• How long the company been in business? Is your company AISC certified?
• Where are the building parts manufactured? Can you tour the plant?
• How does their literature look and feel? Do they have a web site?
• Is the web site professional looking? A professional looking web site takes time and costs money. Companies with flimsy web sites are probably dealers or brokers who buy steel buildings from a number of manufacturers and then mark up prices and resell those buildings to you at a higher price.
• Does their literature show and explain the building assembly process? If not, request additional literature on the assembly process.
• Are they members of their local Better Business Bureau? If so, how long?
• Do they have any un-resolved complaints against them with the BBB? Compare their answer to the bbb.org online.
• Do they have actions or judgments against them by the attorney general of their state? Again, confirm this online or with a phone call to your local attorney general. Do they have any industry affiliations or references? What is the guarantee on the building? Is it from the company or the steel mill that produces the steel?
• Do they work directly for the manufacturer? Probably not. Find out who manufactures the buildings and where the factory is located.
• Is your salesman a dealer, distributor or broker? Ideally, you want a salesman that works directly for the manufacturer instead of a dealer who buys buildings from many manufacturers and marks the prices up.
• Do they have any buildings in your area for you to visit?

This is a major purchase. Take the time to research the company you are about to do business with. In general, you will find that the major companies selling the steel buildings have been in business for a long time. However, the sales people working for these companies typically get paid on a commission only basis from satellite offices. Therefore, the company may be legitimate, but the salesman or dealer may take your money and never turn your order in! Imagine if a salesman/dealer takes $5,000 deposits from 25 people every month. He can do this for at least 8 months before people start to get concerned because one of the selling points used is “we can hold your building for up to a year until you get financing, permits, a job, etc.” At the end of 8 months, he has over a million dollars and you don’t have your building or your deposit. He can claim bankruptcy, move out of state (he has over a million bucks to do it with), and open up shop under another company name.