The popularity of structural steel buildings has shot up immensely as is plain evident in the steel share market price for multi-story residential and mixed-use buildings. Structural steel currently constitutes 20% of non-residential Australian high-rises, and it’s expected to grow to 25% by 2017.

Some of the most impressive steel structures across the world include the Brooklyn Bridge, Eiffel Tower, Australia’s own Sydney Harbor Bridge and not to forget, Wagin’s famous ‘Giant Ram’ boasts a sturdy steel backbone.

Structural steel buildings are also an exceptional choice for construction in the agricultural, fruit and veg, shearing equine and wine industries for steel offers the following benefits:

• Structural flexibility and adaptability
• Increased resistance to natural and human stresses
• Does not need a lot of maintenance
• Cost effectiveness
• Sustainability
• Speedy construction
• Quality and safety
• Needs less manpower

Put simply, there is solid evidence to back up the rationale that structural steel kit sheds are the best option for your sheds. Since you landed here, chances are, you are in the process of purchasing a steel shed kit and building it yourself or you want to find out what to expect during the construction process.

Well, you can begin by reading through this post to see which common bloopers while installing a steel shed resonate with you the most. (It's okay! We're all guilty of at least one or a few.) Do make a mental note to avoid those installation gaffes in the future.

5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Installing a Steel Shed

Not applying for the relevant permit for installation

If you’re planning to construct a new domestic shed/garage or facility, you need to apply for an owner builder permit, granted under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011.

It’s important to understand that getting permission to be an owner builder (that lasts a minimum of 6 years before which you cannot reapply for another owner builder permit) does not mean that you now have the permit to build too. Once you obtain the approval from the Building Commission of Western Australia, you must still acquire a building permit from your local government permit authority.

Nevertheless, if you still want to move ahead with constructing the shed without acquiring the council’s approval, you’re taking the risks below.

• You may have to pull your shed down anyway.
• It will matter when it comes to selling.
• It will matter when it comes to your insurance.

Read more about the risks here

Designing the wrong shed

When you're first starting out with design stage, it's really easy to get carried away with all the things you want to accomplish. The shed needs to be right for your needs. We recommend you keep in mind the:

• Primary goals of building the shed, and
• Future investments

For example, farm equipment are large and significant investments. Farmers can construct a machinery storage shed to keep their operations running efficiently, cut down time and trim repair costs.

Hence, building a shed to house the farming machinery calls you to ask some basic questions:

• What size should it be built to easily move equipment in and out?
• Do I need windows or doors?
• Do I need it to be insulated?
• What are my present and future storage needs for all of the farm operations?

Incorrect budget estimation 

Cost overruns from incorrect budget estimation are an unfortunate fact of installing a steel shed. The kit cost is only one part of the entire shed project. You budget must be inclusive of all the hidden costs too as most often these get overlooked by people. Such hidden costs include:

• Building approval 
• Earthworks 
• Foundation 
• Hiring people to help with the construction
• Price fluctuations in material or labour cost
• Incorrect assumptions
• Enhancement and improvement costs

Ditching the Manufacturer’s Manual 

Many a times, we feel so strongly about our knowledge of the process that we ultimately tend to goof up. We recommend you listen to the tips from the experts. Having earned the repute of a reliable company in manufacturing and installing structural steel shed for the last 35 years now, Allied Sheds is the best partner for you. You can leverage our erector’s manual entailing our experienced professionals’ solid know-how and resources listed there.

Ignoring the importance of the right shed foundation

Constructing a proper foundation is a significant aspect of installing a shed, its stability and longevity too. The poor shed foundation won’t stand the test of time as the base is likely to get exposed to damp soil, varied moisture levels, etc. A proper shed foundation ensures ddurability and prevents most forms of corrosion in the future, or any structural damage. To get more insights into this topic, read one of our earlier blogs.

Installing a steel shed kit has its own set of tricky do’s and don’ts. But with the tips recommended in this post, you can set up yourself for an organized, stress-free and cost-effective installation.

These are just 5 common steel shed installation mistakes we’ve picked up on. Do you have a few ones to add here too? Let us know in the comments.

Request a detailed custom shed plan to have one of our shed experts explore your options with you. Simply call our Customer Service team on 1300 910 353.