Welding & Fabrication Estimating Software
Welding and fabrication estimates combine material weight with highly skilled labor hours, and often split between shop and field. Field work carries access, positioning, and inspection cost that shop work doesn't. Pro Spec IQ separates the inputs so a bid reflects where the work actually happens.
What Pro Spec IQ tracks on a welding bid
Beyond material, labor, and equipment, welding bids get inputs specific to the trade:
Weld Inches
inchesTotal inches of weld
Steel (tons)
tonsTons of structural steel
Joint Count
jointsNumber of weld joints
Certified Welders Needed
weldersNumber of certified welders required
Starting markups for welding
12%
Overhead
20%
Profit
5%
Contingency
These are editable defaults, not fixed rates. Set them per bid to match your own cost structure and the risk on the job.
What drives cost on welding work
- Material weight and type, including any specialty alloys
- Weld inches or joint count, and the process required
- Shop hours versus field hours, which carry different effective rates
- Inspection and certification requirements
- Rigging, positioning, and access on field installs
Where these estimates go wrong
- Pricing field welding at shop rates
- Omitting inspection and NDT cost on structural work
- Missing rigging and crane time on installed assemblies
- Underestimating fit-up hours relative to actual welding time
Welding estimating questions
How do you estimate welding and fabrication work?
Take off material by weight and type, estimate weld inches or joints, and split hours between shop and field. Add consumables, inspection, and rigging, then apply overhead, profit, and contingency. Pro Spec IQ keeps material, labor hours, and equipment as separate inputs.
Should shop and field labor use different rates?
Usually yes. Field work carries travel, access, positioning, and often inspection overhead that shop work doesn't, so a single blended rate tends to underprice field-heavy jobs.
Can I bid fabrication and installation as one job?
Yes. Line items let you separate shop fabrication from field installation within a single bid, with markups applied at the bid level.
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