Getting an accurate quote for powder coating is straightforward — provided you give the coater the right information to start with. Vague requests get vague answers, and missing information is the most common reason for quotes that don’t reflect the actual job.
Here’s how to get an accurate quote first time.
What to Include in Your Enquiry
1. Item description and material
Tell the coater what the items are and what they’re made from. Steel, galvanised steel, and aluminium are all different to work with and require different pre-treatment. “Wrought iron gate” is more useful than “a gate”.
2. Quantity
Unit price typically reduces significantly as quantity increases, so always state quantities even if approximate.
3. Dimensions
Overall dimensions or estimated weight. This determines oven capacity (if an item is too large for the available oven, that’s a problem you need to know about early).
4. Current condition
Are the items:
– New, in good condition, requiring only cleaning before coating?
– Used but in reasonable condition with light surface rust?
– Heavily corroded, with old paint and pitting that will need blast cleaning?
Honest condition assessment avoids a quote that looks cheap until you drop the items off and discover the price has doubled.
5. Expected service environment
Indoor only? Outdoor? Coastal? Industrial — chemical or abrasion exposure? This determines the specification of the coating system and the pre-treatment required. A gate on a Devon farm in a coastal location needs a much more robust specification than a garden bench in a Birmingham suburb.
6. Colour and finish
Provide the RAL or BS reference if you know it. If you don’t, describe the visual and the application (e.g., “a mid-grey anthracite for a residential entrance gate, semi-gloss finish”). A good coater will identify the right standard reference for you.
7. Photographs
If in doubt, send photos. A picture of the items from several angles is worth a long description and helps the coater spot any potential issues — unusual shapes, built-in plastics, structural compromise — before committing to a price.
Questions Worth Asking a Coater
Before committing, it’s worth asking:
– What pre-treatment process do you use? You want to hear about degreasing and chemical conversion coating. If the answer is just “we clean it”, walk away.
– What film thickness do you apply? Expect 60–120 microns for architectural/industrial work. Thinner films won’t perform as well.
– Do you mask items, and is that included in the price? Hidden fees for masking are frustrating on collection.
– What is your lead time? Some operations are busy and have lead times of several weeks, especially in spring. Know this before you plan your project.
– Do you handle items requiring blast cleaning? Not all coaters have blast facilities in-house. Some subcontract this, which affects price and lead time.
– What happens if the coating fails prematurely? A quality coater will have a clear position on this.
What to Expect on Collection
When you collect your coated items:
– Check coverage visually — no bare spots, even in recesses and on hidden faces
– Check edges — powder coating should cover edges uniformly; thin or missed edges indicate incorrect application
– Check masking — threads, holes, and any specified uncoated areas should be clean
– Check colour match — against your RAL reference if provided
– Do a thumbnail test — press firmly with a thumbnail on an inconspicuous area; the coating should not chip or flake
If you’re collecting a large batch, inspect a sample carefully rather than taking everything on trust.
A Note on Price
The cheapest quote is rarely the best one for powder coating. The pre-treatment stage — which you can’t see — is where coating quality is actually determined. A cheap coater who cuts corners on surface preparation will produce a coating that looks fine initially but fails prematurely. By all means compare prices, but make sure you’re comparing like-for-like on specification.
A powder coating quote is only as good as the information you provide. Give a coater the details above and you’ll get a response that accurately reflects what you need and what it will cost — with no surprises on collection.