There are plenty of shed and steel building companies in New Zealand, and most will give you a glossy brochure. The way to tell them apart is to ask the same ten questions of each. Here they are, with our own answers, so you can hold us to them too.
| # | Question | Why it matters | Steelspan’s answer |
| 1 | Is the building engineered for my site? | Wind, snow and earthquake loads vary hugely by site | Yes, every building is engineer-designed for its specific area and conditions, at the exact spot on your property. On a large site, shielding can differ from one part to another, so we pin down exactly where the building will go |
| 2 | Is it a standard plan or designed to my needs? | Standard plans force compromises on size, height and doors | We design what works for you, using our standardised components and brackets, optimised to give you the best price for the exact layout you need |
| 3 | What steel and coatings do you use? | Material grade decides durability, especially near the coast | New Zealand steel; Z275 galvanised frames; cladding chosen for your environment, with special consideration near the coast or in geothermal areas |
| 4 | What’s included, and what isn’t? | Exclusions are where budgets blow out | Set out in a detailed written specification with every quote, and in our published terms |
| 5 | Who handles consent? | Consent paperwork takes time and know-how | We prepare drawings and engineering, and handle consent on design & build projects. We’re experienced with the council questions that can trip up people who haven’t been through it before. For kitsets, we supply the structural engineering, plans, calculations and a PS1 so you can lodge consent yourself, and we’ll help answer council queries and RFIs. We can lodge it for you for a fee |
| 6 | Can you build it, or just supply it? | Some owners want a kitset, others want one point of contact | Both: kitsets anywhere in NZ and the Pacific, design & build anywhere in the North Island. Some suppliers, often franchises protecting their local reputation, won’t sell a kitset, and we understand why. We will, and we’ll support you through it, but responsibility for how a kitset is built rests with the builder |
| 7 | What warranties apply, and on what conditions? | A long number is easy to put on paper. What matters is how the building demonstrates it will achieve the 50-year structural durability the law requires | Manufacturer warranties on materials, plus our warranty that work is done with reasonable care and skill |
| 8 | What insurance do you carry? | Protects you if something goes wrong | A comprehensive suite, even when we only supply: from professional indemnity to transport insurance. When we build, we also carry contract works and public liability cover |
| 9 | Who have you built for? | Track record beats promises | 36,000 m² of buildings supplied, for dozens of companies across New Zealand, some of them well-known brands, and many private owners. Clients we can name include Watercare, Ports of Auckland, NZ Navy and Auckland Airport |
| 10 | What do your customers say? | Real reviews show how a company handles problems | 48+ five-star Google reviews, online for anyone to read |
A few more things worth asking #
- Are you a franchise or owner-operated? Steelspan is family-owned, not a franchise. That means no franchise dictates which products we can use or how we arrange things. We own our system and ideas, so we can adapt them and optimise products exactly for you.
- What happens after handover? Ask about maintenance and repairs. We’ve maintained or repaired more than 100,000 m² of buildings.
- Who will I actually deal with? One contact from first visit to handover makes life easier.
Watch for red flags #
- a price with no written list of inclusions and exclusions
- “no engineering needed” for a building that clearly needs consent
- pressure to pay a big deposit before the design is settled
- vague answers about who builds it
Talk to Steelspan #
Ask us the ten questions. Use our Easy Shed Quote or call 0800 787 726.
