Resource hub — Metro Vancouver
Custom metal and steel fabrication in Metro Vancouver
Custom fabrication is what we do. Every project we take on starts as a drawing, a sketch, a photo, or a conversation — and ends as a fabricated, finished, installed assembly that meets the BC Building Code and the architectural intent. This hub covers what custom fabrication actually is, the materials we work with, the certifications that matter, the process from quote to installation, and what to look for when picking a shop.
The short version: A real custom fabrication shop is CWB certified, produces detailed shop drawings, owns its fabrication and installation workflow, and can show you projects you can drive past. Jeff and Simon meets all four. This hub explains why each one matters.
What we fabricate
Our shop in Burnaby fabricates the full range of custom metal and steel assemblies for residential, commercial, and industrial projects across Metro Vancouver:
- Structural steel: Beams, columns, frames, canopies, miscellaneous steel. From single-family home additions to multi-storey commercial buildings.
- Custom staircases: Mono stringer, floating, spiral, exterior galvanized, commercial egress. See our stair fabrication hub.
- Railings and guards: Steel pickets, cable rail, glass-and-metal hybrid, frameless glass with stainless hardware.
- Gates and fences: Driveway gates, pedestrian gates, custom security fencing, decorative ironwork.
- Canopies and overhead structures: Steel entrance canopies, parkade trellises, mechanical equipment frames.
- Architectural metalwork: Custom brackets, spandrel panels, architectural exposed steel, decorative features.
- Miscellaneous metals: Bollards, handrails, fabricated hardware, custom one-off assemblies.
Resources in this hub
Guide
Steel Fabrication Vancouver
Custom steel fabrication for Vancouver projects — structural steel, architectural steel, miscellaneous metals, and the BC Building Code context that shapes every spec.
Guide
CWB Certified Welding
What Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certification to CSA W47.1 actually means, why structural engineers require it, and how it affects fabrication quality.
Guide
Materials Guide
Mild steel vs stainless 304/316 vs aluminum vs galvanized — what to use where, what each material costs, and how Pacific Northwest weather affects the choice.
Guide
Shop Drawings & Process
How a custom fabrication project actually moves through a shop — from RFQ to shop drawings, approval, fabrication, finishing, and installation.
Guide
For Architects & Contractors
How architects and GCs work with a custom fabrication shop in Metro Vancouver — RFI cycles, submittals, scheduling, and what good coordination looks like.
The fabrication workflow — quote to installation
- RFQ and quote: Send drawings, sketches, or a description. We respond in 2–5 business days for residential scopes.
- Shop drawings: Our team produces detailed 3D shop drawings — the architect, engineer, and GC review and approve before fabrication starts.
- Material procurement: Steel, hardware, and finish materials ordered. Most structural sections are stocked locally; specialty materials add lead time.
- Fabrication: Cutting, welding, and assembly in our Burnaby shop. CWB certified to CSA W47.1 throughout. Quality control documented for structural work.
- Finishing: Powder coat, hot-dip galvanizing, paint, or specialty finishes per project requirements.
- Delivery and installation: Crane picks for heavy weldments, hand sets for lighter work. Field welding and bolting handled by our install crews.
- Closeout: As-built drawings, weld test reports, material certifications for commercial scopes.
The full process is covered in detail on our shop drawings and process page.
What separates a real fabrication shop from a job shop
There is a meaningful difference between a custom fabrication shop and a job shop that takes whatever comes in the door. The differences show up most when something gets complicated.
- Engineering coordination: A real shop coordinates with the project structural engineer directly, asks the right questions, and produces shop drawings that match the engineering assumptions. A job shop builds to the drawings provided and hopes they are right.
- Shop drawings: A real shop produces detailed 3D shop drawings as part of every project. A job shop sometimes works from sketches.
- Welder qualifications: A real shop has CWB-qualified welders for structural work and documented procedures for non-structural. A job shop has whoever is available.
- Installation: A real shop installs its own work or uses crews it knows. A job shop ships fabricated parts and lets the GC figure out installation.
- Quality control: A real shop documents material traceability, weld procedures, and inspections on structural work. A job shop trusts the welder.
Certifications and standards we work to
- CWB CSA W47.1: Canadian Welding Bureau certification for fusion welding of steel structures. Required by structural engineers on virtually all load-bearing fabrication work in Canada. More on CWB certification.
- CSA W59: Welded steel construction (metal arc welding). Defines weld procedures, inspection, and acceptance criteria.
- BC Building Code Part 9 and Part 3: Residential and commercial structural requirements. Every fabricated assembly meets the relevant section.
- ASTM A123: Hot-dip galvanizing standard for fabricated steel. We specify A123 on every exterior galvanized assembly.
- WorkSafeBC compliance: Full WCB coverage and active safety program for shop and field work.
Why Jeff and Simon
Three things matter when picking a custom fabrication shop: certification, project history, and accountability. We have been CWB certified since the early 2000s. We have project references across institutional, commercial, and residential work — BCIT, Simon Fraser University, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Guildford Town Centre, Collingwood School, plus the VRCA 2021 Award of Excellence on the Naikoon PH1 project. And we run fabrication and installation as one workflow from our Burnaby shop, which keeps the chain of accountability short and the quality consistent.
How custom fabrication fits into a construction project
Custom metal fabrication sits in an interesting place on most projects. It's too specialized to handle in-house by a general contractor, but it's too integrated to contract out like a commodity product. The shop has to coordinate with the architect (design intent), the structural engineer (load and connection calculations), the general contractor (schedule and site access), and often the owner directly (finish preferences, timeline flexibility).
On residential projects, the coordination is usually simpler — a homeowner, a builder, and sometimes an architect or designer. Decisions happen quickly, scope is well-defined by the time shop drawings start, and installation fits into a flexible schedule.
On commercial and institutional projects, the coordination is more structured. RFIs, submittals, shop drawings, approvals, change orders, closeout documentation — all of it has to be managed through a formal process. We're set up for that process and we keep it moving. See our architect & contractor guide for more on how commercial projects actually work with us.
Quality control in custom fabrication
Quality control in a fabrication shop isn't just about inspecting the finished product — it's built into the process at every stage.
- Material receiving: Every steel shipment is inspected for dimensional accuracy and surface condition. Mill test reports are retained for structural work.
- Cutting: First-piece inspection on every production run to verify dimensions match shop drawings.
- Fit-up: Assemblies are tacked together and checked against drawings before final welding. Catching a misalignment at fit-up costs nothing; catching it after full welding is an expensive correction.
- Welding: CWB-qualified welders following written procedures. Visual inspection of every weld. Non-destructive testing (ultrasonic, magnetic particle) on critical structural welds when the engineer specifies it.
- Dimensional QC: Final assembly checked against shop drawings before finishing.
- Finish inspection: Surface prep quality, coating thickness, and visual consistency checked on every finished part.
- Installation: Field-fit verification before final attachment. Any field adjustment is documented and fed back into the as-built drawings.
Related reading
For specific resources on stair fabrication, see the metal stair fabrication hub. For materials, see the materials guide. For the fabrication process from quote to install, see the shop drawings & process page. For Vancouver-specific projects, see steel fabrication Vancouver.
FAQs about custom metal fabrication
What is custom metal fabrication?
Custom metal fabrication is the process of designing and building one-off metal assemblies — staircases, railings, gates, structural steel, canopies, brackets, custom hardware — from raw steel, stainless, or aluminum. Unlike a job shop that just cuts and welds parts to drawings, a real custom fabrication shop handles design coordination, shop drawings, material procurement, fabrication, finishing, and installation as one workflow. At Jeff and Simon, every project moves through that workflow from our C.W.B. certified Burnaby shop.
How is "custom" different from "stock"?
Stock fabrication means building from standardized designs, sizes, and components — a railing kit you buy from a catalog, a staircase you select from a brochure. Custom fabrication means the assembly is designed for the specific project: dimensions match the actual site, materials match the design intent, connections match the supporting structure, and the finish matches the architectural specification. Custom is more expensive than stock, but it is the only way to get an assembly that actually fits the project.
What does CWB certification mean for a fabrication shop?
CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) certification to CSA W47.1 is the standard structural engineers reference on their drawings. It means the shop's welders are individually qualified, the welding procedures are documented and approved, the materials are traceable, and the shop is audited annually. For any structural fabrication work — stair stringers, structural steel, anything that carries load — CWB certification is what makes the engineer's seal possible. Jeff and Simon has been CWB certified since the early 2000s.
Who works with a custom fabrication shop?
Architects, general contractors, structural engineers, designers, decorators, builders, and homeowners. On the residential side, our clients are usually custom home builders, renovation contractors, and homeowners with a specific design in mind. On the commercial and institutional side, we work with architects and GCs from tender through installation. We handle the coordination model that each side expects.
How do I know if a fabrication shop is legitimate?
Five things to check. (1) CWB certification — look for the certificate number and verify it on the CWB website. (2) Project references — real photos, real client names, real project locations. (3) Shop drawings — ask to see examples; a real fabrication shop produces detailed 3D shop drawings as part of every project. (4) Insurance and WorkSafeBC — confirm coverage. (5) Physical shop — visit the facility, see the equipment, meet the welders.
What is the typical turnaround time?
Quote turnaround: 2–5 business days for residential, longer for commercial tenders. From approved shop drawings to fabrication start: 1 week. Fabrication itself: 4–8 weeks for typical residential and small commercial scopes. Installation: scheduled around the GC sequence on commercial work, usually within 1 week of fabrication completion on residential.
How much does custom metal fabrication cost in Vancouver?
It depends entirely on scope. Custom railings run $75 to $350+ per linear foot installed depending on material and design. Structural steel packages start from $8,000. Custom staircases start from $18,000 for a mono stringer configuration. Every project is different — send drawings or a description and we'll provide budgetary pricing in 2–5 business days. <a href="/request-a-quote/">Request a quote</a>.
What is the difference between MIG, TIG, and stick welding?
These are different welding processes used for different applications. Stick (SMAW) is the traditional process, good for field work and heavy structural work. MIG (GMAW) is faster and cleaner, preferred for shop fabrication of mild steel. TIG (GTAW) is the most precise, used for stainless, aluminum, and high-finish architectural work. A well-equipped fabrication shop runs all three. Our CWB certification covers SMAW, GMAW, and FCAW processes on the materials we typically fabricate.
Can you work from a hand-drawn sketch?
Yes. A lot of our residential projects start with a sketch on a napkin, a phone photo, or a description in plain language. Our shop drawing process turns that into detailed 3D drawings that the homeowner, architect, or engineer reviews before fabrication. We don't need polished CAD drawings to start — we need enough information to understand what you want.
Do you work with stainless steel?
Yes. We fabricate in stainless steel 304 and 316 grades for architectural metalwork, railings, kitchen and restaurant installations, waterfront applications, and food-grade equipment. Stainless welding requires specific procedures to avoid distortion and heat-affected zone discoloration, and we follow those procedures on every stainless project. See our <a href="/custom-metal-fabrication/materials-guide/">materials guide</a> for more on stainless.
Can you do on-site welding and installation?
Yes. Most of our installations include some site welding — usually for structural connections at top and bottom of stairs, field modifications of railing posts, or adjustment of gate hardware. Our field welders are CWB-qualified, just like our shop welders, and all field work is done to the same CSA W47.1 standard. For projects that require extensive on-site welding, we mobilize the right equipment and crew.
What kinds of projects are too big or too small for you?
Too small: single-piece hardware, repair welds on non-structural items, one-off welding favors. We're a fabrication shop, not a weld shop — we make the most sense for projects that have a design, engineering, and fabrication component. Too big: mega-project structural steel at the scale of a 40-storey tower. We're sized for mid-scale commercial and institutional work and high-end residential. If you're unsure whether a project is a fit, call and ask.
How do you price custom work?
Every project is quoted individually based on material, fabrication labour (estimated from shop drawings or similar past projects), finishing, delivery, and installation. For repeat items we sometimes quote from unit pricing (per linear foot of railing, per tread on stairs), but most of our work is one-off enough that we build the quote from first principles. For commercial tender work, we bid against the architect's drawings and the tender package specifications.
Do you handle rust repair or restoration of old ironwork?
Sometimes. Heritage restoration is a specialty area — some projects are excellent fits for us (removing, repairing, galvanizing or finishing, and reinstalling existing wrought iron gates and railings), others are better suited to a restoration specialist who focuses only on that work. Send photos and describe the project and we can tell you whether it's in our wheelhouse.
Can you do powder coating in-house?
No — powder coating is a specialized process that requires dedicated equipment and curing ovens. We partner with a trusted powder coating facility in the Lower Mainland for all our finish work. The partner handles standard and custom RAL colours, textured finishes, and specialty coatings. The coordination is transparent to the client — we handle the logistics and the finished parts come back to our shop or go directly to site.
Get in touch
Need a fabrication quote?
Send drawings, photos, or even a rough description. We will review what you have and follow up with a quote or a conversation about next steps.