Ask a steel building contractor how long a building takes and you will get an answer that starts with the steel. The manufacturer needs final drawings before it cuts a single beam, and the line for fabrication is often longer than the line for everything else on the job. In Cushing, where energy companies and their suppliers keep a busy calendar, we build the schedule around that wait and keep the rest of the work moving in the gap.
Cushing is known for crude oil. Enbridge operates a tank farm near town that held up to 20,060,000 barrels as of 2010, and Greater Oklahoma City describes the tank farms around Cushing as holding about 100 million barrels in total. It calls the town the Pipeline Crossroads of the World. Work like that depends on shops, yards, warehouses and offices run by contractors who cannot wait on a building.
We build pre-engineered steel buildings for those owners and for the farm and ranch buildings that surround the town. What follows explains the order of work, the lead time, the permits and the price, so you can plan around them.
There are five clocks on a steel building job. The permit review is one. The engineering and shop drawings are another. Fabrication and shipping come third, the foundation fourth and erection last. Some can overlap, and some cannot. The foundation can be built while the steel is fabricated, but the anchor bolt plan has to come from the manufacturer first, so the drawings are the first domino.
Once the steel ships, a small to mid-size building goes up in days. Panels, trim, doors and gutters follow. In that spirit, we keep a short list of items that tend to slow a project: custom colors, large overhead doors, insulated panels and special electrical gear. If you can accept a stock color and a standard door, you may cut weeks from the plan. Our rigid frame erection page explains the sequence in more detail.
Weather is the wild card. Wind stops crane work, and a wet week delays concrete. We build float into the erection window, usually a few days, and we sequence the work so that a lost day on the frame does not push back the doors, the electrical or the inspection. When an inspection is required before the next step, we book it early and keep a backup date.
The local building department reviews the drawings for most commercial and industrial buildings. Farm buildings may be handled differently depending on use, and an owner should ask what applies to a barn or equipment shed. Fire officials look at access and storage if the building holds flammable materials, which is common in an energy town.
Near pipelines and tanks, setbacks and easements can restrict where a building sits. We ask for the survey and any recorded easements before we draw. If the lot touches a state highway, the transportation department may need to approve the driveway. Highway 18 and Highway 33 cross at Cushing, so a lot close to the junction can involve that review. We build time for these items into the schedule.
The scope for a shop or warehouse covers the pad, the foundation and slab, the steel frame, roof and wall panels, insulation if specified, overhead doors, a walk door, gutters and basic electrical. We schedule, coordinate, supervise and inspect the trade partners, and we keep the owner informed at each step.
Many energy-related owners also want an office section, a wash bay or a parts room. A mezzanine can add storage without enlarging the footprint. If the land is open pasture, ask for a plan for the gravel apron and the drive, since heavy trucks beat up soft ground quickly.
Think about who will be on site too. Energy-service owners often run trucks in and out all day, so the layout needs a turning path and a place to stage a trailer. Farm owners usually care about a wide door for a combine or a baler. We draw the doors and the apron to suit the largest vehicle you expect to bring in.
Steel prices move, and so does fabrication capacity. Locking a price early is helpful, and we explain how long a quote holds. Beyond materials, the size, eave height, insulation, doors and slab are the main items. A taller eave and a heavier slab add cost. A plain building with a basic color costs less than a custom look.
The refinery project that Southern Rock Energy Partners announced for Cushing in May 2023 is a reminder that big projects can pull on labor and materials. They planned a $5.56 billion, 250,000-barrel-per-day plant with 423 or more full-time jobs, 36 months of construction starting in 2024 and operations beginning in 2027. We cannot say when or whether it will proceed. We watch local demand and tell you when it affects bids.
One practical tip: ask us for two prices. One is for ordering steel now, with a firm delivery slot. The other is for waiting until the permit is fully approved. The difference is often modest, and it lets you decide how much schedule risk you want to take on.
We start with a call and a sketch. You tell us what the building must hold and when you need it. We reply with a layout, a lead time and a price range, and then refine them as the engineer finishes. A pre-engineered metal building speeds up the drawings because the manufacturer has a catalog of designs.
For ranchers and farmers in the area, an agricultural building such as a hay barn or equipment shed is often a simple frame that moves faster than a commercial job. Our agriculture and agribusiness page gives more detail. Whatever the use, we hold a weekly check-in on the job and report in writing.
Tell us the building and the date you need it. We will return a calendar with lead times and a price. Neighbors can also check Stillwater and Sapulpa.
It varies with the manufacturer and the season, from a few weeks to a few months. We ask for the current number when we price and update it when we order. The best way to shorten it is to finalize the design early.
It is risky. The bolt layout comes from the steel drawings, and a mismatch means rework. We can prepare the site while the drawings are made, then pour once the bolt plan is approved.
It depends on the use and the local rules. Farm use can be treated differently from commercial use, so ask the building department. We can check for you, and we tell you what we find.
It might, if many contractors compete for the same trades and materials. We watch the market and give you a written quote with a clear expiration date.
Yes, if the easements and setbacks allow. We read the survey, mark the easements and keep the building and the excavation clear of them. Utility locates are required before digging.
Tell us about the site, the building and the schedule, and we will set up a review of scope, schedule and permitting.
See the services, building types and industries we plan and manage across Oklahoma.