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Why Steel Works in Arizona
Steel buildings in Arizona have to work in two climates: desert heat in the south and snow in the high country. We are a dealer of pre-engineered steel building kits from American steel, and our metal buildings in Arizona arrive with PE-stamped drawings for the parcel.
Heat comes first. Summer highs in the southern deserts often reach 105°F to 115°F, Phoenix has the hottest climate of any major U.S. city, and the state record is 128°F at Lake Havasu City. A light, reflective roof sends more sunlight back, and buildings with cool roofs need less air conditioning. Insulation does the rest; see our guide to insulating a metal building.
From late June or early July to mid-September the monsoon brings thunderstorms, and their outflow can raise a haboob, a wall of dust up to 10,000 feet high driven by winds up to 60 mph. The north is another story. Flagstaff designs for a 60 psf ground snow load, and the Northern Arizona Seismic Belt produced three magnitude 6 earthquakes near the city between 1906 and 1912. The drawings carry the design wind speed, exposure category and seismic design category under ASCE 7.
Frost depth, flood maps and permit rules are in the codes and permits section below.
Arizona at a Glance
What We Engineer for:
Southern desert highs of 105°F to 115°F; a light, reflective roof and an insulated shell keep the interior cooler
Thunderstorm outflow and dust storms from late June to mid-September; design wind speed and exposure category set per site under ASCE 7
Rare in the low desert, heavy up high: Flagstaff designs for 60 psf of ground snow, so your site’s elevation sets the roof load
Earthquakes are less frequent than in California, Nevada or Utah, but Flagstaff is in Seismic Design Category C, and every drawing set shows your parcel’s category
No single statewide building code: cities, towns and counties adopt their own, and your building department has the final word
Building Codes and Permits in Arizona
Arizona leaves building codes to local government. Each city and town adopts its own edition of the International Building Code and International Residential Code, usually with amendments, and a county with zoning may adopt a code for its unincorporated areas. Flagstaff, for example, enforces the 2018 IBC and IRC with city amendments. Drawings are prepared to the edition your jurisdiction enforces; your building department is the authoritative source.
Inside city or town limits, start with the city or town building department. On unincorporated land the county handles permits, and state law lets a county exempt areas zoned rural or unclassified from its building code, so the rules change from one county to the next. We don’t pull the permit; we supply PE-stamped drawings, load calculations and specifications.
State law gives agriculture room outside the cities. A county building code does not apply to construction incidental to farming, dairying or stock raising under A.R.S. 11-865, and county zoning may not regulate land or buildings used for grazing or general agriculture on five or more contiguous commercial acres. Many counties ask for an exemption application before you build, and a house on the same land is a separate question, so check with the county planning department before you order.
The foundation needs local figures: Flagstaff sets a 30-inch frost line and a 60 psf ground snow load, and lower towns publish their own. A local contractor pours the footings to our anchor bolt layout. Monsoon storms can flood low ground, as they did around Phoenix on September 8, 2014. Check flood risk on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and with your county.
Arizona leaves building codes to local government. Each city and town adopts its own edition of the International Building Code and International Residential Code, usually with amendments, and a county with zoning may adopt a code for its unincorporated areas. Flagstaff, for example, enforces the 2018 IBC and IRC with city amendments. Drawings are prepared to the edition your jurisdiction enforces; your building department is the authoritative source.
Inside city or town limits, start with the city or town building department. On unincorporated land the county handles permits, and state law lets a county exempt areas zoned rural or unclassified from its building code, so the rules change from one county to the next. We don’t pull the permit; we supply PE-stamped drawings, load calculations and specifications.
State law gives agriculture room outside the cities. A county building code does not apply to construction incidental to farming, dairying or stock raising under A.R.S. 11-865, and county zoning may not regulate land or buildings used for grazing or general agriculture on five or more contiguous commercial acres. Many counties ask for an exemption application before you build, and a house on the same land is a separate question, so check with the county planning department before you order.
The foundation needs local figures: Flagstaff sets a 30-inch frost line and a 60 psf ground snow load, and lower towns publish their own. A local contractor pours the footings to our anchor bolt layout. Monsoon storms can flood low ground, as they did around Phoenix on September 8, 2014. Check flood risk on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and with your county.
Steel Buildings We Deliver Across Arizona
What a Steel Building Costs in Arizona
The price of a steel building in Arizona depends on its size, the loads of its site and its finish. Northern snow adds frame weight, and desert heat moves more of the budget into the roof and insulation.
From 20×20 to 30×40: garages, RV carports and equipment shelters.
From 30×50 to 40×80: barndominiums, RV garages and shop buildings.
From 60×100 up: warehouses, hay and equipment barns, and dairy buildings.
A 40×60 in Flagstaff, with a 60 psf ground snow load and Seismic Design Category C, gets a heavier frame than the same building in the low desert, where snow is rare and wind sets the design.
The $ tier covers the kit itself: frame, roof and wall panels. Insulation, a reflective roof finish and overhead doors move it to $$, and a finished living space or office inside to $$$. Our metal building cost guide lists dollar ranges by size.
From 20×20 to 30×40: garages, RV carports and equipment shelters.
From 30×50 to 40×80: barndominiums, RV garages and shop buildings.
From 60×100 up: warehouses, hay and equipment barns, and dairy buildings.
A 40×60 in Flagstaff, with a 60 psf ground snow load and Seismic Design Category C, gets a heavier frame than the same building in the low desert, where snow is rare and wind sets the design.
The $ tier covers the kit itself: frame, roof and wall panels. Insulation, a reflective roof finish and overhead doors move it to $$, and a finished living space or office inside to $$$. Our metal building cost guide lists dollar ranges by size.
Arizona Cities We Deliver to
Delivery and installation is statewide. These cities have a dedicated page with local permitting detail.
If your city isn’t listed, we still deliver to it. Call (888) 415-1576 or use the quote form above.
How Arizona Owners Use Steel Buildings by Region
Central Arizona (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Casa Grande; Maricopa and Pinal counties)
Central Arizona is low desert, shaped by summer heat and monsoon dust storms. Its farms run to dairy and cattle: Maricopa County led the state in milk sales in 2022, and Pinal County led in cattle sales, with about 273,000 head on hand at the end of the year. Feed, hay and equipment storage fit under our metal farm buildings.
See also: Metal auto dealerships · Metal buildings with lean-to
Southern Arizona (Tucson, Sierra Vista, Willcox, Douglas; Pima, Cochise, Santa Cruz counties)
In the far south the monsoon brings more than half of the year’s rain. Cochise County led the state in fruit and nut sales in 2022, with about 19,000 acres of pecans and 8,700 acres of pistachios, and the magnitude 7.6 Sonoran earthquake of 1887 struck just south of Douglas. Orchard tractors and sprayers need a dry, shaded bay; see our tractor barns.
See also: Horse barns and stables · Metal greenhouses
Western Arizona (Yuma, Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, Kingman; Yuma, La Paz, Mohave counties)
Western Arizona follows the Colorado River, and Lake Havasu City holds the state heat record. Yuma County ranked third among U.S. counties for vegetable sales in 2022, with about 109,000 acres of vegetables harvested, and Arizona grew about 65,000 acres of lettuce that year. Along the river, boats and RVs need tall doors and shade; see our recreational steel buildings.
See also: RV garages · RV carports
Northern Arizona (Flagstaff, Prescott, Show Low, Payson; Coconino, Yavapai, Navajo, Apache and Gila counties)
Northern Arizona sits on the Colorado Plateau and in the mountains, with cold winters, mild summers and real snow loads. Apache, Coconino and Navajo counties lead the state in land in farms, and pasture covers about 22 million of Arizona’s 25.5 million farm acres. Families on acreage around Prescott and Show Low build homes, garages and shops; see our residential metal buildings.
See also: Livestock barns · Metal hay barns
What can we design for you today?
Talk to a building specialist to learn more!
Design Your Building NowFrequently Asked Questions
No. Arizona leaves building codes to cities, towns and counties, and each adopts its own edition of the International Codes, often with amendments. Flagstaff, for example, enforces the 2018 IBC and IRC. Our drawings follow your jurisdiction’s edition; your building department has the final word.
It depends on the county and the building’s use. State law keeps construction incidental to farming, dairying or stock raising out of the county building code, and county zoning may not regulate agricultural use on five or more contiguous commercial acres. Many counties ask for an exemption application first, and a house is a separate question.
A light, reflective roof sends more sunlight back, and buildings with cool roofs need less air conditioning. Add insulation to the roof and walls, and plan vents or fans for a shop that stays closed through the afternoon. Tell us how you will use the building.
Yes, we deliver across Arizona, from Yuma to Flagstaff and Douglas. Make sure a truck can reach the pad. We confirm your production schedule and delivery window when your order is finalized. Your crew or a local erector assembles the building; if you want installation arranged, ask when you request your quote.
Yes. A barndominium is a pre-engineered steel building kit with living space inside, drawn for your site’s wind, snow and seismic loads. It is a home, so check residential permit rules with your city, town or county. In the low desert, a reflective roof and full insulation pay off every summer. Send the address and floor plan size with your quote request.
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