How to Quote Welding Jobs Competitively in 2025
Welding work is in high demand with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting over 450,000 people are employed as welders, cutters, solderers, or brazers in the U.S. as of 2024.
However, quoting it correctly is still one of the trickiest parts of the job. With rising material costs, evolving technology, and growing competition from both local shops and mobile welders, small mistakes in your estimates can eat into your profits fast.
In this guide, we’ll walk through:
- What welding is and the types that affect pricing
- Factors to consider when pricing a welding job
- Workshop vs. mobile welding cost structures
- How to calculate your shop rate (with markup)
- Why real-time quoting matters in 2025
- What welders in the U.S. are earning by region
- How to use Invoice Fly to quote and bill faster
- FAQs and expert tips for setting rates that work
Whether you’re building gates in your home workshop, handling industrial pipe welds, or driving between job sites with a portable rig, knowing how to quote accurately can help you win more work, get paid faster, and protect your bottom line.
What Is Welding?
Let’s start at the beginning. Welding is a skilled trade that fuses metal using heat, electricity, and pressure. It’s critical across multiple sectors — from construction and infrastructure to oil, gas, and automotive work.
There are several main types of welding, and the method you use affects both pricing and job prep:
- Stick welding (SMAW): Cost-effective and great for outdoor jobs or thick metals
- MIG welding (GMAW): Quick and efficient, commonly used in manufacturing and auto repair
- TIG welding (GTAW): Highly precise, ideal for stainless steel, aerospace, and fine aluminum work
- Flux-cored arc welding (FCAW): Designed for high-speed or thick applications in construction
- Submerged arc welding (SAW): Industrial-scale welding used for thick, heavy-duty metal
The type of welding you use will influence your consumables, setup time, labor hours, and insurance risk — all of which should factor into your pricing.
What Affects Welding Job Pricing?
Welding isn’t a service where one price will fit all jobs. Before you give a customer a quote, make sure you’re accounting for the following:
1. Size and Scope of the Project
More materials, more hours, more joints = more cost. Clarify:
- The number of welds or joints required
- The metal type and thickness (your base metal)
- If post-weld grinding, fitting, or cleaning is included
- Whether you’re fabricating from scratch or doing repair
Top tip: Break projects down into line items (e.g. labor, supplies required, setup) to make sure you’re not underbidding.
2. Type of Welding and Required Skills
TIG welding takes more time and precision than stick welding — and often demands higher pay. Similarly, overhead welding or welds requiring positioning gear can add complexity and time.
Specialty work (like sanitary welding for food plants or code welds for pressure vessels) also carries a premium. Don’t forget to charge accordingly for your certifications, especially if you’re AWS- or ASME-certified.
3. Consumables and Material Costs
The cost of goods sold (COGS) can be high in welding. This includes:
- Filler metals
- Shielding gases (argon, CO₂, helium blends)
- Grinding wheels and abrasives
- Wire, rods, electrodes
- Clamps and shop consumables
According to the U.S. Producer Price Index, the cost of argon gas increased by approximately 6.77% from March 2024 to March 2025, reflecting rising demand and supply dynamics in industrial gas manufacturing.
4. Overhead and Insurance
Don’t forget to include fixed costs in your quote:
- Rent or mortgage for your shop
- Equipment depreciation
- Utilities (especially electricity for welding machines)
- Small business insurance
- Workers’ compensation or general liability coverage
If you’re running a mobile rig, include fuel, maintenance, and truck insurance in your hourly rate.
Learn more about small business insurance essentials here: What Kind of Insurance Do Independent Contractors Need? Link April Brief 4
5. Labor Costs and Experience
If you work solo, include your wage and mark it up for profit. If you have team members, add:
- Employee wages
- Payroll tax
- Any paid downtime or administrative work
Experienced welders with certifications or a solid portfolio can confidently charge more, especially in industries where precision and safety are top priorities.
6. Your Location and Market Rates
Welders in the U.S. earn an average of $48,940 per year — or around $23/hour, according to the BLS. But in states like Alaska, North Dakota, and Hawaii, that average jumps to $60,000–$70,000+, thanks to higher demand and remote job sites.
If you’re unsure of local rates, check platforms like PayScale, ZipRecruiter, or even local Facebook trade groups to get a feel for regional pricing.
Workshop vs. Portable Welding
| Pros | Cons | Top Tips | |
| Workshop Welding | Controlled environmentEasier schedulingLower insurance risk | Fixed locationLimited to local customers | Use a shop rate to account for fixed overhead and time spent in-house. |
| Portable Welding | More flexible jobsHigher demand for emergency or on-site work | Travel time and fuelMore liabilityHigher insurance premiums | Travel/setup timeMileage or flat call-out feesMinimum service charge (often $100+) |
How to Calculate Your Shop Rate
To quote accurately, you need to know what your time is worth.
Formula:
(Labor Rate + Overhead per Hour) x Markup = Shop Rate
Example:
- Labor: $30/hr
- Overhead: $20/hr
- Markup: 1.2 (20%)
→ $60/hr shop rate
Now multiply by the estimated number of hours — then add materials and any flat charges to get your sell price.
What’s the difference between sell rate and sell price?
Your sell rate is the hourly rate you charge for labor (e.g. $85/hour), while the sell price is the total cost quoted for the full job — including labor, materials, markup, and any fixed charges.
For example, if you estimate 5 hours of work at $85/hour and $300 in materials, your final sell price might be $725. Understanding both helps you quote accurately and maintain healthy profit margins.
Should You Quote Flat Rate or Hourly?
- Flat rates work well for repeatable jobs like gates, handrails, or repairs.
- Hourly rates work better for unknowns — like cracked frames or emergency fixes.
Build both options into your pricing strategy so you can stay competitive and still protect your profit.
Want to understand how each pricing model works? See our article: Is It Better to Charge Hourly or a Flat Rate for Services?
Real-Time Pricing Tools Matter
It’s 2025 and customers expect fast, transparent estimates. The faster you quote, the faster you close. Using outdated paper estimates or Word templates puts you at a disadvantage.
How Invoice Fly Helps Welders
With Invoice Fly’s Invoice Maker, you can:
- Store saved pricing for materials and shop rates
- Create and send branded estimates from your phone
- Add line items for labor, parts, and welding types
- Turn accepted estimates into invoices automatically
- Track overdue payments and follow up
It’s a faster, more professional way to get paid — without chasing clients.
FAQs about Quoting Welding Jobs
Anywhere from $60 to $100/hour, depending on your experience and productivity, overhead, and location. Mobile welders can often charge more due to added risk and travel.
Yes. TIG, aluminum, or pressure-certified welds should be quoted at higher rates due to time, skill, and liability involved.
Give a range and be clear about what it includes. For example: “Between $700–$950 depending on final measurements and materials. Includes travel and setup.”
Always. Factor them into your fixed overhead costs. If a job increases your liability, add a risk premium to your quote.
Use clear language in your estimate: “Quote based on standard conditions. Additional labor or materials will be approved before work continues.”
Welders tend to earn the highest salaries in states with strong manufacturing, oil, and industrial sectors. According to the BLS, top-paying states include Alaska, North Dakota, Hawaii, and California, where average wages range from $60,000 to over $70,000 annually. Welders working in remote areas or in high-risk industries like oil and gas often command higher rates due to the demand and job conditions.
