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You’re ready to build a metal garage, barn, or commercial structure, but before you pick colors or door styles, there’s one critical thing most buyers overlook:
Low-risk structures like open carports, farm sheds, or barns not meant for people to gather or work inside the building.
Most common, used for garages, workshops, and retail spaces with regular occupancy.
High-importance buildings like churches, gyms, fire stations, or public-use facilities. They follow stricter building codes.
Whether you’re building in Texas, North Carolina, or out in rural farmland, understanding Risk Categories I, II, and III can make or break your project, especially when it comes to wind loads, permitting, and safety compliance.
This guide simplifies it all, no engineering degree required.
When you build with steel, whether it’s a carport, garage, a shop, or a large commercial building, your structure must meet specific safety standards. One of the first things engineers consider is how much risk is involved if the building were to fail during something like a windstorm, snowload event, or even an earthquake.
That’s where Risk Categories come in.
They’re part of the rules set by the International Building Code (IBC), and most U.S. counties follow them. These categories help determine stuff like:
Bottom line: it’s all about how important your building is to people’s safety. A backyard storage shed? Low risk. A fire station or school gym? Higher risk, more rules.
For most carports, garages, and metal barns, you’re dealing with Risk Category I or II, but if your building is for public use or tied to critical services, Category III may apply.
Usually, your local building authority or permitting office will assign a Risk Category based on:
If your building fails inspection, you may have to re-engineer the design, pay for structural upgrades, or start over entirely.
Risk Category I applies to buildings with low human occupancy, such as open carports, storage sheds, and barns not intended for living or public use.
Category I is for low-risk, non-occupied structures. Category II is standard for homes, enclosed garages, and most retail or workspace buildings with regular human use.
Your building may fail inspection, require costly redesigns, or not qualify for a permit, leading to project delays and higher costs.
Contact your local building department or Get Carports to confirm, based on your location and intended use.
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