Project Delays: What Affects Your ETA?
As a custom metal fabrication service our works are welded, bent, and arranged individually by our shop artisans. This limits our shop capabilities to the number of people within our shop. In addition, supplies and materials vary so much from project to project that we do not keep inventory in hand. This means that each project has its own material order list which will only be processed when we receive the 50% deposit. This process can create some delays. For customers, we understand that the biggest sources of frustration can come from waiting for your project to be finished.
Here are some things that affect your ETA and cause delays.
1. Project Start Date -- The Project Start Date does not begin until we receive a signed contract and the 50% deposit. The customer and designer may be in an on-going conversation for months, but the project cannot begin without those two items. This means that the lead time or ETA quoted by the sales team does not start until those two items are turned in.
Solution: Turn in two things as soon as possible: a signed contract which is evidence that you approve the designs, and pay the 50% deposit which enables us to order your materials and get you in-line for fabrication.
2. Material Withholding -- Once we send in our material list, the supplier's speed of delivery determines how long it will take to get to the fabrication stage. Some considerations that prolong this include: weather delays, supplier billing issues, and the special-ness of the material. For example, there are beautiful specialty glasses we source only from our trusted vendors in Dallas which take 2-3 weeks compared to the usual 2-4 days.
Solution: The earlier we get your design approval and deposit, the faster we can process the order.
3. Changes in Design -- Because we pride ourselves in the service that we provide, we tend to accommodate design changes made by our valued customers as long as it is done timely. However, these changes in design must be signed and approved through an addendum of the contract. Changes in design may require different materials and could even change the quoted price. Even little design changes such as a repaint of a job delay our production facility and affects other current jobs. We try to minimize this by ensuring design redos re-enter into our fabrication queue.
Solution: We can create a sample of the design at cost. This is typically faster to redo and cheaper because we will only have to change 3 ft. of grill or handrail design instead of building it to its full size and having to change all 15-20 feet of it. I recommend this for incredibly detail-oriented customers or very costly and time-consuming jobs (intricate.)
4. Weather -- Weather is an incredibly important factor to consider for installations because it affects materials and delivery. We all know that paints and glues dry more beautifully on temperate sunny days. Our goal is to ensure that at the time of installation, you are able to enjoy your custom metal work completely. Trust us when we recommend a time for installation because we factor in weather conditions and our extensive knowledge of the materials when scheduling with our clients.
These are some considerations customers should keep in mind when working to create their very own custom metal works with our company. It is in our best interest to finish jobs timely to make space for more jobs but we cannot sacrifice quality. Our products are designed for customers with top-tier tastes and our company aims to satisfy that.
Here's a recent finished work: a black venthood with metal studs.
