Guide
Compare barn and arena quotes line-by-line
Two "identical" 40×60 quotes can be $30,000 apart in real scope. One listed builder, CLA Metal Buildings, refuses to publish a price for exactly this reason: what is included "varies wildly from builder to builder." Get every quote itemized, then check these rows before you compare totals.
| Line item | What to demand in writing | Where quotes diverge |
|---|---|---|
| Construction type | Post-frame with embedded posts, or steel frame on a foundation; who supplies the building package (manufacturer named) | A post-frame quote and a red-iron quote are not the same building |
| Engineering | Stamped drawings by a Texas professional engineer, with the wind speed and code edition on the sheet | Some quotes include the stamp; some call it an extra; some skip it because the county does not require it |
| Steel gauge and panels | Frame gauge (12 vs 14 ga), panel gauge (26 vs 29), paint system | Warranties on film and rust-through depend on gauge |
| Sitework and pad | Clearing, grading, compacted pad, drainage swales; who hauls dirt | The most common exclusion on acreage |
| Foundation | Slab thickness, piers or footings, rebar, concrete self-performed or subbed | "Slab by others" hides five figures |
| Openings | Roll-up and sliding doors by size and count, walk doors, windows | Base quotes often carry one door |
| Insulation and interior | Type and R-value, liner panels, stall fronts, tack room finish | Shell vs finished is the whole price gap |
| Electrical | By a TDLR-licensed electrician; run from the meter, panel, lights, fans, outlets | Long rural runs are usually excluded |
| Water and septic | Wash bay plumbing by a licensed plumber; county OSSF permit if a dwelling | Rarely in a barn quote |
| Permits | Who files with the City of Weatherford if inside limits; culvert permit; county septic and floodplain if they apply | Some builders self-perform permitting; some leave it to you |
| Sales tax | Which lines are treated as ag-exempt (stalls, panels) and which carry tax (the shell) | Quotes that show no tax line are not cheaper |
| Delivery, crane, access | Delivery of the package, crane time, gate and road access assumptions | Tight gates and soft roads become change orders |
| Warranty split | Manufacturer (panels, frame, paint) vs builder workmanship vs structural and wind, each with a term | One listed builder publishes eight separate warranties; most publish none |
| Schedule and payment | Start window, build duration, milestone draws; financing release timing if a lender is involved | One lender releases funds to the builder only on delivery |
Red flags
- No pad or drainage discussion on acreage
- No engineer's stamp "because the county doesn't require one"
- "Licensed and insured" with no certificate of insurance offered
- Wind rating quoted as a marketing number rather than a design value on the drawings
- Large deposit before drawings exist
NEXT STEP → Request a project assessment and put this checklist to work.