What to send your fabricator — a checklist

Get a sharper quote — quicker. The more of this we have up front, the faster we can come back to you.

1. What it's for — patio frame, gate, balustrade, mezzanine, trailer. Helps us suggest the right section.
2. Dimensions — overall L × W × H, plus any critical spans. A sketch on paper or phone is fine.
3. Section sizes (if you know them) — e.g. "75×75×4 SHS posts, 100×50×4 RHS beam".
4. Finish — primed / painted / hot-dip galvanised / DuraGal. If it's outdoors near the coast, lean galvanised.
5. Connections — welded, bolted, cleated. Any holes or hinges we should pre-drill.
6. Tolerances — bolt-hole-critical, or "near enough is good enough"?
7. Delivery or pick-up — yard collection, or crane truck to site?
8. When you need it — be honest. We'll tell you straight what's possible.
9. Photos — of the job, the wall, the site, the truck you're loading on. All help.

A worked example

Patio frame for the back deck. 5m long, 3m deep, 2.4m to the underside. Posts 75 × 75 × 4 SHS, top beams 100 × 50 × 4 RHS, rafters 50 × 50 × 3 SHS. All hot-dip galvanised, since we are two streets back from the beach. Base plates and cleats drilled to the plan, which is attached. Bolt holes need to be accurate. Builder will collect from the yard and needs it by the Thursday.

That is one paragraph, and it answers every line on the checklist above. Anything close to it is plenty to quote from.

What happens after you send it

We read it the same day it lands. If something is missing we will ring rather than guess, because a wrong assumption costs you more than a phone call does. Straightforward jobs are quoted the same day. Anything that needs a cutting list or a trip to the galvaniser is usually back with you the next business day.

If the job is easier to explain in person, bring it in. There is normally someone at the counter who can sketch it out with you.

What slows a quote down

Photos with no measurements on them. A finish left unsaid on an outdoor job. A deadline of "as soon as possible", which tells us nothing we can plan around. None of these are dealbreakers. They just add a phone call.

Send the lot to sales@marshallsteel.com.au or drop it in at the counter.