Prefab Metal Buildings Designed For Easy Shipping & Construction in Hawaii

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HAWAII BUILDING SPECIALIST!

Cost-Conscious Shipping & Delivery To Hawaii

Buying a building is easy, but getting it shipped across the ocean to your nearest port in Hawaii and delivered to your door can be more difficult and, done improperly, overly expensive. SteelMaster has dedicated building and logistic specialists who have the experience and know-how to make shipping and delivery as easy as buying the building. This expertise helps make steel building kit delivery smooth and cost-efficient.

We can ship your Quonset hut kit to several Hawaiian ports, including:

• Hilo
• Kailua-Kona
• Honolulu
• Lihue
• Wailuku

How It Works: Building Kit Delivery to Hawaii

1. We pack your prefab building on a custom-made pallet
2. Custom shipping pallets are delivered to a port in California
3. Those pallets are transferred to containers and loaded onto ships (LTL cargo)
4. The building is delivered to the closest possible port to you
5. The building can be delivered to your door (optional)

SteelMaster’s metal Quonset huts headed to Hawaii are shipped on our custom-made pallets. This saves space in shipping and compared to traditional buildings or steel framed kits that take more room, our arch panels easily stack making the space needed and shipping cost to the port of your choice much lower.

Your building materials will be delivered to a local agent for Hawaiian Ocean Transport (HOT) to be picked up at the port. You also have the option to negotiate a rate for the HOT agent to deliver the building straight to your property. If you don’t know any HOT agents, there’s no need to worry–we have a list of reputable agents that will be able to assist you.

Pricing Your Hawaiian Building Kit

We keep shipping costs across the Pacific as low as possible, but that’s not the only factor in how much you’ll pay for a metal building. Not only are our buildings cost-effective, but they also include a 40-year warranty so you save money now and well into the future. The final price of your building will depend on several factors:

• Gauge/Thickness of Steel: The lower the gauge the thicker it is and more raw materials are required
• Building Square-Footage: Similar to the gauge, the bigger the building the higher the cost
• Endwalls and Accessories: You have free range to go as cost-efficient or extravagant as you wish

We offer custom pricing on each building so if your primary concern is keeping the price low, we look at ways to save money at every step of the process.

Hawaii’s construction costs per square foot can be expensive. This is due to labor costs and abiding by building codes on your island and/or county. This makes a Quonset building an even better deal, as the building is prefabricated and construction doesn’t need to be done by a construction crew. Buying a Quonset hut saves you money on construction in several ways:

• Easy DIY Construction: With one size bolt and nut and experience with an erector set or Legos, buildings are easy to assemble and erect.
• Reduced Construction Time: Depending on the size of the building, they can be assembled by a team of two to five people within a matter of days.
• Low maintenance: Our buildings require very little maintenance which saves a ton of money in repair costs, and they are also energy efficient.
• 40-year Warranty: On the slim chance something does go wrong, we have you covered with our warranty program.

The average hourly rate for a welder in Honolulu is between $18 – $43 an hour with an average of around $32 an hour. For a standard metal building, this can cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars of added construction costs.

Unlike other metal building construction methods that require welding, Quonset huts use the natural strength of its arch design and commercial-grade nuts and bolts for their renowned strength. This saves you a lot of money on construction as Hawaii is second only to Alaska in the cost of welding. Also, by state law, you may be required to file additional permits and you are required to pay for a welding inspector to approve the work. Accordingly, you can’t just hire a welder off the street, you need an experienced professional.

SteelMaster’s metal Quonset huts do not require any cutting or welding to assemble. All of the steel panels included are already prefabricated at our factory before it gets delivered to your door. Not only does this make the construction process easier, but you also won’t have to pay expensive welding costs.

Hawaii Building Codes & Permitting

Hawaii’s building codes are based on a series of internationally recognized codes, as well as some county-specific codes your building may be subject to. These codes cover the safety of the interior and exterior of the building. 

The International Building Code has components that apply to every building in Hawaii, including the exterior. SteelMaster’s factory includes the International Building Code in every single plan they create for the building envelope. 

Depending on the interior finish of a building, you may be subject to additional codes. If you plan to only erect the arches of the building, certain codes may not apply to you. 

If you plan to add insulation and or interior walls, then additional codes may apply. Some codes that pertain to the interior include: 

• IECC – International Energy Conservation Code was developed by the International Code Council (ICC) for energy efficiency. This applies mainly to the insulation and and/or liners that are used to finish the interior of the building. 
• Fire code – As adopted by the State Fire Council for all buildings. Fire Codes require the building to have two features: 1) a slow burn rate and 2) a slow rate of heat transfer through the walls.  Our steel is non-combustible, therefore, all of our buildings meet the first requirement. The second requirement only applies if there are walls added to the interior. 
• UPC – Uniform Plumbing Code applies to plumbing and water (if needed) in a building

With so many codes to comply with, obtaining a building permit and building up to code can be a complicated process for Hawaiians looking to erect a building. 

The volume of land use regulation and Hawaii county codes has increased in recent years, which causes additional time to process building permits at governmental offices like the Honolulu Division of Planning and Permitting (DPP) and makes the need to do it right the first time that much more important.

Fortunately, SteelMaster’s building specialists can provide you with some of the documents that plan examiners require to obtain a permit for a building to give you a head start. This will help the permitting process go a little smoother and save you time and money.

Engineered Blueprints Approved By The State Of Hawaii

We also have the potential to save you thousands of dollars in architectural and engineering fees with our in-house engineering included with every building we sell to Hawaiian customers.

Your structure comes with State Stamped Engineered Blueprints that will:

• Meet Hawaii load requirements and are compliant with the 2018 IBC
• Be stamped by our licensed, professional engineer who is knowledgeable of Hawaii’s unique requirements
• Include clearly diagramed drawings of your building

Disaster-Resistant Buildings Designed Just For Hawaii

While Hawaii is known for its beautiful tropical weather, the islands are vulnerable to several natural disasters. SteelMaster’s disaster-resistant buildings can help you stay safe and prepared for any natural disaster or severe weather that may come your way.

Volcano Protection For Buildings

On May 29, Reuters photographer Mario Garcia snapped a photo of Hawaii National Guard Major Jeff Hickman standing in front of a disaster-resistant SteelMaster building, surrounded by lava, in Leilani Estates near Pahoa, Hawaii. The custom end walls were gone, but the steel arches were still standing.

SteelMaster’s metal Quonset Huts are specifically engineered to withstand some of the most extreme natural – even lava flows. Our buildings are made with 100 percent high-quality, commercial-grade steel that has been subjected to several rigorous tests to see how it holds up in intense fire and heat.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the eruption temperature of Kilauea lava was about 2,140 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes more than that amount of heat, 2,500 degrees, for our steel buildings to even begin to burn.

Owners of SteelMaster metal Quonset Huts credit their disaster-resistant buildings for helping them survive direct hits from some of the most dangerous storms.

Jose Malave, a longtime SteelMaster customer, rode out Hurricane Maria in his disaster-resistant SteelMaster Building.

“We took refuge from the storm and after the storm in my building which resisted the punishment of Maria,” said Malave. “We did not make any preparation for the building; we only entered all of our belongings and closed the door.”

Not only is he alive and able to tell his story, but he was able to save thousands of dollars by storing his valuables inside the steel building.

“I am extremely happy and grateful that I was able to save my life and $ 70,000 dollars as a team. I have to thank God, but also thanks to the SteelMaster team,” said Malave.

Our structures are designed for hurricane-prone areas. Our high-grade commercial steel has the best high-speed resistance of any other kind of building. Quonset huts are uniquely suited to withstand hurricanes and other severe storms for several reasons:

• Thicker gauged steel – So strong that it requires no internal structures for support
• Corrugated steel panels – Increases the strength of a steel panel by about 5x
• Overlapping construction – Panels overlap one another to add even more structural strength
• HVHZ certified – Impact tested and resistant against debris from hurricanes
• Galvalume Plus – Organic protective coating that reduces wear and tear

Eco-Friendly Buildings For A Sustainable Future

• Made from 80% recycled steel
• Energy Star®-rated anti-rust coating (Galvalume Plus)
• Ability to add windows or skylights for natural light
• Can be designed for water catchment
• Can include on-site renewable energy by using solar panels

Hawaii is ranked as one of the top states in the U.S. when it comes to green buildings per capita, according to the U.S. Green Building Council.

In 2014, the Aloha State had 30 certified green building projects, representing about 2.7 million square feet of real estate and 1.95 square feet per resident.

If you’re interested in a green or sustainable building, SteelMaster’s building specialists will help you design an eco-friendly building that balances your budget with Hawaii’s adherence to the International Energy Conservation Codes.

SteelMaster is proud to have a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified consultant who has experience in sustainable design, construction and operations standards.

All of our buildings are made of at least 80 percent recycled steel and are covered in Energy Star-rated Galvalume Plus coating, which reduces energy consumption by reflecting heat. This special coating will keep your building cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

There are also several ways to customize our environmentally friendly buildings to increase their sustainability. Customers have the ability to take advantage of natural sunlight by installing large windows. They can also install on-site renewable energy sources such as solar power, which is very popular in Hawaii.

Customer Geno A. was one of the many Hawaiian residents to use the alternative power method.

“Two inches under the earth [in Hawaii] it’s lava, solid rock hard lava. I wasn’t going to trench, the cost of trenching 100 feet out to the shed and shop was not gonna happen,” Geno said.

Instead, Geno went to a hardware store and purchased three sets of 15 watt solar panels.

“I bought all of the wiring and everything I needed and did a professional installation,” he said. “I was able to get enough power to get 10 amps and I can run my power tools, I can run lights, everything is LED, I can run stereo systems.”

It’s been one year since he’s attached his solar panels to his building, and Geno says his system is still working perfectly.