1. Ask About Their Experience

First things first: you can't work with a company that lacks ample industry experience. While this piece of advice is key in any field, it's especially true with highly technical work like metal fabricating, cutting, and welding. In fields like these, your customers' safety depends directly on your metal fabricator's experience and commitment to quality work.

Additionally, the metal fabricators you choose need more than industry experience—they also need local experience. Local metal fabricators should also have a good grasp on the area's demographic and what your customers expect. They'll also know what constitutes competitive pricing in your specific city and state, not to mention how your area's unique climate impacts their work.
Of course, it's always tempting to contract with a team that charges less. But while less-experienced metal fabricators might charge less and save you money up front, the cheaper price isn't worth the poor results.

If your metal fabricator doesn't hire experienced industry workers, you open yourself up to criticism from your customers when the work doesn't stand up to the ravages of time and weather. Worse still, if the fabricator is truly inexperienced, their poor welding and fabricating could spell unsafe products—and endangering your customers is the last thing you can afford to do.

2. Look Into Past Projects

Your metal fabricator should have a list or gallery of projects completed for other customers. If you know who contracted the project and feel comfortable contacting other companies, feel free to do so—another contractor or company can tell you how satisfied they were with the metal fabricator's work and tell you frankly about the company's pricing and turnaround times.

3. Don't Settle for the First Estimate—Ask Around

If you've never worked with a metal fabricator before, you might not have a firm grasp on a fair, competitive, cost-effective price for the work done. Many companies offer free quotes, and simply requesting a quote doesn't equal a commitment, so don't be afraid to approach different companies and collect several estimates.

Once you've talked to at least three or four metal fabricators, you should better understand how much the materials will cost and when you can reasonably expect a finished product. If one company offers you a much higher estimate than the three others you approach, you can probably assume they're taking advantage of you.

However, you should bear in mind that estimates from different companies could vary for a reason. For instance, as mentioned above, a less-experienced company might charge much less, but the lower price could mean shoddier work, poor-quality materials, and inattention to key safety details.

4. Learn About Their Materials

Not all metals are created equal. Find out where your company acquires their aluminum, steel, and copper and what grade of metal they use. Your metal fabricator should give you this information upfront when you first discuss pricing and turnaround time with them. If they don't, make sure to ask—and if their response seems cagey, look elsewhere.

Take the Next Step—Visit Schorr Metals

Once you locate a solid metal fabricator, you can look forward to working with them for years to come. Set aside the time to take the four steps listed above; you won't regret it.

Do you live and work in the Placentia area? If so, come to Schorr Metals Inc. We're small enough to work with you on an individual basis, but we're large enough to operate on a smooth timetable and offer you the high-quality materials your next project needs.