Full disclosure - the project took 9 months. - but there is so much to be said about the whole process.
First – and Foremost – Owner is Honest – Hard working – and Extremely talented. His workmanship quality is amazing.
He built a 30 x 50 x 16 steel building with a 300 sq ft loft – with custom stair that can be winched upwards out of the way.
A huge testament to how talented the owner is - - he did this all without a lift.
He told me he would save me money – and build the shop as if it were his own. I believe he certainly did it.
My building was a weld up – which I did not understand completely all the weather requirements that surround a weld up building – if it’s too windy – they can not risk molten steel causing a fire, so they can not weld.
Again – to the highly talented owner – He leveled my shop pad – after it was built – he ensured it was dry enough to put the building on first – he built the forms – he did the rebar – he dug me footing for my auto lift. He did it all - by hand.
First indication that this process might not be quick is when he did not rent a tamping machine ahead of time for my job- he mentioned more than one that it was not available when he stopped by to rent one – so, he didn’t pre schedule it. He HAND tamped the entire 1500 sq foot building foot print. WOW.
On to Concrete – He and 2 helpers poured the concrete foundation – rented the drying machine – they worked more than 10 hours that day – hard labor.
Acquiring the building kit – this is another area where his experience Shined! He had been calling around to his usual suppliers for 2 months prior to concrete trying to get the best price, and putting up with me not knowing exactly what size of building I wanted. We figured it out.
Even before the pandemic steel prices fluctuated wildly.
We got a building kit on order just before Christmas 2020. It was delivered 6 Jan 2021.
He and 2 helpers welded up the main frame in close to a month and a half due to weather and technical challenges like – how to lift the A frame roof trusses up 16ft. Here’s another example of how awesome the owner is with his welding and fabrication skills. He custom made a lifting adaptor for my 39hp Kubota tractor loader – which they used to raise those roof trusses up. (I did take them about 4 days to build that “picker”) but MAN it was an awesome piece of custom work.
End of February 2021 1 wall of sheet metal skin panels was up – and his 2 helpers left him. From March 1st until the shop was complete – he worked on the building alone. Once in a while he had help here and there but no dedicated crew.
He had some family emergency issues – which caused some delays, and winds were always a challenge (it’s Oklahoma) but he kept working 1-3 days a week evenings mostly…
As the shop was progressing, I asked him to build a loft for me, and he did – at additional cost, yet he still saved me money. I have no doubt about that.
First week of April my wife went into the hospital for almost the entire month, and still progress was made little by little.
May rolled around and I missed my first scheduled insulation install date.. and the original quote turned into double the cost… insulation - June rolled around and progress was still made little by little.
July rolled around and we were close to completion.
End of July the building was completed.
He did NOT ask for payment up front, I paid him as each phase of the project was completed.
I know my shop isn’t going anywhere, I completely trust the workmanship and care he put into every weld.
I can not say he was fast. But he made sure that building was perfect. He re-welded several things that his helpers did not do correctly – he made sure everything was perfect – as if it was his own shop.
I was very impatient – my expectations were very high – and I texted him a lot… Despite how the long the process took – my building is awesome.
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