For metalwork · structural steel · locksmiths

Metal fabrication software — faster than Excel.

Structural steel, welded assemblies, powder coating, gates, railings, staircases. goCAD quotes your metal-fabrication work in minutes instead of hours — with your machines, your materials, your markups.

Metalwork, structural steel and locksmith shops work differently to high-volume job shops: smaller batches, custom parts, structural steel instead of bar stock, lots of welding, powder coating or galvanising as a follow-up step. Excel hits its limit quickly here — especially when the senior estimator goes on holiday or retires.

goCAD is metal fabrication quoting software built for exactly this mix: material requirements from the CAD model, weld seams you pick directly in the 3D viewer, outsourced processes as reusable formulas — and a ready-to-send quote straight out of the system.

What we see in metal fabrication shops

Excel quoting hits its limit.

01 · Structural steel

Hand-typing the bill of materials.

Threads, sheet-metal parts, bought-in parts — every length, every cut-off, every tolerance typed into Excel. On a 40-part cladding or gate it takes an hour before you see the first quote price.

02 · Weld seams

Estimated — rarely measured.

Weld lengths in metalwork are typically eyeballed. Next quote, the estimate starts over from scratch. Not reproducible, not transferable.

03 · Powder coating

Forgotten row in the Excel sheet.

Coating area, prep, minimum charge from the coater — four inputs in four cells, one gets missed. Quote goes out, the follow-up order eats the margin.

04 · Generational handover

The quoting knowledge sits in the owner's head.

30 years of experience in an Excel file with cryptic column names. When the owner hands over, the master data, markups and gut feel go with — and the next generation makes the same mistakes from scratch.

What goCAD does for metal fabrication

Quoting software that understands metalwork and welding.

01

Wide material library

Round bars, plates and a broad range of materials — with price per kg, typical lengths, cut-off logic and steel rates from your supplier list. Stainless (1.4301, 1.4571), structural steel (S235, S355) and aluminium can be defined as separate groups.

02

Weld seams from CAD, automatically

With goCAD you define weld seams directly on the 3D model. Based on seam length, the number of seams and the matching weld process (MAG, TIG, spot), goCAD calculates the optimal weld time.

03

Outsourced processes as reusable formulas

Powder coating (€/dm² with minimum charge), galvanising (€/kg), blackening, blasting, anodising — 80+ stored follow-up processes. Your Excel rate sheet maps over in 30 minutes. More on outsourced processing →

04

Quote document at the press of a button

Out of the quote calculation comes a ready-to-send PDF with your letterhead, bulk pricing and lead-time notes — straight from the system by email, no Word detour.

Frequently searched

Answers on metal fabrication quoting software.

What is metal fabrication quoting software?
Metal fabrication quoting software replaces Excel-based quoting in structural steel, metalwork and locksmith shops. It reads CAD data and technical drawings, determines material weights, weld lengths, surface treatment and outsourced processes — producing a traceable quote in minutes instead of hours.
What does metal fabrication quoting software cost?
goCAD starts at €250 per month for the Sheet Metal plan (laser, punching, bending, cuts — typical for steel and locksmith shops). Unlimited users per company, onboarding included, 3-month minimum term. All plans →
Is there free metalwork quoting software?
Free Excel templates for metalwork are easy to find, but they don't scale: master data ages, formulas drift, new staff don't know the logic. goCAD offers a free trial without credit card: upload a few typical CAD files and see whether the calculation fits your shop.
Which processes does goCAD cover for steel and locksmith shops?
Laser and plasma cutting, punching, bending, water-jet, cuts with nesting and remnant management; welded assemblies with seam and spot welding; CNC drilling and thread cutting; powder coating, blackening, galvanising and painting as follow-up processes. Structural steel (S235, S355), stainless (1.4301, 1.4571) and aluminium can be set up as material groups in the material database.
Can I calculate my machine hourly rate first?
Yes — use our free machine hourly rate calculator → with all cost factors (depreciation, interest, space, energy, tools) before you set up the quoting software.

Bring your Excel sheet — skip the next manual quote.

We take your material rates, machine hour rates and follow-up surcharges over once during onboarding. From day one, you quote metalwork in minutes instead of hours.

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