About PEMB Contractors of Wyoming

Most people who call about a metal building in Wyoming want three answers in the first conversation: what it costs, how long it takes, and whether the steel will be standing before the weather turns. That is where we start at PEMB Contractors of Wyoming. We build pre-engineered metal buildings for ranches, shops, oilfield yards, county road departments, hangars, warehouses and storage operators, and we run each job so that the price, the lead time and the erection date mean the same thing at the end that they meant at the start.

We keep the talk plain because the work is plain. A pre-engineered building is a set of steel frames, purlins, girts and panels designed at the factory for a specific set of loads, shipped on trucks and bolted together on a slab you have already poured. There is nothing mysterious about it, and nothing to be gained by dressing it up. What matters is whether the loads are right for your town, whether the foundation is ready when the trucks arrive, and whether the crew has enough daylight left in the season to close the building in.

Price and lead time come first

A useful budget number needs four inputs: the clear width and length you need, the eave height, the door and window count, and the town you are building in. Give us those and we can talk about a realistic range the same day. The town matters more than most buyers expect, because Wyoming does not use one set of design loads. Evanston requires a minimum 40 psf snow load, and 60 psf in its basin areas, with 100 to 110 mph wind depending on exposure. The Town of Wright publishes 30 psf snow and 90 mph wind. Teton County lists 105 mph wind and sends designers to a hazard tool for snow. Laramie County lists a 32 psf ground snow load and a 105 mph design wind speed. Same steel, different frame weights, different anchor bolt patterns, different price.

Lead time has two halves. The first is the factory: your building is engineered to the local loads, drawings are approved, and the package is fabricated and shipped. The second is the field: site work, footings or a slab, erection, panels, doors and trim. We lay both halves out on one calendar at the start and tell you which dates are firm and which depend on a permit, a utility or the weather. If something slips, you hear about it the day we know, not at the next walkthrough.

What we build and erect

Our core work is the building itself: design, engineering coordination, delivery, and erection. We handle rigid frame erection with our trade partners and equipment where the job calls for it, and we manage subcontractors for the rest. Shop buildings, equipment sheds, farm and ranch storage, county and city shops, truck bays, small warehouses and aircraft hangars all fall into this range, and the same method applies to each.

Enclosure is where a lot of owners spend their regrets. A bare steel skin with a fiberglass blanket behind it works for a hay barn and fails for a heated shop in a cold basin. For buildings that need to hold heat, we price insulated metal panel walls and roofs, which put the insulation, the air barrier and the finish into one factory-made piece. Afton averages close to 88 inches of snow a year and has recorded a low of minus 46 F, so a wall that stays dry and holds its R-value is not a luxury there.

The slab and the anchor bolts are the part of the job that rarely gets enough attention in the quote. The building is only as accurate as the concrete under it, and frost depth in Wyoming runs from 34 inches in Teton County to 36 in Laramie County, 42 in Wright and 54 in Evanston. We coordinate foundations and anchor bolts so the layout, embedment and tolerances match the engineered drawings before a single column is lifted.

Before the snow flies

Our scheduling habit comes straight from the calendar. In much of the state the building season is short, and a shell that is not closed in by late autumn turns into a winter problem: frozen ground, short days, wind on the panels and crews working in the cold. So we plan backward from first snow. Foundation and slab go in early. Steel is ordered against a delivery window rather than a hope. Erection is sequenced so the roof goes on first and the walls follow, which gets you dry sooner and lets interior work start while the weather outside is still unfriendly.

When a project does cross into winter, we say so up front and price it honestly, including heat, enclosures and concrete protection. We would rather help you make that call in September than discover it in November.

Who we build for

Ranches, co-ops and processors are some of our steadiest customers, and we build for them the way they use their buildings: hay and feed storage, equipment and machinery sheds, calving and livestock buildings, shop space and packing rooms. Agricultural owners in Wyoming have watched large operations close, as the Torrington sugar plant did in early 2019, so we encourage a frame that can serve a second use. Our page for ranch and agribusiness owners goes into the buildings and the questions we ask first.

Counties, towns and special districts need equipment bays, road and bridge shops, salt and sand storage, fire hall extensions and similar buildings, usually on a public bid schedule and a tight budget. We support county and municipal public works with clear scopes, itemized pricing, and the paperwork a public owner needs, and we design for the equipment that actually has to fit through the door. Oilfield and mining-service yards, outfitters, fleet operators and self-storage owners round out the list, and each of those sectors has its own page on this site.

Where we work

We work across Wyoming, from the I-25 and I-80 corridors to the Powder River Basin, the Wind River country, the Bighorn Basin and Star Valley. In Gillette and Campbell County, the pattern is buildings that outlast a single tenant: clear span, easy to divide, and sized for the next user, because the area's industrial land has changed hands and uses before. In Evanston, the design values are among the heaviest in the state, and a building there is specified accordingly, with deep footings and strong frames.

Distance is part of the price in a state this size, and we say so. Crew mobilization, material delivery and per-diem costs for a site three hours from the nearest supplier are real numbers, and we include them in the quote rather than leaving them for a change order. Local code is the other piece. Wyoming has no single statewide commercial building code that every county and city must follow. The state fire marshal adopted the 2024 International Codes on June 28, 2024, and localities with delegated authority adopt and enforce their own editions and amendments on their own timelines. We confirm the edition and any local amendments with the building department before we finalize drawings.

How a job runs, start to closeout

First comes a short conversation about use, size and budget. Next we confirm the site: access, utilities, soil and drainage, and what the local building department will want to see. Then comes a written proposal with the building package, the foundation scope, the enclosure and the erection, each priced as its own line so you can compare, trim or add. After approval we coordinate engineering and permits, schedule the slab, and book the delivery.

During erection, we keep the site safe and orderly. Anchor bolts are checked against drawings before the first column goes up, and bracing is installed as the frame rises. At closeout we walk the building with you, check doors, trim, sealants and flashing, and hand over the warranty documents and drawings you will need for insurance, financing and future additions. If you plan to grow, we talk about where the next bay goes before the first one is built, so the expansion is a bolt-on job instead of a tear-out.

Common Questions

How do I get a ballpark price for a metal building?

Send us the width, length, eave height, door and window count and the town. With those we can give a realistic range for the building package, foundation, enclosure and erection. Final pricing follows engineering to the local snow and wind loads.

Can you build through winter?

Yes, when the job calls for it, but we price it honestly. Cold, wind and frozen ground add cost for heat, enclosures and concrete protection. Many owners prefer to pour a slab in the fall and erect in spring, and we plan either path.

Do you handle permits and local code?

We coordinate the permit process and confirm which code edition and amendments your building department uses. Wyoming has no single statewide commercial code, so requirements differ by county and town.

Do you build in small towns far from the interstate?

Yes. We work across the state, including remote ranch and oilfield sites. Mobilization and delivery distance are included in the quote up front so there are no surprises later.

Can the building be expanded later?

Yes. We design the end walls and foundations with growth in mind when you tell us it is likely, so an addition connects to the existing frame instead of requiring major demolition.