Steel Structure Project Estimator
Get a preliminary tonnage, budget range and factory-to-site timeline in under a minute. The numbers come from rules of thumb we apply to 500+ delivered projects since 1999 — then our engineers refine them against your drawings, free of charge.
Enter Your Project Parameters
Fill in the fields below. The estimator returns a planning range — a binding quotation always follows a drawing review by our engineering team.
What the Numbers Are Based On
These unit rates come from our fabrication records and project database. They are the same figures our estimators use before opening Tekla — shared so buyers can plan budgets and financing early.
| Structure Type | Typical Unit Rate (kg/m²) | Typical Span (m) | Fabrication Rate (t/week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portal frame — warehouse / factory | 28 – 40 | 18 – 36 | 250 – 500 |
| Prefab sandwich-panel building | 22 – 32 | 12 – 30 | 250 – 450 |
| Space grid (bolted sphere) roof | 18 – 32 | 24 – 80 | 200 – 400 |
| Pipe truss — long-span roof | 32 – 55 | 40 – 120 | 200 – 350 |
| Multi-storey / composite frame | 45 – 85 | 8 – 16 bay | 150 – 300 |
Rules of Thumb, Explained
The span penalty is real: a 36 m portal frame carries roughly 12–18% more steel per square metre than a 18 m one, because member depth and connection moments grow with span. The region factor reflects design loads — a roof sized for EN 1991-1-3 snow in Germany carries more steel than the same area in Dubai, where wind dominates.
Fabrication rates assume our Xuzhou plant with 200,000 t annual capacity, 8 CNC lines and two blasting-painting booths. Small orders are slower per tonne (setup dominates); very large series are faster.
What is Included in the Budget Range
- Structural steel design review and shop drawings (Tekla / AutoCAD)
- S355 / Q355B fabrication, blast-cleaning Sa2.5 and two-pack painting
- QC inspection: weld map, NDT, dimension survey and packing list
- Sea-worthy packing (bundles, slings, plywood protection)
- Factory test certificates and material mill certificates
Excluded: cladding, foundations, erection and freight — the freight section below tells you what sea freight typically costs to your region.
Typical Sea Freight Time from Chinese Ports
Budget USD 45–110 per tonne for shipping and port handling depending on destination and packing method (break-bulk vs container).
| Destination | Transit Time | Indicative Freight (USD/t) |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Asia (Singapore, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh) | 1 – 2 weeks | USD 45 – 65 |
| Middle East (Jebel Ali, Dammam, Hamad) | 2 – 3 weeks | USD 55 – 75 |
| West Africa (Lagos, Tema, Abidjan) | 4 – 6 weeks | USD 80 – 110 |
| Europe (Rotterdam, Hamburg, Piraeus) | 4 – 5 weeks | USD 70 – 95 |
| North America (LA, Long Beach, Houston) | 3 – 4 weeks | USD 75 – 100 |
| South America (Santos, Buenos Aires, Callao) | 5 – 7 weeks | USD 85 – 110 |
Rates are indicative for 2026 bulk steel cargo and vary with bunker prices, port congestion and container availability. Ask our logistics team for a CIF/DDP quotation to your exact port.
Turn This Estimate into a Binding Quotation
Send us your drawings or a site sketch. Our engineers review the estimator output against real loads, codes and logistics, and reply within 24 hours with a refined budget and delivery plan.
Request a Detailed Quotation Talk to an Engineer