Steel Fabrication Cost Calculator
Estimate a structural steel fabrication package by tonnage, how complex the connections are, what protective coating it needs, and whether the fabricator is also erecting it on site. Rates reflect Australian fabrication shops in 2026.
A typical residential portal frame carport is 1.5t to 3t. A 12m by 20m shed frame is around 6t to 9t.
Steel price is quoted daily and most Australian fabricators will only hold a quote for fourteen to thirty days. If your project is delayed past that window, expect a re quote rather than assuming the number holds.
Repetition is the cheapest thing you can design in. Ten identical portal frames cost far less per tonne than ten slightly different ones, because the jigs, cut lists and drilling patterns are set once.
💰 Ways to save
- Standardise your sections and repeat your frames wherever the design allows. A fabricator sets up a jig once and then runs identical members through it, so ten matching portal frames can be twenty to thirty per cent cheaper per tonne than ten frames with varying spans. Ask your engineer to rationalise section sizes even if it means a small amount of extra steel weight, because labour dominates the cost, not tonnage.
- Choose bolted connections over site welding whenever the structure permits. Site welding requires a qualified welder on site, weather protection, inspection and touch up of the coating at every joint, and it commonly runs $180 to $260 an hour all in. Bolted cleats fabricated and drilled in the shop are dramatically cheaper and go up faster, which also shortens your crane hire.
- Get the coating specification right for your actual exposure rather than defaulting to galvanising. Two pack paint on a fully enclosed internal frame will last decades and costs around twelve per cent less than hot dip galvanising, while a coastal or industrial site genuinely needs duplex. Over specifying the coating on an internal structure is one of the most common ways money gets wasted on a fabrication package.
- Sequence your program so the steel is fabricated during the fabricator's quiet period rather than rushed. Australian fabrication shops are busiest from February to June, and quotes in that window carry both premiums and long lead times. A package that can be fabricated in November or December often comes in eight to fifteen per cent cheaper with a shorter lead time, provided you have somewhere to store it.
or from $69/week over 5 years , indicative finance
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## What structural steel fabrication costs per tonne in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
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Understanding steel fabrication costs in Australia
What structural steel fabrication costs per tonne in 2026
Australian fabricators generally quote structural steel supplied and delivered at $3,200 to $4,800 a tonne for simple repetitive work, $4,500 to $6,500 a tonne for standard commercial work with mixed connections, and $7,000 to $11,000 a tonne for complex or architecturally exposed steel. Those rates include the raw section, cutting, drilling, welding, shop detailing and a basic primer.
Raw steel itself is only about thirty to forty per cent of that. Mill priced universal beams and columns sit around $1,500 to $2,100 a tonne in 2026 depending on section and quantity. Everything above that is labour, consumables, drafting, coating and margin, which is why light intricate work costs so much more per tonne than heavy simple work.
How tonnage and complexity interact
A common mistake is assuming cost scales linearly with weight. It does not. A 2 tonne package of small members with forty different connection details can cost more than a 5 tonne package of six identical portal frames, because the labour hours sit in the connections, the drafting and the fit up, not in the mass of steel.
As a rough calibration, a residential carport or verandah frame is 1.5t to 3t and lands at $7,000 to $14,000 fabricated and delivered. A 12m by 20m shed portal frame package is 6t to 9t and runs $28,000 to $48,000. A small commercial mezzanine of 10t to 15t typically sits between $55,000 and $95,000 depending on connection detail.
Coating options and what each is for
Primer only is the cheapest and suits fully enclosed internal steel that will never see moisture, or steel that will receive a finish coat by others. Two pack epoxy or polyurethane paint systems cost roughly six per cent more than primer and give fifteen to twenty five years in a benign environment.
Hot dip galvanising adds around fourteen per cent to the fabricated cost and is priced per kilogram at $1.90 to $3.20 with a minimum batch charge of $180 to $350. It gives forty plus years in a rural or suburban environment. Duplex systems, which are galvanising plus a top coat, cost about twenty six per cent more than paint alone and are the right answer within a few hundred metres of surf or in industrial atmospheres, where they can outlast either system used alone by a factor well beyond the sum of the parts.
Installation, cranage and site costs
Supply only means the steel arrives on a truck and your builder deals with it. Supply and erect adds $1,400 to $2,600 a tonne for straightforward ground level work with a small crane or telehandler, and $2,600 to $4,500 a tonne where a mobile crane and elevated work platform are required.
Crane hire in Australian capital cities is $180 to $320 an hour for a 20 to 25 tonne mobile with a four hour minimum, plus travel time from the depot and a dogman at $85 to $120 an hour. A day of crane and crew is realistically $2,800 to $4,500 all in. EWP hire adds $350 to $700 a day. These are the costs most exposed to weather delays, so protect them with program float.
Engineering, documentation and compliance
Shop detailing drawings are $1,400 to $2,800 for a small package and are effectively mandatory, because they are what the workshop actually builds from. Structural engineer certification for a residential or light commercial frame is $1,800 to $3,500. Weld inspection and non destructive testing is $1,200 to $2,200 for a small job and is required on many commercial and all public infrastructure work.
Fabricators supplying to AS/NZS 5131 construction categories must hold matching certification, and CC2 or CC3 work carries a real cost premium over CC1 because of the documentation, traceability and inspection regime involved. If your specification names a construction category, confirm the fabricator is certified for it before you compare prices, because an uncertified quote is not comparable.
Lead times, quote validity and steel price risk
Typical lead time for a small to medium fabrication package in Australia is four to ten weeks from approved shop drawings, and shop drawing approval itself is often two to three weeks of back and forth. Add seven to fourteen days if the package is going out for galvanising.
Steel is a traded commodity and fabricators buy against daily mill pricing. Most Australian quotes are only valid fourteen to thirty days for that reason, and many now include a rise and fall clause tied to a published index. If your project timeline is uncertain, ask the fabricator what it costs to lock the steel order in early, because paying a deposit to secure material at today's price can be cheaper than absorbing a re quote six months later.
Frequently asked questions
How much does structural steel fabrication cost per tonne in Australia?
Simple repetitive work is $3,200 to $4,800 a tonne supplied and delivered. Standard commercial work with mixed connections runs $4,500 to $6,500 a tonne. Complex or architecturally exposed steel is $7,000 to $11,000 a tonne. Raw section is only $1,500 to $2,100 a tonne of that, with the balance being labour, drafting and coating.
Is galvanising or painting cheaper for structural steel?
Paint is cheaper upfront, at roughly twelve per cent less than hot dip galvanising, and gives fifteen to twenty five years in a benign environment. Galvanising is priced at $1.90 to $3.20 a kilogram with a $180 to $350 minimum batch charge and delivers forty plus years. In coastal or industrial exposure, a duplex system of galvanising plus top coat is worth the extra twenty six per cent.
How much does it cost to erect steel on site?
Straightforward ground level erection is $1,400 to $2,600 a tonne. Work needing a mobile crane and elevated work platform is $2,600 to $4,500 a tonne. A day of 20 to 25 tonne mobile crane with a dogman is realistically $2,800 to $4,500 including travel, with a four hour minimum charge.
How long does steel fabrication take?
Four to ten weeks from approved shop drawings for a small to medium package, plus two to three weeks beforehand for shop drawing preparation and approval. Add another seven to fourteen days if the steel is going out to a third party for hot dip galvanising.
Why do two fabricators quote such different prices?
Usually because of construction category certification under AS/NZS 5131, coating specification, and whether shop detailing, engineering certification and delivery are included. A CC1 quote is not comparable to a CC2 quote, and a supply only price is not comparable to supply and erect. Ask every fabricator to itemise those four things.
How long is a steel fabrication quote valid?
Most Australian fabricators hold a quote for fourteen to thirty days because they buy against daily mill pricing. Many now include a rise and fall clause tied to a published steel index. If your program is uncertain, ask what a deposit to lock in the material order would cost.
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