# Metal fabrications: how the price is formed and what to send for a quote

Published: 2026-10-09

**In short:** The price of a metal fabrication is built from four parts: the steel, counted in kilograms, the workshop time for cutting, welding and assembly, the anti-corrosion finish and the installation on site. Transport is added separately. Two quotes usually differ not because one is expensive, but because they do not cover the same things.

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“How much is a railing?” has no answer without details, just like “how much is an excavation”. Below is how the price is actually built, so you know what to ask and what to compare.

## 1. The steel, counted in kilograms

Metal fabrications are calculated by weight, not by the piece. A profile has a known weight per linear metre, and the drawing tells you how many kilograms go into the item.

Two practical consequences follow:

- **A thicker profile does not cost “a little more”, it costs proportionally more.** If the thickness asked for grows without a reason, so does the invoice.
- **The type of profile matters.** Rectangular hollow section, angle and rolled profiles do not have the same price per kilogram, nor the same availability in stock.

## 2. The workshop time: cutting, welding, assembly

This is the time in the shop: cutting to size, drilling, welding, grinding the welds, assembling and checking.

What makes it more expensive:
- **The pattern.** A plain railing and one with wrought iron elements have the same length and completely different working times.
- **Tight tolerances.** A piece that has to fit exactly into an existing opening needs measuring and fitting.
- **One-offs.** Ten identical pieces cost less each than a single one, because the setup is done once.

## 3. The anti-corrosion finish

Bare steel rusts, so the finish is not optional — it is part of the product.

- **Indoors**, in dry conditions, primer and paint are the usual choice.
- **Outdoors or in aggressive environments** a tougher protection is needed, which costs more and adds days of waiting.

The finish is decided before fabrication, not after, because it affects both the price and the deadline.

## 4. The installation

Installation is a separate job from the workshop and is priced separately:

- **Access.** Can a vehicle reach the place where it is installed, or does it have to be carried up stairs?
- **Height.** On facades, halls or canopies a lift is needed. We have our own scissor lifts, so no outside supplier is added to the equation.
- **The support.** Fixing into concrete, into masonry or into an existing structure is not the same work.
- **The schedule.** Installation in a space that stays open, a shop for example, is done outside opening hours and costs differently.

## 5. The transport

A two-metre railing fits in a van. A hall structure needs dedicated transport, sometimes oversize. Ask whether transport is included or separate — it is one of the usual differences between two quotes.

## What to send so the quote is accurate

- A drawing, a sketch or photos of the place where it will be installed.
- The main dimensions, measured rather than estimated.
- Indoors or outdoors.
- The finish you would prefer, if you have one in mind.
- Who installs it: us or your own team.
- The deadline by which it has to be ready.

With that, the quote is firm. Without it, any figure is indicative and changes once measurements are taken.

## Why two quotes differ

Most of the time not because one is expensive, but because they do not cover the same thing. On each quote, check:

- whether the finish is included;
- whether the installation is included;
- whether transport is included;
- what thicknesses and profiles were allowed for.

A quote 20% lower, but without installation and without painting, is not cheaper — it is something else.

## What we do

We design, fabricate and install: steel structures for halls and buildings, railings, stairs and platforms, wrought iron work, custom fabrications and the installation of pipework and metal elements. Design, fabrication and installation are done by the same company, so no time is lost between them.

Details and examples on the [metal fabrications and structures](/en/services/metal-fabrications-steel-structures/) page. If the job also includes the machinery side — a platform, foundations, excavation — we can take that on as well, with our own fleet.

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## Contact

Phone: +40 729 553 449
Contact form: https://inchiriez-utilaje.ro/en/contact/
Article: https://inchiriez-utilaje.ro/en/blog/metal-fabrications-how-the-price-is-formed/
Romanian version: https://inchiriez-utilaje.ro/blog/confectii-metalice-din-ce-se-formeaza-pretul/