Metal Buildings Near DFW Airport in Irving, Texas
Freeway access is the whole argument for an Irving warehouse bay, so we build for it. Owners who run delivery fleets, parts distribution, trade shops or air-freight support want to sit near the freeways and the airport, and they want a building that can be finished quickly and priced per square foot. A steel frame with generous clear height and a loading apron does exactly.
State Highway 183 runs east and west through the center of Irving, I-635 crosses the northern edge, and State Highway 114 and the President George Bush Turnpike form an X through the city. Part of DFW Airport, including part of the Las Colinas area, lies within Irving, and the DART Orange Line runs through Las Colinas to the airport. For a contractor, that crossing of roads and rail means choosing the lot with the best truck access and planning delivery routes with care.
Operators who move parts, packages or equipment by air need a hand-off point that is quick to reach from the airfield, and operators who serve the office parks need a yard that is a short drive from Las Colinas. Each of those goals leads to a different lot and a different building. We use that geography to decide where a building should face, where the dock goes and how trucks turn. A building that is cheap to erect but hard to reach costs more every day it operates.
Dock-ready shells and truck courts
A logistics-support building has a few non-negotiables: clear height for racking, dock doors at the right spacing, and a truck court deep enough for tractor-trailers to turn. We lay those out first, before we pick a width and length. A wider building does not help if the trailers cannot back in, and a deeper court costs land that the building cannot use.
Our warehouse metal shells usually include a heavy slab with dock aprons, insulated walls for the office portion, and a roof designed for rooftop units or future solar. If the user later wants more height, we can design the frame with a taller eave from the start, which costs little at the beginning and a lot afterward. We also review fire access, sprinkler demand and the water main so there are no surprises at inspection.
A headquarters city with trade demand
Irving's headquarters list includes engineering, consumer products, metals and energy companies, and a major equipment maker announced a move to the city in June 2022. We do not build for those companies, but where large employers cluster, the trades that service them follow: electricians, fire-protection contractors, facility maintenance firms, couriers, printing and packaging companies. They need practical buildings close to the freeways.
Las Colinas, a planned mixed-use community of more than 12,000 acres, sets the tone for appearance. Buildings facing the main streets are expected to look good, so we offer upgraded wall colors, canopies and masonry accents. For the office portion of an operating building, see our description of industrial office buildouts, which covers how we frame the office, run the HVAC and separate it from the shop floor.
Airport-area review
Parcels close to an airport often face height review and noise or lighting rules. We ask about the overlay district early. If the building is tall, we check whether a federal notice is required before the permit set goes in. The permit set typically needs a site plan, structural drawings, and mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire-protection details.
The state code floor is the International Building Code, and cities may adopt newer ones with local amendments. We confirm the edition and amendments with the city before the engineer begins. Energy code compliance also affects wall and roof insulation, so we ask about it up front rather than discovering it at plan review.
Phasing so you can keep operating
Many Irving owners already operate from a leased space and want to move when the new building is ready. We plan the schedule around that lease end, and we phase work such as the dock doors and racking floor so the move can start early. For an existing site, we build an addition beside the operating building and tie in with minimal downtime.
Safety on an operating site is its own discipline. Forklift traffic, truck movement and the erection crew share the yard, so we agree on a laydown area, marked lanes and delivery windows before the first truck arrives. We also confirm where the utility shutoffs are before anyone digs. Hot work, overhead lifts and open excavations are scheduled for hours when the yard is quiet, and we put a flagger at the gate when trucks and cranes overlap. These habits cost little and keep your business running while we build next to it.
What moves the price near the airport
Three factors make Irving pricing different from an open-land job. Sites close to the freeway interchanges cost more per acre, so the efficient answer is often a taller building with a smaller footprint. Truck courts need heavy paving, which can cost as much as the building floor. And infrastructure, including water, fire service and storm drainage, is already in place on many parcels, which can shorten the schedule and reduce site cost.
We show the price in layers: steel package, erection, slab and dock aprons, doors and dock equipment, insulation and interior, and site work. If you are choosing between a lease and a purchase, a layered budget makes the comparison easier, because you can see the building alone and the site separately. When steel pricing is volatile, we state how long a quote holds and what changes it, so you can plan the financing around real dates.
Nearby sites
Operators comparing Irving with other sites often look at the DFW Airport area, and at Grand Prairie, where lot prices differ. Freight-heavy users should also read our page on truck terminals and cross-docks and our automotive and fleet page for shop layouts.
Get an Irving building price
Give us the address or intersection, the use, the bay count and the clear height. We will return a building concept, a price per square foot and a schedule that accounts for the airport-area traffic.
Common Questions
What clear height should a small distribution building have?
Many owners choose a clear height that fits their racking plus sprinkler clearance. The cost difference between heights is modest compared with the benefit, so we recommend sizing for the taller option if you might add racking. We confirm with your racking supplier before the frame is ordered.
Do airport overlay rules affect my building?
They can. Height, lighting and noise rules vary by parcel. We ask the city early and design to the answer, and we check whether any federal height notice applies.
How many dock doors do I need?
It depends on your volume and how long trucks sit. We lay out doors with you after we understand your shipping pattern, then check the apron depth and truck turning paths.
Can the building be expanded?
Yes. We frame one end wall for expansion so the addition ties in without cutting into finished space, and we size the first foundation with the future bay in mind.
