Concrete for Texas Metal Building | WolfSteel Buildings
A concrete pour may seem simple, but what happens when the concrete is not ready when your building crew arrives? A delay in your concrete schedule can affect more than just the foundation. If the slab isn’t poured, finished, and ready when the building is scheduled to start, construction may have to be pushed back. That can mean rescheduling crews, equipment, deliveries, and in some cases, dealing with additional costs or longer project timelines.
We understand why some customers choose to get their own concrete. You may already have a concrete contractor you trust, or you may think handling it separately will save you money.
But over the years, we’ve seen clients run into the same problems. From scheduling and site access to coordination issues and unexpected costs. We’ve seen these firsthand with our clients which is why we started offering concrete as part of our services.
In this blog, we’re breaking down the four problems we’ve seen most often and why they are worth considering before you pour your foundation.
Keep in mind that we will focus only on building a garage, workshop, or storage as there are separate guidelines when it comes to building barndominium, commercial, or public use buildings.
Problem # 1 - Your Foundation Doesn’t Meet the Permit or Setback Requirements
Before you pour concrete or start any work on your metal building project, it’s important to know whether you’re allowed to build on your property and, if so, exactly where the building can be placed.
In some cases, local requirements can also affect the size of the building you’re allowed to construct, including its dimensions or overall footprint.
Texas is no longer the wild, wild west because most of the cities and counties now require permits for all kinds of construction. Depending on where your building location is, it’s important to check your local requirements before you build.
What are building setbacks?
First thing first, know your setbacks.
Setbacks are the minimum distances your building must maintain from property lines, roads, neighboring properties, or other structures.
For instance, your local requirements may require 10’ from the fence line both on the side or the back of your property or may require additional distance depending on the height of your building.
These requirements exist to provide space for safety, privacy, utilities, and access around the property.
A site plan is a document that typically shows property boundaries and lines, existing structures and driveways, the layout and dimensions of the new building, and the exact distances between everything on the property.
This is a helpful reference to determine where exactly your building should be placed following your local requirements.
What does WolfSteel think?
Knowing your permit and setback requirements before you start your project can save you from costly problems down the road. Imagine pouring your concrete only to find out that your building needs to sit 10 feet farther from the property line or that your planned building exceeds the size allowed on your property.
Discovering these requirements after the concrete is already in place can mean expensive corrections, delays, fines, or even an order to tear down and rebuild the structure.
At WolfSteel Buildings, checking your preliminary requirements during the planning stage is a standard part of our process. We’ll review initial zoning, setback, and other known local requirements to help identify potential issues before you move forward.
Keep in mind that these are preliminary requirements. Final permit requirements are determined by your local building department and may change once your application is reviewed, including additional conditions or fees.
If you provide your own concrete, WolfSteel does not pull your permits, but we can still provide the preliminary information available to help you understand what requirements may apply. If you purchase concrete through WolfSteel, our team can coordinate the permitting process as part of your project.
The goal is simple: know the requirements before you pour your concrete, not after.
Read our blog about permitting to learn what you need to know before starting your project.
Problem # 2 - Your Site Isn’t Properly Prepared for the Foundation
Even if your concrete contractor pours a perfectly finished slab, problems can still develop if the site underneath and around the foundation wasn’t properly prepared.
Why does site preparation matter?
Site preparation is the process of getting your property ready to receive a concrete foundation.
When your site is prepared correctly, it provides a stable, well-graded base for your concrete foundation, helping it remain strong, level, and capable of supporting your building over time.
If the site isn’t prepared correctly, problems can start before the building is even installed. Poor grading, inadequate compaction, or improper drainage can allow water to collect around the foundation or create movement beneath the slab. Over time, these issues can contribute to:
- Water seepage between the bottom of the building and concrete
- Water pooling around the building
- Drainage problems
- Foundation movement
- Potential structural problems over time
The challenge is that you can’t always determine what a property needs just by looking at it from the road.
You need boots on the ground. That’s why a proper site visit is so important.
What happens during a site visit?
During a WolfSteel site visit, our site coordinator evaluates several factors that can affect the foundation and building.
These key factors include the following:
1. Four Corner Elevations
The elevations at the four corners of the proposed building help determine how much the site varies from its highest point to its lowest point.
2. Dirt or base requirements
We determine what type and amount of material may be needed to create a level building pad.
The goal is not simply to make the site look flat. The building pad should also be positioned appropriately above surrounding grade to help minimize water seepage.
3. Perimeter Grading
The area around the building needs to be considered as well. Proper grading helps direct water away from the building rather than toward the structure, your home, or a neighboring property.
4. Site Access
Access can become a major consideration when it’s time to pour concrete.
A concrete truck can weigh around 60,000 pounds, so not every property can accommodate direct truck access.
If a concrete truck can’t safely reach the foundation, additional equipment such as a boom pump, line pump, or concrete buggy may be necessary.
Every property is different, which is why a site visit is so important.
If you want to learn more about how WolfSteel approaches the site visit and what our team looks for, watch this video to see our process in action.
What does WolfSteel think?
A strong foundation starts before the concrete is ever poured. Proper site preparation helps create the right conditions for the foundation to remain stable, manage water effectively, and support the building as intended.
Site preparation is not as simply getting the ground flat and ready for concrete. Every property is different, and factors such as elevation changes, soil conditions, drainage, grading, and site access can all affect how the foundation needs to be prepared.
Don’t overlook the concrete notch detail.
One detail that can make a difference in helping minimize water seepage is the perimeter and garage door notch detail.
WolfSteel uses a 1 1⁄2-inch notch or drop around the perimeter of our buildings. This allows the panels and base trim to overlap in a way that helps prevent water from entering the building at the bottom.
If you’re getting your own concrete, this is one detail worth discussing with your concrete contractor before the pour.
Check out our blog about site preparation and site visit to learn more about our process.
Problem # 3 - A Poor Foundation Can Put Your Entire Building at Risk
Concrete isn’t simply something the building sits on. The foundation needs to be designed and constructed to safely support the weight of the building without excessive cracking, shifting, or settling over time.
If the foundation isn’t properly designed or supported by stable soil, problems with the building can follow.
It’s also important to understand the difference between normal concrete cracking and structural problems.
Hairline cracks can occur in concrete and are not necessarily an indication of a structural failure. Concrete naturally shrinks and moves as it cures, and conditions such as hot summer weather can affect the process.
The bigger concern is when foundation movement or inadequate support causes significant cracking, shifting, or settlement.
What does WolfSteel think?
At WolfSteel, we know a strong foundation is where it all begins. That’s why we don’t cut corners! We follow strict standards to every slab we pour. We have several processes and quality standards in place to help ensure every foundation is built properly, but here are two key steps we never skip when it comes to providing a strong, reliable foundation for your Texas metal building.
a. Internal cross beams are always included.
Internal cross beams are reinforced concrete supports within the foundation that connect different sections of the foundation. These beams help tie the entire slab together and make it respond more uniformly to soil movement.
The slope of the property can determine the depth of the perimeter footings and the need for internal cross beams.
Here at WolfSteel, we install the internal cross beams with a maximum of 20 feet, unless there’s a soil report with a specific requirement.
b. Footings must reach the undisturbed soil.
This is one of the standards we follow and a step we never skip.
What is an undisturbed soil?
Undisturbed soil refers to the original ground that construction activities have not touched or altered. This soil is naturally compacted and significantly more stable than fill dirt or backfill, providing the essential stability that footings need to maintain their performance over time.
Why is undisturbed soil important?
Making sure the footings reach undisturbed soil helps prevent shifting, settling, and concrete cracking that can occur when footings are placed only in fill dirt.
Here at WolfSteel, we make sure all footings extend beyond any fill dirt and reach into undisturbed soil or below the frost line, whichever is deeper.
For instance, if your building pad is raised 15 inches with fill, we dig that 15 inches plus the standard 12 inches into solid ground, resulting in a 27-inch footing. Most local contractors skip this step and only dig 12 inches in total, which can result in a quote cheaper than ours.
To ensure that your foundation is as solid as your building, here is our minimum concrete standards:
- 4-inch minimum slab thickness
- 12 inches into undisturbed soil
- Internal cross beams every 20 feet
- 3,500 PSI concrete
Keep in mind that your actual foundation requirements can vary depending on the project, location, engineering, and site conditions.
Problem # 4 - Your Contractor May Not Finish the Job
One of the biggest risks in hiring a separate concrete contractor is that the project may not go as planned and the contractor may not be there to make it right.
A lower quote may look attractive upfront but what happens if the contractor runs into an unexpected problem, stops responding, or leaves the project unfinished? You could end up paying another contractor to complete the project or fix the issue.
What does WolfSteel think?
Before hiring a concrete contractor, don’t look at price alone. Do your research because you also need to know who you’re trusting with your project and what protection you have as a buyer if something goes wrong.
Take time to ask these questions to get to know the contractor:
- Have they completed a similar project as yours?
- Are they properly insured?
- What does their warranty cover?
- What is exactly included in the concrete price?
- Who should you reach out to if something goes wrong?
Insurance and warranties don’t guarantee that problems won’t happen. However, they can provide an additional layer of protection and show that the contractor takes responsibility for their work.
Explore our warranty coverage to understand what’s covered and how we stand behind the quality of every project we build.
One of our core values is ownability. We believe that accountability matters just as much as the work itself. When something goes wrong, we don’t believe that the client should be left to deal with the issue.
So how does ownability look?
Sharing our personal experience.
Early on, WolfSteel had a large concrete project that included a 10-foot stem wall and approximately 1,500 sqft of foundation. During the pour, the concrete pump broke while the project was already underway, leaving the concrete trucks on-site with nowhere to dump the concrete.
At this point, what should be done? Honestly we had a choice. Try to work around the problem or take responsibility and make it right.
We tore out the work and did the concrete pour again.
Financially speaking, it was a hard decision but our client trusted us. We believed that doing the right thing was more important than protecting our bottom line.
Problems can happen on any construction project. What matters is how your contractor responds when they do.
Before choosing a concrete contractor, don’t just ask, “How much will it cost?” Ask, “What happens if something goes wrong?”
The right contractor should be prepared to answer that question and willing to stand behind the work they promised to deliver.
Concrete Inspection
So far, we’ve covered some of the biggest issues that can affect your metal building project before construction begins, from permits and setbacks to site preparation and vetting your concrete contractor.
But what if you already have concrete on your property or want to use your own contractor?
No problem! Our goal isn’t to make that process more difficult, it’s to help make sure your foundation is ready for your WolfSteel building. That’s where our concrete inspection comes in.
Why is concrete inspection important?
Imagine your foundation is finished, our crew arrives, and we discover that the concrete isn’t properly sized, aligned, or squared for your building.
Now you could be facing construction delays, concrete corrections, or even building modifications including potential modifications at our fabrication shop in Weatherford.
That’s exactly what we want to catch before your building arrives.
If you use your own concrete contractor, you’ll see a “Concrete Inspection” line item on your WolfSteel quote. This allows us to verify that your foundation is ready for the specific building being installed.
Doing the concrete inspection before starting your building helps us identify problems before they become an expensive headache. This also prevents:
- Building construction delays
- Building modifications either on-site or at the WolfSteel fab shop
- Unnecessary concrete changes
- An out of square foundation
Ready to Get Started?
If you prefer to use your own concrete contractor, that’s completely fine. We’re happy to work with your concrete team and coordinate the foundation requirements to help make sure your metal building is installed properly.
However, if you want a seamless and hassle-free construction, let WolfSteel handle the concrete as part of your project. Reach out to us and let’s get started!
Call us 844-941-0999
Or email us anytime at quotes@wolfsteelbuildings.com