Steel framing isn’t just for new-build houses. In Perth, homeowners and builders are using steel frames for everything from backyard studios and granny flats through to full second storey additions and modular kit homes. If you’re planning a residential project in WA, there’s a good chance steel framing is the smartest structural choice you can make.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common residential projects we work on at Steel Frames Trusses WA, and why steel is the right material for each.
New Build House Frames
For a brand-new home, the frame is the skeleton that everything else hangs off. Get it right and the rest of the build flows smoothly. Get it wrong and you’ll be dealing with problems for years.
Steel house frames are precision-manufactured off site using computer-aided design software. Every stud, track, and truss component is cut to exact specifications, labelled, and delivered to site ready to assemble. That level of accuracy means straighter walls, more consistent openings for windows and doors, and fewer headaches for the plasterers, cabinetmakers, and tilers who follow.
In Perth’s termite-heavy environment, building a new home with steel framing removes the single biggest long-term structural risk to your property. There’s no need for chemical termite barriers, no ongoing inspections for hidden damage, and no chance of discovering that white ants have been eating your wall frames for the past decade.
Whether you’re building a single-storey family home in the suburbs or a large custom design in the hills, steel framing gives you the structural performance, design flexibility, and long-term durability that Perth conditions demand.
Second Storey Additions
Adding a second storey to an existing home is one of the most effective ways to gain space without giving up your backyard. It’s also one of the projects where steel framing really shines.
The key challenge with any second storey addition is weight. The new structure sits on top of your existing ground floor, which was often designed to carry a roof load, not an entire additional level. Steel framing has a significantly higher strength-to-weight ratio than timber, which means you get the structural performance you need with less load on your existing foundations. In many cases, this can reduce or eliminate the need for expensive foundation upgrades.
Steel’s dimensional stability is also critical here. When you’re building on top of an existing structure, any movement in the new frame (warping, twisting, shrinkage) transfers directly into the building below. Steel doesn’t move, so the connection between old and new remains tight and consistent over time.
Our team engineers every second storey addition to integrate cleanly with the existing structure, handling the load path calculations, connection details, and wind bracing requirements to make sure the finished result is structurally sound and compliant.
House Extensions
Not every homeowner needs a full second storey. Sometimes what you need is a well-designed extension at ground level: an extra bedroom, a larger living area, or a new kitchen and dining space that opens up to the backyard.
Steel framing is ideal for extensions because of its precision and speed. The frame components are manufactured to match your approved plans exactly, which means the join between the existing structure and the new extension is clean and accurate. Steel also spans longer distances without intermediate supports, so if your extension calls for an open-plan layout with wide openings, steel can deliver that without cluttering the space with columns or posts.
For builders, the speed advantage is significant. A steel frame extension can be erected in a fraction of the time it takes to frame the same area in timber, which reduces the disruption to the homeowner and keeps the project on schedule.
Granny Flats
Granny flats have exploded in popularity across Perth since the WA Government’s 2024 planning reforms removed the need for council planning approval in most cases. Whether you’re building a one-bedroom unit for a family member, a rental investment, or a self-contained home office, a granny flat is one of the smartest property moves you can make.
Steel framing is particularly well suited to granny flats because of the combination of speed, durability, and design flexibility. The frame for a typical granny flat can go up in a day or two. Steel’s ability to span wider distances without internal supports means you can create open-plan living spaces that make a compact footprint feel much more generous.
At SFTWA, we supply granny flat frame kits that include wall frames, roof trusses, floor joists (where applicable), battens, bracing, and all associated brackets and fixings. We can work from your existing plans or help you design something from scratch.
Cabanas and Alfresco’s
Backyard cabanas and studios are increasingly popular in Perth as dedicated spaces for entertaining, working from home, or simply having a retreat that’s separate from the main house. These structures might be smaller than a granny flat, but they still need to be properly engineered and built to code.
Steel framing makes sense for cabanas and studios because it handles Perth’s climate without the maintenance issues that come with timber. A steel-framed cabana won’t warp in the summer heat, won’t attract termites, and won’t deteriorate from moisture exposure over time. And because the frames are CNC-manufactured, even a small structure gets the same level of precision and build quality as a full-sized home.
Whether you’re building a poolside cabana, an art studio, a music room, or a home gym, we can engineer and manufacture a frame package to suit your design.
Modular Home Kit Frames
Modular and kit home construction is gaining serious traction in WA, particularly for owner-builders and anyone building in regional or remote areas where access to trades can be limited.
Steel frame kit homes arrive on site as a complete, pre-engineered package. Every component is labelled, bundled logically for the build sequence, and accompanied by detailed installation documentation. For owner-builders, this takes a lot of the guesswork out of the framing stage. For professional builders, it speeds up the process considerably.
SFTWA manufactures modular home kit frames for a range of configurations, from compact one-bedroom designs through to larger three- and four-bedroom family homes. Every kit is engineered to meet Australian Standards for your specific site, including the appropriate wind rating, and comes with certified drawings.
The modular approach is especially valuable for builds in regional WA. Because the frame is manufactured in Perth and shipped to site as a complete package, you’re not reliant on local material availability or specialist trades for the framing stage.
Why Steel for Residential Projects in WA?
Across all of these project types, the advantages of steel framing come back to the same fundamentals:
Termite proof. No chemical treatments, no inspections, no risk. In Perth’s termite zone, this alone is a compelling reason to choose steel.
Dimensionally stable. Steel won’t warp, twist, shrink, or swell. Your frame stays straight and true regardless of temperature and humidity changes.
Non-combustible. Particularly important for builds in bushfire-prone areas across Perth’s outer suburbs and the hills.
Precision manufactured. CNC accuracy means fewer on-site problems and a better result for every trade that follows.
Fast to install. Pre-fabricated steel frames go up faster than timber, reducing build times and labour costs.
Fully recyclable. Steel is the most recycled material on the planet. At the end of a building’s life, every piece of the frame can be recovered and reused.
From Design to Installation
At Steel Frames Trusses WA, we handle the full process for residential projects. You bring us your plans (or your ideas if you’re still at the concept stage), and we take care of the engineering, design, manufacturing, delivery, and installation. With over 45 years of experience in steel construction, our team has the expertise to deliver a quality result on any residential project, anywhere in WA.
