A small welding repair at a local shop typically starts around $50 for minor work, while larger projects can run anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. The total depends on what you’re having welded, what metal it’s made of, how long the job takes, and whether the welder comes to you or you bring the piece to a shop.
Typical Costs by Project Type
Most people searching for welding prices have a specific job in mind, so here’s what common projects tend to cost:
- Metal furniture repair: $50 for a simple crack or broken joint, up to $2,500 or more for extensive restoration work.
- Iron gate repair: $100 to $400 per gate, or $40 to $250 per linear foot depending on the damage.
- Wrought iron railing repair: $100 to $200 per rail.
- Truck or vehicle frame crack welding: $500 to $2,500, usually completed same day.
- Frame rust repair: $1,000 to $4,000, taking one to three days.
- Cross member repair: $800 to $2,500.
- Heavy equipment bucket repair: $400 to $4,000 depending on the extent of damage. A simple plate weld might take two hours, while reskinning an excavator bucket can run 14 to 16 hours of labor.
For vehicle frame work specifically, costs escalate quickly with complexity. Straightening a bent frame runs $1,500 to $5,000, reinforcing a weak section costs $1,500 to $3,500, and a complete frame replacement on a truck can hit $15,000 to $30,000 or more.
How Shops Set Their Prices
Welding shops typically charge in one of three ways: a flat rate for the job, an hourly rate, or a per-foot rate for longer welds. Most small, one-off repairs get quoted as a flat fee after the welder looks at the piece. For bigger or more complex work, hourly billing is common.
Hourly shop rates generally fall between $65 and $125, though specialized welders working on heavy equipment or structural steel can charge $250 per hour. The rate reflects not just the welder’s time but also consumables like filler wire, shielding gas, and grinding discs. Some shops absorb consumable costs into their hourly rate; others bill them separately.
Many shops also have a minimum bench fee, which is the least they’ll charge you just to fire up the machine. Even if your repair takes five minutes, expect to pay at least $50 to $75. This covers setup time, cleaning the metal, and the overhead of running the shop.
Why the Welding Method Matters
Not all welding processes cost the same, and the method your job requires has a direct impact on price. The two most common for repair work are MIG welding (fast, versatile, used on steel and aluminum) and TIG welding (slower, more precise, used on thinner metals, stainless steel, and aluminum where appearance matters).
TIG welding costs roughly twice as much in labor as MIG welding. At a standard $40 per hour labor rate, MIG welding a quarter-inch bead costs about $0.67 per foot, while TIG welding the same bead costs $1.34 per foot. The difference comes down to speed: MIG moves at about 12 inches per minute, while TIG moves at about 6 inches per minute. TIG also requires a higher skill level, which means the welder’s hourly rate is often higher to begin with.
If your repair is on thin-wall stainless tubing or needs to look clean without grinding, you’ll likely need TIG, and you should budget accordingly. For structural steel, trailer hitches, or general farm and equipment repairs, MIG is the standard and the more affordable option.
Mobile Welding Adds a Travel Fee
If you can’t bring the piece to a shop, a mobile welder can come to you, but you’ll pay extra for the convenience. Most mobile welders charge a flat call-out fee of around $60 within a 25-mile radius, plus mileage beyond that at roughly $2 per mile. The travel charge covers fuel, wear on the truck, and the time spent driving instead of welding.
On top of the travel fee, you’ll still pay their standard hourly rate for the actual welding. Mobile rates tend to run a bit higher than shop rates because the welder is hauling a generator, gas bottles, and a full setup. For a small job like welding a broken trailer hitch at your property, expect to pay $150 to $300 total once you factor in the call-out fee and a minimum hour of labor. For large on-site jobs like farm equipment or structural repairs, mobile service often makes more financial sense than the cost and hassle of transporting heavy items to a shop.
What Drives the Price Up
Several factors can push a welding bill higher than you might expect. The type of metal is a big one. Aluminum and stainless steel cost more to weld than mild steel because they require more skill, different filler materials, and often the slower TIG process. Exotic metals like titanium or chromoly push prices higher still.
Accessibility also matters. A weld in a tight, awkward spot takes longer and may require the welder to work in an uncomfortable position or disassemble surrounding parts to reach the joint. If the metal is rusty, painted, or contaminated with oil, prep work adds time before any welding even starts. Grinding, cleaning, and beveling edges for proper penetration can easily double the labor on a repair that looks simple from the outside.
Thickness plays a role too. Thicker metal requires multiple passes, more filler material, and sometimes preheating to avoid cracking. A single-pass weld on thin tubing might take minutes, while a multi-pass structural weld on half-inch plate could take hours.
How to Get a Fair Quote
Bring the piece to the shop if you can, or send clear photos showing the damage from multiple angles. Include something for scale, like a tape measure or a coin, so the welder can estimate the length and thickness of the repair. Mention what metal the piece is made of if you know. If you don’t know, say so, because a welder charging you for stainless work on a mild steel piece would be overpaying.
Get quotes from two or three shops. Prices vary significantly by region and by how busy the shop is. A one-person operation may charge less overhead than a full fabrication shop, but the larger shop might turn the work around faster. Ask whether the quote includes consumables or if those are billed separately, and whether there’s a minimum charge. For anything over a few hundred dollars, ask for the quote in writing so there are no surprises when you pick up the finished piece.