Everybody comparison shops on price. Almost nobody comparison shops on lifespan, which is strange, because the cheapest building on the lot is usually the most expensive building you will ever own once you divide the price by the years you get out of it.
The three parts that decide how long it lasts
Siding, floor, roof. That is the whole list. Everything else is trim.
Siding is where cheap buildings die first. Thin panel siding swells at the bottom edge where it wicks water off the skirt, then it delaminates, then the paint goes. We build with LP SmartSide, which is engineered specifically to resist that, and it carries a 50 year warranty.
Floors die second, usually from moisture underneath. Standard OSB will soften and cup. We use AdvanTech flooring, which carries a lifetime warranty. It is the same product a lot of custom home builders spec for subfloor, and there is a reason for that.
Roofs are the most visible failure but usually the slowest. Both metal and shingle work in White County. Metal sheds ice better and lasts longer without attention. Shingles look more like a house and are easier to patch.
Who fixes it when something goes wrong
This is the question nobody thinks to ask until they need the answer. Most companies will hand you the manufacturer contact and let you make the case yourself. We do not. If your LP siding or your AdvanTech floor ever needs a warranty claim, we take care of it.
On top of the manufacturer coverage, every Cardinal building carries our own 10 year guarantee. It protects against acts of nature such as storm damage and settling, and it covers our craftsmanship. If it is covered, we repair it or we replace it.
What still comes down to you
Two things will shorten the life of a good building faster than anything we can control. The first is a bad pad. Set the building on level gravel that extends about a foot past it on all sides so water sheets away instead of standing against the skids. The second is trees. A limb over the roof drops debris, holds moisture on the shingles and eventually drops something heavy. Trim it before you set the building, not after.
Numbers
Our C+ Utility 6×8 starts at $1,900 and the Cardinal Utility 8×8 starts at $2,762. Sizes run from 6×8 up to 16×60. Rent-to-own has no credit check, runs 24 to 60 months, starts at $75.44 a month, takes your first two months as a deposit and carries no early payoff fee. Financing options with no money down are available with approved credit, and cash custom orders take 20% down. Questions we get all the time are answered on our FAQ page.
Get Started on Your Carmi Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Carmi.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
Close to home: our main shop, office and display lot are in Harrisburg — see hours, directions and local sales contact on our Harrisburg, IL location page, or call Whitney directly at 618-499-1161.
