FAQ
Questions people ask before they order
How ordering works, in plain terms
Everything here is how we work. For anything else, call +44 7481 454 999 or send it through the quote form and we will answer it personally.
01
Ordering, prices and delivery
- How do I get a price?
- Send sizes, a drawing or a photo with dimensions written on it through the quote form, by email or on WhatsApp. We come back with an exact price and a lead time, usually within two working days. There is no charge for quoting.
- Do I need a drawing?
- No. Rough sizes and a phone photo are enough to start. We produce the drawings for you to approve before anything is made. Our measuring guide shows what to measure for each product. Read the measuring guide →
- Is delivery included?
- Yes. Every quote includes delivery to your postcode on the UK mainland. There is no separate carriage line added afterwards.
- When do I pay?
- A deposit confirms the order and books the production slot. The rest depends on the size of the job and is set out on the quote, so you know the terms before you commit to anything.
- Are your prices shown with or without VAT?
- Quotes to private customers are shown including VAT. Quotes to trade customers are shown excluding VAT, with the VAT line stated. Either way, the quote says which.
- Can I change my mind after ordering?
- Up to the point you approve the drawings, yes, and nothing is made before then. After that the work is being made specifically for you, so tell us straight away and we will say what a change would mean.
- Is every order covered?
- Yes. Every order is photographed before it leaves. If anything needs putting right when it arrives, tell us with a photo and we sort it at our cost. You deal with one company, start to finish.
- Do you work with trade customers?
- Yes. Builders, fencers, joiners, fabricators and contractors are a large part of what we do. There is no account to open: mention you are trade on your first enquiry and we keep your details, drawings and volume pricing on file. Trade pricing applies from £1,000 per order. Trade customers →
- Who fits it?
- Your builder, fencer or joiner, or you. Everything arrives finished, in numbered sections, with fixings and a setting-out drawing showing exactly where each anchor goes, so fitting is straightforward.
- How do I measure up?
- Send us rough sizes with the enquiry and we will tell you exactly what to measure and where. For anything made to fit an opening we ask for three measurements across it, so it fits exactly. If you prefer, send photos and we will work from those to a budget price first. Read the measuring guide →
- How long does it take?
- Typically two to three weeks from the day you approve the drawings to the day it is delivered. Repeat orders on a design we already hold are faster. If you have a fixed site date, tell us at enquiry stage and we will confirm whether it can be met before you commit.
02
Driveway gates
- Do you supply electric or automated gates?
- We supply the gate, posts and hinges built ready for automation, with a motor-mounting plate and cable routes if you ask for them. The motor, control unit and safety edges are supplied and fitted by your gate automation installer, who is responsible for the safety of the powered system.
- How long will the finish last?
- Decades. Our standard for anything outdoors is hot-dip galvanising followed by powder coating. The galvanising protects the steel and the powder coat keeps the colour, so the gate looks as it did on the day it was fitted, year after year.
- Can I have a matching pedestrian gate?
- Yes. A side gate made at the same time uses the same bar sizes, pattern and finish, so the two look like one job. Tell us both openings in the enquiry and we will price them together.
03
Steel staircases
- Do you supply the treads?
- Steel treads, yes: checker plate or open grating for industrial and external stairs. For timber treads we supply the steel with cradles ready to take them, and you fit oak or hardwood treads from your joiner. Tell us the tread thickness and we will size the cradles to it.
- Will it meet UK Building Regulations?
- We draw every staircase to the UK dimensions for rise, going, headroom and balustrade height as a matter of course, and we supply the drawings for your builder or building control officer.
- Can it be delivered in pieces?
- Yes, and it usually is. Straight flights come as one welded unit where access allows; anything with a landing or turn is split into bolted sections that fit through a standard doorway and are joined on site.
04
Juliet balconies
- What colour can I have?
- Any RAL colour. Black and anthracite grey are the most popular because they match modern window frames, but the powder coat can be matched to your doors, your rainwater goods or anything else you like.
- How is it fixed to the wall?
- Either face-fixed to the outside wall with resin anchors through steel brackets, or reveal-fixed into the sides of the opening. We supply the fixings and a drawing showing anchor positions and the minimum wall thickness they need. For timber-frame or insulated walls, tell us and we will specify the fixing accordingly.
- Do you supply the glass for glass Juliet balconies?
- We supply the steel frame and fixings, made to take toughened laminated glass. The glass itself comes from your local glazier, who measures once the frame is fitted so it is cut to the real opening. Our vertical bar and laser-cut panel balconies come complete, with nothing else to buy.
05
Metal fencing & fence panels
- How is the fencing supplied?
- As panels and posts, ready to bolt or concrete in. Standard panels are up to 3 metres long, and we make the end and corner panels to your measured run so there is no cutting on site. Sloping ground is handled with stepped or raked panels. Tell us the fall across the run.
- What height can I have?
- Any height you like. Tell us the height and the length of the run, and we make the panels and posts to suit. Most garden fencing is 1.2 to 1.8 metres; front boundaries are usually lower.
- Can I have a matching gate?
- Yes. Matching gates are made at the same time from the same bar sizes and pattern, so the whole run looks like one job. Pedestrian and driveway gates are both available.
06
Stair spindles & newel posts
- What sizes do the spindles come in?
- Any length and bar size you need: spindles are cut and finished to order, to suit the stair and the handrail you have. Send the pitch of the stair, or the length of the longest spindle, and we will confirm the sizes before making them.
- How do they fix to timber handrails?
- To suit the handrail and the treads you have: tell us how the handrail is made and we will prepare the tops and bottoms to match, with a base shoe or collar where you want the fixing covered. The fixing pattern comes with the order.
- Is there a minimum order?
- A single staircase is welcome. Repeat batch orders for joinery workshops and stair builders are what the line is set up for, and the price improves with quantity.
- What finishes are available?
- Satin black powder coat is the usual choice, and any RAL colour is available, so the spindles can match the rest of the stair, the window frames or the front door.
07
Metal fabrication
- What do you need from me to quote?
- A drawing. DXF, DWG, STEP or a dimensioned PDF all work. Tell us the material grade, the finish and the quantity. If you only have a sketch or a sample, send that and we will draw it for approval first.
- Will you keep my drawings confidential?
- Yes. Drawings are used only to make your parts and are never shared beyond the production team that makes them.
- Do you take on one-off jobs or only batches?
- Both. One-off architectural and bespoke pieces are regular work, and repeat batches are where the pricing becomes hard to beat because the drawings and jigs already exist.
- Can you finish parts as well as make them?
- Yes. Shot blasting, priming, hot-dip galvanising and powder coating are all done before dispatch, so parts arrive ready to fit.
08
Bespoke metalwork
- I do not have a drawing. Can you still quote?
- Yes. A sketch on paper with rough sizes, or a photograph of something similar with a measurement written on it, is enough to start. We draw it up properly and send it back for your approval before anything is cut.
- Is there a minimum order for a one-off?
- No. Single pieces are normal work. A one-off costs more per item than a batch, because the setting out and the drawing happen once either way, and we say so in the quote rather than hiding it.
- Can you match something already on site?
- Usually. Send photographs with a tape or a ruler in the shot, and the sizes of the part it has to meet. Matching an existing profile exactly is not always possible, and we tell you before you order rather than after.
- Do you design it for me?
- We draw what you describe and advise on what will and will not work in steel. We do not provide structural design, and anything load-bearing needs your own engineer's drawings and calculations.
- Do you fit it?
- No. We make it, coat it and deliver it ready to fit, with the fixings specified. Fitting is arranged by you, which keeps the cost down and the lead time short.
09
Laser cutting service
- What file formats do you accept?
- DXF and DWG are ideal. STEP, IGES and dimensioned PDFs are fine too. If you only have a paper drawing or a sample part, send a photo and we will draw it for approval.
- What thickness can you cut?
- Mild steel up to 25 mm, stainless up to 20 mm and aluminium up to 15 mm on flat sheet, and tube and box section on the tube laser. Thicker plate is profiled by plasma or flame cutting on request.
- Is there a minimum quantity?
- A single part is welcome. Small quantities are nested alongside other jobs on the same sheet, which is why a one-off costs less than you might expect.
- Can you fold and finish the parts too?
- Yes. Press-brake folding, tapping, countersinking, welding and powder coating are all available, so a cut part can arrive as a finished bracket rather than a flat blank.
10
Garden & side gates
- Will the gate fit if my gap is wider at the top than at the bottom?
- Yes. Most gaps are like that. Measure the width at the top, the middle and the bottom and send all three. We make the gate to fit the narrowest one and set the hinges so it closes cleanly. If the difference is large, we will tell you before we make it. Read the measuring guide →
- Can a side gate be made to lock?
- Yes. A lockable latch or a mortice lock case can be built into the frame, with the keep on the post or a wall plate. Self-closing hinges are available too, for a gate that children or dogs might leave open.
- Can I have matching fence panels?
- Yes. Fence panels made at the same time use the same bar size, pattern and finish, so the gate and the boundary look like one job. Give us the run and the height with the enquiry and we will price them together.
11
Wrought iron style gates
- What is it made from?
- Solid steel bar, which is how wrought iron style gates are made today. Steel is stronger than traditional iron and takes a galvanised and powder-coated finish, so you get the classic scrolls, finials and collars with a finish that lasts for decades.
- Can you copy the pattern of an existing gate or railing?
- Yes. Send a photo straight on, with a tape measure in the shot or one overall dimension, and we draw the pattern for your approval before anything is made. We can match a gate to the others on the same street. Read the measuring guide →
- Can wrought iron style gates be automated?
- Yes. The frame is made with the same motor plate and cable routes as our other driveway gates. The motor and controls are supplied and fitted by your gate automation installer.
12
Stair railings & indoor balustrades
- What height do stair railings have to be?
- In a house the usual height is 900 mm, on the stair measured from the nosing of the step and on landings from the floor; balconies and terraces are 1100 mm. Gaps are kept under 100 mm. We make to those as standard, and we will say so if the height you ask for is lower than we would recommend.
- Can you make a railing for a staircase that turns?
- Yes. Send the number of steps in each flight, the size of the landing and photos from the top and bottom. Turning railings are supplied in bolted sections that join on the landing posts, so they go through the front door and up the stairs in pieces. Read the measuring guide →
- Do you supply the glass for glass balustrades?
- We supply the steel posts, frame and clamps, made to take standard toughened laminated glass. The glass itself comes from your local glazier, who will measure once the frame is fitted. That way the glass is cut to the real opening rather than a drawing.
13
Outdoor & step handrails
- How is an outdoor handrail fixed to the steps?
- Usually with posts on base plates bolted into the stone or concrete step with resin anchors, which we supply. If you prefer to leave the steps undrilled, posts can be set into the ground beside them, or the rail can be wall-mounted on brackets. Tell us what the steps are made of and we will suggest the fixing. Read the measuring guide →
- Can you make it easier to grip for someone less steady on their feet?
- Yes. A round 42 mm tube is the easiest profile to hold, and the rail can run past the top and bottom step by a few hundred millimetres so there is something to hold before the first step. Tell us who will use it and we will draw it to suit.
14
Wrought iron style railings
- Can you match the railings on the rest of the street?
- Yes, from photos and a couple of measurements. Send a photo straight on with a tape across one section, plus the length of your wall, and we draw the pattern for your approval before making it. Read the measuring guide →
- How are railings fixed to a brick wall?
- Either with lugs set into the top of the wall in resin, or with posts on base plates bolted down. Lugs look the most traditional. If the wall top is uneven or the coping is loose, tell us and we will specify base plates instead.
15
Terrace & decking balustrades
- Can it fix to a timber deck?
- Yes. Posts are bolted through the deck boards into the joists or the deck frame, or fixed to the outside face of the frame with fascia brackets, which keeps the deck surface clear. We send a drawing showing where each post lands so your decking contractor can add a noggin if one is needed. Read the measuring guide →
- Vertical bars or horizontal bars?
- Vertical bars are the safer choice where small children will be around, because they are hard to climb, and they suit most houses. Horizontal flat bars give a cleaner modern look and frame the view. Both are spaced under 100 mm. Tell us who will use the terrace and we will suggest the right one.
16
Loft & space-saving staircases
- How much space does a loft staircase need?
- Less than you think in steel: open treads and a slim stringer keep a straight flight short on plan, a spiral fits in a circle, and where space is tighter still an alternating-tread stair takes up roughly half the length of a normal flight. Send the floor-to-floor height and the space you have and we will draw what fits. Read the measuring guide →
- Will the stair meet the rules for a loft conversion?
- We draw every stair to the UK dimensions for rise, going, headroom and handrail height, and we supply the drawings for your builder or building control officer. Where space is tight, we will tell you which compact options are normally accepted, before you order.
17
Garden & privacy screens
- Can I send my own pattern?
- Yes. A DXF or a clean black-and-white image is ideal, but a photo of a pattern you like is enough for us to redraw it for your approval. We check that every part of the pattern is connected and strong enough for the panel size before cutting.
- What is corten?
- Corten is weathering steel. Left bare it develops a warm orange-brown surface in a few months, which then stabilises and protects the steel beneath for decades with no painting. While it weathers it is best set on gravel or a border, or we can supply it pre-weathered and sealed.
- How is a free-standing screen fixed?
- On posts with base plates bolted to paving or a concrete pad, or on longer posts concreted into the ground. Wall-fixed panels hang on hidden brackets. We supply the fixings and a drawing showing where they go.
18
Sheet metal fabrication
- What files do you need for folded parts?
- A STEP file or a native SolidWorks or Inventor model is ideal, because we unfold it with the bend allowances of the press brakes that will fold it. A DXF flat pattern with a PDF showing the folds also works. If you only have a sample part, send it and we will reverse-engineer it for approval.
- What tolerances do you work to?
- Tell us which dimensions matter and what they have to fit, and we work to those. Laser-cut edges are held tighter than folded dimensions, so put the critical sizes on the cut profile where you can.
- Can you fit inserts, studs and fasteners?
- Yes. Self-clinching nuts and studs, rivnuts, weld studs and captive fasteners are fitted before coating, so the part arrives ready to assemble.
Not sure what to measure? Our measuring guide covers gates, railings, staircases, balconies and fencing.
Still got a question? Ask it with your sizes.
Put it in the message box on the quote form and we will answer it alongside the price.