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How Do You Build a Steel Garage 900 Miles from Civilization?

At Worldwide Steel Buildings, we are proud of our processes that make building a steel structure of any kind, anywhere, as painless and streamlined as possible. However, for one of our customers, timing, communication and follow through were of utmost importance. Here is his experience in his words:

A Challenging Location to Build a Steel Building

For most people, any undertaking of a construction project requires major consideration with regard to time money and frustration. Most would prefer to leave these challenges up to a general contractor and in the end, enjoy all the rewards and just write the check.

Our situation in Juneau has additional considerations. First, we live in a remote community 900 miles away from major shipping ports and access is by boat or plane only. Along with our geographical location, we live in a rainforest that receives approx. 120 inches of rain yearly and annual snowfall that can reach 200 inches. All of this provides for approximately 5 months of sensible building time in a calendar year, so a commitment to a timeline and follow through is essential.

Expectations Were Set Low Due to Previous Experiences

Having lived here for 30-plus years has demonstrated that even the best of companies and corporations from the lower forty eight have and are unable to overcome the many challenges that Juneau presents. And for them to oversell and under execute is more often the norm rather than the exception.

All that said, to maintain control of all factors, I decided to be my own general contractor, designer and banker. And with the help from my lovely assistant and wife Pamela, would construct and build our new garage. I knew what I wanted, where I wanted it and how much I could spend.

(Our 3D Building Designer tool helps you get started on the design of your steel building project!)

Worldwide Steel Was Great from the First Contact

After a year of research and planning, I sent out emails to over a dozen steel building providers. This email contained what I would consider a comprehensive list of details and overview of my project. For comparison’s sake, I was patient and waited for many to respond. Perhaps comparison is the wrong term, for it was more of a contrast as replies came in.

Right from the start, Worldwide steel and more specifically, Mr. John Turner, immediately responded, providing information, answering questions, going over options and discussing details. The information Mr. Turner provided seemed to be more confirmed, confident and backed by firsthand knowledge and industry experience than did others who replied.

Communication Was Convenient

In short order, I knew exactly who he was, what he did and how he could help me with our project. Although there was a three hour time difference, Mr. Turner gave me multiple points of contact: email, phone numbers, etc., and I was encouraged to reach out at any time, after hours and on weekends. Other companies literally took months to return any reply, or deferred me to someone else, or someone would have someone else call me back, or sent me to an automated voicemail tree.

The Construction Process Was Seamless

After deciding to go with Worldwide Steel, John and the team at Worldwide put together a seamless chain of events and efforts from architects, engineers, logistics, shipping departments, finalizing plan details and setting up time schedules, as well as providing necessary plans, documentation, and certifications needed for the local permitting process.

At Worldwide I had one contact, John Turner with a direct line, who always answered the phone or called me back within minutes. But more importantly, John was always in line and up to date with the specifics of my project and its progress. I never felt as if my little garage got lost in the day-to-day shuffle of people being too busy to take the time.

My Steel Garage Is On Schedule and Under Budget

As a result of John and the many others at Worldwide, my little garage has become a reality. We are currently on schedule and under budget working on interior and final details. We are able to look back on this project and experience in a positive light (the wife and I are still talking to each other).

If an honest and truthful recommendation based on deeds, performance and proven abilities was ever deserved, well, my hat’s off to Mr. John Turner and the team from Worldwide Steel. Good job!

See more steel buildings our customers have built on our testimonials page.

If you have a steel building in your future, trust the experienced team at Worldwide Steel Buildings. Call us at (800) 825-0316.