50x80 metal shop cost and material list
A full framing, sheeting, and trim takeoff for a 50' × 80' weld-up building: 14' eave, 4:12 pitch, one walk door, two 12'×12' roll-up doors. Generated by Gable Takeoff; every number below is a real output, not a rounded guess.
Prices as of September 2026.
Where the money goes
Each category includes 8.25% sales tax and a 15% markup, matching the app's defaults. Both are adjustable to your own numbers.
| Category | What's in it | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Steel, sheet & trim | I-beams, purlins, girts, eave struts, end wall columns, roof & wall sheets, one walk door, and all trim | $42,370 |
| Doors & Windows | Two 12'×12' roll-up doors | $7,170 |
| Grand total | $49,541 |
Main frame members
Columns and rafters are cut as separate pieces and nested onto stock lengths with the least waste; each row is the stock to buy and how it's cut. Weight is quantity × stock length × pounds per foot (the second number in the size: W12x19 is 19 lb/ft), which adds up to the 6,480 lb above.
| Stock & cuts | Qty | Size | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cut 1 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter, 2 × 14' 0" column · 5' 7 1/2" drop; 1 cut 2 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter · 7' 3 3/8" drop | 3 | W16x26 | 60' | 4,680 lb |
| 2 cut 1 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter, 2 × 14' 0" column · 5' 7 1/2" drop; 1 cut 2 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter · 7' 3 3/8" drop | 3 | W8x10 | 60' | 1,800 lb |
| Total frame steel | 6,480 lb | |||
Span charts behind these sizes
The highlighted rows set this building's sizes: a 50' clear span calls for W16x26 frames, and 26' 8" bays call for 10" roof purlins. These are the app's default charts.
Main frame · gable
| Clear span up to | Beam |
|---|---|
| 30' | W12x14 |
| 40' | W12x19 |
| 50' | W16x26 |
| 60' | W18x35 |
Purlins & wall girts
| Bay span up to | C-section |
|---|---|
| 20' | 6" |
| 25' | 8" |
| 30' | 10" (roof only) |
Adjust them for your climate. Snow and wind loads vary by region, so every row is editable on the app's Settings tab. Change a size or a span break to match what your engineer or local code requires, and every new estimate uses your charts. More about span charts
Full material list
Wall, roof, and trim color: Charcoal Gray.
| Item | Qty | Size | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. I-Beams | ||||
| I-beam stock | 3 | W16x26 | 60' | 2 cut 1 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter, 2 × 14' 0" column · 5' 7 1/2" drop; 1 cut 2 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter · 7' 3 3/8" drop |
| I-beam stock | 3 | W8x10 | 60' | 2 cut 1 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter, 2 × 14' 0" column · 5' 7 1/2" drop; 1 cut 2 × 26' 4 1/4" rafter · 7' 3 3/8" drop |
| Tube stock | 2 | TS4x4x.188 | 24' | cut each 1 × 22' 4" center column · 1' 8" drop |
| Weld plates | 2 | 6" × 6" | — | one per column · 2 end wall center columns (TS4x4x.188) |
| Weld plates | 4 | 6" × 12" | — | one per column · 4 end wall frame columns (W8x10) |
| Weld plates | 4 | 8" × 20" | — | one per column · 4 interior frame columns (W16x26) |
| 2. Purlins, Girts & Eave Struts | ||||
| Roof purlins | 42 | 10" | 30' | |
| Eave struts | 6 | 10" | 30' | 4:12 pitch |
| Sidewall girts | 18 | 8" | 30' | |
| Gable end girts | 12 | 8" | 25' | |
| Above-eave girt (+7') | 2 | 8" | 20' | |
| Jamb purlins | 2 | 8" | 20' | nested — 4 jambs cut from these |
| Jamb purlins | 2 | 8" | 25' | nested — 4 jambs cut from these |
| Header purlins | 1 | 8" | 25' | nested — 2 headers cut from these |
| 3. Roof & Wall Sheets | ||||
| Roof panels | 54 | — | 26' 5" | |
| Sidewall panels | 54 | — | 14' 0" | |
| Gable end panels | 36 | — | 14' 4" – 22' 4" | 4 @ 22' 4", 4 @ 21' 4", 4 @ 20' 4", 4 @ 19' 4", 4 @ 18' 4", 4 @ 17' 4", 4 @ 16' 4", 4 @ 15' 4", 4 @ 14' 4" (12" wide) · 36" wide |
| 4. Trim | ||||
| Ridge cap | 8 | — | 12' | 12" overlap · 4:12 pitch |
| Rake trim | 8 | — | mixed | 4 @ 22' 0" full-length, 4 @ 6' 4" seam piece · roof length + 1', seamed w/ 12" overlap |
| Eave trim | 16 | — | 12' | 12" overlap · 4:12 pitch |
| Outside corners | 4 | — | 15' 0" | sidewall height + 1', seamed w/ 12" overlap |
| Base angle | 11 | — | 25' | full slab perimeter, 12" overlap |
| Rake angle | 8 | — | 25' | end wall beams, full roof length, 12" overlap |
| Head trim (walk doors) | 1 | — | 3' 6" | top |
| Head trim (roll-up doors) | 2 | — | 13' 0" | top |
| Jamb trim (walk doors) | 2 | — | 7' 6" | both sides |
| Jamb trim (roll-up doors) | 4 | — | 13' 0" | both sides |
| Jamb wrap (roll-up doors) | 2 | — | 13' 0" | top |
| Jamb wrap (roll-up doors) | 4 | — | 13' 0" | both sides |
| 5. Accessories | ||||
| Peak boxes | 2 | — | — | one per gable end |
| Rake end caps | 4 | — | pair | left/right pair per rake run |
| Purlin clips | 172 | — | — | 2 per piece · 86 pieces to clip |
| Walk doors | 1 | — | 3' 0" × 7' 0" | Right sidewall · bay 1 · centered · White |
| 6. Doors & Windows | ||||
| Roll-up door | 2 | — | 12' 0" × 12' 0" | Front gable end · bays 1–2 · centered · Polar White |
| Steel, sheet & trim | $42,370 | |||
| Doors & Windows | $7,170 | |||
| Grand total | $49,541 | |||
Rough budgeting estimate, not a mill quote. Doesn't include permits, engineering, delivery, concrete, labor, or insulation (the Pro plans price those on top of the same takeoff). Prices use the app's default rates; your supplier pricing will differ.
What a 50x80 shop changes
At 50' of clear span the main frame steps up to W16x26, and the 14' eave sets the column length; columns and rafters are cut from beam stock nested for the least waste. The 80' depth splits into 3 bays of 26' 8", which calls for 10" roof purlins in 30' sticks. The two 12'×12' doors are why the eave is 14': a 12' door needs headroom above it for the header and the door's roll.
Common questions
- How much does a 50x80 metal shop cost?
- At the app's default prices (September 2026), a 50x80 weld-up shop with a 14' eave, 4:12 pitch, one walk door and two 12'×12' roll-up doors comes to $49,541, or $12.39 per square foot. That's the building package: steel, sheets, trim, doors and windows, with sales tax and a 15% markup.
- What does a 50x80 cost erected on a slab?
- About $135,561, or $33.89 per square foot: $49,541 for the building package, $32,200 for erection labor and $53,820 for the slab. Insulation, site work and permits are on top.
- How much steel is in a 50x80?
- The main frames are 6,480 lb of W16x26 beam. Purlins, girts and eave struts are light-gauge C-sections on top of that, listed in the full material list below.
See it before you order it
This same 50x80 draws itself in the app. Pick your wall, roof, trim, door, and wainscot colors and the building repaints in 3D; switch to the wireframe to check where the purlins, girts, eave struts, and jamb purlins land. Eight views — four isometric corners and four straight-on elevations — so you can look at a door from outside or the framing from the corner you'll erect from.
Change any dimension and get your own real takeoff.