30×50 Metal Building
1,500 sq ft 12 to 16 ft eave
A 30×50 metal building gives you 1,500 square feet of clear-span, column-free space, enough room for a deep three to six car garage, a working auto or fabrication shop, equipment storage, or a small commercial unit. Universal Steel of America engineers, fabricates and ships every 30×50 as a pre-engineered steel building, with the primary frame sized to the snow, wind and seismic codes at your exact site.
As a US manufacturer we build to order rather than sell a generic kit off a shelf. Your building leaves the closest plant to your site, ready for fast assembly, and you can add professional erection as an optional service. The result is a code-engineered structure at 30 by 50 feet that you can finish out for almost any use, from cold storage to a heated workshop.
- Dimensions
- 30 ft wide by 50 ft long
- Floor area
- 1500 sq ft
- Clear span
- 30 ft column-free
- Typical eave height
- 12 to 16 ft, taller available for RVs or a mezzanine
- Frame
- pre-engineered primary steel frame (red iron), bolt-together
- Panels
- 26 gauge steel roof and wall sheeting in a range of colors
- Loads
- engineered to local snow, wind and seismic code
- Finish warranty
- 25 to 40 year paint and coating warranty
- Delivery
- shipped from the closest plant to your site
- Erection
- optional professional service
Popular uses for a 30×50 Metal Building
Three to six car garage
The 50 ft depth makes the 30x50 a true multi-bay garage, with room to park three to six vehicles in tandem plus space for tools and a workbench. The 30 ft clear span keeps every bay column-free. Add extra roll-up doors and a taller eave for lifts or tall vehicles.
Metal garagesAuto repair and workshop
At 1,500 square feet this is a popular size for an auto repair bay, woodworking shop or fabrication space, with depth for a lift, benches and parts storage. The column-free interior lets you lay out equipment and a work aisle however you like. Wider openings and added eave height are engineered in for lifts and tall doors.
Shop buildingsRV, boat and tall vehicle storage
Specify a taller eave and the 30x50 swallows an RV, boat, camper or stacked trailers with clearance to spare across its 50 ft length. A taller roll-up door and added eave height are built into the frame from the start. It is an easy way to keep big-ticket vehicles out of the sun and weather.
RV and boat storage buildingsAgricultural and equipment storage
The same footprint serves as a compact barn or implement shed, with 30 by 50 feet of covered, column-free room for tractors, attachments, hay or supplies. Open one or both gable ends for drive-through access. Engineered loads keep it standing under regional snow and wind.
Agricultural steel buildingsSmall commercial, retail or office
Insulated and fitted with windows and walk doors, a 30x50 becomes a tidy storefront, service counter, studio or office for a small business. The clear span lets you partition the 1,500 square feet into retail, work and back-of-house zones. It is a low-maintenance, code-engineered alternative to leased space.
Commercial steel buildingsWhy 1,500 square feet works so well at 30 by 50
The 50 ft length is what sets this size apart from a squarer 30×40. That extra depth lets you run vehicles or a workflow front to back, park three to six vehicles in tandem bays, or split the floor into a work zone and a storage or office zone. The full 30 ft width stays column-free, so nothing interrupts the floor and you can reconfigure the layout whenever your needs change.
Built for shops, storage and small business
At this footprint the 30×50 is a natural auto repair or woodworking shop, a contractor base with room for trucks and a parts area, or agricultural and equipment storage that keeps machinery out of the weather. With a taller eave it handles RVs, boats and tall trailers, and with insulation and roll-up doors it makes a tidy retail, service or office space. We engineer wider door openings and added eave height into the frame from the start so the building suits the job.
Adding living quarters or a mezzanine
A 30×50 is large enough to carry a partial second floor. Order a taller eave, around 16 to 20 ft, and you can frame in a mezzanine for storage, an office or a loft. If your plan includes finished living space or a shop-with-living-quarters layout, that is a barndominium project. We build those too. See our barndominium buildings for living-quarters options, and keep this 30×50 page for shop, storage and commercial use.
30×50 Metal Building questions
How much does a 30x50 metal building cost?
Industry-typical pricing for a 30x50 metal building runs roughly $11 to $20 per square foot for the engineered shell, which works out to about $16,000 to $30,000 for the structure. A fully finished and installed building, with concrete, insulation, doors and site work, more commonly lands in the $40,000 to $75,000 range. Those are estimates, not a Universal Steel quote, since price depends on eave height, loads, finish and local labor.
How many cars will fit in a 30x50 garage?
A 30x50 garage holds three to six cars depending on how you arrange them and how many roll-up doors you add. Parked in tandem along the 50 ft length you can fit six standard vehicles, or you can use part of the 1,500 square feet for a workshop and storage and keep three to four parking spots. The 30 ft clear span means no interior columns get in the way.
Is a steel building cheaper than wood?
Over the life of the building a pre-engineered steel 30x50 is usually the better value than a comparable wood or pole-barn structure. Steel resists rot, termites, fire and warping, needs little maintenance, and ships as an engineered frame that goes up fast. Upfront kit cost can be similar, but lower upkeep, longer service life and a strong finish warranty typically make steel cheaper to own.
What eave height should I choose for a 30x50 metal building?
Most 30x50 buildings use a 12 to 16 ft eave, which suits a standard garage, shop or storage building. Choose taller, around 16 to 20 ft, if you need clearance for an RV, a vehicle lift, or a mezzanine or second floor. Because we engineer the frame to your spec, you pick the eave height before fabrication rather than working around a fixed kit.
Can a 30x50 metal building have living quarters?
Yes. A 30x50 is large enough for a shop-with-living-quarters or a partial second floor, which is known as a barndominium. With a taller eave you can frame in a mezzanine or loft above part of the 1,500 square feet. If finished living space is your goal, see our barndominium buildings page, since that route covers the layout, insulation and finishing involved.
Get your 30x50 estimate
We engineer and ship from the closest plant, across the US and internationally. Tell us your site and use.