Re-skinning a worn metal shop is often cheaper than replacing it, and in Del City we do plenty of both. An older steel building with leaking panels, faded trim and a tired roof can still have a perfectly good frame. We inspect the frame, replace the roof and wall panels, add insulation if the owner wants it, and give the building a new face. New construction is the other half of our Del City work: small-bay shops, equipment storage and service buildings for businesses that want a compact, durable building near the highways.
The location is the draw. Interstate 40 runs northwest to southeast through Del City, and I-35 lies a short distance to the west. I-40 also carries the Tinker Diagonal, which provides access to the air base next door. A small shop in Del City is minutes from three major routes and the gate of the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma.
It is also a place where the owner often knows the building, the neighbors and the contractor. We keep our quotes plain and our site visits personal, because the jobs are small enough to need it.
Our retrofit work covers roof replacement, wall panel replacement, new trim and flashing, door replacement, added insulation and the occasional structural repair. We start by looking at the frame: rust at the base of columns, loose or damaged bolts, bent purlins and corroded girts. If the frame is sound, a new envelope can bring the building back to near-new condition at a fraction of the price of a replacement. The re-skin and repair page explains the process.
For new buildings, we focus on shops and storage in the 3,000 to 20,000 square foot range. These are pre-engineered, clear-span or modular-frame buildings with overhead doors, a small office and a concrete floor. We can add a mezzanine, a canopy or a lean-to later, and we leave room for that when we place the building on the lot.
The biggest upgrade for a retrofit is insulation. A thermal layer reduces heat loss, quiets rain noise and stops the sweating that causes rust. We install blanket, spray or insulated panel systems depending on the building and the budget, and finish the inside with liner panel where appearance matters. Our liner panels and trim work covers the details.
Doors come next. A worn overhead door is a security risk and a heating cost. We replace doors with insulated, wind-rated units and add openers, seals and operators. On a retrofit, we also look at gutters, downspouts and drainage, since a roof that sheds water against a wall will undo a new panel job in a few years.
On a repair job, the surprise is the thing. Panels come off, and you find a rusted purlin, a cracked footing or a missing brace. When the same crew that diagnoses the problem also fixes it, you hear about it that day, with a photo and a price, rather than at the end in an invoice. We confirm structural steel and fastener availability with the repair trade partner so repairs do not stall.
For new buildings, we schedule the crews that set the bolts, erect the frame and hang the panels. We coordinate with electricians and plumbers rather than leaving you to do it. That is especially valuable in an established area like Del City where utility locations and old easements take extra checking.
The May 3, 1999 Bridge Creek-Moore tornado entered Del City as an F4 about a half-mile wide, and a memorial in Del City honors the seven people killed there. The National Weather Service lists Del City among the areas damaged by that F5 storm. Anyone building here knows that history, and we treat it as part of the design conversation. We specify wind-rated doors, fasteners and bracing, and we help owners understand what a steel building can and cannot do in a severe storm.
For existing buildings, a re-skin is an opportunity to upgrade wind resistance. New fasteners, proper panel laps and corrected end-wall connections cost little compared with the building's value, and they reduce the odds of storm damage. Ask your insurer which upgrades earn credit.
Budget is the other half of the decision. A roof-only job on a small shop is a modest project, and a full envelope job with insulation, new doors and new trim costs more but changes the building. We write the scope in phases, so an owner can do the roof this year and the walls next year without losing the plan. Phasing also lets us work around your business, since a shop that cannot close for two weeks needs a different sequence than one that can. We price each phase separately, and we hold the numbers for a stated period so you can plan your own cash flow around them.
Permits and inspections are usually simple for a like-for-like re-skin and more involved if the roof system or the openings change. We call the city before we write the quote, and we describe what the permit office told us in the scope. If the plan reviewer wants an engineer's letter on the existing frame, we arrange it. That lets you decide with all the information in hand, and it keeps inspectors from stopping work in the middle of a job.
Del City adjoins the air base, and the base is described as the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma. A trophy and recognition products manufacturer has its corporate headquarters on SE 29th Street in the city and employs over 750 people, 400 of them in Del City. A steady manufacturer and a major federal employer both support the kind of small-bay suppliers, repair shops and trade contractors who use our buildings.
Next door, Midwest City has the site-ready industrial park, while the airport and Tinker area is the center of aviation demand. A Del City lot works for owners who want the highways and the base without paying for a park. Check our manufacturing industry page if production space is what you need.
For a retrofit, send a few photos of the roof, walls and doors, and we will come out. For new work, send the lot and the use. Either way you get a written scope and a price.
If the frame is sound, a re-skin is usually much cheaper than demolition and a new building. The frame is the most expensive part of the structure. We inspect it first and tell you what condition it is in before we price panels.
We look at column bases, rafter connections, purlins, girts, bracing and bolts. We note rust, bends, cracked welds and missing members. We photograph findings and give you a written report.
Yes, and it is the best time. With the old panels off, we can install insulation continuously, which is more effective than adding it later. We price blanket, spray and panel options side by side.
Most re-skins need a permit, particularly if wind loads, openings or the roof system change. We confirm with the city before we start and handle the submittal.
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.