Light gauge steel frame (LGSF) is rapidly becoming the preferred structure for low-rise residential and mixed-use projects across the UK. It’s fast, accurate and predictable – but getting a sensible early-stage budget for the frame can still be slow and painful.
At HUSECO, we’re changing that.
We’re currently developing a new Light Gauge Steel Frame Calculator, designed to give architects, developers and builders/self-builders a realistic budget range for the LGSF frame in just a few minutes – with no detailed drawings required. Once launched, the tool will be free to use and will include a built-in option to send your estimate directly to our team for review.
What the calculator does
The HUSECO calculator is built to answer a simple question:
“If I build this project in light gauge steel frame, what is a sensible budget range for the frame package?”
Behind the scenes, the tool uses HUSECO’s project data, benchmarked rates and carefully tested assumptions to generate a minimum likely, most probable and maximum likely cost band for the frame only.
You’ll be able to input basic project information, such as:
Number of units Number of storeys Gross Internal Area (GIA) per storey Typical wall height Building type (e.g. houses, flats, household extension) Structural complexity (simple / standard / complex)
You can choose whether you prefer to work in m² or ft² – the calculator will handle all the conversions internally.
The output is a clear budget range for the light gauge steel frame package:
Minimum likely cost Most probable cost Maximum likely cost
For more complex schemes, an advanced mode will allow you to model a full project with multiple unit types and sizes – for example:
10 × 2-storey houses with one GIA 5 × larger single-level flats in a block
The calculator combines these into a single total frame floor area and returns one coherent budget range for the whole project.
Built for feasibility and early design stages
This tool is not intended to replace detailed tender pricing. It is deliberately optimised for early-stage decision-making, when you need a robust number quickly to keep the project moving.
Some typical use cases:
For developers
Testing whether a scheme stacks up before committing to full design and pre-construction fees. Dropping a realistic frame allowance into your residual land value or viability appraisal. Comparing options: “What happens to the frame budget if we increase unit numbers, add a storey or adjust GIA?”
The calculator helps you move from “guesswork and round numbers” to data-backed budget ranges that reflect real LGSF delivery.
For architects and designers
Checking whether a proposed layout, floor-to-ceiling height or façade complexity is likely to push the frame cost up or down. Using the minimum / most probable / maximum bands as allowances in early design reports. Understanding where complexity – corners, cantilevers, large openings – impacts the steelwork so you can balance design ambition with cost.
The tool is intended to support design, not constrain it: it gives you a structural cost lens while you still have freedom to refine the scheme.
For builders and self-builders
Getting a realistic ballpark budget for a new-build home, small scheme or household extension in light gauge steel. Understanding what the steel frame covers – and what it does not (foundations, cladding, windows, services and finishes remain separate packages). Starting a conversation with HUSECO early, once you know the frame is broadly aligned with your budget expectations.
All guidance in the calculator is written in plain English, so you don’t need to be a QS or engineer to use it.
Accuracy: how reliable will the results be?
The calculator is built on real project data, benchmarked against HUSECO’s completed and live schemes. It doesn’t simply multiply area by one static number. Instead, it adjusts the allowance according to:
Total GIA and number of units Number of storeys Typical wall heights Complexity (simple box vs articulated façades, large openings, cantilevers, etc.) Building type, including a dedicated household extension option calibrated to typical extension geometries and wall heights
The output is not a single “magic number”, but a range:
Minimum likely cost – assuming efficient design and favourable site conditions. Most probable cost – the central band based on typical LGSF projects of similar type and scale. Maximum likely cost – allowing for design development, site constraints and other uncertainties.
It remains a budget estimator, not a formal quotation – but it is designed to be accurate enough to use in feasibility studies, early business cases and internal approvals.
Free to use – with a direct line to HUSECO
The calculator will be available free of charge on our website for architects, developers and builders/self-builders across the UK.
Once you’ve generated a result, you’ll have the option to:
Copy a summary of your inputs and budget range for your own records, and Send the estimate directly to HUSECO via a built-in form.
When you choose to send your estimate to us, the tool will package up:
Your project name and basic parameters Total frame floor area (in both m² and ft²) Minimum / most probable / maximum cost bands Your contact details and any notes you’ve added
Our team can then review the information, sense-check the result and advise on:
Buildability and structural strategy Programme and practical erection sequence for the frame Next steps towards a detailed LGSF design and formal quotation
This creates a smooth path from quick online calculation to a proper technical conversation about your scheme.
Looking ahead
We see this calculator as the first step in a broader suite of digital tools for LGSF feasibility. As it evolves, we plan to expand its capabilities – including features that can give an indicative erection timeframe alongside the budget range, based on project size, height and complexity.
Our aim is simple: make it much easier for the industry to understand, compare and adopt light gauge steel frames from the very earliest stages of a project.
Want to be first to try it?
We’re currently finalising and testing the calculator. If you’d like early access, or you have a live scheme you’d like to run through the tool with us, get in touch:
Website: http://www.huseco.co.uk
Email: enquiries@huseco.uk
Phone: 0207 689 7532
HUSECO specialises in precision-engineered light gauge steel frames for low-rise residential, mixed-use and household extension projects across the UK. The new calculator is our way of putting that expertise directly in your hands – so you can move from idea to viable structure with confidence.
