What Do You Need to Send for a Custom Metalwork Quote?

Custom metalwork enquiries do not always begin with a complete drawing package.

Some clients already have construction drawings, material specifications and installation details. Others may only have a rendering, a photograph of a similar product or an image they found during the design process.

Both situations can be a workable starting point.

At FABRITERA, the first step is to understand what the project is trying to achieve and whether the proposed metalwork can be manufactured practically. The amount of information needed for initial pricing depends on the type of product and how developed the project already is.

You do not need a complete fabrication drawing to start

For an initial enquiry, one of the following is normally enough for us to begin reviewing the project:

• A rendering
• A reference image
• A CAD or construction drawing

For screens and partitions in particular, a clear visual reference often provides a surprisingly useful amount of information.

From a rendering or reference image, we can usually begin to understand the overall form, visual proportions, likely material combinations, finish direction and whether the product includes elements such as glass, acrylic or lighting.

We will then normally ask for two essential pieces of information:

With these, we can usually begin preparing an initial project quotation.

If you have a rendering or reference image

This is one of the most common starting points for custom screens and partitions.

A client may send us:

• a product seen on our website or social media,
• a similar screen from another project,
• an interior rendering,
• or simply an image showing the style they would like to achieve.

Once the intended size and quantity are known, we can evaluate the general construction and estimate the manufacturing scope.

Where sufficient information is available, we prefer to quote for the full required quantity rather than provide only a price per square metre.

For early-stage enquiries where dimensions or technical information are still limited, a price per square metre may sometimes be used as an initial reference for screens and partitions.

A square-metre rate is not suitable for all types of custom metalwork. Irregular structures, canopies, complex custom features and complex integrated assemblies normally need more project-specific evaluation.

If you only have CAD or construction drawings

Technical drawings help define the intended dimensions and geometry, but they do not always communicate the intended visual result.

For this reason, a CAD or construction drawing may require additional information before we can prepare a meaningful quotation.

Typical points include:

• stainless-steel grade, such as 201 or 304,
• surface finish or PVD colour,
• glass requirements,
• acrylic components,
• integrated lighting,
• and other materials incorporated into the assembly.

A rendering can sometimes make these design intentions immediately visible, while a technical drawing may define the dimensions without fully defining the finish or material combination.

When both are available, the two work particularly well together.

What information is essential for a screen or partition enquiry?

For most custom screens and partitions, the minimum information we normally need for useful initial pricing is:

Other information is helpful, but it does not always need to be finalised before the first discussion.

This may include:

• stainless-steel grade,
• finish or PVD colour,
• glass or acrylic,
• lighting,
• fixing method,
• freestanding, wall-mounted or floor-to-ceiling installation.

If these details are still being developed, they can usually be clarified as the project moves forward.

What affects the cost of custom metal fabrication?

An initial quotation depends on the proposed dimensions and quantity, material grade, surface finish and any glass, acrylic or lighting included in the assembly. Curved forms, complex connections and products that ship in sections also need project-specific fabrication review.

Confirm the required product scope before comparing prices. A square-metre reference for a screen or partition does not describe every custom structure or integrated feature. The quotation should identify whether packing and freight are included or quoted separately.

Initial pricing and detailed quotation are not the same stage

For some enquiries, especially straightforward screens and partitions, a reference image together with dimensions and quantity may be enough to prepare useful initial pricing.

A more detailed quotation requires a clearer definition of the product.

As interest in the project develops, we may confirm matters such as:

• material specification,
• surface finish,
• glass or acrylic selection,
• lighting requirements,
• fixing conditions,
• packing,
• delivery destination,
• and installation constraints.

This allows the quotation to reflect the actual project rather than an assumed standard product.

Formal production detailing and shop-drawing development normally begin after the order has been confirmed.

Before that stage, we can still review the project for key fabrication and assembly constraints.

Complex custom metalwork needs a fabrication-focused review

Not every design shown in a rendering is immediately ready for production.

This is especially important for:

• curved structures,
• irregular forms,
• large assemblies,
• mixed-material features,
• illuminated metalwork,
• and products that need to be transported or assembled in sections.

Clients and designers understandably tend to focus first on the intended visual result.

Our role as the manufacturer is also to consider whether that result can be fabricated, transported and assembled reliably.

Before production, this may require reviewing:

• fabrication feasibility and connection details,
• fabrication sequence,
• division into transportable sections,
• material interfaces,
• assembly method,
• and installation conditions.

The objective is not to redesign the client's concept, but to develop a practical manufacturing solution around it.

FABRITERA provides fabrication-oriented engineering and detailing. Structural calculations, certified engineering reports or statutory design services are not included unless separately arranged through the project team.

Site access should be considered before fabrication

A custom product can be perfectly manufacturable and still be too large to reach its final installation location.

This is easy to overlook.

For larger screens, partitions or feature structures, we may ask about:

• installation floor,
• elevator dimensions,
• doorway dimensions,
• internal access routes,
• and any other restrictions affecting site handling.

For most overseas projects, installation is completed by the client's local installation team.

FABRITERA's role is therefore to help make sure the product is manufactured in a form that can realistically be delivered, handled and assembled on site.

Where necessary, large assemblies may need to be divided into sections and prepared for controlled reassembly.

Packing and freight can be defined later

Packing does not always need to be fully decided during the first quotation conversation.

Standard export wooden-case packing can be provided, and packing arrangements can also be adapted to the product and project requirements.

Our initial quotation normally focuses on the manufactured product.

The quotation should clearly state whether packing and freight are included or quoted separately.

Packing, freight and delivery arrangements can then be added once the destination, product configuration and customer requirements are confirmed.

This keeps early pricing practical without forcing the customer to finalise logistics before the product itself has been defined.

What if you only have a site photo?

This also happens.

A client may show us a restaurant, hotel or commercial space and simply say:

“We need a screen here.”

In that situation, the next step depends on how developed the design is.

We may:

• recommend a type of screen based on products we have manufactured before,
• discuss suitable references with the client,
• or review the space and practical constraints.

Where original design development is needed, the design direction should be agreed with the client's designer before fabrication detailing proceeds.

FABRITERA's normal role remains focused on turning an agreed design direction into manufacturable custom metalwork.

What if you only have one picture and no dimensions?

We can still discuss the project, but accurate pricing becomes difficult.

A reference image tells us what the customer likes. It does not tell us how large the product needs to be or how many units are required.

This is particularly common with individual buyers who are at a very early stage of considering a custom product.

For a useful quotation, we will normally help clarify at least:

• approximate overall size,
• required quantity,
• and the intended application.

Even approximate dimensions are more useful than no dimensional information at all.

What should you send first?

If you are preparing a custom metalwork enquiry, you do not need to wait until every technical detail has been decided.

A practical starting package is simply:

If you already know the material, finish, glass, acrylic, lighting or installation requirements, include those as well.

From there, we can review the manufacturing direction, identify information that still needs clarification and determine the next step toward a detailed quotation.