Metal Building Kit vs. Installed in Spokane (2026): What a Kit Price Leaves Out

Shopping for a metal building online, you'll see kit prices that look like a fraction of a contractor's quote. The kit is real, but it's only part of the job. Here's what a steel building package includes, what it leaves out, and what an installed pre-engineered metal building (PEMB) actually costs in the Spokane area in 2026.

The short answer

• Kit or package only: BuildingsGuide lists $15 to $25 per sq ft for the steel package (10-foot eave, materials only) as of October 2026
• Erection labor, national guides: about $5 to $10 per sq ft (BuildingsGuide), $6 to $12 (Terrapin Construction Group) and $5 to $15 (Worldwide Steel Buildings, as summarized by UTS Build Pros)
• Raven's going installed rate in the Spokane area: about $60 to $75 per sq ft, not including electrical, plumbing or utility hookups, which are extra

That gap is the point of this post. National kit-plus-labor numbers leave out a long list of items that every Eastern Washington building still needs.

What a kit price includes

BuildingsGuide describes the package as the building system: primary frames, secondary framing (purlins and girts), roof and wall panels, trim and the engineered drawings. It also notes the package is only about 40 to 50% of total project cost.

What a kit price leaves out

BuildingsGuide's own list of items to budget separately:

• Concrete foundation and anchor bolts
• Erection labor and crane rental
• Insulation, unless ordered as an upgrade
• Doors and windows beyond standard framed openings
• HVAC, plumbing and electrical
• Interior buildout and finishing
• Permits and local engineering review fees
• Site preparation and grading

Barn-Wise's 2026 breakdown of a 40x60 adds freight ($1,200 to $2,800) and a crane or telehandler ($1,200 to $2,500) as their own lines.

Why Eastern Washington buildings cost more than national averages

• Snow load: the City of Cheney's adopted code lists a 39 lbs per sq ft ground snow load, and outside city limits your parcel's load comes from Spokane County's snow load map. Heavier loads mean heavier frames and purlins than a national-average kit
• Frost depth: the Spokane area's joint frost policy puts footings at least 24 inches below finished grade, so the foundation is more than a flat slab
• Engineered plans: Spokane County's commercial checklist asks for structural calculations, foundation plans and a signed Washington professional stamp when required (RCW 18.08 and 18.43). Seattle's guidance on prefabricated metal buildings, a useful reference for what reviewers look for, requires the engineer's seal on each sheet plus all design loads on the drawings
• Who decides: Washington's Attorney General notes that the documents required for a permit are mostly up to the local building official, so check with the City or County where you're building

The hidden cost of doing it yourself

A kit can make sense if you have equipment, a crew and time. Before you order one, plan for:

• The foundation: anchor bolts must match the manufacturer's anchor bolt plan. See our PEMB foundation guide
• Lifting: frames and rafters need a crane or telehandler and people who've set steel before
• Permits: you'll be the one answering plan review comments
• Lead time: manufacturers' production queues set the date, not your weekend. Our metal building lead time guide walks through a realistic timeline
• Hiring help: if you bring in anyone to build it, check that they're a registered Washington contractor with L&I's Verify a Contractor tool

What Raven's installed price covers

Raven isn't tied to one manufacturer. We price your building with whichever PEMB supplier can deliver fastest at your parcel's snow and wind loads, then handle the slab, the erection and the permit package. At about $60 to $75 per sq ft installed, a 30x40 (1,200 sq ft) runs about $72,000 to $90,000 and a 40x60 (2,400 sq ft) about $144,000 to $180,000. Electrical, plumbing and utility hookups are extra. For a line-item view, see what a 30x40 or 40x60 metal shop with a slab costs in Spokane County, and compare systems in red iron vs. pole barn cost.

Get a real number for your building

Send us your size, use and address and we'll quote the building at your actual loads. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote. See our steel building services.

Sources

• Installed pricing: Raven Buildings' current going rate for the Spokane area
• BuildingsGuide, Metal Building Prices (October 2026)
• BuildingsGuide, Pre-Engineered Metal Buildings: Specs and Costs
• UTS Build Pros, Metal Building Erection Labor Cost per Sq Ft (2026)
• Terrapin Construction Group, Pre-Engineered Metal Building Cost (2026)
• Barn-Wise, Metal Building Cost: Steel Package, Slab, Erection (2026)
• City of Cheney ordinance amending CMC 19.06 Building Code (design criteria table)
• City of Spokane / Spokane County Joint Policy BUILD-07, Official Frost Depth
• Spokane County BP-22, Commercial Permits Checklist
• Seattle SDCI Tip 304, Permit Requirements for Prefabricated Metal Buildings
• Washington Attorney General, Authority of Engineers and Architects to Stamp Drawings
• Washington L&I, Verify a Contractor