A structural steel or architectural metalwork fabricator is a highly skilled professional whose job involves cutting, bending, shaping and assembling raw metal into precisely completed, high-quality products. The end result can be decorative or functional, and spans from buildings’ heavy structural ‘skeletons’ to detailed aesthetic metal elements.
These specialists work with a wide range of tools across myriad industries, from construction to aerospace, the automotive sector and more. Fabricators also read, understand and interpret technical drawings and specifications.
So choosing the right fabricator for the task in hand is key to your project’s overall success. The operator you work with must be able to handle your project’s unique challenges and have the right certifications and quality control processes in place to work safely and to the required standard.
But with quite a few of them around offering their services, it can be a challenge to know where to start finding the right one. Therefore, whether you’re an architect, homeowner or property developer, you need to ask very specific questions to ensure you’re hiring the right fabricator for your structural steel or architectural metalwork job.
The below checklist should serve as your starting point:
- Accreditations
The UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) marking BSEN 1090 is the British standard for steelwork and all structural steel fabricators should have this in place, although regrettably not all do. Those who don’t undercut prices since they don’t have to follow the same quality control or traceability that we at Two J’s Metalwork do.
The standard for structural steel is Execution Class 2 (EXC2) under BS EN 1090 that defines the mandatory quality, welding, and fabrication requirements for most structural steel and aluminium projects. However, our accreditation at Two J’s takes us to EXC 3, which works in synergy with ISO9001, a separate quality management system. Potential clients should be looking for these accreditations so that suppliers integrate quality control into their processes.
- Experience and specialisation
Ask how long your potential structural steel provider has been in business and whether they have any experience in projects similar to yours. And, as when taking on any other service, ask to see a portfolio of past projects and request client references.
- Quality control and process
Ask how your prospective provider works, from early design through to completion. Look for a clear, structured process demonstrating that they are organised and reliable.
It’s also worth enquiring about what happens if any unforeseen issues crop up. How do they approach problem solving? How do they handle potential disruptions?
Find out how the fabricator sources materials in a way that ensures their origin and quality. (Especially if you require ethical sourcing or particular certifications.) Ask what certifications their materials have. Equally, how do they complete inspections during fabrication and check that the final product meets relevant standards?
Ahead of production, will they supply prototypes or models? Finally, ask about safety protocols.
- Timelines and communications
As when ordering anything else, you’ll want a named point of contact from start to finish to keep things simple and accountable, plus you’ll expect project updates. Ask how the company tracks project milestones and how it deals with shipping, delivery and similar logistics. How will the end product be transported and fitted safely?
- Prices and budgetary considerations
Clearly, you ideally want to combine high-quality work with a competitive quote. Quotes should be detailed, outlining all the project’s costs, from labour and materials to any extras.
Finally, ask about payment terms, warranty on materials and work, and appropriate insurance, such as liability cover.
Why Two J’s Metalwork has all the right answers
At Two J’s Metalwork, we come up with outstanding, long-lasting metalwork solutions for a wide range of clients of varying sizes, from big projects to smaller-scale installations, with the same high level of commitment whoever we’re working for and whatever we’re making.
Our skilled, experienced team of structural steel and architectural metalwork fabricators is at the heart of our success, plus we strive to make the whole process simple and stress and hassle-free.
We set clear communication protocols, realistic timelines and tailored solutions. What’s more, we’re always here to answer any queries and we’ll be with you every step of the way. So it’s no wonder our clients keep coming back.
Get in touch today for advice, a quote or to ask us anything about our service you need to know. Our team stands ready to help.
