Clear Path Steel Framing and Envelopes

Steel-framed, insulated building shells for Oklahoma builders.

Engineered before. Clear path after.

We engineer and detail the frame and shell before anything hits the site. After install, you get a dried-in shell with clear paths for interior finishes, mechanical runs, and exterior water runoff.

Ready for your MEP and finish trades.

Clear Path Framing is a Tulsa-based crew that builds the structure and the envelope as one engineered package. You send plans. We send back a clear scope and a quote. We install the following as part of our full building envelope: steel framing, sheathing, roof deck, continuous exterior insulation for walls and roof, sealing, flashing, windows, rain screen, exterior cladding, and roof underlayment.

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Based in Tulsa · Serving all of Oklahoma · NW Arkansas coming next

Built for the people running the job

Primary

General contractors & custom builders

You've got enough to coordinate already. We put framing, sheathing, continuous insulation for walls and roof, sealing, windows and flashing, rain screen, cladding, roof deck, underlayment, and final roofing (optional) under one crew and one scope, so you aren't stitching together three or four exterior building envelope subs and filling in the gaps between them.

  • One scope document, one point of contact for the envelope
  • Details ironed out in the engineering and planning stage, so workers don't have to "field engineer" on site
  • Clean handoff to your MEP and interior trades
Send plans for a shell quote →

Developers

Multi-unit & repeatable shells

Doing several homes or a small multi-unit project in Oklahoma? Let's talk through the benefits of having a system that is predictable, repeatable, and scalable.

Talk to us about your project →

What's in the shell, and what isn't

No gray areas. Here's exactly where our work starts and stops.

Included (Clear Path scope)

  1. Cold-formed steel (CFS) wall and roof/floor framing per approved drawings
  2. Wall sheathing (if necessary)
  3. Roof deck with underlayment
  4. Continuous exterior insulation (CI) for walls and roof, with taped seams and sealing (CI is the water-resistive barrier (WRB) for walls)
  5. Window installation, flashing, and opening details
  6. Rain screen (drainage gap behind the cladding)
  7. Cladding install with your choice of LP SmartSide, Hardie, or metal. If you'd like brick, let's discuss it.
  8. Final roofing, optional add-on: shingle, metal, or other specified roof finish
  9. Shell walkthrough and documented handoff

Not included (your other trades)

  • Foundation and slab (unless written into your quote)
  • Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP)
  • Interior insulation (if necessary), drywall, finishes, cabinets, trim
  • Exterior painting
  • Final grading, site work, flatwork

Every quote spells out your exact scope. If something's in question, such as exterior door setting or roofing product, it goes in writing before we start. Final roofing can be added to your quote; otherwise we hand off a dried-in shell with deck and underlayment ready for your roofer.

Send plans, get a scope-and-price →

Why steel framing with exterior continuous insulation

We're not here to bash wood. CFS with exterior CI is a different approach with real advantages when it's engineered and detailed correctly.

Doesn't rot, warp, burn, or feed termites

Steel studs don't decay or twist as they dry, termites can't eat them, and CFS framing is noncombustible. Other parts of the building still need normal moisture and pest care, and noncombustible framing doesn't mean the whole building is fireproof.

Straight, accurate, and dimensionally stable walls

Steel members come out consistent and stay consistent throughout construction, without the shrinking and twisting you can get as lumber dries. This helps keep the framing accurate and openings square for windows, cladding, and interior finishes.

Continuous Insulation breaks the thermal bridge at the studs

Steel conducts heat and that's the biggest knock against it in exterior walls. That's why we put CI outside the framing, so the studs aren't a direct path between inside and outside.

Taped CI and rain screen as part of the water-control layer

When seams are taped and openings are flashed correctly, the CI will act as a water-resistive barrier (WRB). We add furring strips on the exterior of the foam to provide a drainage path for any water that gets behind the cladding. Detailing is what makes it work, so we have stringent quality controls in place.

Insulation outside, open cavities inside

We prefer to push all insulation to the exterior of the studs when possible, creating an airtight envelope. This makes it easier to manage the air quality inside the building. It also keeps the wall cavities open for MEP runs, and if an MEP line ever needs a repair down the road, you can easily access the damaged area and pull new runs through the cavity without removing or damaging insulation.

From plans to weathertight envelope: how it works

  1. 1

    Send plans

    Upload your architectural plans (PDF is fine). Tell us the project type, approximate square footage, location, and target start.

  2. 2

    Scope, engineering & details

    We review the plans, confirm scope in writing, and coordinate envelope details for openings, transitions, roof edges, and cladding attachment. CFS engineering runs through our partner engineer, including stamped drawings as required for your project. You get a shell quote with clear included/not-included lines.

  3. 3

    Fabrication & kit

    Once approved, framing is produced to the drawings and staged as a labeled kit for your site.

  4. 4

    Shell install

    Our crews erect the CFS frame, install sheathing, the roof deck, and underlayment, apply continuous exterior insulation to the walls and roof, tape and seal the seams, install and flash the windows, install the rain screen, install your chosen cladding, and install the shingle or metal roof if it was included in the scope of work.

  5. 5

    Walkthrough & handoff

    We walk the weathertight envelope with you, document what's done, and hand off clear paths for your MEP and interior finishes — including how water exits the rainscreen assembly.

Start with Step 1: Send plans →

Real work, shown as it happens

First Oklahoma shell underway. Progress photos coming soon.

We're a new company, and we'd rather show you real work than make claims. As our first projects go up, you'll see real jobsite photos and details right here.

What you can count on now

  • Written scope before work starts. Included and not-included lines are on every quote.
  • Engineered before install. Openings, transitions, and roof edges are drawn ahead of time.
  • Clear path after. Photos and notes at envelope completion so the next trades know what they're inheriting — finishes, mechanical runs, and rainscreen drainage included.
  • Named materials. We'll tell you what's going on your building. Cladding is your call: LP SmartSide, Hardie, or metal, and we can discuss brick. Specific CI board, tape, and flashing products are named in each written quote.

Builder questions, straight answers

Is CFS framing cheaper than wood?

Not always. Cost depends on the design, spans, openings, cladding choice, and current material pricing. The fair comparison is the full shell: framing plus insulation, WRB, and flashing. Send plans and we'll price it so you can compare it to your wood numbers.

What does "thermal bridging" mean, and how do you handle it?

Framing members conduct heat more than insulation does. Steel conducts much more than wood. A continuous layer of insulation outside the framing, on the walls and the roof, covers the steel so it isn't a direct thermal path. That exterior CI is a core part of every Clear Path shell.

Does steel framing prevent mold?

No framing material makes a building mold-proof. Steel doesn't feed mold the way organic materials can, and it won't rot. But mold depends on moisture, and moisture control comes down to detailing, ventilation, and how the building is run. We focus on what's ours: taped and sealed CI seams, flashed windows and openings, and a rain screen that gives water a clean drainage path when detailed correctly.

Who does the roofing?

Your call. Roof deck and underlayment are always in our scope, so you get a dried-in shell. Final roofing (optional), whether shingle, metal, or whatever you've specified, can be added so the whole roof stays under one crew. Or your roofer picks up from the underlayment.

Who installs the shell?

Our crews do the framing, sheathing, continuous insulation for walls and roof, sealing, window install and flashing, rain screen, cladding, roof deck and underlayment, and final roofing (optional).

Who does the engineering?

CFS engineering runs through our partner engineer. Stamped drawings are included as required for your project and jurisdiction.

How long does a shell take?

It depends on size, complexity, crew schedule, and weather. We'll give you a project-specific estimate with your quote rather than a blanket number.

Where do you work?

We're based in Tulsa and serve all of Oklahoma. NW Arkansas is next. If you're nearby and unsure, send plans and ask.

What cladding do you install?

LP SmartSide, Hardie, or metal, your choice. If you'd like brick, let's discuss it.

I'm a homeowner. Can I hire you directly?

We work primarily through GCs and builders. Share this page with yours, or ask us for a builder intro.

Send plans. Get an engineered CFS frame and building envelope quote.

Tulsa-based, serving all of Oklahoma, with NW Arkansas next. Send us what you've got and we'll come back with a written scope and price for a steel-framed building envelope.

Not a builder? Share this page with your builder · Request a builder intro

Request a Shell Quote

Attach PDFs, DWG, or images when you email us, or reply after submitting this form.

We'll review your plans and follow up within 2 business days.

Prefer email? Write us at info@clearpathframing.com