Bespoke fabrication. UK workshops
What does bespoke metal fabrication cost?
Nobody can price a fabrication job from a description. The number comes from the material and grade, the thickness and how it gets cut, how tight the tolerances are, how much welding and what finish, and whether it is one part or two hundred. Below is what each of those does to the price, and what to send so a fabricator can quote instead of guess.
What happens next
- Tell us what you need made, in what material, how many and what finish. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to metal fabricators who can make it and reach your postcode, and to no one else.
- They quote directly, and will usually ask for drawings. Compare on material, tolerance and finish, then choose or walk away.
Metal Fabrication Quotes is a free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. We pass your details to metal fabricators who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not fabricators or engineers, we are not affiliated with BSI or any standards body, and nothing here is engineering, structural or legal advice. Specifications for structural steelwork, including execution class and welding requirements, come from your designer, not from this site.
What sets the price of a fabricated metal part
Last updated
Eight variables decide what a fabrication quote comes to. Change any one of them and the price moves, sometimes by more than the material is worth. Use this before you send an enquiry: the more of these you can answer, the firmer and faster the quotes come back.
We publish no price range for bespoke fabrication because there is no such thing as a typical part, and a made-up figure per kilo or per hour would mislead. Material prices move with the commodity market, cutting and welding time depend on geometry, and finishing is priced by area or by weight through a third party. This table sets out the variables fabricators actually price against, and what to specify so two quotes describe the same part. Compiled from the specification decisions a fabrication quotation has to make; updated on the date shown above.
| Variable | What it changes | What to specify |
|---|---|---|
| Material and grade | Stainless and aluminium cost several times mild steel per kilo, and grade matters within each: a marine-grade stainless is not the same purchase as a standard one | The exact grade, or the environment the part will live in and let the fabricator advise |
| Thickness and section | Thickness drives cutting speed, welding time, handling and whether the workshop can form it at all | Thickness in millimetres, and section sizes where you know them |
| Cutting method | Laser, plasma, waterjet and sawing differ in edge quality, cost per metre and thickness limits, and the right choice depends on material and tolerance | The edge quality you need, and whether the cut face is visible or machined afterwards |
| Tolerances | General fabrication tolerances are cheap. Tight tolerances mean jigs, machining and inspection, and can double the labour on an otherwise simple part | A tolerance per dimension that matters, and general tolerances elsewhere. Do not put tight tolerances on everything |
| Welding, extent and standard | Weld length, position, access and whether the process and welders must be qualified to a standard. Full penetration and tested welds are a different job from tacked-up brackets | Whether welds are structural, whether procedures must be qualified, and any inspection required |
| Finish | Hot dip galvanising is priced by weight and needs drainage and vent holes designed in. Powder coating is priced by area and needs a colour reference. A duplex system is two processes and two lots of transport | The finish, the colour reference where relevant, and whether the part goes outdoors |
| Quantity and repeat | The first part carries the setup, the programming and the jig. Parts two to a hundred carry much less, which is why unit price falls sharply with volume | Realistic quantities and whether repeat batches are likely, so setup can be amortised |
| Drawings or design and build | Making to complete manufacturing drawings is the cheapest route. Design and build adds engineering time but often saves calendar time and rework | What you actually have: CAD files, drawings, a sketch, a sample, or an idea |
| Delivery and installation | Size and weight decide the vehicle, and anything over normal road limits needs planning. Installation brings site access, working at height and lifting into the price | Delivery postcode, access constraints, and whether you need it installed |
- The first part off a fabrication job carries the programming, setup and jigging, which is why unit price falls sharply between a one-off and a batch: quantity is often a bigger lever on unit cost than material choice.
- Tolerances are the most expensive thing a designer can add casually: general fabrication tolerances cost nothing, while tight tolerances bring jigs, machining and inspection into an otherwise simple part.
- Hot dip galvanising is priced by weight and needs vent and drainage holes designed into the part before fabrication, so the finish decision has to be made before the part is cut, not after.
- Construction products covered by a designated standard must carry the CE or UK (UKCA) marking to be placed on the Great Britain market, with UKCA testing and certification through a UK approved body (gov.uk, Construction Products Regulation in Great Britain).
Cite this page
“What sets the price of a fabricated metal part”, Metal Fabrication Quotes, https://metalfabricationquotes.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). We publish no price range for bespoke fabrication because there is no such thing as a typical part, and a made-up figure per kilo or per hour would mislead. Material prices move with the commodity market, cutting and welding time depend on geometry, and finishing is priced by area or by weight through a third party. This table sets out the variables fabricators actually price against, and what to specify so two quotes describe the same part. Compiled from the specification decisions a fabrication quotation has to make; updated on the date shown above.
Worth knowing
Every figure sourced and dated.
Metal fabrication cost: the eight variables that set your price
Why fabrication quotes vary so widely: material and grade, thickness, cutting method, tolerances, welding, finish, quantity and delivery, and how to compare them.
Laser, plasma or waterjet: which cutting method for your part
How laser, plasma, waterjet and sawing compare on edge quality, thickness, cost and material, and how the cutting choice changes your fabrication quote.
Galvanising or powder coating: choosing a finish for fabricated steel
Hot dip galvanising, powder coating, paint and duplex systems compared on protection, cost basis, lead time and the design details you must get right beforehand.
What to send for a metal fabrication quote (and get a firm price)
The information a fabricator needs to quote firmly: drawings and file formats, material and grade, tolerances, welding, finish, quantity, delivery and dates.
Frequently asked
How much does bespoke metal fabrication cost?
There is no honest per-kilo or per-hour figure. Material is often the smaller half of the invoice and the rest is time driven by geometry: thickness and cutting method, how tight the tolerances are, how much welding and to what standard, the finish, the quantity and the delivery. Send drawings, a quantity and a finish, and compare two or three quotes on the same specification.
What information does a fabricator need to quote?
Drawings or CAD files (DXF for flat profiles, STEP for 3D), material and grade, thickness, tolerances, welding requirements, the finish with a colour reference where relevant, quantity, delivery address and access, and the date you need it. Missing any of those turns a firm price into an estimate.
Does quantity really change the unit price?
Substantially. Programming, setup and jigging are paid once and spread across the batch, so a one-off carries all of it and the tenth part carries almost none. If repeat orders are realistic, say so when you enquire rather than after you have accepted a one-off price.
What is BS EN 1090 and do I need it?
BS EN 1090 is the standard for fabricated structural steel and aluminium components: BS EN 1090-1 covers conformity assessment of structural components and BS EN 1090-2 covers execution of steel structures against an execution class, EXC1 to EXC4, set by the designer. If your steelwork carries load in a building, ask fabricators which execution class they are certified to and check it against what your engineer specified. We name the standard rather than link it because it is published by BSI and is not free to read.
Is this quote service really free?
Yes, free to you, with no obligation to accept any quote. We pass your details only to metal fabricators who can make your part and reach your postcode, and they quote you directly; we may receive a fee from those providers, which is how the service is funded.