Tristate’s Founder and Head of Sales, Kevin Weaver, has asked prospects the same question many times: "Would you share the specs of the other quote you got?"
Most people hesitate. It feels a little like showing your cards. But Kevin's not trying to win an argument. He's trying to save you from a decision you'll regret in year three.
"Nine times out of ten, I can tell within thirty seconds those numbers aren't measuring the same building," Kevin says. "The truss specs can be different...The post sizing is not to code…Subpar building components. It's not apples to apples. It's not even apples to oranges. It's more like an apple to a picture of an apple."
That's the conversation our sales team participates in many times throughout the year. And it's the reason we wanted to write this post.
Because if you've gotten a few quotes for your building and ours isn't the lowest number on the page, we're not going to pretend otherwise. We're not the cheapest option out there. We never have been. But we'd like to walk you through exactly why, so you can make the call with your eyes open.
Here's something 35 years in post-frame construction has taught us: a low number on a proposal doesn't tell you much about what actually gets built.
Two contractors can quote the same size building and land tens of thousands of dollars apart. That gap has to come from somewhere.
Usually it's one of three places:
Lower Quality Materials. Cheap man doors, lower quality overhead doors, small footers with no concrete around the posts for uplift protection, post sizing that doesn't meet code standards, and shortcuts to satisfy the bottom dollar but 5 years down the road the building looks 3x its age.
On paper it looks like the same building, but in year 5, when the roof is sagging or the overhead doors and man doors don't work properly, it's not.
A price that's designed to grow. Some contractors quote a bare-bones base price, knowing full well you'll need to add things once you're already committed. Insulation. A specific door size. Site prep. By the time the "extras" are added back in, the savings you thought you had are gone
Corners you can't see yet. Cheap prices, fast finish times. A crew that's subcontracted out to the lowest bidder. No real project management. These realities don't show up on your quote—it’s two years later when you can’t get ahold of your builder.
We build differently. Our quotes are detailed because we want you comparing the same building, not just the same square footage.
We'll be direct about this: we've never won a race to the bottom, and we don't plan to start. Here's where that extra cost goes.
For over 30 years, we’ve built our reputation on quality—using high-quality materials, constructing buildings to code, and delivering exceptional workmanship that’s made to last.
None of this is flashy, and most clients never give footings a second thought—until a cheaper structure begins to sag, shift, or settle. We build it right from the start so you never have to think about those problems at all.
Northeast winters, wind loads near the coast, the soil conditions across our five-state service area. We've built through it all. That experience shows up in decisions you'll never see on a quote. Post spacing that accounts for local snow load. Footings sized right for your soil. Permitting that doesn't get held up because someone missed a local code requirement.
A newer or lower-cost builder can still put up a structure that stands. But experience is what keeps you from finding out the hard way what your region's weather can do to a building that wasn't built for it.
Our project managers keep you in the loop from the first shovel of dirt to the final walkthrough. You'll know what's happening and when. If something changes, you'll hear it from us before you notice it yourself.
This is the one that matters most, because it's the one that outlasts everything else on this list. If something we built fails because of how it was built, we make it right. Not for a year. Not for five. For as long as you own the building.
Ask a lower-cost competitor what their workmanship warranty covers, and how long it lasts. The answer tells you a lot.
We've watched enough buildings go up around Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia to know how this story usually plays out.
The homeowner or business owner who chased the lowest bid isn't thinking past their great deal—not until the paint's fading unevenly, the doors don't hang right anymore, or the contractor who built it won't return their calls.
But the client who paid more upfront isn't thinking about their building much either. And that's the point. It's just working: Storing what it's supposed to store, standing up to what the weather throws at it, doing its job without drama.
That's the actual comparison. Not upfront price, but total cost over the life of the building.
If the lowest number is what matters most to you, we're probably not your builder. There are contractors out there who will hit a lower price, and for some projects, that's a completely reasonable choice.
But if you want a building that's still doing its job in thirty years, built by a company that's been doing this for 35 years, backed by a warranty that doesn't expire when the ink dries, we'd like to earn that business.
Next time you're comparing quotes, do what Kevin does. Ask what's actually in the number. Ask what happens if something goes wrong in year six. Ask how long the warranty lasts.
Then get a detailed quote from us and compare it side by side.
We'd rather earn the job on the details than win it on the lowest number.
Tristate Buildings has been building custom post-frame structures for over 35 years. All projects are backed by a Lifetime Workmanship Warranty. Serving PA, NJ, MD, DE, and VA.
If the download doesn't start automatically, click here to download manually.
Be a force for good. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Copyright © 2026 Tristate Buildings
