Your aircraft is one of the most valuable things you own, and it deserves a building planned around it, not a warehouse with a big door cut into the end. O’Neil Metal Buildings & Barndominiums designs and builds metal airplane hangars for private pilots, flying clubs, farms with grass strips, and businesses across Illinois, Missouri, and the St. Louis Metro East. From our home base in Belleville, IL, we work within roughly 200 miles, and we have been building for 50 years.
Turnkey Hangar Design-Build, Start to Finish
Most hangar owners want one team responsible for the whole job. With our turnkey design-build service, O’Neil:
- Designs the hangar around your aircraft, door, and site
- Provides engineering and stamped drawings as required by your jurisdiction or airport
- Handles all permitting
- Builds the project, including concrete, framing, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work when your hangar needs it
You get one point of contact from the first sketch to the final walkthrough. Learn more about our process.
Start With the Door: Sizing a Hangar the Right Way
The door is the most important part of any hangar, and it drives the size of the rest of the building. O’Neil hangars are built around a bifold door, and the building framing is planned to carry it. When we plan the opening, we look at:
- Wingspan and tail height of the largest aircraft you own today and the one you might own next
- Clearance at each wingtip so you can move the plane in and out without stress
- Header and framing loads, since a large bifold door that folds up and out puts serious forces on the end of the building
- Approach and apron space, so the taxi path and concrete line up with the door
Planning for the next airplane, not just this one, is the cheapest upgrade you can make. Adding width on paper costs far less than replacing a door later.
Clear-Span Space With No Columns in the Way
Hangars need open floors. Wingtips, tails, tugs, and work stands all need room, and interior columns get in the way. O’Neil builds hangars in two main ways:
- Pre-engineered metal buildings, a good fit for wider clear spans, taller doors, and commercial or multi-aircraft hangars
- Post frame construction, a strong, efficient choice for many private and farm hangars
We will recommend the system that fits your aircraft, door, site, and budget. See our metal buildings page for more on the steel side.
Hangar Options and Add-Ons
A hangar can be much more than a parking spot. Common additions include:
- Insulated walls and roof for a more comfortable work space
- A heated maintenance bay or shop area
- A pilot lounge, office, or restroom (MEP handled by O’Neil when needed)
- Walk doors, windows, and additional roll-up doors for vehicles and equipment
- Concrete floors and aprons
- Lean-tos and covered areas for storage
- Exterior colors and trim chosen from our materials and finishes
Our metal panels carry a lifetime paint warranty, so the exterior keeps its looks for the long run.
Private Hangars, Farm Strips, and Commercial Aviation
We plan each hangar for the way it will be used:
- Private hangars for a single-engine or twin on your own property or a leased airport lot
- Farm and residential airstrip hangars that also store equipment or vehicles
- Commercial and multi-aircraft hangars for flight schools, operators, and businesses
Airport projects often come with their own rules for site plans, setbacks, and construction. Because O’Neil handles permitting, we work through those requirements with you.
Prefer to Build It Yourself? Hangar Material Kits
If you have your own crew or contractor, O’Neil also sells hangar material kits. A kit can include framing lumber, columns, trusses, metal, and windows and doors, with insulation and interior stud framing available as options. Every kit comes with detailed construction drawings. Please note that these are construction drawings, not structural or engineered drawings, so if your project needs engineering, plan for that separately or choose our turnkey service. Kits deliver across our service area and to Chicagoland. Learn more about our pole barn kits and steel and lumber supply.
Serving Pilots Across Illinois and Missouri
We build hangars throughout the St. Louis region, the Metro East, Southern and Central Illinois, and Eastern Missouri. If you are planning a hangar in Illinois or Missouri, we can meet you on site, look at your door and access needs, and talk through options. Financing information is available on our financing page.
Get Your Hangar Started
Tell us about your aircraft, your site, and the door you want, and we will help you plan a hangar that fits. Call O’Neil Metal Buildings & Barndominiums at (618) 337-6100 or request a free quote.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size hangar do I need for my airplane?
Start with the wingspan and tail height of the largest aircraft you plan to store, then add clearance at each wingtip and above the tail. The door opening sets the building width, and the aircraft length plus work space sets the depth. O’Neil sizes every hangar around your aircraft and door.
What type of hangar door do you use?
O’Neil builds hangars with bifold doors. We size the opening to your aircraft and plan the building framing to carry the door.
Do you handle engineering and permits for hangars?
Yes. With our turnkey design-build service, O’Neil provides engineering and stamped drawings as required and handles all permitting, then builds the hangar, including concrete, framing, and MEP when needed.
Should my hangar be post frame or a steel building?
Both work well. Pre-engineered steel is a good fit for wider clear spans and larger commercial hangars, and post frame is an efficient choice for many private and farm hangars. We recommend the system that fits your aircraft and site.
Can I buy a hangar kit and build it myself?
Yes. O’Neil sells material kits with framing lumber, columns, trusses, metal, windows and doors, plus optional insulation and interior stud framing. Kits include detailed construction drawings, which are not structural or engineered drawings.
What areas do you serve?
O’Neil is based in Belleville, IL and builds within roughly 200 miles, including St. Louis, the Metro East, Illinois, and Missouri. Material kits also deliver to Chicagoland.