“What does welded fabrication cost per kilo?” and “What is the hourly rate for contract welding?” are among the questions purchasing teams ask most often. There is no short answer, because two parts of the same weight can need very different amounts of labour. This article explains what determines the price of welded fabrication and how to compare quotes.
Why Price per Kilo Can Mislead
Price per kilo is a practical yardstick for very similar jobs (e.g. the same type of steel structure). But most of the cost comes not from weight but from weld length, number of parts and inspection requirements. A 50 kg machine frame with many small parts, short welds and tight tolerances can need more labour than a 500 kg beam welded with a few long seams. That is why a price per part with a breakdown of quote items gives a more accurate comparison than a price per kilo.
9 Factors That Determine the Price
- Material: Steel grade, thickness and certificate type. S355 versus S690QL or stainless steel differs in both material cost and welding time.
- Cutting and bending: Laser, plasma or oxy-fuel cutting and press-brake bending. This item grows with the number of parts.
- Amount of welding: Total weld length, throat thickness (a) and number of passes. In thick sections the weld metal to be deposited rises quickly.
- Welding process and position: Submerged arc welding is fast on long straight seams; in tight spaces and overhead positions MAG or TIG takes longer.
- Preparation and fixtures: Edge preparation, tacking and fixture design. In series work the fixture cost is spread over the quantity.
- Tolerances and distortion control: Tight tolerances mean weld sequence planning, straightening and, where needed, a machining allowance.
- Quality assurance and NDT: Execution class (EXC2 or EXC3), NDT rate, dimensional report and documentation package.
- Surface treatment: Blasting, painting and galvanising. These are usually done at partner facilities and priced as separate items.
- Quantity, packaging and delivery: Batch size, packaging requirements and delivery terms (EXW, DAP). For large, light parts, freight can be a significant share of the total cost.
Welding Labour Only or Fabrication with Material?
| Model | Included in the price | When does it fit? |
|---|---|---|
| Welding labour | Welding, inspection and documents; you supply material and cut parts | If you have your own cutting capacity or stock material |
| Fabrication with material | Material, cutting, bending, welding, inspection and documents | If you want responsibility with a single supplier |
| Finished part | All of the above plus painting, machining and packaging | If you want the part to go straight to your assembly line |
At ArmaWeld, welding and non-destructive testing are done in our own workshop. Cutting, bending, machining and painting are carried out at partner facilities under our coordination, so you work with one quote and one point of contact.
The Right Ways to Lower a Quote
- Keep tolerances as tight as the function requires; tight tolerances everywhere increase labour.
- Size welds by calculation; an oversized throat thickness increases both weld metal and distortion.
- Share annual demand and batch size; fixture and set-up costs are spread over the quantity.
- Set the NDT rate at the level the standard and execution class require.
- Ask for quote items to be listed separately, so you can see which item drives the price.
To reduce cost at the design stage, see our article on cost optimisation in welded fabrication.
For an accurate price: we have gathered the information to send with a quote request in our RFQ checklist. With your drawing and quantities, we prepare an itemised quote within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is contract welding priced per kilo?
Price per kilo can be used for similar steel structure jobs. For labour-intensive work such as machine parts and frames, a price per part gives a more accurate result.
Why do small quantities look expensive?
Fixed costs such as programming, fixtures, first article inspection and documentation are divided over few parts. As quantity rises, the cost per part falls.
Are NDT and documents listed separately in the quote?
ArmaWeld quotes state the scope of NDT, dimensional reports and the documentation package clearly, so quotes from different suppliers can be compared on the same scope.
Find Out What Your Part Costs
Send us your drawing and quantities; we will send an itemised quote within 48 hours.
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