Putting together a metal building kit requires some real planning to avoid mistakes that raise cost, cause delays, or affect the structure’s long-term reliability. Here are the nine most common mistakes buyers make, and how to avoid each one.
9 Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Steel Building
1. Not Getting Prior Approval
Zoning and building regulations vary by jurisdiction, and skipping this step is one of the costliest mistakes a buyer can make. Speak with your municipality early, confirm where any buried utility lines run, and make sure your building meets local codes with all necessary permits secured before you order. A permit rejected after your kit has already shipped is a far more expensive problem than a phone call to your local building department would have been.
2. Not Selecting the Right Type of Building
Size alone doesn’t make a building fit its purpose. If you need a workshop, be clear on the specific features a workshop needs — door and window count, insulation, ventilation, lighting placement — and account for how your needs might evolve over the next 5 to 10 years. Designing for the future avoids expensive changes down the line.
3. Inadequate Site Preparation
Every structure needs solid, level ground, and larger buildings may need soil testing to confirm stability. Leave sufficient clearance around the foundation for lift equipment and delivery trucks. Thorough site prep upfront avoids delays and expensive fixes during construction and over the building’s life.
4. Incorrect Measurements
Over- or under-estimating the space you need is one of the most common cost-driving errors. Be clear on your building’s present and future purpose: can your truck or tractor fit through the entrance? How many vehicles need to fit? Do window sizes allow enough natural light? Working through these details before finalizing dimensions avoids a costly resize later.
5. Pouring the Concrete Too Soon
Pouring a slab before your design is finalized seems like it saves time, but it puts the foundation before the building — anchor bolts have to sit in precise locations determined by your final design and measurements, not the other way around. Wait until your design is locked before any concrete goes in the ground. A slab poured to the wrong dimensions can mean re-pouring the entire foundation, which costs far more than the time “saved” by starting early.
6. Not Following Instructions and Safety Measures
Most steel building kits are genuinely good DIY projects, but skipping steps in the assembly manual or ignoring safety procedures is where things go wrong. Every Toro kit ships with comprehensive, systematic instructions — following them protects both the builders and the finished structure.
7. Altering the Structure in the Field
A steel building kit is precisely designed, engineered, and fabricated for its specific purpose. If a joint doesn’t seem to fit correctly, check the manual first rather than improvising a field modification — and if that doesn’t resolve it, contact your supplier’s team before altering anything.
8. Installing Screws Incorrectly
This is one of the most overlooked mistakes, and one of the easiest to get wrong. A properly driven screw seats until the washer extends slightly beyond the screw head — an underdriven screw leaves the washer’s edges beneath the head, while an overdriven screw squishes the washer flat. Either mistake, repeated across a whole building, can lead to real leaks over time.
9. Unclear Communication
Miscommunication about dimensions, door and window placement, or overall vision leads to unmet expectations and costly changes mid-project. Clearly articulating what you actually want to your Building Specialist upfront — and letting their experience shape the details — prevents most of these problems before they start. A short conversation early in the process, covering exactly how you plan to use the space day to day, catches mismatches between your vision and the actual design long before they become an expensive change order.
Why These Mistakes Matter More Than They Seem
None of these nine mistakes are exotic — they’re all genuinely common, which is exactly why they’re worth planning around deliberately rather than assuming they won’t happen to you. A building engineered correctly from the start, assembled by you or your local contractor following the provided instructions, avoids nearly all of them by default.
Permits, Codes & Engineering
Structural requirements follow the ASCE 7 standard from the American Society of Civil Engineers, referenced by the International Code Council‘s International Building Code, or the National Building Code of Canada. Toro’s in-house engineering team calculates your building’s design loads for its specific address before it ships — the foundation and anchor bolt plan you’ll need before pouring any concrete.
Related Building Types
Steel Building Planning Guide | Steel Building Prices | How to Build a Steel Building
Avoid These Mistakes with Toro
Toro Steel Buildings engineers every kit to your exact site and helps you plan around these common pitfalls from the start. Request a free quote to get started.