I-beam price.

Up here in the Pacific Northwest I was quoted over $500 for a 26' hunk of I beam (new). As I recall they told me I'd have to buy the entire 30' section and pay the cut fee to arrive at my 26' piece. I'll need two of these for overhead hoists (each supporting a one ton load) in my 26'W x 44'L x 16'H boat storage building. I think it was either 5" or 6" I beam I was quoted for that load. Pretty ridiculous (I thought).

So, after scrounging around, I located a demolition company (currently ripping out a shopping mall) that will provide several I beams for under $100. They'll even load them for me. I'll take the trolley from my hoist (to see what fits) then verify the rated capacity in my little black book.

Larry

My turbine powered boat project;

You can buy beams in that size ranging from 20 pounds per foot to close to a hundred. Beams are sized by height and weight per foot. All you can go by is how much you are paying per pound. Nowadays if you are a small purchaser fifty cents a pound Canadian is a fair price. Find a place that does not charge for cutting. Large suppliers consolidate their orders so that as they cut from a sixty they rarely have more than two or three feet of waste. If you want exactly thirty feet you likely will get a decent price. You would have better luck purchasing from a scrap dealer or a steel fabrication shop that has a crop length that fits your needs. Randy

Thanks

First, figure out what size you want/need/can use, as Randy said, they are measured in both the height and the pounds per foot. (And you will pay by the pound!)

A classic 'I' shape is actually an 'S' designation

More than likely you will find the M or W shapes: Prices are all over the map. You might pay $.25 a pound at a demolition or pure scrap yard, $.60 /lb for a second, $.80 to $1 for prime, and $1.50 to $2 for a fab company to cut, prime, and deliver. If you can have some size options in mind, you are in a much better position to wheel and deal

Keep > In Texas, what would be a 'realistic' price to pay for 30' of 10" or 12"

Okay, thanks guys.

I appreciate the good info.

For a competitive price for new steel, call Alamo Iron Works in San Antonio (and elsewhere in Texas); 1-800-292-7817 - act like you are a fabricator or just ask if whatever they quote is their best price - they'll quote per foot, but most fab shops buy on a cwt basis - they can also cut to length for you and you can either take the drop(s) or leave them, but you'll probably pay for the full length (up to 20'); most I-beams come in 20', 40', or 60' lengths. They also deliver free all over Texas with their own trucks so they'll bring it to you if you can be there when they get there and are able to unload the material - to many places they go at least once a week, some places twice. If I remember correctly, current price is around $45.00/cwt or $.45/lb. Salvage yards here in Austin are now charging around $.25/lb which is pretty high considering you often have to compromise - the salvage yards' margin is actually a lot better than Alamo or one of its competitors. I have no financial interest in Alamo, I just use them a lot and have found they are a great resource for the little guy - many of the big vendors can be pretty snooty with minimum invoice amounts and open account only policies - (Alamo is big and old, just not snooty). Another benefit of Alamo, used by at least several fairly large trailer builders, is that they will bandsaw material to length (nearest 1/8" and quite square) for a very reasonable charge - a big help for a hobbyist or small shop with limited crane capacity.

Thanks, everyone!

Did you contact a few of the demolition companies? The next job that comes up they could let you have your pick for scrap price.