Pre-engineered Metal Building Manufacturers We Work With
The Carport Co. works with the best steel and metal structure manufacturers across the country. The manufacturers are the ones creating the galvanized steel tubing and sheet metal used in every carport, garage, and commercial building.
Working with multiple tube frame manufacturers allows us to offer competitive pricing, a variety of products, and more customization options. It also helps maintain fast lead times and allows us to cover more ground. If you’re reading this, it’s likely if we didn’t work with multiple manufacturers, we wouldn’t be able to offer our services in your area.
Disclaimer: Nothing written herein is to be considered official professional advice. All opinions are held by their respective author.
ACE Steel Carports - Our Local Champion
ACE Steel Carports is the manufacturer we use most often. ACE has their headquarters in New Castle, Indiana (about 1-hour east of Indianapolis). If ACE covers your area, that’s who we urge you to choose. They have one of the fastest lead times, great warranties, and excellent customer service. Our commission per structure from ACE is the same as our other manufacturers, so our opinion is completely unaffected by financial motivation or greed. We genuinely love working with ACE, and wish their coverage area was larger. Hopefully, we can contribute to their future expansion(s) with your support.
At the time of writing this article, ACE Steel Carports has had one complaint on the BBB in the past 3 years. ACE has a Google review rating of 4.2 stars.
ACE Steel Carports offers the following warranties: 1 year rust warranty on 14 gauge framing, 20 year rust warranty on 12 gauge framing, 20 year 120 MPH wind warranty on anchors, 1 year maintenance warranty, 1 year leak warranty, 30 day workmanship warranty, and 20 year paint warranty on sheet metal.
ACE Steel Carports: Google Reviews | BBB Page
American Steel Carports - Largest in the Country
American Steel Carports is the largest carport and metal building manufacturer in the United States. American has its headquarters in Joshua, Texas. American covers over 35 states across the country. They have good customer service, fast lead times, and an okay warranty. Their build quality is equivalent to that of ACE Steel Carports, which is excellent.
At the time of writing this article, American Steel Carports has had 57 complaints on the BBB in the last 3 years. American has a Google review rating of 4.5 stars.
You really can’t go wrong choosing American Steel Carports. They became the largest manufacturer in the country, and have held that title for over 25-years for a reason. They are 1 of the original 4 companies that began the prefabricated metal building industry over 25 years ago. We’ve never had a customer complaint about their customer service. You won’t regret choosing American for your structure.
American Steel Carports offers the following warranties: 20 year rust warranty on 12 gauge framing, lifetime(?) 90 MPH wind warranty, and a 1 year limited warranty. American does not offer a rust warranty on 14-ga framing, or cover anything else that didn’t come with a manufacturer defect or that a contractor did not damage during the transportation or installation of the structure.
American Steel Carports: Google Reviews | BBB Page
Carolina Carports - Affordable Pricing
Carolina Carports has been around since the beginning of the industry and for many people, the go-to choice for metal buildings and carports on the east coast. They are by far one of the most affordable options if you’re looking to get a structure at a low price. However, they typically have some of the longest lead times in the industry. To pass savings along to you, they try to wait until they have several installs on the schedule in your area before sending out a truck. This is great for cost, but it may take a couple of months before your building arrives.
At the time of writing this article, Carolina Carports has had 123 complaints on the BBB in the last 3 years, making them the manufacturer on this list of companies we work with that has the most complaints. Carolina Carports has a Google review rating of 2.8 stars.
Carolina Carports offers the following warranty: 20-year limited rust through warranty on 12-ga framing, vertical roofs, boxed eave up to 31′ long, regular roofs up to 31′ long, limited life time warranty on all certified units for wind and snow loads, a 10-year limited rust through warranty on 14-ga framing, and a 1-year workmanship warranty from date of installation.
Carolina Carports: Google Reviews | BBB Page
Eagle Carports - Low Pricing & Proven Track Record
Eagle Carports has their headquarters in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, and they offer competitive pricing and a proven track record.
At the time of writing this article, Eagle Carports has had 59 complaints on the BBB in the past 3 years. Eagle has a Google review rating of 3.3 stars. Most the negative reviews are coming from customers whose buildings have caved in or collapsed, with some claiming the building was ripped out of the ground by 30-40 MPH winds, which we believe to be quite unlikely. Even if customers don’t opt for mobile home anchors, the rebar ground anchoring rods are still engineer certified up to 90 MPH.
Eagle Carports is who we recommend to customers who are on a limited budget, but are okay with spending a bit more for a quality structure. Eagle, like American, is 1 of the original 4 companies that started the industry 25+ years ago.
Eagle’s warranty offering is subpar and by far the worst compared to the other manufacturers on this page. If warranty is a concern, you should maybe consider another manufacturer.
Eagle Carports: Google Reviews | BBB Page
US-Steel Buildings - Lowest Pricing
US-Steel Buildings is based out of Aberdeen, Mississippi, and they offer the lowest pricing and the longest rust warranty on 14-ga steel we’ve seen. Previously, the lowest price title was held by Eagle, but with US-Steel Buildings surfacing in 2022 and Eagle’s recent price increases, US-Steel Buildings has since taken the crown.
At the time of writing this article, US-Steel Buildings has had 0 complaints since their founding 2 years ago. US-Steel Buildings has a 4.2 star rating based on 10 different reviews. Due to the relatively recent opening of the company, it is difficult to get a full picture of how the manufacturer responds to and resolves problems.
US-Steel Buildings offers the following warranties: 90 day maintenance warranty, 10 year rust warranty on 14 gauge framing, 20 year rust warranty on 12 gauge framing, 15 year 140 MPH wind warranty, 20 year warranty on paint on sheet metal, and a 90 day workmanship warranty.
If you are on a tight-budget and willing to try a smaller manufacturer out, US-Steel Buildings is an exceptional choice. They have by far the best warranty offering we’ve seen in the industry.
US-Steel Buildings: Google Reviews | BBB Page
Coverage Throughout US and Canada
VersaTube Building Systems - DIY Building Kits
VersaTube Building Systems is based out of Collierville, Tennesssee. They were founded in 1994 during the upswing of the prefabricated metal building industry. VersaTube is the de facto standard for DIY pre-engineered metal building kits.
VersaTube does not install any structures themselves. Instead, they manufacture structures, then have them delivered to your door, at which point, you install the building yourself. They are a great budget option, typically costing 10-30% less than our other manufacturers. VersaTube is a great option for customers looking to save money, or for those who like to work with their hands.
At the time of writing this article, VersaTube Building Systems has had 5 complaints on the BBB in the last 3 years. VersaTube has a Google review rating of 4.2 stars. That’s incredible after 31-years of business.
VersaTube offers a 30-day manufacturer defect warranty. If you notice something wrong with your material, they will fully replace it within 30 days of installation at no cost to you. VersaTube also offers a 25-year frame warranty that covers all the 14-ga or 12-ga steel framing.
We highly recommend VersaTube to any customer who is looking to save a little money by installing the structure themselves.
VersaTube Building Systems: Google Reviews | BBB Page
About the Pre-Fabricated Metal Building Industry
Before we delve into our sales pitch about why you should choose The Carport Co. to do your project, we wanted to discuss a few important things within the pre-fabricated metal building industry.
Going With the Lowest Price: Unless your building will be a temporary installation, or you live in an area with no high winds or snow, we do not recommend picking the manufacturer that offers the lowest price, with pricing being the only consideration in your decision. Do your research, vet the company on Google, vet the company on the BBB, ask in-depth questions, etc.
Warranty Offering: Ensure to ask questions about what options come with a warranty, if your options come with a warranty, and ask for a physical document outlining what is covered, what isn’t covered, and what will void your warranty. Also, remember that a warranty is only as good as the company. Your 20-year warranty doesn’t matter if the company doesn’t exist in 20-years.
Note About the BBB: Many people mistake the BBB as a government or government-adjacent company. The BBB is a review site and not affiliated with the government. Your state’s consumer protection division of the attorney general’s office does what many think the BBB does. Google gives a better insight into how a company treats their customers, and it’s what we would recommend to evaluate the manufacturer you choose.
The Industry in 2020: In 2020, many manufactures had orders piled up and were ready to send them out for installation, and then a lockdown order went into place because of COVID. The industry was really flipped upside down. No one knew what we could do. Safety precautions meant preparing worker and customer areas for safe interactions, people were getting sick, etc. If you look, you can probably find negative reviews from 2020 to 2021 of customers complaining of long lead times, manufacturers cancelling orders, etc. What happened was the price of steel doubled, and manufacturers didn’t have enough on hand to complete every new order, as they place supply orders every month to manufacture more. However, when you run out have steel, and have 200 orders left to manufacture, you’re forced to either take a huge loss on what you’ve sold, or offer refunds. The approach taken varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Lead times went from 2 to 4 weeks to 6 months for some manufacturers. If you see bad reviews for manufacturers relating to lead time around this timeframe, that is why.
Why Not Go Directly to the Manufacturer?
After reading about the manufacturers we use, and perhaps you’ve learned that many companies you see advertising online aren’t manufacturers themselves, but dealers for manufacturers. You’re probably wondering why you shouldn’t just go directly to a manufacturer for your project.
We believe in transparency here, so we will say you are 100% free to do that. There is nothing stopping you from going directly to a manufacturer and having them do your project.
However, there are a few things you should know when ordering with The Carport Co. First, we charge absolutely no markup fees, all pricing is direct manufacturer pricing. Second, you get great customer service. If, for whatever reason, you’re getting nowhere with the manufacturer with an issue you’re having, we pledge to fight for you.
Ready to Begin Your Project?
Do you think The Carport Co. would be a good fit for you? We’d love to earn your business. Fill out the quote form, and one of our friendly representatives will be in touch with you shortly. We’re here to answer questions you may have, provide personalized recommendations, and get you an estimate on your project.
To speak with someone, call (888) 293-5588 or email [email protected].
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your property with a durable, versatile, and visually appealing metal structure. Contact The Carport Co. today and experience what we can do.
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The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide is a collection of articles by The Carport Co. These articles have been catered to first time steel and metal carport, garage, and commercial building buyers. Our goal is to share as much information with customers as possible, to help make informed decisions, and ensure a customer doesn’t discover an addition they would have liked to added at the time of sale, but was not aware of the option’s existence.
Here is a preview of a few articles. To view the full Buyer’s Guide, please visit the Ultimate Buyer’s Guide page.
