1,200 sq ft · clear span · Texas, Oklahoma & Arkansas
30x40 Metal Building Cost & Specs
1,200 square feet, and the single most requested size we quote. Big enough for a genuine workshop with vehicle parking, small enough to fit most residential lots and budgets.
What a 30x40 Costs in Texas
1,200 square feet at 2026 North Texas pricing. Ranges reflect eave height, wind rating, door configuration and how much of the interior is finished.
| Scope | Per sq ft | 30x40 total |
|---|---|---|
| Shell, installed | $22–$40 | $26,500–$48,000 |
| Turnkey shop or garagemost common | $65–$105 | $78,000–$126,000 |
| Finished commercial | $85–$155 | $102,000–$186,000 |
Shell includes
Engineered foundation, the pre-engineered steel frame and panels, erection, and a standard roll-up door. Shell is the scope those bargain “steel building from $25,000” adverts are quoting — steel delivered and stood up, and nothing else.
Turnkey adds
Insulation, interior framing, electrical rough-in, HVAC where specified, overhead and walk doors, permits, and finish-out. A building you can actually use on handover.
Pricing basis: completed UTS BuildPros projects across DFW and North Texas, 2025–2026. Updated August 2026.
What People Build at 30x40
- Three-bay garage or two bays plus a dedicated work area
- Contractor shop with material storage
- Auto hobby shop with room for a two-post lift
- RV parking at 14-foot eave with a 12x14 door
Worth thinking about
30x40 is the sweet spot where cost per square foot flattens out. Going to 40x60 doubles the area for well under double the price, so if there is any chance you will want more room later, price both before deciding — expanding a completed building costs considerably more than building it larger once.
Eave heights
12 ft · 14 ft · 16 ft
Eave height costs little at build time and cannot be changed afterwards.
Typical doors
Commonly two 10x10 overhead doors plus a walk door, or one 12x12 and one 10x10 where a taller vehicle is involved. At 14-foot eave a single 12x14 door accommodates most Class A motorhomes.
Slab & foundation
A 4-inch slab at 3,000 psi with a 12-inch thickened edge handles residential use. Specify 5-inch if you plan a lift or will park loaded equipment.
Configure Your 30x40 in 3D
Set dimensions, eave height, doors and colours, and send the finished design straight to us for a quote. No sign-up, no download, no sales call.
Open the 3D Designer30x40 Questions, Answered
A 30x40 shell runs roughly $26,500–$48,000 installed. Turnkey — engineered slab, erection, insulation, electrical rough-in and doors — typically falls between $78,000 and $126,000, depending on eave height, door configuration and interior finish.
Yes, with two conditions. Specify at least a 12-foot eave — 14 is better for a two-post lift with a truck on it — and pour a 5-inch slab in the lift bay rather than the standard 4-inch. Both are far cheaper decided before the pour than retrofitted after.
Clear span. A 30-foot width carries on the frame with no interior columns, so the entire 1,200 square feet is usable. We build clear spans to 200+ feet, so column-free is standard at this size.
Typically 8–14 weeks from signed contract to finished building. Permitting and steel lead time drive most of that; erection itself is usually under two weeks once materials are on site.
Ready to Price Your 30x40?
Tell us the eave height, doors and where it is going. Detailed budget range and timeline back within one business day.