What welding costs

Rates welders post in Canada

These are rates shops post on their own sites, read in October 2026. Most add materials, consumables and tax. Darkhorse adds a 15% consumables fee.

Rates in the US

Cost guides that average many jobs land lower:

• HomeGuide, 2024: US$50 to US$125 an hour for small home jobs
• HomeAdvisor, 2026: US$60 to US$125 an hour

Why mobile welding costs more

• Minimums: 4 hours at Bytown, 3 at Soudure Mobile, 2 at Darkhorse and The Works On Wheels
• Travel: Combined Fabrication bills travel at CA$85 an hour
• Call-out fees: CA$50 to CA$100 beyond 30 km at The Works On Wheels, from CA$125 outside the district at Wiggins
• After hours: CA$140 an hour at Bytown, US$200 for the first emergency hour at Iron Trail

If the part fits in a truck, take it to the shop. Short shop jobs can be cheap: Steinworks has a US$60 minimum.

Small repair prices

A short weld still pays the minimum. Ask for the total, not just the rate.

Welder pay is not the shop rate

Pay figures are what a welder earns, not what a shop bills. The shop rate also covers equipment, overhead and materials.

Canadian figures are from Job Bank for 2023 to 2024 (Calgary 2024). The US figure is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What moves the price

• Process: TIG is slower than MIG, and some shops charge more for it. See MIG vs TIG.
• Metal: Combined Fabrication charges CA$165 an hour for stainless or aluminum, against CA$150 for steel
• Cast iron: it needs preheating or short welds, then slow cooling, which takes longer
• Access: overhead work, like under a boat hull, is slow and awkward
• Prep: rust removal, grinding and beveling are often billed on top
• Materials: most hourly rates leave out the steel and consumables
• Rush and after hours: a higher rate or a flat fee
• Certified work: structural jobs can need a CWB certified shop and inspection

How to get a fair quote

1. Send photos of the break or the joint, with rough sizes
2. Say what metal it is, if you know
3. Ask if you can bring the part to the shop
4. Ask what the minimum is, and if travel, materials and tax are extra
5. For structural work, ask which welder tickets cover it. Our certifications guide explains them.

Ready for a price? Send one request to welding shops near you.

Sources

• Soudure Mobile FAQ, Montreal
• Darkhorse Welding rates, Winnipeg
• Bytown Welding rates, Ottawa
• Wiggins Welding & Fabrication, Port Alberni BC
• D.A.S.T. Welding services, Port Alberni BC
• BCDR Mechanical services, Saskatoon
• The Works On Wheels welding, Willingdon AB
• Combined Fabrication services, Red Deer AB
• Steinworks services, Maryland
• Iron Trail Welding pricing, Texas
• ProRanch mobile welding, Colorado
• Mobile Welding & Trailer Repair pricing, Nevada
• BG Schneider Welding & Fab, Florida
• True Repair pricing, Calgary
• HomeGuide: welding cost
• HomeAdvisor: welding cost
• Job Bank: welder wages in Canada, Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Lower Mainland
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics: welders
• Lincoln Electric: welding cast iron
• JW Portable Welding: aluminum boat repair, Lucan ON
• Miller: TIG and thin metal