Grain Bin Contractor Websites: Can You Repair My Bin or Build a New One?

Do you work on my bin brand, and can you get parts and panels?

Put your supported brands and size range where the farmer can find them. Roof, sidewall, floor, door and stiffener work can each have a short description. Say which jobs need more information before you accept them.

Farmers search for replacement panels and parts. Say whether you can get wall sheets, roof panels, doors and stiffeners for the brands you list. If you can find parts for older bins, say that too.

Can you assess a wind-damaged grain bin?

After a storm, the farmer wants to know if you can come look, and how soon. Say whether you inspect storm damage yourself. If you sell or put up a brand as its dealer, say that too. Explain whether you bring in the maker's representative.

Farmers who read NDSU's storm advice will see this line: "The safety of everyone near a damaged bin needs to be the first priority." On the same page, retired NDSU Extension engineer Ken Hellevang recommends "inspection assistance and advice from a bin manufacturer representative". Tell the farmer how your crew fits with that.

If you write up damage for an insurance adjuster, say so.

What pictures and details help start a repair quote?

Ask for photos taken from the ground, all the way around the bin. NDSU's storm advice begins the same way: "Start on the outside of the bin, far enough away so that you can see the top of the bin."

Ask for the brand, the diameter and the number of rings, if the farmer knows them. Add a close-up of the damaged door, sheet or stiffener if it can be taken from the ground. Ask whether the bin still has grain in it.

Your form shouldn't ask anyone to climb the bin or go inside for a picture. Say that your crew takes the closer look.

Tell the farmer what happens after they send the photos.

Does a new-bin quote include the foundation and site work?

The customer needs to see what the erection job covers. Say whether you supply the bin kit or work with a kit already purchased. Explain who reviews the site and foundation information.

Concrete, excavation, access for trucks and equipment, and electrical work can be included or handled by others. Your quote explanation can identify each responsibility. Then a farmer can compare two bids line by line.

Say which drawings or foundation plans you need before you quote. Name who checks them and how a site visit is arranged.

When can you book the work around harvest?

A farmer with a damaged bin wants it fixed before it has to hold grain again. Say how far out you're booked for repairs right now. Say how far ahead you're booking new bins. Tell the farmer when to call to have one up before harvest.

If harvest changes your crew's hours or your call-back time, say so. Tell the farmer how you confirm a start date and how they hear about a change.

Name the places your crew works. If you serve eastern North Dakota or western Minnesota, give the counties or towns you reach.

What changes the cost of grain bin construction or repair?

Name the factors you use for the proposed job. Your own list can include bin size, parts, the agreed repair and site access. For new work, identify kit supply, foundation work and erection scope.

The farmer also needs to know whether the first visit is an assessment or already-agreed work. Say how the farmer approves added work before you do it.

What to send me for your bin contractor website

I need the services you want to describe and the places your crew works. Supply the contact information customers should find. Give me a short business background and good work photos. Add your logo if you have one. Explain the website's main job. Rough notes are fine.

Having a complete package at the start makes the cost substantially lower. Tracking missing information and chasing answers uses time. If the material is ready, that time can go into the site itself.

You get reasonably priced hosting and the experience I bring to the website. AI can do a large share of the work now. I use it and work through the details it doesn't settle. I also connect the needed pieces and make sure the site works.

Questions for a grain bin contractor's website

Can you get replacement parts for an older grain bin?

That depends on the brand and the parts your crew can obtain. Explain what details you need to check an older bin. Give the farmer a contact for a missing part number.

Can a photograph settle the repair plan for a wind-damaged bin?

A photo can start a request, but your page should explain the assessment needed before a plan is agreed. In NDSU's storm advice, Ken Hellevang recommends "inspection assistance and advice from a bin manufacturer representative". Tell the farmer who arranges that step.

Can a wind-damaged grain bin be repaired, or does it need replacing?

It depends on the damage. NDSU's storm advice says: "When steel grain bins sustain wind damage, careful inspection is needed to evaluate repair or replacement options." Your page can say who does that inspection and how soon you can get there.

Does grain bin erection automatically include a concrete foundation?

No. State whether foundation work is in your scope or belongs to another contractor. Explain who reviews the plans and what the erection quote includes. The customer needs that answer before comparing bids.

Who supplies the kit and site plans for a new grain bin?

Tell the farmer whether you supply the kit or erect one they buy. Ask for the location, planned bin details and any site or foundation plans they already have. Explain how you book a site visit.