Texas Big Little Cabins

General Shelters: because YOUR building matters!

Category: Innovative Cabins

  • Thinking of a Barndominium? Let’s talk about Bedrock Structures

    Flexibility and costs have made ‘barndominiums’ an increasingly attractive option. The chief difference between our portable cabins and the ‘barndo’ option is that a metal building is obviously more permanent, and with a much faster install timeframe. While our cabins are delivered turn-key-ready, our metal buildings are ready-to-finish only.

    As we have talked about elsewhere, General Shelters “rolls” their own steel. This means they receive the steel in gargantuan coils, and press it through an enormous machine to make their panels.

    A subsidiary of General Shelters is Bedrock Structures, which manufactures and installs custom metal buildings. Unlike their portable buildings, Bedrock Structures simply cuts the posts and panels, and have skilled contractors erect the structure on-site.

    There are numerous metal building manufacturers, and we proudly represent three (Bedrock Structures, Eagle Carports, and Star Carports). Each having their own benefits.

    Our operations center under construction.

    But we tend to lean into Bedrock Structures, primarily because of the size of the posts they use. While most metal buildings use 2.25 inch galvanized steel posts, spaced at five foot intervals, Bedrock Structures use 4 inch galvanized steel posts spaced twenty feet apart.

    This means that when framing the inside walls, you will have more flexibility for the placement of windows, doors, and interior walls. Bedrock Structures also provides red steel (aka red iron), so they can spec out wider buildings than those using galvanized frames.

    Important to note that Bedrock Structure will install the frame of your project only. While they can add insulation during construction, they do not wire for electricity or provide any finishing services. Standard windows, doors, and rollups can be installed, while customer-supplied items would be installed by the customer’s contractor in frame-outs.

    As with the cabins, the standard steel is 29 gauge, for both sides and roofs. 26 gauge roofs are available for slightly more cost.

    To receive a quote for your project, use the configurator on our website. Easy to use, simply put in your zip code and go from there. You will receive a quote for the entire project, and how much the deposit is. Fill in your contact information and we will reach out to review the project with you. Next, we perform a site inspection to assure suitability of the location, and make recommendations for any land work that may be in order. Once we finalize your order, the deposit is placed, we hit ‘go’ and submit the order. Turn around times vary, but in general with six weeks your building will be ready.

    Lean-tos, porticos etc will not be reflected on the configurator, and we will quote those costs when reviewing your needs.

    So check out our configurator, call us at 979-836-7225, or email.

    Three days later our building was ready.

  • Modular Buildings vs Portable Pier-and-Beam Buildings

    When being introduced to General Shelters buildings, a common question we are asked is if they are modular buildings.  This makes sense, in that they are manufactured elsewhere and brought to the installation site, same as General Shelters buildings.

    While they share this similarity, there is a larger, major difference,  While modular buildings are manufactured elsewhere, brought to the installation site, and then joined together, General Shelters buildings are brought roll-off-ready.  There is no crew or assembly required post-delivery.

    This turn-key approach is what makes General Shelters buildings fairly unique in the industry.  A follow up crew will visit the building to tie down anything that may have shaken loose during transport, if necessary. The simplicity of this one and done approach brings down costs, especially when the site is remote.

    Like everything else, there are exceptions.  For General Shelters, the exception is that customers can order buildings to join together for larger areas.  This would all be done post-delivery by the customer’s own contractor.  Below is an example of a skilled contractor adding a room and bathroom to a custom Maverick we delivered last year.

    While not a weekend project, the process is fairly straighforward.

    Please visit us at Trees of Central Texas, meet our design team, and see what we have immediately available for you!

  • Insights from General Shelters’ Annual Dealer Seminar

    We look forward to the annual General Shelters dealer seminar, and every year we are astonished to see their current projects when we visit.  2025 did not disappoint!

    Located in the piney woods of far East Texas, General Shelters hand crafts all of their buildings in several sprawling manufacturing facilities in Center, TX.  It is a beautiful part of the state, and so far East Texas that one could hit Louisiana with a rock.  There is always a lot of work going on, but the workspace is incredibly organized and picked up.

    Because they are built in a dried-in environment, there are no rain delays or materials left out in the weather. Above, a standard Cedar View is midway through its all-wood construction, the colony-green offset nicely by the steel cedar accent wall.  Below, the truss for the dormer; the insulation has yet to be installed, which can be blown fiberglass, or foam cell. 

    The buildings are all clad in 29 gauge steel, which is “rolled” in another facility on the property.  The siding passes easily as board and batten siding.  Never paint again: the siding and roof colors are backed by a 40 year waranty. The building below is our custom “Texas Two-Step (2be/2ba),” with a custom painted cedar gable.

    The executive staff have worked alongside each other for decades, bringing valuable years worth of experience and love of craft to their builds.  It really is a family business at heart, and it feels like visiting with a family of incredibly skilled individuals.  Because they have worked closely with each other, they have seen and done everything; if you have an idea for your cabin, they can expertly advise based on over fifty years of experience

    We were excited to see examples of their mobile product, as well. Unlike the custom cabins, which are delivered on a trailer and carefully slid off then blocked/leveled, their mobile buildings are permanently fixed to a trailers. And what a trailer: five axles!  This means all one needs is a powerful truck and a hitch to relocate. This is one of twenty that they were building at the time of our visit; two others are seen on the far side of the lot.

    Very straightforward design, with an office on each end and a large room in the middle. It was surprising to see only space for a half fridge:  whoever ordered this was all business.  Built for functionality, it featured steel doors and window bars, vinyl paneling for walls and flooring, with a gypsum ceiling.

    These units were custom-made for deployment in the oil field, and perfectly illustrate the versatility and deep bench that General Shelters brings for anyone who needs a large, secure place of business.  To say it again: if you submit a design idea, the engineering team at General Shelters will expertly advise what it will take to make your vision a reality.

    The seminar itself was very informative, with an emphasis on properly advising customers on the delivery and installation of the buildings.  It is a significant engineering feat to get buildings to their final destination, and a lot of things need to be properly done for this to be done seamlessly.  Oftentimes the buildings are delivered in relatively remote locations with unimproved access, and it sounded like some team members did a better job of observing the delivery route before the building arrives on-site than others.

    Thankfully, the team at Trees of Central Texas performs pre-delivery assessments to follow up on the initial site-inspection to determine that action items have been completed.  The biggest snafu was, apparently, the presence of  branches and tree limbs along county roads.  Even then, it sounded like General Shelters went the extra mile and remediated any damage that occurred.

    It was good to hear from other team members about what they have been designing, and look forward to next year’s meeting.  If you are seriously considering purchasing a building, they will entertain visitors for brief tours of the facility,

    For more information on General Shelters’ specialty commercial buildings, including bunk houses and other buildings go to https://www.generalshelters.com/commercial/.   And to see what we are doing please give us a visit at https://www.treesofcentraltexas.com/