Steel arrives on trucks in a particular order for a reason. Erectors read the bundle tags before the first lift, because the piece at the bottom of the stack is usually the piece needed first, and a crane that has to dig for it burns the hourly rate and the weather window. That small, unglamorous detail is typical of the work: most of what makes an erection job fast is done before the crane arrives.
We erect structural steel for buildings of all kinds: pre-engineered frames, conventional hot-rolled columns and beams, bar joists, steel deck, mezzanine frames, canopies and equipment platforms. Some owners buy the whole package from us. Others have already bought the steel and need an erection crew that will take it from a laydown yard to a plumb, bolted, signed-off frame.
This page explains how we plan the picks, the people and the paperwork.
The erection crews we coordinate rig, set, bolt, plumb and weld. They run the cranes and lifts that suit the building, from a rough-terrain crane for light frames to larger crawlers for heavy picks. We do the connections, the bracing, the joist and deck placement and the punch list. Welding follows the engineer's details, and special inspection is arranged where the plans call for it.
The advantage of close supervision is feedback. When a crew finds a mismatched hole, a short bolt or a plate that does not fit, they tell the project manager that day, and we sort it with the detailer or fabricator before the next lift. That is a better conversation than finding it in the punch list weeks later.
Erection is high-risk work, so safety is built into the sequence. Fall protection, controlled decking zones, tie-off points on beams and columns, rigging inspection and lift plans for heavy or critical picks are all part of a normal job. We hold a short meeting each morning on the picks of the day, the wind, the access and who is where.
Weather decides what lifts happen. Wind is the main issue in this state, and a crane operator stops when gusts exceed the limit for the load, no matter whose schedule is slipping. Lightning, ice and wet steel get the same respect. We would rather lose a day than lose a person.
Typical scope is unloading and sorting steel, setting columns on anchor bolts, shimming and grouting, setting beams, installing bracing, bolting and welding connections, placing joists and deck, and plumbing and aligning the frame before the wall and roof crews start. We also handle field modifications, such as reaming holes, trimming a beam or adding a plate, under direction of the engineer.
For larger projects there may be a separate detailer, fabricator and general contractor. We coordinate with each of them, review shop drawings against the erection sequence and flag clashes before steel ships. For crane-supported buildings, we pair this with the practices on our crane and industrial buildings page, and for standard metal buildings our rigid frame erection page applies.
Oklahoma has a long list of steel-intensive projects. Meta announced a $1 billion, 2-million-square-foot data center at the Fair Oaks industrial innovation park in east Tulsa, with more than 1,000 construction jobs at peak, and our data center page looks at that kind of work. Closer to the defense market, the Army reported a groundbreaking in March 2026 for a $74 million Ammunition Demolition Shop at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant with two process buildings and a separate control building.
Those are not our usual job size, but they show where steel demand sits: data campuses, defense sites, plants, ports and public buildings. Crews that can work safely on government sites and on private campuses stay busy. For local detail see Tulsa and McAlester.
We start with a lift plan. That means a site layout showing where the crane sits, where steel is laid down, how trucks reach the work and how the crane moves around the footprint. We check ground bearing under the crane, overhead lines, soft spots and neighboring buildings. If the crane needs mats, we have them ordered. If the slab is not ready to carry a lift, we say so.
Then we sequence the frame to be stable at every stage. A braced bay goes first, others tie into it, and nothing stands without bracing it needs. Temporary cables or struts hold columns plumb until permanent bracing is in. That sequencing is what keeps a half-built frame upright on a windy afternoon.
Steel deliveries need coordination. The trucks should arrive in the order of erection, to a laydown area with firm, level ground. We work with the fabricator on shipping sequence and keep a sorted yard so the crane never waits. Late or out-of-order steel is the most common cause of delay.
Erection time depends on piece count and weather more than square footage. A simple frame goes up in days; a heavy industrial building takes weeks. We give a daily plan, and we update it when something shifts.
For public jobs, the Public Competitive Bidding Act requires contracts over $100,000 to go to the lowest responsible bidder through sealed bids, with bid security of 5 percent. A steel erection scope as a subcontract over $50,000 under construction management can fall under the same rules. We prepare bids to the plans and note exclusions plainly.
The state has adopted the International Building Code, but cities continue to apply their own editions, so connection design and bracing details follow what the local reviewer and the engineer of record require.
Send us the drawings and the delivery dates and we will price the erection. If you are still sorting out the building, see how municipal and public works buyers handle bids.
Yes. Send us the shop drawings and the erection drawings and we will price the erection only. We check the piece list when the steel arrives and flag shortages or damage before the crane is on site.
It depends on the heaviest pick and the reach. Light pre-engineered frames can be set with a smaller crane or a telehandler; heavy beams and long reaches need more. We size the crane from the lift plan.
We are, on our jobs. The frame must be plumb and square before wall panels go on, and permanent bracing and bolts must be tight. We document the checks.
Yes, where the engineer details field welds. Welders follow the procedures on the plans and inspections happen where required. Many pre-engineered frames are bolted, with welding limited to special connections.
Days for simple frames, weeks for heavy industrial steel. Weather, delivery order and site access are the main variables. We give a schedule after reviewing the drawings.
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.