What to send for a steel fabrication quote

A fabricator can only price what it is shown. This guide lists what to send with a quote request and why each item matters. It follows the quote form, but you do not need to have everything: send what you have and say what is still to be confirmed.

Drawings and the revision to price

Attach the current drawings for the steelwork: general arrangements, sections, connection details and any member schedules. PDF is the usual format for issued drawings, and DWG or DXF files are fine too. For modifications to existing steelwork, add photos and measurements of the existing item as JPG or PNG files. The form takes one file of up to 20 MB, so put several files in one ZIP file.

Say which revision you want priced. Drawings change between tender and construction, and a quotation is based on the drawings it was given. If the set is preliminary or for tender, say so. If it is issued for construction, say that. When a later revision is issued, send it, so the quotation can be checked against it.

Scope: what is in and what is out

Describe the work to be priced in the project details box. Say what is to be fabricated, such as beams, columns, frames and connections, and which parts of the job the quotation should cover, for example material supply, delivery, coating, site work and documentation.

List the exclusions as well as the inclusions, including steel or items supplied by others and work by other trades. Clear inclusions and exclusions let you compare quotations on the same basis and reduce the chance of disagreement over a variation later. How variations are handled depends on your contract.

Quantities and materials

Quantities set the size of the job and so the price. Give them in a form that can be checked against the drawings: a member schedule, a take-off or an estimated tonnage. Steel is commonly measured by weight, so tonnes are a useful guide.

Name the material, such as mild steel, stainless steel or aluminium, with the grade and section sizes where the drawings or specification state them. If the specification names a material standard, say so. If steel is to be supplied by others, say who is supplying it and when.

Coatings and finishes

State the finish required: bare steel, hot-dip galvanising, a paint system or a combination. Give the specification it must meet, such as AS/NZS 4680 for hot-dip galvanising, and say who is to apply it and who is to inspect it.

The finish affects both the drawings and the programme. Hollow or closed members to be galvanised need holes for venting and draining, and their positions are normally agreed between the designer and the galvaniser. Galvanising is usually done by a separate galvanising business, so allow time for it. If galvanised steel is to be painted afterwards, say so at enquiry stage.

Site address and access

Give the project location on the form and the full site address in the project details. Describe how the site is accessed: road access and entry points for trucks, space for unloading and lifting, any height or weight limits, and whether the site is operating while the work is carried out. Access affects how steel is delivered and how site welding is organised.

For site welding, say where the work is, for example at height or in a confined space. Site welding at height or in a confined space may be high risk construction work, which needs a safe work method statement (SWMS) before it starts (Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), ss 291 and 299). Say so in your request if it applies.

Programme and dates

The form asks for two dates: when you need the quotation, and when you expect work to start. Add what drives them, such as a tender closing date, a shutdown window or the date the steel is needed on site.

Fabrication is only part of the time between order and delivery. Drawing approval, material supply, galvanising or painting, and any inspection or testing also take time and can depend on other businesses. Give the earliest and latest dates that work, and say whether they are fixed or flexible.

Documents your job needs

List the documents your site and contract require, so they are considered when the quotation is prepared.

• Safety documents. On a construction project, the business doing high risk construction work must give a copy of its SWMS to the principal contractor before that work starts (Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld), s 301). Also list the permits, inductions, insurance certificates, licences and tickets your site requires.
• Quality records. If your specification calls for them, list material test (mill) certificates, welding procedures, welder qualifications, an inspection and test plan, test reports and a handover data pack.
• Hold and witness points. A hold point is where work stops until you release it. A witness point is where you may attend, but work does not have to stop. List any that apply.

Using the quote form

The quote form asks for:

• your name, company, email and phone
• the project type: commercial construction, civil and infrastructure, industrial and manufacturing, plant and equipment repairs, or other. If none fits, choose Other and describe the work
• the project location, as a suburb or site
• the date you need the quotation and the date you expect work to start
• the project details: scope of works, quantities, site access and any other details
• drawings and photos as one PDF, DWG, DXF, JPG, PNG or ZIP file of up to 20 MB (put several files in a ZIP)

Send what you have. The more detail you give, the more accurate the quotation can be. We will be in touch to discuss your project. FSB's documented WHS management system includes SWMS and permits for hot work and confined space entry, so list the safety documents your site requires in the project details. If you are comparing fabricators, see how to choose a structural steel fabricator.