What information should you provide when requesting a fabrication quote?
The details that let a fabricator quote accurately the first time — and the ones that don't matter as much as you'd think.
4 min read · Rivals Welding & Fabrication
The fastest quotes come from the clearest requests. You don't need engineering drawings — but the more of the following you can give, the fewer questions we'll need to ask and the more accurate the price will be.
1. What it's for
Tell us the job the part has to do. "A bracket to hold a 200 L water tank on a trailer" tells a fabricator far more than "a bracket 300 mm long". The purpose decides the material thickness, the welds and whether anything needs reinforcing.
2. Dimensions
Overall length, width and height are the essentials. For repairs, the size of the damaged area. For gates and rails, the opening width and the height you want. Measure twice and write it down in millimetres. If you're unsure how to measure something, take a photo with a tape measure in it.
3. Material
If you know it — mild steel, galvanised, stainless, aluminium — say so. If you don't, that's fine; a photo usually tells us. Galvanised and stainless are handled differently to plain steel, so this affects the price.
4. Quantity
One-off or a batch? Making four identical brackets is not four times the price of one — set-up is shared. Tell us if you might want more later, too.
5. Photos
For repairs, photos are the single most useful thing you can send: - A wide shot showing the whole item and where the damage is - A close-up of the damage itself - Something in the shot for scale
For fabrication, a photo of where the part will go, or of a similar item, helps enormously.
6. Drawings or sketches
If you have a drawing, attach it. If you don't, a sketch on paper with the main dimensions, photographed on your phone, is nearly as good. Don't worry about neatness.
7. Finish
Bare steel for you to paint? Primed? Powder-coated or galvanised (arranged through a coater)? This changes the price and the lead time.
8. When you need it
If there's a real deadline, say so up front. Most small jobs turn around quickly, but batches, custom builds and anything going out for galvanising or coating need lead time.
9. Where you are
Whether you can drop the item at the workshop or need it delivered. For gates, handrails, frames and anything that has to fit an exact space, expect us to come out and measure up before the quote is final — a photo starts the conversation, but the tape measure sets the price.
What doesn't matter much
You don't need to specify weld sizes, steel grades or processes. That's the fabricator's job — and it's a good sign if the quote you get back explains those choices in plain language.