Custom welding work: how to describe the job and compare prices
What people usually order
Welders make and repair gates and wickets, fences and railings, staircases, canopies, frames for greenhouses and garages, window grilles, metal furniture, barbecue grills, frames for machinery. Repairs are separate: welding up cracks, strengthening structures, argon welding of stainless steel and aluminium.
The type of product determines where the work is done: in a workshop (the product is then delivered and fitted) or on site, with the welder coming with his equipment. It is worth stating this straight away.
What to put in your request
- What to weld — gates, stairs, a canopy, a repair, a frame.
- Metal — mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium; the thickness of the tube or sheet, if you know it.
- Dimensions — width, height, depth. Add a sketch or a photo: you can attach one photo to the request.
- Whose metal — yours or the contractor’s.
- Site visit — whether the welder has to come to you, or you will bring the product yourself.
- Finish — primer, painting, galvanising.
- Address, timing, budget.
Example: “Gqeberha, private house. I need a sliding gate of 4×2 m made of square tube, the metal is mine. Frame with primer and paint, and the welder to come to the site for installation. Finish by the end of the month, budget up to R 4,900.”
How to compare welders
The price is formed by the metal, the complexity and the time, so first level the terms: the same dimensions, section thickness and finish. Ask:
- which welding method is used: stainless steel and aluminium usually need argon welding;
- whether the seams are ground smooth and the product primed and painted;
- whether delivery and installation on site are included;
- whether they work from your sketch and will agree it with you before starting.
Ask to see photos of similar work. Neat seams and flat surfaces are clear even without any expert knowledge.
How it works on BlaBlaPrice
You send a request on the home page, and welders in your city reply in chat: what they offer, the price or what it depends on, and when they will make it. They see where their offer stands and can improve their terms. Contacts stay hidden, so no unwanted calls. The “How it works” section explains in more detail.
Common mistakes
Most often people do not state whose metal it is and do not ask about the thickness. Thinner tube costs less, but the structure comes out weaker. The second mistake is not agreeing on rust protection: without primer and paint, metal products begin to rust within a season, especially in the rainy season. The third is not matching the dimensions to the real opening or plot.
If the product has to fit in with other work, see construction services, and to power gate automation, electrical installation.
