Q: I bought a building from Apex. What happens now?
A: From the time you give us the deposit for your building until the time your building package shows up at your build site, there are a few things to consider.
Timing
As soon as you put down your building deposit, we start working on your building. All our stick-framed buildings will arrive at your build site with most of the metal cut to size, all the wood framing members precut to length and all framing member placement pre-marked on the bottom and top plates. The time it takes to complete this process varies, depending on the time of year. The spring and summer months are our busiest time, so you can expect this to take 8-10 weeks to complete. In the fall and winter months, the timeframe is shortened to 6-8 weeks. Special circumstances may extend this timeline.
Obtaining your permits
If building site is in Benton County, Arkansas, you will need to obtain a building permit. You will also need a building permit if you’re within the city limits in Missouri. When you apply for a building permit, you will need to submit a floorplan and truss diagram. We will supply you with those. You'll also need to submit a site drawing. That can be a simple hand drawing or something drafted on your computer.
Foundations and pads
If you have chosen a stick-framed building, a slab foundation must be installed prior to building. We recommend having the foundation poured seven days earlier. Your slab should be the exact same dimensions as your building. For example, if you’ve purchased a 30-foot x 40-foot building from us, your slab needs to be 30 feet x 40 feet. We recommend a slab depth of 4 inches. You will also need a footer beneath your slab. Our recommendation for footer sizing is 16 inches wide by 12 inches beneath the perimeter of the slab. Combined with the 4-inch thickness of the slab, your finished footer will reach a depth of 16 inches and will be 16 inches wide.
If you have chosen a post-framed building, you will need to prepare a level dirt pad for the building. We recommend making the pad at least 4 feet larger than the footprint of the building. We ask you not to install any gravel prior to installation of your building. We will be drilling into the soil, and the soil will mix with your nice clean gravel. It’s best to install the remaining fill and/or gravel after the building is installed.
Building Delivery
We will deliver your building with a flatbed truck that has an attached forklift. You do not need to provide anything other than a clear area near the building site for us to set your materials. If your site is difficult to access, or if there is a steep grade to the build site, please let us know so we can prepare for any adjustments that we need to make.
Q: Are garage doors included with your building quote?
A: They are not. We only provide the garage door opening, and metal trim. We can, however, refer you to a garage door specialist to obtain a quote.
Q: What type of insulation do you have?
A: We have double-bubble R-10 insulation.
Q: Should I have house wrap installed on my building?
A: If you ever intend on insulating the building, yes. House wrap also reduces the normal condensation buildup that is common with metal buildings.
Q: Do I still need a vapor barrier (house wrap) if I purchase insulation?
A: No. Our insulation acts as a vapor barrier so no house wrap is needed.
Q: What type of windows do you have?
A: All of our windows are vinyl clad, low-e, argon filled, double glazed, single-hung windows. White is the only color we offer.
Q: A lot of companies claim to have "excellent craftsmanship." How does Apex claim their quality is unmatched?
A: Quality is in our DNA. Our builder and our founder are both former home builders who built high-end custom homes. We believe anything worth doing is worth doing right. We guarantee you will not be dissatisfied with the quality of your building or the craftsmanship of the construction of it. We will be happy to provide you with customer testimonials or references if you would like. Here is one testimonial from a project we just completed in the summer of 2020 for a customer in Exeter, MO...We just finished a small project with these guys. All I can say is they are great to work with, the quality is great and so are their builders...at least the one I worked with. I'd definitely use them again.
– Jim
Note: We only have one build crew so the quality is consistent.
Q: Do you install concrete?
A: We do not. It is always less expensive for you to contract directly with a concrete company than it would be for us to manage that. We do have concrete companies who our customers have used in the past that we can refer you to though. Just ask us.
Q: What is your typical roof pitch?
A: 4/12, but we can supply you with just about any other pitch you may require.
Q: Your website says you offer stick-framed buildings and pole buildings. What is the difference?
A: Stick-framed buildings are built similar to how a house is built with studded walls and engineered roof trusses. Pole buildings are built with 5"x5" poles set into the ground with purlins on the sidewalls instead of studs. Pole buildings also have engineered trusses.
Q: Which is less expensive, a stick-framed building or a pole-framed building?
A: Our stick-framed buildings are less expensive because you do not have the labor cost to set the poles in the ground. The building materials are the same cost.
Q: Can I get vaulted trusses on my building?
A: Yes. We offer standard and vaulted trusses on all of our buildings.
Q: What is the warranty on your metal siding?
A: 40 years.
Q: What gauge is your metal siding?
A: We install 29-gauge metal on all of our buildings. Thicker metal is available for an added charge but our 29-gauge metal is more than sufficient.
Q: What is included in a stick-framed building package?
A: Treated base plate, double top plate, engineered trusses 4' apart, 2x4 studs 2' apart, (2x6 Studs on 40x50x12, 40x60x12 buildings and buildings with 14' and higher sidewalls), wall ties (sometimes referred to as hurricane ties), 1 1/2" screws with washers, roof purlins 2' apart, all trim necessary, all of our metal and lumber is 95% pre-cut, 40-year warranty, 29-gauge metal walls and roofing. One 3-foot smooth steel walk door and one garage door opening (trim and framing only) is included in base price. Truss details: 4/12 Pitch, 4" heel height. In short, it's everything you need for your building except, the slab and the garage doors. There are 11 how-to assembly videos that are provided to our customers that want to build their stick-framed building themselves.
Q: What is included in a post-framed building package?
A: Our pole buildings do not come in a "kit." Engineered trusses 4' apart, 5x5 treated posts set every 10 feet on gable wall and every 8 feet on sidewalls, 2x10 top band, 2x4 treated bottom band, 2x4 wall purlins, roof purlins 2' apart, wall ties (sometimes referred to as hurricane ties), all trim necessary, 40-year warranty, 29-gauge metal walls and roofing, 1-1/2" screws with washers. One 3-foot smooth steel walk door and one garage door opening (trim and framing only) is included in base price. Truss details: 4/12 Pitch, 4" heel height.
Q: Can I get 2x6 wall studs on my building?
A: Yes, we offer 2x4 and 2x6 framing on all of our buildings. 2x6 framing is standard on all buildings with a sidewall height higher than 12'.
Q: Can I get 16" on center wall studs on my building?
A: Yes. Just let us know and we'll add it to your quote.
Q: Can I fit a 12' garage door opening on a building with 12' sidewalls?
A: Yes, you can on the gable end only. This requires a special truss on the gable end and is an added cost. You cannot have a 12' garage door on the sidewall of a 12' sidewall building though. You're only able to install an opening that is 2' smaller than the sidewall height due to the need for a header in the opening. Example: Max height for a garage door opening on a 12' sidewall is 10', 10' sidewall is 8', 8' sidewall is 7'.
Q: What is the height of the ceiling on a 12' sidewall building?
A: All of our buildings come with the same height ceiling as is called out in the side wall height. Example: a 12' side wall building will have a 12' ceiling height if you select flat ceiling trusses.
Q: I want to turn one of your buildings into a house. What should I consider?
A: We recommend, at the very minimum, house wrap as a moisture barrier on the walls and roof. You will be required to have 2' OC truss spacing instead of our standard 4' OC spacing for any section of your building that will be used as living space.
Q: Can you rough frame interior walls in my building?
A: Due to the recent demand for our buildings, we have suspended any interior framing.
Q: Can I get a residential exterior door with my building instead of the smooth steel door that comes with my building?
A: Yes. Keep in mind residential doors swing inward so please consider that when you fill out our custom quote form. Our residential doors are 6-panel insulated steel doors with no windows. You are also free to supply your own door and have our builder install it for you.
Q: How long does it take to get a quote from Apex?
A: We can normally turn quotes around in as little as 1-2 days. Sometimes it takes a bit longer depending on the complexity of your building and our current workload. Rest assured, once you submit an online quote request, it's on our radar and we will get it back to you as soon as possible. As always, feel free to send us any questions you may have in the meantime.
If you don't see your specific question here, don't hesitate to contact us!