Where do these hours come from?
They are computed from 18,408 priced member lines across 429 real estimates. They are observed data — not an industry average, a survey or a published benchmark.
Construction estimating tool
Steel shop fabrication hours estimator
How many shop hours a piece takes, by shape family and weight band, with the p10–p90 spread shown beside every number. Observed data from real priced estimates. No account required.
18,408 observed records · 429 priced estimates
Estimated hours
75
Range 50 to 125 hours (p10–p90). Price the range, not the midpoint, on anything you have not built before.
Every published rate
| Scope | p10 | Median | p90 | Obs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 0.75 | 1.25 | 76 |
| hr / piece | 0.25 | 0.5 | 1 | 619 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 1.5 | 3 | 75 |
| hr / piece | 0.167 | 0.33 | 0.775 | 1,140 |
| hr / piece | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1 | 85 |
| hr / piece | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 9,282 |
| hr / piece | 0.333 | 1 | 1.5 | 194 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 | 1,948 |
| hr / piece | 0.25 | 0.5 | 2 | 375 |
| hr / piece | 0.25 | 0.25 | 0.75 | 51 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 1 | 1 | 91 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 396 |
| hr / piece | 0 | 1 | 3 | 731 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 1 | 4 | 88 |
| hr / piece | 0.5 | 0.75 | 1 | 1,612 |
| hr / piece | 0.33 | 1 | 2.4 | 47 |
| hr / piece | 1 | 1 | 2 | 810 |
| hr / piece | 0 | 2 | 4 | 85 |
| hr / piece | 0.48 | 1 | 2 | 217 |
| hr / piece | 1 | 1.5 | 3 | 486 |
Computed over 18,408 observed records across 429 priced estimates across 116 jobs. These are observed rates from real priced estimates — not an industry average and not a benchmark. They are a starting point for your own estimate, never a substitute for one, and they carry no money: labour rates, markup and margin are yours.
How to use it
- 1 · Classify
Pick the family and band
A W in the 250–1000 lb band behaves nothing like an angle under 50 lb. The band matters more than the tonnage.
- 2 · Count pieces
Use piece count, not weight
Shop hours track handling and operations, which scale with pieces. Two 40 lb angles cost more shop time than one 80 lb beam.
- 3 · Price the range
Carry p90 on unfamiliar work
On several bands p90 is three times p10. Use the median for work you have built before and the upper end for work you have not.
Questions
Why per piece and not per ton?
Hours per ton hides the thing that drives shop cost. A ton of small angles carries many times the handling, layout, cutting and welding of a ton of heavy beams. Per piece by band is closer to the physics.
Do these include detailing, painting or delivery?
No. This is shop fabrication only. Detailing, surface prep, finish and freight are separate line items.
Can I use these as my own rates?
Use them as a cross-check and a starting point. Your shop equipment and crew change the answer — a beam line alone can halve the hours on heavy rolled shapes.
Ready to use your own numbers?
Anvil connects your rates, your shop history and your estimates.