When two quotes for the “same” shed are thousands of dollars apart, they’re almost never for the same shed. One might have heavier frames, thicker cladding or more doors. The other might leave out engineering, consent or delivery. Use this checklist to line them up properly before you compare totals.
1. The building itself #
- Dimensions: length, width and stud height. Check which is quoted: inside or outside measurements.
- Frame: steel portal or timber pole, frame sizes, and whether it’s engineered for your site’s wind zone, snow and earthquake loads.
- Bay spacing: how many frames, and how far apart.
- Bracing: included and shown on the drawings.
Is it truly clear span? Check that the main portal frames are clear from side to side and full height. Some designs use large diagonal braces at the knees, or an apex tie running horizontally between the rafters near the top of the roof. These braces triangulate the joints so a lighter, cheaper frame can be used, but they take up usable space inside the shed. Make sure they suit what you plan to do in the building. If your quote doesn’t make it clear, ask, or send it to us and we’ll compare it for you.
Steelspan prices full clear-span portals as standard, and you’ll see that almost all the buildings on our website are clear span. If we do include braces, it’s stated on the quote. Occasionally, on a tight budget or in a very high wind or snow area, an apex brace can make sense to keep the frame size down, but that’s a choice we’ll talk through with you, not something hidden in the price.
2. Cladding #
- Material: unpainted zinc-aluminium coated steel or pre-painted steel, and which grade suits your environment.
- Thickness: cladding comes in 0.40 mm or 0.55 mm base metal thickness (BMT). The profile looks the same; 0.55 mm is just thicker. We start with 0.40 mm because it’s more economical. 0.55 mm is normally used on commercial roofs with regular foot traffic, such as maintenance access to solar panels, air conditioning units or other plant, because it doesn’t dent as easily underfoot. Manufacturers don’t give a longer warranty for 0.55 mm, so the choice is about serviceability, not lifespan.
- Coverage: fully clad walls, or open bays? Flashings, ridge and barge caps, gutters and downpipes?
3. Doors and openings #
Number, size and type of roller doors, access doors, windows and skylights. Motorised or manual? Rated for your wind zone?
4. Engineering and paperwork #
- Is the structural engineering included, with a producer statement for consent?
- Are full drawings included?
- Who prepares and lodges the building consent, and are council fees included?
5. What’s not included #
Every quote has exclusions. Read them. Typical ones are the slab and foundations, site works, drainage, geotech, surveying, connections, consent fees, delivery and erection. Ours are listed in our terms: unless included in the price, we exclude geotechnical reports, consents, development contributions, surveying, utility connections, landscaping, drainage and site preparation.
6. Allowances #
Watch for provisional sums (an allowance for work not yet fully defined) and PC sums (an allowance for items still to be chosen). The final cost of those items can be higher or lower than the allowance.
7. The fine print #
- Validity: how long the price holds. Ours are open for 30 days.
- Price changes: whether the price can move if materials or freight rise before work starts.
- Payment terms: deposit, progress payments and due dates.
- Variations: how changes are priced, and any admin fee.
- GST: included or not.
- Warranties: manufacturer warranties on materials, plus what the builder warrants about workmanship.
What’s in a Steelspan kitset quote #
- a building designed for your site and your needs, not pre-designed plans or standard bay sizes
- engineering for your site’s wind, snow and earthquake loads, with a PS1 producer statement
- the steel frame, purlins, girts, cladding, flashings and fixings
- doors and gutters
- consent drawings, plus plans to build from
The inclusions list on your quote is what counts, so read it carefully. If you only want the frame, for example, the quote will say so.
Making the comparison fair #
Ask each supplier to price the same size, height, doors and finish, with the same items in or out. Then compare. If a price looks too good, it’s usually because something is missing.
Talk to Steelspan #
If you’d like a second opinion on a quote you’ve received, or a Steelspan price to the same spec, send it through. Use our Easy Shed Quote or call 0800 787 726.
