FAQs

For the timeliest, accurate, and cost effective bid, please provide the following information if available, or as much as possible to us via mail, email or in person:

1. Contact information
2. Your architects or landscape architect’s plans and specifications
3. Any site measurements and photos if applicable
4. Jobsite address
5. Time frame for completion

Any other sketches, designs, photos, or magazine clippings which may help us understand what you want. As with any form of custom work, the more information you can give our estimator, the more accurate and timely our response and your proposal will be. If you come to our shop in Getzville, we will gladly set an appointment and consult with you free of charge about your work. We have a small showroom full of samples and finishes to offer better insight into what your particular project may require.

No. Ball park prices are not offered because they are almost always inaccurate and often do not take important factors into account which would be caught during the normal estimating process.

As soon as possible to allow the fabrication and installation processes to be completed without constraints. When the concrete is poured call us immediately to schedule a time and date that we can measure. The concrete only needs a day or so depending upon the weather to cure enough so we can walk on it. When the job needs to be installed some weeks later the concrete will be cured enough for us to attach to it as needed.

No. We offer our best price for each proposal based on the information we have received for the project. However, we do appreciate the marketing value a professional referral brings to us and we may discuss a referral fee depending on the circumstances

This depends on the size and complexity of the project and the backlog of work already underway. However, we can turn many projects around in 4-10 weeks from approval.

We must physically template your curving stair which generally involves a crew from our shop traveling to the jobsite by truck and working on site for a few hours or days making a steel or aluminum “template” of your stair. We also have a stair template system that allows us in the right circumstances to lay the template directly on the steps and will follow the curve in only minimal time.

We can fabricate and forge steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, aluminum and other alloys.

We can offer design services on an hourly rate including the preparation of shop drawings and specifications for bidding, and we also recommend you consult with a local architect who can help coordinate our work with other trades that may be involved.

We offer many finishes for many applications and materials. For example, we offer traditional finishes of flat black paint and chemical finishes for ferrous metals, as well as complex catalyzed paint and primer systems and powder coating. Be aware that specialty finishes can sometimes cost as much as the fabrication of a product. If you do not have a finish specification for your work, we can offer one to suit the requirements of the installation.

If you choose to share your budget with us, we will help design and/or value engineer your existing design to stay within your budget. If we provide you with a fixed price proposal for your work, we will hold that price unless the scope of work changes.

Quality, Integrity, Attention to Detail and Experience. These are a few of the reasons we are rarely the low bidder. But equally as important, unless the customer tells us otherwise, we will always assume a very high level of finish quality on the work and offer a “turnkey” price that does not leave the customer with surprises at the end of the job. Conversely, when specifications and details are clear, our bids are very often on par with others. This is the reason you need to provide as much information as possible to each bidder, so you receive a fair and accurate “apples to apples” result.

The terms iron and steel are often used interchangeably today. Iron and steel mean the same thing to the contemporary metal fabricator. “Wrought Iron” usually refers to the process of iron or steel being “wrought” by hand or machine and implies a degree of decoration is involved. (e.g. “I would prefer a wrought iron fence” and “I would prefer a decorative steel fence” means the same thing) However, “wrought iron” is also a very specific type of iron which was the predominant metal used for ornamental and structural work prior to 1920s. When modern smelting processes and higher grades of “steel” became available and “wrought iron” was discontinued in favor of the new alloys. Since “real” wrought iron is no longer made except in specialty mills, all ornamental metal shops use A36 Carbon Steel in their fabrication and forging operations where ironwork is required.

Yes. Because of our CAD capabilities we can work with many applicable CNC machining processes to economize and/or accelerate production schedules with high precision. 

Old Dutchman’s Wrought Iron, Inc. uses AutoCAD & Solidworks modeling software. We offer drawings to perspective customers at an hourly rate including the preparation of shop drawings and specifications for the specific job. Drawings are billed at the rate of $75.00* per hour, billed in 15-minute increments. For example, if your request takes 30 minutes to complete, you will be billed $37.50. There is no minimum charge. All drawings are billed when they are completed and are the property of Old Dutchman’s Wrought Iron, Inc. untill payment is received. These drawing files can be plotted or sent electronically for revisions, comments, and field coordination. In addition, we use digital photographs extensively to aid in progress billing, design, and project coordination. Please note that drawings are can be delivered in 2-D or 3-D but never give the final product full representation. *Rate subject to change without notice.

Yes, for a charge. We often create a full size sample for review and approval prior to beginning work.

We recommend that if the railing is badly deteriorated or loose in any way to find a qualified local ornamental iron or welding service shop to make necessary structural repairs. If the railing is in sound shape then remove the rust with a wire brush, use a rust inhibitive primer or a zinc rich primer and a good quality rust inhibitive top coat, all should be available at your local hardware store. Be sure to use a good amount of paint as well following the manufacturer’s recommendations, a thin coat of paint will not weather as well as a heavier coating.

Yes we do, if you want electronic gate operators for one of our gates please specify up front so we can incorporate the operators into the design and proposal. We can offer many options to serve your needs as well if you desire a turnkey solution.

With the exception of specialty metals such as stainless or bronze, the single greatest cost of our products sold is labor. The more labor there is involved in the work, the more expensive the work will be. Additionally, we rarely enjoy the benefits of production processes because we are always making something different everyday. If General Motors or Ford had to make your car one at a time, to your specifications for size, design, color, metal, etc. you can be assured it would cost a lot more!

Old Dutchman’s Wrought Iron, Inc. is a member of NOMMA, the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (www.nomma.org).