Commercial Metal Building Contractor in Spokane, WA

Commercial metal building contractor in Spokane, WA, for pre-engineered steel buildings built to Spokane's 39 psf ground snow load and 24-inch frost line. Raven Buildings supplies and erects red-iron PEMB buildings for shops, warehouses, contractor yards, storage, ag and light industrial use across Spokane and Spokane County, with the footings, slab and aprons poured by our own concrete crew. Because we aren't tied to one manufacturer, we source each building from whichever supplier can deliver it fastest.

Commercial steel buildings we build

• Shops and contractor buildings: service bays, equipment storage and office space under one roof
• Warehouses and storage: clear-span frames for racking, forklifts and big overhead doors
• Ag and equipment buildings: machine sheds and farm shops sized for combines and trucks
• Retail and flex space: steel shells that can be finished with storefronts, offices and mezzanines
• Foundations and site concrete: column footings, anchor bolts, slabs, aprons and approaches by our own crew

Spokane design criteria for commercial steel

The City of Spokane publishes its local design criteria in Spokane Municipal Code 17F.040.105:

• Ground snow load: 39 psf, with a 30 psf minimum roof snow load. Unincorporated Spokane County uses the same 39 psf base but notes some areas reach 150 psf, so we look up the parcel before the building is engineered. Our Spokane County snow load guide explains how ground snow becomes roof snow
• Wind: 110 mph ultimate design wind speed
• Seismic: Seismic Design Category C
• Frost depth: 24 inches, so every column footing goes at least that deep
• Weathering: rated severe, which drives air-entrained concrete for exposed slabs and aprons

Every PEMB we supply comes with stamped engineering from the manufacturer for those loads. The column reactions then set the size of the footings we pour.

What's different about a commercial building

A commercial building goes through more design and inspection than a private shop:

• Architect or not: Washington's architect law (RCW 18.08.410) lets anyone design a building of any occupancy up to 4,000 square feet total, plus farm buildings and garages or barns that go with a home. A commercial building over 4,000 square feet, like anything bigger than a 40x100, generally needs a Washington-licensed architect
• Building code: commercial buildings follow the International Building Code as adopted by Washington (WAC 51-50), not the residential code. Occupancy type, building size and use set the fire separation, exits and accessibility requirements
• Energy code: heated commercial buildings follow the commercial provisions of the Washington State Energy Code, which affects insulation, windows and lighting. See how we insulate metal buildings
• Special inspections: IBC Chapter 17 calls for special inspection of work like structural steel and concrete, so we schedule inspectors around the pour and the erection. See commercial vs. residential concrete
• Who issues the permit: the City of Spokane permits buildings inside city limits, and Spokane County, Spokane Valley and other cities permit their own areas

Pricing

As a starting point, Raven's current installed price for a PEMB metal building is about $60 to $75 per square foot. Electrical, plumbing and utility hookups are extra. Commercial projects often add architectural design, fire and accessibility features, and special inspections, so we quote each commercial building after we review the plans and the site.

Timeline

Supplier lead times and permit review take up most of the schedule on a steel building. Because we pick the manufacturer with the fastest delivery for each job, we can often shorten the wait. Our PEMB lead time guide walks through a real timeline.

Get a commercial building quote

Tell us the building size, use, door sizes and site address or parcel number, and we'll price the building, foundation and slab together. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote. We also build steel in Spokane Valley, Mead and Airway Heights.

Sources

• PEMB pricing: Raven Buildings' current rates
• Spokane Municipal Code 17F.040.105, Design Criteria
• Spokane County Building FAQ (snow load and jurisdiction)
• City of Spokane / Spokane County Joint Policy BUILD-07, Official Frost Depth (PDF)
• RCW 18.08.410, Architects: application of chapter
• WAC 51-50, Washington adoption of the International Building Code
• Washington State Building Code Council, Energy Code
• IBC 2021 Chapter 17, Special Inspections and Tests (ICC)