Questions to Ask Your Metal Fabrication Company

04 Jun.,2025

 

Questions to Ask Your Metal Fabrication Company

Selecting the right metal fabrication company has become a complex task amidst today's competitive landscape. With numerous factors at play, the decision extends far beyond merely seeking a low-cost solution. While cost is undeniably important, factors like quality, experience, and compatibility are equally crucial considerations.

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Navigating this intricate landscape can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. To guide you towards a well-informed decision and a successful partnership, we've compiled a set of essential questions. By posing these inquiries to potential fabrication partners, you'll gain insights that empower you to make a confident choice in line with your project's unique requirements.

What Are Your Capabilities?

While there are numerous metal fabrication companies out there to choose from, each company specializes in different metal solutions and fabrications. It is therefore important to know what your potential fabrication company specializes in and what materials they commonly use. They should be able to provide you with gallery or showroom of their products to help you evaluate their outputs.

Do You Have Any Design Capabilities?

If you’re looking into getting custom designed products, it is important for you to know whether the metal fabrication company offer design services or not. Not all metal companies offer these services. Some simply offer products on certain designs and formats, so if this is something that you are looking for, make sure to let them know your needs and check whether they have those services.

Evaluating Experience and Expertise

One of the important things you need to know about a metal fabrication company is their level of experience. A fabrication company who has extensive years of experience could help you avoid costly mistakes. You should get to know the types of fabricated products they have done in the past by asking both the fabrication company and previous clients that have dealt with them in the past. A reputable and excellent metal fabrication company will have many references from happy customers to share their experiences.

REASONS YOU SHOULD INVEST IN A METAL FABRICATION COMPANY

So, what are the benefits of investing in a metal fabrication company? In metal works, metal furniture, custom drain grates and other grate replacement service? So that's it. By using custom handling equipment, your factory floor activities can be made more efficient and raw material storage requirements can be reduced. Maximizing the return on factory-floor square footage, you can focus your efforts on the highest-value production operations by removing certain activities from a factory floor. Upgrading the floor will achieve:

• Shorter production times and improved work flow
• Downtime for parts collection has been reduced.
• Freeing up your highly-skilled personnel to focus on higher-paying tasks
• Cleared area on the factory floor
• By closely aligning packaging to the manufacturing process, capital was freed up.

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE HIRING A METAL FABRICATION COMPANY

Before Hiring

1. How will the current situation affect the work?

We should always make sure that the situation for both parties is safe for any events like the pandemic we are in right now. Before hiring, any delays due to any unexpected situations should be addressed and answered. How will shipments of the materials be affected? (If there are any materials needed to be shipped from another area), how will the metal fabrication company handle if an employee is infected? So that money, time, effort and energy would not be wasted, the current situation should always be highly considered.

2. How long have you been in business and what are customer feedbacks about your work?

We do not want to be part of an experiment when working with big projects so experience is always in question. Have the metal fabrication company work with the style I have right now? For your safety, making sure that they know what they are doing is important. You will be painted a clearer a clearer picture on how they handle their work when you look into their relationship with their past customers and the projects they have done with them. Do they provide top-quality service? Was the customer satisfied with the work?

3. Are you licensed for the job?

The last thing we want is to face charges from the law just because you haven’t secured if the metal fabrication company has a license to work or not. The job is ensured that the job is handled professional and legally if the worker licensed for the job. A background check would not hurt just to check if they meet the minimum and standard requirement meant for the job. I want to fix my roof, are they a licensed roofer?

4. How do you make sure your budgets are accurate?

Plan when it comes to budgeting, there should be a well lay out. Construction will run smoothly when there is accurate budgeting. There should be a preliminary estimate for in-home consultation with the metal fabrication company and a clear view for the project and a detailed estimate after plans and specifications are finalized. Will I the budget be over or under?

5. Can you provide me a timeline of the project?

Knowing the start and finish date of the project is good. A good and organized metal fabrication company that makes the timeline shows how the work is handled. You should also know how keen and resourceful they are in identifying potential problems and resolving them before they arise, as this will have a significant impact on the timeline. The preparation and processing is done for how long?

6. How is the project managed?

Checking on they managed things should one of the things you should be very meticulous with because looking into how they managed things will reflect on how they do your project. A close collaboration with the architect and everyone involved is also very important, this will tell you that the project is well manage and nothing is overlooked. How often is my project inspected? Who supervises? Will the metal fabrication company have scheduled inspections?

7. What materials are used for my project?

How they value their work and their customers reflect on the materials they use. High quality materials results in high quality products. professionalism and expertise of a worker is reflected on the right materials they use. Why is this materials used? What processes are necessary? How does the metal fabrication company order these materials?

8. What is work day like?

Every time they work, can I be at home? How much noise does the renovation make? Probing questions will get you the answers you need to hear. Before, during and after the project, clients and contractors should have expectations already. You as the client also have the responsibility to tell the contractors about the parking situation in the neighborhood, where are the nearest available outlets, who else will be around during the construction and the like. Will I be given a laid out plan by the metal fabrication company?

After the work is done before approval

9. Is the project thoroughly inspected after completion?

Projects that are well managed are always supervised during and after. When the project is done, it is crucial that both client and contractor check for any discrepancies on paper and output like cracked ceilings, leaks, jammed doors and anything in between. The money being spent will be ensured that they are worth it. How is inspection done by the metal fabrication company?

10. Is the project long lasting?

You need to make sure that the renovation can be updated and upgraded as technology improves, without extensive structural work or damage any meticulous structure. Is the metal fabrication company liable for unseen problems?

Ferrum Retail & Trade caters to the whole of Australia. When it comes to providing quality custom metal fabrication, Ferrum Retail & Trade would like to believe that they are an authority. Because they put their 45 years of experience as a metal fabrication solutions supplier to the table, they can definitely guarantee that every product that comes out of their workshop is a testimony in itself of their expertise.

Contact Ferrum Retail & Trade as your custom metal fabrication company!

7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Sheet Metal Fabricator

Partnering with the best sheet metal fabricator is critical to the success of your company if you are needing fabricated parts.

Sheet metal fabrication is a delicate task that requires the right equipment and utmost diligence to get it right. If you’re in the aerospace or telecom industry, you probably understand just how important the right sheet metal fabricator is to the success of your projects.

Unfortunately, finding a good sheet metal fabricating company is easier said than done. Though there are plenty of sheet metal fabricators, you’ll find that only a handful meet your expectations.

Most companies need nothing less than stellar service from a sheet metal fabricator. If you’re on the hunt for a sheet metal fabrication company, here are a couple of questions you can ask to ensure you get the right company for the job.

You will get efficient and thoughtful service from US Metal Spinning.

What Questions Should You Ask a Sheet Metal Fabricator?

There are tons of sheet metal fabrication companies, and you can easily find one by doing a quick online search. However, to find the right one, you may have to do some digging around.

If you don’t want to play dice with your project, here are a few questions to ask a sheet metal fabricator to know whether you’re in the right hands.

1. What Projects Have They Previously Worked on?

In specialty companies like metal fabricators, the number of operational years doesn’t always tell you everything about the company’s experience. Instead, it’s the number of projects similar to yours that the company has worked on that gives you a better picture of their experience as it relates to your project.  For example, if your project is for the aerospace industry, then you wouldn't want to select a fabricator that isn’t familiar with the requirements of that industry. 

Ask the company what other projects they’ve done to gauge their level of experience. Ask to see their portfolio; most fabrication companies have portfolios. If the company doesn’t have one, then that’s a definite red flag.

You can also ask to see previous clients’ testimonials. Don’t trust the online reviews too much, because anyone can write an online review without even dealing with the company in the first place.

Find out whether they have worked on a project that’s similar to yours. If they have, then you can be even more confident about the company you’re dealing with.

2. What Equipment Do They Use?

In any metal fabrication company, one factor you can’t overlook is their equipment. In fact, a sheet metal fabricator is only as good as its equipment and staff.  So please ask to see the company’s equipment or at least some information about their equipment.

A company with state-of-the-art equipment is more likely to meet your requirements. Among the equipment you should look for include new punch presses and lasers, good press brakes that can accommodate your parts, graining equipment to put nice finish on the parts and hardware insertion machines, to name a few.

Fabrication technology has evolved over the years. Nowadays, we have precision machines that can cut through thick metal easily. Look for a sheet metal fabricator with such equipment to satisfy your volume requirements.  The newer and more innovative the equipment, the better quality and price the fabricator will be able to give you. 

3. How Versed Are They With Metal Fabrication Techniques?

Equipment aside, the right sheet metal fabricator should also be well-acquainted with industry-specific metal fabrication techniques. Some companies approach metal fabrication as a refined art and not just a regular process. If you can find such a company, then you’ve hit the jackpot.

Most metal fabricators work with all types of metal including copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless and mild steel. However, the company you choose should also have enough skilled labor and machinery to handle the project at hand.

If your parts require welding then you want a company that offers both MIG (metal inert gas) and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding.  Compare the capabilities between a couple companies before choosing one. 

4. What is Their Average Employee Tenure?

It’s not enough for a company to only have the latest fabrication equipment and machinery. The company also needs capable staff that know how to operate the machines and equipment.

As such, it’s important to ask how the company hires its talent. Ask for a brief explanation of the company’s hiring policies. This should give you a picture of the company’s labor situation and whether they’re a good fit for the project.

A good indicator is if all the company’s staff have AWS certification and clear hiring policies. If all the skilled staff have AWS certification, it means that the company has a thorough hiring policy, which is just what you want.

5. Does the Company Provide Engineering Services?

Finding a manufacturing company that can also provide engineering and design services is a big benefit, because it allows you to have the manufacturing experts add value to your products by improving them for manufacturability.  Design for manufacturability means that the part is designed in a way that will allow it to be manufactured as efficiently as possible.  A lot of engineers don’t focus on manufacturability when designing parts, plus they often don’t know the capabilities, strengths and weaknesses of the manufacturer.  It’s important to know and consider these things during the design process, so that your parts are not unnecessarily expensive or difficult.

Think of engineering and design services as a bonus and not really a necessity. However, if you find a manufacturing company that also offers that, then you will likely save you and your company time and money. .

6. Do They Provide Finished Products?

Ask if the fabrication company fabricates the products to completion. That way you can know whether you have to find another company for the finishing.

If they do, find out whether they do it themselves, or they outsource for these services. A company that does in-house finishing is likely to produce more superior products than one that outsources for finishing.

7. Can They Provide Competitive Pricing in a timely fashion?

While price shouldn’t be your main or only concern, it is of course an important part of the equation.  You typically do not want to just go with the cheapest price, because oftentimes you get what you pay for and the company with the cheapest price may have missed something in their quoting process which will cost you in the long run.  You want to establish a good relationship with a manufacturer that you can always count on to provide you competitive pricing, so that you aren’t having to quote multiple vendors on every project.  

Another factor is the length of time that a manufacturer needs to be able to provide you with a quote.  You need to be able to get quotes back in a timely fashion, so make sure to partner with 

The Right Sheet Metal Fabricator Is Seven Questions Away

Finding the right sheet metal fabricator, won’t be too difficult if you ask these seven questions. Now, remember to compare services between many fabrication companies before you find one. Also, don’t let cost be the primary factor in choosing a fabrication company; in most cases, you’ll get what you pay for.

Want more information on Custom Metal Fabrication? Feel free to contact us.