What exactly is a barndominium shell from METCO, and what isn't it?
A METCO barndominium shell is the steel structure of a home: galvanized framing, 29-gauge roof and wall panels, and the door and window openings placed where your floor plan calls for them, delivered and installed on your Union County site by METCO. Widths run from 12 to 60 feet with no interior posts, so a 40 by 60 shell gives you 2,400 square feet of open floor to lay out rooms without working around columns, and leg heights run from 9 to 12 feet, with the 12-foot option giving the most headroom. What the shell is not is a finished house. Electrical, plumbing, insulation, HVAC, drywall, flooring and cabinets are not included; those are done by your own trades, and finish-out is where the months and most of the total cost go. Framing is 14-gauge as standard, with 12-gauge available for larger spans.
Where is the METCO lot on Duncan Bypass in Union?
METCO Metal Building Supply's Union lot is at 220 Duncan Bypass, Union, SC 29379, on the bypass that carries US 176 around town. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm, and the lot phone is (864) 426-2377. Jonesville and Buffalo are minutes away, Lockhart and Carlisle are out toward the Broad River on the east side of the county, and Whitmire is down US 176 on the Newberry County side of the national forest. Spartanburg is up US 176 to the northwest. Bring your floor plan, or a rough layout from the 3D designer at /builder/, and the lot can place the door and window openings and set the width and leg height before you decide. Quotes are figured from current steel pricing, usually within 24 hours, and the lot will say before purchase whether your parcel needs certified engineered wind and snow load drawings. The other 27 METCO lots are listed at /locations/.
What should you settle before ordering a barndominium shell in Union County?
Three things, in order. First, the county: whether Union County treats a steel-shell residence differently from a shop, what it requires for permits and inspections, and whether engineered drawings are needed all vary by jurisdiction and building size, so ask the county about your parcel and ask the METCO lot whether certification applies; METCO tells you before purchase. Second, the foundation: a residence shell normally sits on a concrete slab with plumbing rough-in placed before the pour, so your plumber and the slab contractor need the floor plan before METCO's crew arrives, and the red clay across Union County should be graded to carry water away from the slab. Third, financing and insurance: lenders and insurers treat barndominiums differently from one another, so ask yours early. Rent-to-own with no credit check is offered on qualifying buildings, and the lot can say whether a given shell qualifies.
How does METCO quote a barndominium shell, and how long does the build take?
METCO does not publish prices; each shell is quoted from current steel pricing, typically within 24 hours of your request. The cost moves with footprint and leg height, 14-gauge versus 12-gauge framing, certified engineered drawings where the county requires them, and the number of window openings, walk doors and roll-up doors in your plan. The slab, site work, well and septic are separate, and the entire interior finish-out is done by your own trades. Sketch the shell in the 3D designer at /builder/ or bring a floor plan to the Union lot. After you order, METCO manufactures the panels and framing, delivers free within 100 miles of the lot, and typically has the shell standing in days. The rest of the timeline, from rough-in to move-in, belongs to your finish-out crews and usually runs months. Shops, garages and barns from the lot follow the same process without the interior work.
