Fabrication quotation that keeps your margin
Shop hours and finishing add up fast, and a rough figure eats the profit. Build the 9 m handrail price from tube, fabrication, hot dip galvanizing and install.
- Steel tube, shop hours, galvanizing and site install
- Material, hours and finish add up as you type
- Work online, or take the Excel sheet free
What a welding quote template should cover
Use this fabrication quotation template to price steel work from the cut list to the final weld: material by length or weight, shop hours, finishing, delivery and site installation. The sample fabricates and installs a 9 m (about 29.5 ft) hot dip galvanized stair handrail for a warehouse, with powder coat as an optional extra. Edit it in the quote maker, or download Word, Excel and PDF versions.
Fabrication quotes are built from drawings, so the quote should name the drawing and price what is on it: steel sections, shop time, finishing and installation. Tie every line to the revision you quoted from, so a design change becomes a priced change instead of free work.
- Drawing referenceThe drawing number and revision, or a dimensioned sketch, named on the quote or attached to it.
- Steel by section and lengthTube, flat bar, angle or plate by size and grade, priced per foot, meter or pound, with an allowance for offcuts and stock lengths.
- Shop fabrication hoursCutting, fitting, welding and grinding hours, and the process where it matters to the customer (MIG, TIG or stick).
- FinishingHot dip galvanizing, primer and paint, or powder coat. Usually subcontracted and priced per job or by weight.
- Delivery and liftingTruck or trailer runs, and forklift or crane time to get the work to site and into position.
- Site installationHours on site, anchors or base plates, drilling into concrete, and any site welding that needs a hot work permit.
- Code requirementsFor stairs and guards, the rule the design follows, such as a handrail height of 34 to 38 in under the IBC and IRC, and whether an engineer’s sign off is needed.
- Deposit and lead timeA deposit to buy steel and book the galvanizer, plus the shop lead time in weeks.
- ExclusionsConcrete repairs, painting of existing steel and engineering, unless they are stated as included.
Sample welding quotation: galvanized stair handrail
The sample prices a steel stair handrail for a warehouse. Steel tube and fittings are priced per meter for 9 m, followed by 14 hours of fabrication, hot dip galvanizing as a finishing job, and 6 hours to install on site. Powder coat in black is an optional extra outside the $2,552 subtotal, and a 30% deposit applies before steel is ordered. Treat the rates as examples.
| Item | Group | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel tube and fittings | Materials | 9 m | $48.00 | $432.00 |
| Fabrication | Labor | 14 hrs | $85.00 | $1,190.00 |
| Hot dip galvanizing | Finishing | 1 job | $420.00 | $420.00 |
| Install on site | Labor | 6 hrs | $85.00 | $510.00 |
| Powder coat in black | Optional extras (optional) | 1 job | $380.00 | ($380.00) |
| Subtotal before tax | $2,552.00 | |||
| Optional extras, not in the total | $380.00 | |||
5 lines are filled in, from steel tube and fittings to powder coat in black. Put in your own welding and fabrication rates, then download the PDF.
How to price fabrication and welding work
Fabricators price from a takeoff: material weight or length at current steel prices, shop hours from the number of cuts, joints and welds, then finishing, delivery and install. Repeat items are priced per unit, while one off repairs are usually hourly with a minimum charge.
- Material takeoff plus shop hoursSteel at cost plus markup, shop hours at your rate and subcontracted finishing. The standard method for custom work quoted from drawings.
- Per ton for structural steelStructural jobs are often budgeted per ton fabricated and erected, then refined with a detailed takeoff once drawings are final.
- Per unit or per linear footRailings, gates and brackets priced per foot or per piece once you have built enough of them to know your hours.
- Hourly for mobile repairsSite repairs at an hourly rate with a minimum call out, plus consumables, rod or wire and shielding gas.
Steel prices move, so quote with a short validity or a steel price clause. The markup calculator shows the margin behind your material markup, and the guide to calculating labor cost helps you set a shop rate.
Worked example: costing the 9 m handrail
- Material9 m of tube and fittings at $48 per m = $432. Buying in 6 m stock lengths means two lengths, with a 3 m offcut you either keep for stock or charge for.
- Shop hoursCut and miter 3 hrs, fit brackets and returns 4 hrs, weld 5 hrs, grind and prep for galvanizing 2 hrs: 14 hrs x $85 = $1,190.
- FinishingHot dip galvanizing as a subcontract job at $420. Galvanizers often charge by weight with a minimum per batch, so check their list.
- InstallTwo people for 3 hours each is 6 hrs x $85 = $510.
- Total and deposit$432 + $1,190 + $420 + $510 = $2,552. A 30% deposit is $765.60. Adding the $380 powder coat brings the total to $2,932 and the deposit to $879.60.
A drawing change, site welding instead of bolted brackets, or a galvanizer’s minimum on a small batch will move the figures. Requote whenever the revision changes.
Fabrication scope: inclusions and exclusions
Usually included
- Fabrication to the referenced drawing
- Hot dip galvanizing after fabrication
- Delivery to site
- Anchors and fixings into sound concrete
- Removing offcuts and packaging from site
Excluded unless priced
- Structural engineering or stamped drawings
- Concrete repairs or core drilling
- Touch up painting of existing steel
- Site welding that needs a hot work permit
- Work outside normal hours
Fabrication quote mistakes
- Pricing from an old drawing revision and building the wrong rail.
- Forgetting the galvanizer’s minimum charge or their turnaround time.
- Not allowing for offcuts and stock lengths, so the material line comes up short.
- Quoting the install without seeing the site, then finding no power for tools or a slab that needs core drilling.
- Leaving steel prices open while mill prices rise.
- Assuming the customer’s dimensions already meet code for handrail height or baluster spacing.
Welding quote questions
How do I quote a fabrication job?
Start from the drawing. Do a takeoff of every section and length, estimate shop hours by task, add finishing, delivery and installation, then markup, deposit and validity. Quote unknowns as unit rates or exclusions. Our guide on pricing a job covers overhead and profit, and the template library has layouts for related trades.
What hourly rate should a welder charge?
It depends on your area, equipment and certifications, so there is no single figure. Build your rate from wages, shop overhead, consumables and profit rather than copying a competitor. The sample uses $85 per hour as an example only.
Should welders charge for materials separately?
Yes. Steel prices move, and a separate material line lets you update it without reworking your labor. It also shows the customer that a lower bid may be using thinner wall tube or a lighter section.
How much deposit for custom fabrication?
Custom steel cannot easily be resold, so many fabricators ask for a deposit that covers material and finishing. The sample uses 30%. See how to set a deposit for wording and timing.
How long should a welding quotation be valid?
Short validity is sensible because steel prices change. Fourteen to thirty days works for most shops, with a clause that material prices are held only until the valid until date. After that, reprice the steel before accepting.
What if the customer changes the design?
Stop and price the change before cutting steel. Use a change order that names the new drawing revision, the added cost and any extra lead time, and get it signed before work continues.
