Steelwork for the working edge of a cathedral city
St Albans is known for its cathedral, but it has real industrial ground on its edges. Hatfield Road carries Executive Park and the Alban Point campus, London Road has the Verulam Industrial Estate, and Campfield Road has the Sphere Industrial Estate, within walking distance of the Thameslink station. Spring Valley Business Centre and Noke Lane Business Centre add smaller units. Most of these are light industrial and trade-counter buildings, so the firms in them buy steel in rather than make it.
That is where we fit. The workshop at Marston Moretaine is 27 road miles away, about 37 minutes by car, and it holds 12,000 sq ft under cover with coded MIG, TIG and MMA welders. Send a drawing and we return an itemised written quote within 24 hours in the working week, with the lead time confirmed in writing. We work for commercial and trade buyers only, and invoices run against your purchase order.
What St Albans buyers send a fabricator
- Light industrial and trade-counter occupiers Tenants of units on the Verulam and Sphere estates ask for racking frames, workshop platforms, machine guards and handrails made to drawing, usually as supply-only steel for their own fitters.
- Hertfordshire engineering suppliers The county's engineering sector includes aerospace and defence names such as Airbus and MBDA. Firms supplying that chain order enclosures, test frames and brackets, some TIG welded in stainless or aluminium.
- Contractors on new industrial schemes Schemes of the Trade City St Albans type, ten flexible units, need canopies, steel lintels, escape stairs and balustrades. Contractors order them finished in RAL paint or hot-dip galvanised.
- Landlords and facilities managers Owners of multi-let estates buy plant screens, roof access steps, bollards and fire escapes as supply-only steel, then book their own installer to fit it.
The bigger jobs St Albans firms commission
Typical orders from firms like these are repeat batches rather than one-offs: 20 to 100 identical frames, trolleys or brackets, steel enclosures for generators and plant, machine bases and lifting frames, and supply-only staircases and fire escapes for units on Hatfield Road. Structural items are made under our BS EN 1090 factory production control and can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Finishes run from raw and primed through RAL wet spray and powder coat to hot-dip galvanising, which we arrange. Stainless and aluminium parts are TIG welded in their own area, kept apart from carbon steel.
Containers on small St Albans yards
Units here are compact, so container work usually means a secure store, a plant room or a site cabin on the yard behind a unit. We frame the structural openings into the rails so the box keeps its strength, then fit doors, windows or roller shutters, and we also repair and repaint. You can supply the unit or we source one. Recent units have cost roughly £3,400 to £6,800 each net of VAT, depending on scope. Details are on the container modifications page.
Larger fabrication for St Albans buyers
For St Albans buyers the larger jobs are steel enclosures for generators, batteries and switchgear, skids and frames for plant, and walkways with handrails supplied to fit. Coded welders do the work, BS EN 1090 control covers anything structural, and each quote lists the finish as its own line so the cost is visible. Where a stair or fire escape is part of a building scheme, we supply the steel and your installer fits it. See steel enclosures.
Where St Albans steel gets used
The estates that matter here are Executive Park and Alban Point on Hatfield Road, the Verulam Industrial Estate on London Road, and the Sphere Industrial Estate off Campfield Road. Trade City St Albans offers ten flexible units built to a modern standard, and Spring Valley Business Centre and Noke Lane Business Centre cover the smaller end. Executive Park sits about 1.5 miles from the city centre and mainline station, so delivery does not have to cross the middle of the city to reach it.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost St Albans less
Cutting, welding, finishing and checking all happen in our own 12,000 sq ft workshop, so no stage is passed to a subcontractor with its own margin. Delivery to St Albans goes through our logistics partners and shows as its own line on the quote. Put the two together and the total often comes in below a local fabricator, which is easy to check: send us the same drawing you've sent them.
Delivery and site visits in St Albans
St Albans is 27 road miles from Marston Moretaine, about 37 minutes by car using the M1 and the A5183. Drive times are by car, and a loaded lorry takes longer. We organise delivery through our logistics partners and fix the date when you accept the quote so the lead time and the vehicle line up. Making it all in-house often keeps our price below local fabricators.
Our engineers visit the unit to measure up. Most units on Hatfield Road and London Road have a yard or loading apron. Tell us whether a lorry can enter and turn, and where it will stand to unload. Say what lifting there is on site and we agree the drop with you. Fitting is done by your own installer, as we do not install on site.
How a job runs
- 01.Send the drawing
PDF or CAD, a dimensioned sketch, or a photo of the old part. Quantities and the site postcode help.
- 02.Itemised quote in 24 hours
Material, fabrication, finish and haulage broken out line by line, with the lead time confirmed in writing.
- 03.Agree spec and finish
Sections, tolerances, weld spec and finish confirmed before anything is cut.
- 04.Fabricated inside our unit
Cut, welded and assembled by coded welders in our 12,000 sq ft Marston Moretaine workshop.
- 05.Check and paperwork
Dimensionally checked before dispatch; welder qualification and mill certificates on request.
- 06.Delivered to site
We organise delivery to your site through our logistics partners, or you can collect from the yard if that suits. One-offs and batches both welcome.
Work we take on
- Container modifications: conversions and modifications to drawing, single units or batches
- Structural openings: side openings, doors, roller shutters, linking and cut-downs
- Container repairs: panel, door and rail repairs and repaints for depots and fleets
- Steel enclosures: generator, acoustic, plant and battery housings
- Skids and frames: skids, machine bases, lifting frames and supports
- Commercial fabrication: fabrication to drawing, structural steelwork, one-offs and batches
- Stairs and fire escapes: supplied ready for your installer to fit
- Walkways and railings: handrails, platforms and ladders, supplied to fit
Frequently asked questions
Can a St Albans unit tenant order a small batch of frames?
Yes. Batches of 20 or more identical frames or brackets are routine, and repeats are quoted against the same drawing. The first run is priced line by line so you see material, labour and finish separately.
Does the M1 route make the St Albans lead time longer?
No. The lead time depends on the job and is confirmed in writing with the quote. The 27 miles only affects the delivery slot, which we book through our logistics partners once the work is ready.
Can you deliver to a Hatfield Road estate with a tight yard?
Yes. Our engineers look at the yard on a visit, and the quote gives the size and weight of the steel. We agree the delivery vehicle and the drop with you before it is booked.
Is hot-dip galvanising possible for St Albans orders?
Yes. We arrange hot-dip galvanising as one of the finishes alongside raw, primed, RAL wet spray and powder coat. The quote shows the finish cost separately, and any extra transit time is written into the lead time.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Hemel Hempstead, Welwyn Garden City, Watford, Luton, Stevenage and Enfield. See every town on the areas we serve page.