Fabric Building Site Prep: Soil, Drainage, Slope and Access

Fabric building site prep means checking soil, drainage, slope, frost, utilities and access before you order, so the base under the fabric building can hold it. A fabric building is light for its size and does not hold itself down with weight the way a steel-and-block building does, so the ground and base under it decide whether it stays put in wind.

Covermore Buildings makes tension fabric buildings, shipping-container-mounted shelters and container roof kits, and every one of them is only as steady as what is under it.

Why does site prep matter so much for a fabric building?

Site prep matters because the base under a fabric building is really an anchoring system. Wind pushes on the sides and pulls up on the roof, and the anchors have to resist that pull, so the ground, the anchor style and the base need to be chosen together.

The ground decides which anchoring fits, from a concrete slab with anchor plates for shops and heavy equipment to ground anchors for lighter uses in soil that holds them. A container-mounted shelter uses shipping containers as its base, which is a different plan with its own limits.

What ground conditions should you check before a fabric building goes up?

Check soil type, drainage, slope, frost and utilities, because each one changes which base will hold:

1. Soil type. Clay moves as it wets and dries. Sand drains but does not hold anchors well, and screw-in or driven ground anchors will not hold in soil that is loose, sandy or soggy. Rock is tough to drill.
2. Drainage. Water pooling at the base ruins gravel, rusts hardware and undermines edges. Watch where water runs in a heavy rain and where it ends up.
3. Slope. Level ground is easiest. A sloped site can still work, but it takes more cut, fill or foundation work.
4. Frost. In colder regions, ground freezes and heaves. Your local officials can tell you what depth they expect.
5. Utilities. Know where lines run before anyone digs.

Can a fabric building sit on gravel?

Yes, gravel works for hay and equipment storage, while a workshop or warehouse will want a concrete slab. Dirt is another option for some uses. Decide on the floor early, since the choice affects how the anchoring is done.

What should you check when you walk the site?

On the walk-around, check what the ground itself will not tell you: access, obstructions, working room and the footprint.

• Can a truck and a crane or telehandler reach the spot when the ground is wet?
• Are there trees, lines or fences in the way of the frame going up?
• Is there room around the building for doors to swing and vehicles to turn?
• Does the pad match the building footprint? Measure twice, because small errors at the base become big gaps at the top. Confirm dimensions against the current building listing before pouring concrete or setting anchors.

Most surprises on a fabric building job come from the answers to those questions. Ten minutes of walking the site saves days of rework once building starts.

Permit and foundation requirements vary by county, so ask your county building office what it requires before ordering a fabric building.

If you send Covermore Buildings your site details and what you plan to store or do inside, we will point you toward the mounting approach that makes sense and tell you what to ask your local office. If a fabric building is not the right fit, we will say so.