Producing near-net-shape components with Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is a challenging task. Compared to laser-based additive manufacturing technologies, WAAM is characterized by a lower contour accuracy with higher surface roughness and more uneven surface profiles. Therefore, the WAAM requires a high degree of post-processing (machining) which reduces economic efficiency and increases material consumption. Therefore, topics such as process optimization with regard to the component contour are increasingly in the focus of research. This study presents the application of an extended shielding gas coverage in the WAAM process of steel to improve part contour accuracy. A specially adapted shielding gas coverage was manufactured with laser powder bed fusion and following used to study the influence on the resulting component contour and properties in comparison to standard shielding gas nozzles. The investigations include the analysis of temperature profiles, shape deviations, hardness and porosity in the component. In addition, process parameters such as gas flow rate and nozzle geometry were varied in order to evaluate their influence on the accuracy of the component contour. The extended shielding gas coverage reduces the average deviation from the target contour significantly by a degree of 49,44%. In addition, the maximum of the occurring deviation height could be decreased by 42,39%. The results show an improvement in the dimensional accuracy of the contour and the surface quality, resulting in higher reproducibility and less post-processing effort.