Clear Span Buildings

Common sweet spots: 60–100 ft wide with standard rigid frames. We routinely do 120–150 ft. Beyond that is custom engineering (budget climbs fast). If you don’t need one huge bay, we can set bay spacing to keep cost sane.

Same steel, different frame. Clear span uses heavier rigid frames to carry the roof without mid-columns. You get open floor space and clean sightlines; you pay a bit more for the frame.

Think clear height, not just wall (eave) height. Racks, lights, sprinklers, crane rails—all chew into headroom. If you need 18 ft clear under lights, you might spec 20–22 ft eave. Measure your tallest operation, then add 2–3 ft buffer.

Ballparks only—size, height, codes, and doors swing it:

• 60×100 clear span shell: often mid-$80Ks to low-$120Ks installed.
• 80×120 with height/insulation/multiple doors: six figures+Crane rails, high wind/snow, or special loads push it further. It’s still faster/cheaper than tilt-wall or stick builds in most cases.

Yes—commercial clear span almost always needs engineered drawings, site plan, and inspections. We supply stamped plans; you handle submittal (or loop in your GC). Don’t pour concrete until the plans are approved.

Usually a 4–6″ reinforced slab with thickened edges and anchor bolts set per the plans. Heavy point loads (racks, columns, crane posts) may need pads/piers. Bad soils? Get a geotech report and design the slab accordingly. The frame is only as good as the pad.

Yes—if we design for it up front. Crane capacity, runway beam size, and column reactions change the frame and the slab. Don’t try to “add a crane later” without a redesign; that’s how slabs crack and budgets pop.

Vertical-panel gable is the workhorse—sheds water, snow, and debris. Single-slope works when you want all drainage to one side. Low-slope “saves” height on paper, but don’t undercut drainage—ponding kills roofs.

Yep. For condensation control, foil-backed bubble works. For comfort and energy, go fiberglass batts or closed-cell spray foam. Foam costs more but seals every gap—pays off on climate-controlled footprints.

Clear span lets you run wide end-wall openings: 20–30 ft roll-ups, hydraulic one-piece, or stacked bi-folds (hangars). Side-wall doors require framed openings that respect the main frames. Tell us your door widths/heights before we lock the bay spacing.

We engineer to your ZIP code. Frame size, bracing, panel gauge, and anchors are matched to wind/snow ratings. Want more peace of mind? Bump to 12-ga frame / 26-ga panels and add extra bracing. Anchoring is everything.

After permits and pad: smaller clear spans can stand in 3–4 weeks. Bigger/complex shells (cranes, docks, mezzanines) run 6–12 weeks. Still faster than block or tilt-wall. Weather and inspections are the wild cards.

Easiest is adding length (more bays). Adding width means new frames and more steel—doable, pricier. If growth is likely, tell us now and we’ll design the end-walls for a clean future tie-in.

• Ordering by square footage without mapping the workflow

• Forgetting clear height (lights/sprinklers steal feet)

• Pouring the slab before stamped plans land

• Doors too small for the real world (or in the wrong wall)

• Zero allowance for expansion