The old end wall is the cheapest wall you will ever own, because it was built to come down. Pre-engineered metal buildings are framed so that one endwall carries lighter posts instead of a full frame, and that is the face where a new bay can be added later. If your building was planned that way, growing it is a matter of bolting on more frames.
Not every building was. Some have fixed end frames, a sidewall that must stay, a slab that stops at the edge or a utility line in the way. An addition then takes more thought, but it is still usually less costly than building new and moving everything.
We add bays, lean-tos and wings to existing steel buildings. We keep the old and new structure working as one, with no gap that leaks and no mismatch that shows.
We survey the building before we draw anything. That means the frame type, the endwall framing, the slab edge, the roof pitch, panel profile and color and the utilities. We look at what the original design allowed. Sometimes the drawings are on file. If not, we measure and, where needed, have an engineer verify the frame.
Then we decide how the new part joins. An extension of the same frame is the cleanest. A lean-to on a sidewall is cheaper but has limits on height and span. A separate building with a connecting roof works when the old frame cannot take additional load.
An addition that does not match looks like a mistake. Panel profile, gauge and color are factory runs that change over time, and an old building has weathered. We bring samples and are honest about what will and will not match. Sometimes the right answer is to re-skin the whole building, which we cover under re-skin and retrofit work.
Roof lines need care. Adding a bay along the ridge is simple. Adding a wider wing may need a valley, and valleys leak when built poorly. We detail them so water goes where it should, and we check the existing roof near the tie-in.
An addition to an existing building is checked as new construction, and the way it ties into the old part is checked too. The reviewer wants to see the new frame loads, the foundation, the opening between old and new and any change in fire separation or egress. Since cities adopt their own editions of the state minimum codes, we find out which one applies at the time of application.
Older buildings can bring surprises. Original drawings may not be on file, and the original wind and snow design may differ from today's. We bring in an engineer when the answer is not clear, and we raise it before pricing, not after the footings are dug.
Most additions are built next to an operating building. We plan access, noise and dust, and schedule the tie-in so that opening the old wall is quick. The wall panels come off at the last moment, and the opening is closed with the new structure. Forklifts and trucks keep moving through the work area.
Lead time on matching steel and panels is the same as for any order. The foundation and site work can start while materials are being made. A small addition can be done in a few weeks of site work, with the rest of the time spent on permit and manufacture.
We handle permit drawings, foundation extension, frame supply and erection, roof and wall panels, trim, doors and the connection to the old building. For a larger addition, we also deal with site grading, drainage and fire access. On the inside we can add a mezzanine, insulation or an office.
The foundation is the piece owners overlook. A new slab has to meet an old slab without cracking at the joint, and new footings must be sized for the frame. Our foundation and anchor bolt work keeps the new frame level with the old one.
Industrial parks around the state are filling. The Ardmore industrial airpark has a rail spur from the BNSF main line and sits nine miles from I-35, which is the kind of site that tempts a business to grow in place. Duncan's industrial parks shared federal and state money in 2022 for improvements. Owners on sites like these often add on rather than relocate, since the infrastructure is already there.
Midwest City's Soldier Creek Industrial Park, a 40-acre site, shows the same logic. When the land and the utilities are in place, a metal addition is the quickest way to get more floor space.
Additions use the same systems as any other building. See pre-engineered metal buildings for the base package and rigid frame erection for the crew work. If the question is building type, flex and light industrial buildings are the most common candidates for growth. In farm and ranch settings, the agriculture industry page covers how operations grow in stages.
The riskiest moment is the tie-in, when the old wall comes off and the opening is exposed. We schedule it for a day with good weather, shore the opening and have the closure ready, so the building is never left open overnight. Forklift lanes and pedestrian paths are separated from the work area with barriers and a spotter where needed.
Dust, noise and traffic are managed too. Cutting and drilling are done in a way that keeps debris out of stock and product, and we clean up daily. If your operation needs a quiet period for deliveries or a shift change, we plan around it. A short talk with your supervisor before we start usually settles all of it.
Send photos and the original plans if you have them. We will tell you whether to add on, and how.
Most can, but the method varies. Buildings with expandable endwalls are easiest. Others need a lean-to or a separate structure. We check the frame and the foundation first.
We can match profile and get close on color. Weathering can leave a visible difference for a while. If appearance matters, we discuss a color plan or a re-skin.
Yes. An addition is reviewed as new construction. The code edition in effect when you apply governs the new work, and the existing part may be reviewed for how it connects.
Usually. We stage the work away from your operations and do the tie-in in a short window. We agree on access and hours before we start.
Often, because you save on land, utilities and one set of walls. The savings depend on how easily the old building can be extended. We compare both.
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.