I need more storage space so I am looking to add a garage/workshop. I was told to go with steel buildings since it is more durable but they seem to be more expensive. I got a quote from http://www.a1steelbuildings.com for a 20' x 15' for $3000 is that a good price and are they a good company? I am still waiting to hear back from a few other steel companies like olympia and heritage. I am thinking a wooden garage is probably better at this point. Thanks for the help
you'll get much more expert opinions than mine....but... That price struck me as cheap untill I looked at the buildings on that web page. They have the look of the cheapest model sheds you can buy. I see many of them in the country, and I inherited one at my get-a-way. They dent easy, are very light duty, and even rust. They look like crap with anything worse then the most gentle care. I don't see steel being better than wood. I guess it depends on what you are building which way I'd go. Many "pole buildings" are metal, and most garages are wood. The wood usually looks better, the steel more utilitarian.
I am also looking at different ideas for an attached garage. Out where I plan on building (edge of town rural), those metal truss outbuildings are fairly common for garages. I was looking at one web site that would sell you the frame and you can choose whatever siding and roof material you want. I may go that route and get a matching metal roof with some sort of painted exterior grade playwood siding or something instead of a metal side panels.
The site is http://www.absoluterv.com/Garage_Frame.htm
It looks like a reasonable DIY project.
What I'm thinking of will look like this:
http://www.absoluterv.com/GarageGallery/western_garage.htm
Back when I was in the design phase for my house I looked into steel framing; even went to an toured a plant that makes the stuff. When I got the cost estimate for the steel framing kit I was totally blown away. It was more than double the cost of wood framing.
Then, they told me that steel had experienced a greater than 100% price increase in the last 12 months. That did it for me; I was back to wood.
So, do your cost estimates; wood vs steel. It might surprise you.