What a metal building costs in North Carolina, from a real 2026 contract
Dealers do not publish prices, and online calculators are lead forms. This is an actual signed order for a 50×80 shop building, with the math done.
The short answer
Company statement: L&G sales order, February 2026
My certified 50 ft × 80 ft × 16 ft vertical-roof building, 14-gauge frame, fully enclosed, with a 12×35 and a 12×50 lean-to, was priced at $50,551 installed, with no sales tax charged.
| Main building footprint | 4,000 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Under roof including lean-tos | 5,020 sq ft |
| Building price per sq ft under roof | about $10.07 |
| Building plus concrete, per sq ft under roof | about $19.67 |
The concrete was another $48,199, so the project was $98,750. If a quote for a building this size comes without a slab price, you are looking at roughly half the bill.
What drives the price
On my order the base 50×80 shell was $36,300 at list. The expensive upgrades were height and enclosure: going to 16-foot legs added $8,400, closing both ends $9,420 and both sides $8,060. The two lean-tos added about $18,350 with their heights, gables and side walls. Garage door frame-outs ran $400 to $600 each, and that is the opening only. Roll-up doors themselves were not on my order.
Site-specific engineered blueprints were a $3,000 line. You need them for a certified building that has to pass county inspection, and the terms say they “can take up to 20 weeks.” That wait is the longest lead item in the whole job, so ask for the plan delivery date in writing.
Ignore the discount
My line items add up to $92,182.50. Then a single line, “Manufacturer Discount,” removes $41,631.50, about 45%. I doubt anyone pays list. When you compare dealers, compare the bottom line for the same width, length, leg height, gauge, roof style and certification, and pay no attention to who is offering the bigger discount.
What the price did not include
- The lift. “7k Telehandler Lift (customer Provided), $0.” I paid $2,000 for a week’s rental, and then the crew came five days late. The texts are here.
- Roll-up doors. My order prices nine framed openings and no doors to go in them. Insulation, electrical and interior work are also not part of it.
- Permits. Entirely the customer’s job under L&G’s terms. How that works in your county.
- Site work. Fill dirt, compaction, stump and rock removal, and grading beyond two hours.
- A finish date. There is none in the contract. Mine is unfinished 209 days after signing.
Also look at how the money moves. My schedule put $90,182 of $98,750 due before completion, all by bank wire. See the payment schedule.
Where these numbers come from
From my own signed contract with L&G Building & Concrete of Asheboro, NC, and what happened on my lot afterward. I am a customer, not a contractor or an engineer, and this is not professional advice. Prices are from February 2026 in western North Carolina.