call to talk through which option fits your situation.
7.
Do I need a concrete slab, or can it go on the ground?
Answer: Metal buildings can be installed on ground, gravel, asphalt, or concrete, and each surface uses a different anchoring method. Enclosed garages are commonly placed on concrete. Decide your surface early, because it affects both anchoring and site preparation.
8.
What if my permit gets denied after I have ordered?
Answer: This is exactly why the permit conversation belongs before the order rather than after. If you have any concern about approval, raise it with our team when you order so you understand where you stand before the deposit.
9.
Can I change my building after placing the order?
Answer: Changes become harder and more limited once the building moves into production, which is why we confirm every detail with you before that point. If something needs to change, call as early as you can.
Ready to Start Step One?
Ordering a metal building is not complicated once you can see the whole path. Know what the building has to do, choose a type and roof style that suit your climate, get a real quote on a real configuration, sort your permits early, place the order, prepare your site properly, and let the crew handle install day.
Whichever step you are on — including the very first one, where you are not sure yet what you need — our team can pick it up from there.
Ready to start step one?
Build your configuration in the 3D Designer to see it before you commit, or call and we will walk you through the whole process from sizing to install day.
Delivery & installation included • Financing and Rent-to-Own available • Warranty provided
