Misc metals, Metro Vancouver
Custom misc metals fabrication and installation for Metro Vancouver commercial, institutional, and multi-family projects. Handrails, ladders, bollards, supports, frames, and architectural items from our C.W.B. certified Burnaby shop.
What misc metals means
Misc metals is the scope of metal items that are essential to a building`s function but are not structural steel or ornamental fabrication.
On any commercial or institutional project in Metro Vancouver, the structural steel gets a lot of attention, beams, columns, connections, erection. The ornamental work gets attention too, stair balustrades, architectural metalwork, feature elements. But the misc metals scope typically contains 20 to 100+ individual items, most of which are invisible until something goes wrong, and all of which have to be fabricated correctly for the building to function.
We handle misc metals scopes from our Burnaby shop for commercial, institutional, and multi-family projects across Metro Vancouver. Our scope includes everything the architectural and structural drawings specify as miscellaneous metal, pipe rail guards and handrails, access ladders, bollards, mechanical supports, access covers, trench grating, custom frames and brackets, stair nosings, and any other metal item that is not structural steel or dedicated ornamental work.
The shop processes we use for misc metals match the standards required for structural work. C.W.B. certified welding to CSA W47.1, material certificates on request, shop drawings for submittal, and documented inspections for quality control. This matters on institutional projects, hospitals, schools, universities, government buildings, where the documentation requirements are strict and the inspection process is formal.
Items we fabricate
Project types we serve
Misc metals scopes are part of almost every commercial and institutional project we work on. Here are the building types where our involvement is most common.
Commercial
Office buildings, retail developments, and mixed-use projects in Metrotown, Brentwood, Oakridge, and downtown Vancouver typically require 30 to 60 misc metals line items covering pipe rails, access ladders, bollards, mechanical supports, and architectural brackets. We fabricate the full scope in-house and coordinate with the GC`s construction schedule.
Institutional
Institutional projects have stricter material certification, finish system, and documentation requirements than commercial work. Our C.W.B. certification and shop processes are set up for these projects. We have supplied misc metals for BCIT, SFU, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Queen Mary School, and other institutional clients across the region.
Multi-family
Multi-family residential projects across Burnaby, Coquitlam, and the West End typically include pipe rails for common areas, access ladders to mechanical spaces, bollards for parking separation, and architectural brackets for canopies or feature elements. We bid these as part of the overall metalwork package.
Quality and certification
Misc metals items that involve welding need to be fabricated to the same standards as structural work. Our shop certification covers both.
Our Burnaby shop is certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau (C.W.B.) to CSA W47.1, the Canadian standard for welded construction. This certification applies to both structural and non-structural welding, which means the same quality control processes apply to a pipe rail handrail as to a structural steel beam. For projects where this certification is required (and most institutional projects do require it), our shop meets the specification.
Material certificates (mill test reports) are available on request for any misc metals item. Shop drawings are produced by our drafting team for submittal and review by the architect and engineer. Inspections during fabrication, finishing, and installation are documented for project records. For projects requiring third-party inspection, we coordinate with the GC`s testing and inspection agency as part of the standard workflow.
For more on our certification and what it means for project quality, see our CWB certified welding guide.
Project workflow
1. Bid and award. We receive the drawings and specifications from the GC or architect, review the misc metals scope, and submit a fixed-price bid with scope clarifications and exclusions. For public projects, we follow the formal bid process.
2. Shop drawings and submittals. Our drafting team produces shop drawings for each significant item, submits them through the GC`s workflow for architect and engineer review, and revises based on comments. This stage typically runs 2 to 6 weeks depending on scope size and responsiveness.
3. Fabrication. Once shop drawings are approved, fabrication begins. We schedule items based on the GC`s installation priority, items needed earliest in the construction sequence (pipe rails for stairwells, bollards for site access) fabricate first. Complex architectural items and items that install late in the schedule fabricate later.
4. Finishing. Depending on the specification, items may be shop-primed, powder-coated, galvanized, or left bare for field finishing. Finishing typically adds 1 to 2 weeks to the shop schedule depending on the finish system and the capacity of the finisher.
5. Delivery and installation. Items are delivered to the site in coordination with the GC`s installation schedule. Installation is either handled by our crew or by the GC`s field forces, depending on the project contract structure. For complex installations, we provide field supervision.
6. Close-out. Final inspection, touch-ups, and documentation for project close-out. Any warranty items are tracked through the GC`s commissioning process.
Working with us
An accurate bid needs specific information. Here is what to send when you want us to quote a project.
For a competitive misc metals bid on a Metro Vancouver commercial or institutional project, we need:
For most commercial bids, we can turn around a competitive proposal within 5 to 10 business days of receiving complete documentation. For complex projects or scope with extensive clarifications, the turnaround may be longer.
FAQs
Answers to the questions we hear most often from architects, general contractors, and project managers.
Misc metals is the construction industry term for non-structural metal items in a building scope. It typically includes handrails, ladders, bollards, access covers, grating, trench covers, mechanical supports, architectural brackets, perforated panels, custom frames, and any metal item that is not structural steel or ornamental work. On a commercial building project, misc metals is often 5 to 10% of the total construction budget and involves 20 to 50+ individual scope items.
Structural steel is the load-bearing frame of a building, columns, beams, joists, and their connections. Misc metals is everything else, the non-structural metal items that support the building`s function. Structural steel has its own trade section, is engineered and stamped separately, and is installed by the structural steel erector. Misc metals is fabricated and installed by a separate shop under a different trade section of the specifications, usually closer to drywall and finishing phases of construction.
It depends on project size and complexity. Smaller commercial projects often bundle misc metals into a single line item on the spec. Larger projects, institutional buildings, hospitals, schools, multi-storey commercial, typically have a dedicated misc metals specification section with individual items listed, quantities noted, and reference drawings provided. We bid and fabricate either approach.
The most frequent items we fabricate for Metro Vancouver commercial and multi-family projects are: interior pipe rail guards and handrails, access ladders to roofs and mechanical spaces, bollards for pedestrian and vehicle separation, mechanical equipment supports and roof curbs, custom frames for architectural features, stair nosings and tread plates, steel grating for trenches and mechanical wells, and miscellaneous brackets and fittings specified as part of the building package.
Misc metals typically fabricates after the structural frame is up and the building is enclosed, because many items mount to completed structural or architectural elements. Shop drawings go through architect and engineer review after the relevant building systems are designed. Fabrication runs 4 to 8 weeks for a typical scope, and installation is phased across the later stages of construction as the building reaches different completion milestones. We work directly with project managers to coordinate installation windows.
For larger projects we typically quote a fixed-price total for the entire misc metals scope, broken down by item category for the GC`s cost tracking. For smaller projects or change orders, we price individual items based on material, fabrication hours, finish, and installation. Unit rates are available for common items like pipe rails, ladders, and bollards where the scope is consistent across multiple occurrences.
Yes. We have supplied misc metals for institutional projects connected to BCIT, SFU, Surrey Memorial Hospital, Queen Mary School, and other institutional clients across Metro Vancouver. Institutional work involves specific requirements around material certifications, finish systems, and documentation. Our C.W.B. certification to CSA W47.1 is typically required on institutional structural welding, and our shop processes are set up to meet the documentation expectations these projects require.
For standard misc metals items, pipe rails, ladders, bollards, brackets, typical lead time is 4 to 8 weeks from approved shop drawings to finished fabrication. Complex or architectural items with custom profiles or finishes can take 8 to 12 weeks. Rush timelines are sometimes possible for urgent items but carry a premium. We recommend engaging the misc metals fabricator as soon as the relevant building systems are designed, rather than waiting until construction is underway.
Get in touch
Send us the drawings, specifications, and bid deadline. We will review the scope and respond with a competitive fixed-price proposal from our Burnaby shop.
