A 30×30 metal building kit encloses 900 square feet, a true square footprint 30 feet wide and 30 feet deep. That width parks three vehicles in a row or two with a full workshop alongside, and the matching 30-foot depth gives every bay room to breathe behind the bumper. It is the size buyers reach for when a two-car garage stops being enough and a real shop, a third bay, or covered RV space moves onto the wish list.
This guide sits under the metal building sizes pillar, where every footprint from a compact shed to a commercial shell gets the same plain breakdown. Below: what fits inside a 30×30, the uses it suits, the frame and options you will see on a quote, the clear height to plan for, and an illustrative 2026 price range to carry into a supplier conversation.
900 square feet
What fits inside a 30×30 metal building
At 900 square feet, a 30×30 crosses from garage into shop territory. The 30-foot width breaks into three roughly 10-foot bays, so you can line up three vehicles, or give two bays to parking and keep the third as a permanent work zone. The square shape means depth never runs short: 30 feet leaves a working margin behind anything you park, room for a back-wall bench without crowding a bumper. Here is what the footprint comfortably handles:
- Three vehicles in a row, or two cars with a third bay kept clear for work.
- Two vehicles plus a real shop, with a full bench wall, a welder, and floor space to move.
- An RV or boat beside a daily driver, with a rig up to roughly 30 feet ‹confirm› parked nose-in.
- The yard fleet under one roof: a compact tractor, a mower, an ATV, a trailer, and shelving.
- A project-car shop with a two-post lift, a parts wall, and a roll-away chest with elbow room.
Mind the door, not just the floor
A tall RV or a lifted truck can clear the 900-square-foot floor and still hit the door header. The roll-up opening sets your real clearance, so order door height around the tallest thing you park. The how to choose a size guide walks through measuring before you buy.
Uses
Common uses for a 30×30 footprint
The 30×30 is the entry point to the genuine three-car and workshop class, yet it still fits on many residential lots. That balance is why it turns up so often across our metal building uses library. The footprint earns its keep as:
- A three-car garage. The most common job, and the reason it overlaps with our metal garage kits silo.
- A combination garage and shop. Park two vehicles, keep the third bay for benches, a lift, and wood or metal tools.
- A trade or hobby shop. 900 postless square feet take a wash bay, a paint corner, and rolling storage with room to spare.
- RV and toy storage. One large rig, or several smaller toys off the weather and out of the driveway.
- A small barn or studio. Insulate and line the interior and the square floor becomes a genuine room, not a closet.
Still weighing footprints? The most popular sizes roundup shows where the 30×30 ranks against its neighbors, and the how to choose a size guide walks the width, depth, and height tradeoffs in order.
The frame
The typical frame and options
A 30-foot clear span is where red iron starts to earn its place. Tube-steel kits exist at this width, but a 30-foot postless span carries best on a bolt-up red iron frame, which keeps the whole floor open with no center column to park around. The frame you want tracks your snow and wind loads, a choice our construction types pillar breaks down in full.
Most 30×30 kits ship as a pre-engineered shell you assemble from numbered parts, and the options are where you fit it to the job. The usual menu:
- Doors. Two or three roll-up bay doors, commonly 10 to 12 feet wide ‹confirm›, plus a walk-in entry door.
- Windows and vents. Daylight and airflow, which matter most once the space becomes a shop or a studio.
- Insulation. A must if you will heat or cool the building, and the first line of defense against condensation.
- Wall and roof upgrades. Heavier-gauge steel or a higher load rating for snow country.
- Lean-to additions. A covered side bay for a trailer or firewood without enlarging the main footprint.
Confirm the load rating
Snow and wind ratings are set by your local code, not by the catalog photo. Whatever frame a kit ships on, make sure the engineering is stamped for your county before you buy. The widths and ratings here are illustrative starting points ‹confirm›, not a substitute for a sealed drawing.
Height
Clear height to plan for
Footprint is only half the spec. The eave height, the wall height at the side, sets how tall a door you can hang and how much usable wall you get, and it is the number buyers forget until the bay door turns out too short for the RV.
Most 30×30 shop and garage kits offer eave heights from about 9 to 16 feet ‹confirm›, with 10 to 12 feet a common pick for a three-car build. A taller eave near 14 feet ‹confirm› buys headroom for a lift, a tall roll-up door, or an RV, and it raises the roof peak with it. Plan the door clearance first, then size the eave to match:
- 9 to 10 foot eave. Standard cars, trucks, and SUVs in a clean three-car garage.
- 11 to 12 foot eave. Lifted trucks, a boat on a trailer, or mezzanine storage overhead.
- 14 foot and up. A two-post lift, a tall RV, or oversized equipment that needs a high bay door.
Cost
What a 30×30 kit costs in 2026
As an illustrative 2026 range, a basic 30×30 shell tends to land in the low five figures, and a fully enclosed, insulated shop climbs from there. Treat these as planning numbers to confirm against a current quote, since steel pricing, your load rating, and door and insulation choices move the total the most:
| 30×30 configuration | Illustrative 2026 kit range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Open shell / cover style | $11,000 – $18,000 ‹confirm› | Frame, roof, partial or no walls |
| Enclosed garage shell | $15,000 – $28,000 ‹confirm› | Full walls, two or three bay doors |
| Insulated, finished shop | $25,000 – $40,000 ‹confirm› | Insulation, windows, upgraded doors |
Illustrative 2026 kit-only ranges. Confirm every figure with a current quote; foundation, delivery, and permits are separate.
Those figures are the kit alone. The slab, delivery, and any permit fees sit on top, and on a 900-square-foot build the concrete can be a meaningful share of the total ‹confirm›. For the full picture of what drives the number, see our metal building kit prices pillar, and use the metal building size chart to compare the 30×30 against other footprints on price per square foot.
FAQ
30×30 metal building kits: common questions
How big is a 30×30 metal building?
A 30×30 is 900 square feet, 30 feet wide by 30 feet deep. The 30-foot width is a clear span that breaks into three roughly 10-foot bays, and the matching 30-foot depth leaves a working margin behind anything you park. It is a true three-car or two-car-plus-shop footprint.
Will three cars fit in a 30×30 garage?
Yes, with standard vehicles. The 30-foot width gives three roughly 10-foot bays, enough for three cars or SUVs in a row, though wide trucks parked together get tight on door clearance. Many owners instead run two parking bays and keep the third as a permanent work zone.
Is a 30×30 big enough for a workshop?
Easily, and it leaves room to park too. With 900 square feet you can give two bays to vehicles and the third to a full bench, a lift, and rolling storage. If you want two work zones plus three parked vehicles, step up to a deeper footprint such as a 30×40.
Will an RV fit in a 30×30 building?
A rig up to roughly 30 feet ‹confirm› fits the floor with a daily driver beside it, but roof height is the real limit. Tall Class A coaches need a 14-foot or taller eave and door, so confirm the clear door opening, not just the floor length, before you order.
How tall can a 30×30 metal building be?
Eave heights commonly range from about 9 to 16 feet ‹confirm›. A 10 to 12 foot eave suits a standard three-car garage, while 14 feet and up gives headroom for a lift, a tall door, or an RV. Plan your door clearance first, then set the eave to match.
How much does a 30×30 metal building kit cost?
As an illustrative 2026 range, an open shell runs roughly $11,000 to $18,000 ‹confirm› and a fully enclosed, insulated shop climbs to $25,000 to $40,000 ‹confirm›. Those are kit-only figures; foundation, delivery, and permits are separate. Confirm with a current quote stamped for your address.
Does a 30×30 kit use tube steel or red iron?
Either is offered, but a 30-foot clear span carries best on red iron. A bolt-up red iron frame keeps the full width open with no center post, which matters when you park three vehicles or wide loads. Tube-steel kits cost less up front but may need an interior post at this width. See our construction types pillar for the full comparison.
Related guides
Keep reading
Compare the 30×30 with the footprints on either side, then check the hub for the full size lineup:
- Metal building sizes: the complete guide (the parent pillar).
- 24×30 metal building kits (a narrower two-car-plus footprint at 720 square feet).
- 30×40 metal building kits (the same width, ten more feet of depth at 1,200 square feet).
- 30×50 metal building kits (a long shop or light commercial bay).
- Most popular metal building sizes (where the 30×30 ranks among buyers).
- Metal building size chart (every footprint side by side).
