How to Boost Cell Signal in a Metal Building

Get Better Cell Singal in Your Metal Building

Metal buildings of all shapes and sizes often suffer from subpar cell reception indoors. Thus, you've probably noticed cell signal strength tends to be more reliable outdoors than inside your metal roof home, barndominium, or commercial warehouse.

Luckily, there is a way to improve cell service in metal buildings. And that is with a cell phone signal booster.

Why You Have Poor Cell Phone Signal Inside Metal Buildings

Anything and everything under the sun affects cell phone signal strength as it travels from your closest cell tower to your devices. Metal (aluminum, brass, copper, steel, iron, etc.) is the most disruptive. It severely blocks and degrades cellular signals trying to get inside.

On average, signal strength, measured in decibels-milliwatts (dBm), ranges from -50 dBm to -120 dBm. The closer you are to -50 dBm, the better your signal. At -120 dBm, signal is basically nonexistent. Metal, in particular, weakens cellular signals by up to -50 dBm.

So, if your outside signal strength measures -90 dBm, which is about average, indoor signal strength may be -140 dBm. Metal roofs and walls are enough to make the inside of your business or barndominium a dead zone. Of course, severity will depend on how much metal surrounds your building.

Signal boosters for metal buildings strengthen signal and deliver it even stronger inside.

How Do Cell Phone Boosters Improve Cell Signal in Metal Buildings?

Cellular signal booster systems consist of an outdoor antenna, an amplifier, an indoor antenna(s), and coaxial cable.

They capture your existing outside cellular signal, weak or strong, with the powerful outdoor antenna. Coaxial cable is used to connect the outside antenna to the amplifier located inside. The cable helps relay cell signal into your metal building for boosting, bypassing metal barriers. The indoor antenna, also connected to the amplifier via coax cables, fills your metal building with reliable cell reception.

With a signal booster, metal roofs or walls no longer prevent your household or business from running smoothly. Cellular reception will significantly improve throughout for all cellular devices, such as phones, tablets, hotspots, and cellular routers. No more dropped calls, failed texts, or slow data.

See here for a full breakdown of how signal boosters work.

Cell Phone Boosters: Best Way to Boost Cell Signal in a Metal Building

The right booster for your metal home, barndominium, or business will depend on your outside signal situation and coverage footprint. Areas with weak outside signal will require more powerful units than those with strong outside signal. The same goes for those who want to cover large areas.

Below are our top recommendations, ordered by the size of your metal building and your outdoor signal strength.

For Small to Midsize Homes with Metal Roofs and Walls

• Complete Coverage for Multiple Rooms – 5G Ready
• Covers up to 465 Sq M
• Offers up to +65 dB Gain, with 21 dBm Uplink & 12 dBm Downlink
• Customizable for Any Situation
• Compatible with All Phone and CA Carriers
• Outdoor Yagi Antenna & Indoor Panel Antenna Configuration

The weBoost Home MultiRoom is our top recommendation for most homes with metal roofs and small barndos. It lies at the sweet spot of price, performance, and aesthetics.

It can boost your existing cell signal by up to +65 dB. That’s the lowest amplification power you should consider for metal homes in weak signal environments.

With high uplink, unit is far-reaching, making it ideal for rural and urban applications. Offering up to 465 sq m of coverage, it’s capable of covering an entire home or multiple rooms. Though, results will vary depending on your existing outside signal.

Included antennas are powerful and nice looking, which is a plus if you value aesthetics. Its tool-free installation makes set-up quick and easy.

For Medium to Large Homes with Metal Roofs and Walls 

• Superior Cell Phone Service for Your Entire Home – 5G Ready
• Covers up to 697 Sq M
• Offers up to +72 dB Gain, with 24 dBm Uplink & 12dBm Downlink
• Customizable for Any Situation
• Compatible with All Phones and CA Carriers
• Outdoor Yagi Antenna & Indoor Panel Antenna Configuration

The weBoost Home Complete is the most powerful consumer line booster you can get for your metal building. With an additional +5 dB over the Home MultiRoom, it's roughly a shade over 3x more powerful. And with its 24 dBm uplink and 12 dBm downlink, it can reach far-distance towers and provide wider in-building coverage.

It's designed to blanket larger barndominiums with reliable talk, text, and data for all cellular devices. Under perfect conditions, it can cover areas up to 697 sq m. Since cellular signals are not perfect, most people get between 371–557 sq m. If you live in an area with extremely weak signal, this is your best option for decent coverage. You’ll probably get 139-232 sq m from it.

Included antennas are the same as those kitted with the Home MultiRoom, powerful and inconspicuous. To maximize indoor coverage, additional indoor antennas are required, especially if you’re trying to cover more than one floor.

For Small and Midsize Business Buildings with Metal Roofs and Walls

• Supercharges the Whole Workplace – 5G Ready
• Covers up to 930 Sq M
• Offers up to +72 dB Gain, with 25 dBm Uplink & 15 dBm Downlink
• Extended Dynamic Range Ensures Continuous Connectivity
• Expansion Kits Available for Large Scale Installations
• Compatible with All Phones and CA Carriers
• 50 and 75 Ohm Variants

The weBoost Office 200 is a commercial-grade metal building signal amplifier for small to mid-size businesses. It’ll enhance your signal by up to +72 dB and cover up to 930 sq m. That means fewer dropped calls, better voice quality, and faster data speeds for all devices throughout.

Its high uplink makes it ideal for metal buildings in extremely rural areas. Featuring Extended Dynamic Rage Technology, the Office 200 does not overload due to strong incoming signal. So, it’s also a great choice for businesses in urban settings.

For Large Commercial Buildings with Metal Roofs and Walls

• Superior Wall-to-Wall Coverage – 5G Ready
• Covers up to 9,290 Sq M
• Offers up to +70 dB Gain, with 26 dBm Uplink & 17 dBm Downlink
• Features 3 Outdoor Antenna Ports and 4 Indoor Antenna Ports
• Extended Dynamic Range Ensures Continuous Connectivity
• Remote Monitoring via WilsonPro Cloud
• Expansion Kits Available for Large Scale Installations
• Compatible with all Carriers Across Multiple Devices

The WilsonPro 4300 is the most powerful commercial booster for large metal buildings anywhere. It can cover up to 9,290 sq m. Metal will no longer hold your business back.

This unit features four amplifiers in one housing, ensuring superior signal boosting. Its three built-in outdoor antenna ports allow the unit to receive cell signals from multiple cell towers at the same time. This is difficult to achieve when using a single directional antenna.

The four independent indoor antenna ports reduce the amount of cable needed during installation. You can easily monitor performance via the LCD screen or the WilsonPro Cloud. Extended Dynamic Range ensures always-on connectivity for all your business needs.

The WilsonPro 4300 comes with a system design and a professional installation. Based on your needs, our installers will put together a custom kit that’ll guarantee improved reception in the areas that matter.

Do Signal Boosters Really Work in Metal Buildings?

Definitely.

As long as you have usable signal outside, a signal booster will work in any metal building. Since they do not create cellular signal, they will not work in total cellular dead zones.

But you don't have to take our word for it. Check out our case studies and customer reviews.

Wilson Amplifiers: The Trusted Name in Boosting Signal

Wilson Amplifiers always has the answer. Depending on the size, scope, and situation, the experts at Wilson Amplifiers can tailor a custom solution for you in time and under budget. We also offer professional installations for commercial metal buildings.

Services we provide:

• FREE floor plan analysis with detailed heatmaps & coverage expectations.
• FREE consultation adhering to your requirements and budgets.
• Equipment selection from only the best.
• Site survey from certified wireless technicians.
• Complete professional active and passive DAS installation & expert project management.

Contact us today via phone (1-800-373-2927) or email (sales@wilsonamplifiers.ca) to get the best solution for improving your 4G and 5G cellular signal indoors.