Usually not, unless you can confirm with your building department that it will pass. A building has to meet the codes in force when you put it up, not the codes from the year it was sold. Steve's advice for most people is to walk away.

Why is a secondhand unbuilt building risky?

Steve, who has been with Rapidset for 24 years, says this comes up every year. Somebody finds a building that was sold years ago and never put up. The owner wants what they have invested in it, and it sounds like a terrific deal. A lot of the time the original drawings are missing.

"Don't be suckered in on this," Steve says. "You could be walking into a real disaster and you're not going to save any money at all."

The reason is the code. "It doesn't matter what the codes were when the building was originally bought," he explains. "It's the codes of when you put the building up. That is what the governing factor is."

In some cases the snow loads or the wind loads have increased since the building was sold, and the building will not pass the new codes.

When can buying one work out?

Steve gives a narrow set of conditions:

You are in the exact same county the building was designed for.
You take the prints to the building department.
They verify that everything is fine, or that only the governing code needs to be updated.

In many cases, he says, the only issue is a change in the governing code from one edition to a newer one.

There is one other situation. If you live in a place that does not require building department involvement, where you need no permits and no inspector will look over your shoulder, the code question does not stop you.

Can Rapidset check an older Rapidset building?

Yes, if it is one of Rapidset's buildings. Steve says the company can pull the file, bring the building up as it was sold, put it under the new codes and find out whether it is going to fail.

If it does fail, Rapidset can design the fix. They can tell you where the building needs to be beefed up, or where parts such as additional bracing need to be added, and get you there "the fastest, easiest way possible."

"We're not here to make money off you," Steve says. "We're here to help you."

What if the building is too old or has no drawings?

Then there may be little anyone can do. Steve gives an example from this year. A building had been lying in water for 15 years, and the original owner did not have the prints or could not find them. "We're kind of helpless," he says. "I don't know what to tell you."

Larry adds that a building without drawings can be reverse engineered. Rapidset has done it before, "but it's a lot of money."

Steve's last word is about where the deal ends up if the building cannot pass. You might save a lot of money on the price, but in his words, "you're going to buy another building that's going to lay on the ground because you can't put it up."

What to do

Ask the seller for the original prints.
Find out which county the building was designed for.
Take the prints to your own building department before you pay.
If it is a Rapidset building, call and ask to have it checked against the current codes.
If you cannot get prints or a clear answer, walk away.

Price your building online at rapidsetbuildings.com, or call 800-793-8555.

RAPIDSET METAL BUILDINGS

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