A 30×40 Metal Building is a Great Solution for any Location

Design considerations.

The level of design required for your 30×40 building will largely depend on what you intend to use the structure for. Below we briefly cover some of the main design aspects you will need to consider when customizing and configuring your new structure.

Decide on a Roof Style & Pitch

The intended end use of your 30×40 building will largely dictate the roof profile. For example:

  • Metal homes can have a gable (traditional), single-slope (modern) monitor, or even a gambrel roof (farm or barndominium), depending on the style you are looking to achieve.
  • Garages and shops will have either a gable or single-slope roof.
  • Barns will typically have a gable, monitor, or gambrel roof style.

Available Roof Pitches:

  • Gable – 1:12 to 4:12 (steeper pitches require special engineering).
  • Single slope (shed roof) – 1:12 or 2:12.
  • Gambrel (Dutch barn) – Upper roof 2:12-3:12 and lower roof 5:12-6:12
  • Monitor – (American barn) – Upper roof: 4:12 – 6:12land lower roof: 3:12 – 5:12

This being said, any roof profile and pitch can be applied to your custom 30×40 steel building.

Choose a Floor Plan (if required)

If your new structure is going to be used as a home, shop house, horse barn, or dog boarding kennel, you will need to decide on a floor plan that best suits your needs and maximizes floor space. To ensure you have sufficient space:

Step 1: Research available online floor plans and shortlist the ones you think will work best. We also have a selection of sample floor plans to get you started. You can also create basic floor plans with our floor plan maker tool.

Step-2: Take a complete inventory of what will be stored in your new structure. Take into account your current and possible future requirements.

Step-3: To get a sense of what will work for your specific setup, plan your layout on graph paper (using a scale of one square = 1 foot) and place/arrange scaled cutouts of your inventory, livestock, and equipment on the floor plan.

No need to hire an architect. Our suppliers will advise on design options to ensure you get the building you want in terms of functionality and aesthetics.

Choose Custom Options

A standard building package is sufficient for most customers, but various customization choices enable YOU to customize and configure the structure to meet YOUR needs. Popular custom options include:

Color options: Mix and match over 20 colors for siding, roofing, and wainscot to get your desired look. See our colors page (follow the link to our design center at the bottom of this section) for sample color schemes and a color visualizer.

Door options: Choose from sectional, roll-up overhead, sliding, or bi-fold doors, and pick sizes, styles, and colors that work for your setup.

Siding options: All kits come standard with pre-painted, 26-gauge PBR metal roofing and siding panels. Alternatively, you can add vinyl, Hardie board, stucco, or faux brick panels.

Structural options: Customize the exterior of your building by adding any number of structural customizations, including roof overhangs, door canopies, or a lean-to.

See our design center for additional details on configuring and customizing a building.