Standard Q-Series, S-Series, and G-Series buildings cover most projects, but not every site, use case, or budget fits neatly into a standard configuration. Here's when it makes sense to look at a custom arch steel building instead — and what "custom" actually means in practice.
Signs a Standard Building Won't Fit
- Unusual site dimensions. A narrow lot, an oddly shaped parcel, or an existing structure you need to build around can rule out standard width and length combinations.
- Specific clearance requirements. Aircraft hangars, equipment with unusual height needs, or overhead crane systems often need center heights or door openings outside standard configurations.
- Non-standard door or opening placement. Multiple large openings, offset doors, or openings sized for specific equipment access often require custom engineering rather than a standard framed opening.
- Unusual load requirements. Sites with extreme wind, snow, or seismic conditions, or buildings that need to support additional equipment loads (like mezzanines or hanging equipment), often exceed what a standard configuration is engineered for.
- Phased or connected buildings. Projects that need multiple connected structures, or a building designed to be expanded later, typically require custom planning from the start.
What "Custom" Actually Means
A custom arch steel building isn't a different product line — it's the same clear-span arch engineering, adapted to your specific width, length, height, opening, and load requirements rather than a standard catalog size. Duro Span's in-house engineering accounts for your site's dimensions and your local code requirements from the start, rather than trying to fit a standard model to a non-standard situation.
Where Custom Buildings Are Most Common
Custom configurations come up most often in commercial and industrial projects: aircraft hangars, manufacturing and warehouse facilities, equestrian arenas with specific clearance needs, multi-bay commercial storage, and municipal or agricultural facilities with unusual footprint constraints. Custom doesn't necessarily mean more expensive per square foot than a standard building — it means the building is engineered around your actual requirements instead of the closest available standard size.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Custom projects move faster when you can answer a few questions up front:
- Site dimensions and any grade or space constraints
- Intended use and any equipment that needs to fit inside
- Required clearance heights and door opening sizes
- Your delivery location, for local wind/snow/seismic engineering
How the Process Works
A custom Duro Span building goes through the same core process as a standard order — engineering to your site and local code, pre-cut and pre-drilled fabrication, and delivery with a full erection manual — the difference is that the dimensions, openings, and load specs are built around your project rather than selected from a standard size chart.
Have a project that doesn't fit a standard size? Call 888-848-2011 to talk through your site and requirements with a building specialist, or
get a free quote.