Commercial Steel Building Heights and Sizes
12 November 2021
Standard Heights, Spans and Bay Sizes for Commercial Buildings
IN BRIEF
- Steelcorp fabricates steel buildings with spans ranging from 18m to 36m.
- Our standard structure heights range from 4m to 8.85m.
- Standard bay sizes are available in widths from 6m to 8m, stretching up to 10m before a girder is required.
- Planning your structure with these standard dimensions in mind can help you save on customisation costs.
Standard Structure Spans (widths)
Steelcorp uses several different standard sizes to fabricate our steel buildings, which are typically used as warehouses, factories, food processing facilities, industrial buildings, storage complexes or commercial multi-tenant facilities.
- 18m, 21m, 24m, 30m, 36m
- The span is the width across the front of the structure from one side wall to the other. This is called the apex or gable end, or across the pitch.
Standard Heights
- 4m, 4.35m, 5.1m, 5.85m, 6.6m, 7.35m, 8.1m, 8.85m
- Heights are measured from the ground to the eaves, rather than to the top point of the gable or skillion roof. The eave height is where the gutter line is.
Standard Bay Sizes

- 6m, 7m, 7.5m, 8m
- Bays can be built as wide as 8 metres as standard. Open bays can be stretched to 10m before a girder beam may be required to accommodate large equipment and allow access by various types of machinery. Anything above 8m is considered non-standard.
How Do I Know What Size Structure I Need?
One of the first things to consider when building a commercial steel structure is how big you need it to be. The size of your structure will depend on your overall budget, and what you intend to use it for. It’s important to consider your budget and business plan first before you decide on the right site.
However, knowing some of the standard dimensions we work with can help you plan ahead and get the best structure for your needs. Of course, a bigger structure will generally be more expensive – but if you can plan ahead of time using standard sizes, you can avoid some additional customisation costs.
Likewise, planning for potential future expansion and building a structure that’s big enough to grow with you will ensure you’ve got ample space available for years to come.
