Published by Metal Building Resources as general planning guidance, not a project-specific engineering design, code determination, or binding price quote. No individual expert review is claimed. Confirm requirements with your local building department and qualified design professionals.
Use this checklist to prepare questions for your supplier, design professional, and local building department.
1. Intended Use
Describe the activities, equipment, and occupants the building will serve. Ask your design professional to confirm the occupancy classification and applicable structural, fire, ventilation, and energy requirements.
2. Site Selection
Check access, drainage, setbacks, easements, and zoning with your local authorities before committing to a footprint. Site-specific wind, snow, and seismic parameters can be researched with the ASCE Hazard Tool; your engineer must select the applicable standard and design inputs [1].
3. Size & Layout
List equipment dimensions, door clearances, and space for circulation. Discuss possible future expansion with your supplier rather than assuming a fixed percentage of extra space is economical.
4. Permits & Approvals
Ask the local building department which code edition, drawings, approvals, and inspections apply. Confirm its current processing times directly; model codes are not automatically the law in every jurisdiction.
5. Foundation
Have a qualified design professional evaluate building reactions and soil conditions. IBC Chapter 18 addresses geotechnical investigations and foundation design; it does not establish a universal 60-foot building-width trigger for soil testing [2].
6. Utilities
Coordinate electrical, plumbing, and HVAC plans with the foundation drawings before construction. Confirm service locations and installation responsibilities with your contractors.
7. Budget
Request separate allowances for the shell, freight, site preparation, foundation, erection, permits, utilities, and finish-out. Use local written quotes rather than a universal percentage markup on the shell price. These are planning suggestions, not a price guarantee.
Sources
- 1 — American Society of Civil Engineers: About the ASCE Hazard Tool — site-specific design parameters and standard selection.
- 2 — International Code Council: 2024 IBC, Chapter 18, Soils and Foundations — especially Sections 1803 and 1808. Confirm the locally adopted edition and amendments.