Cost
Indicative 2026 FOB China prices per tonne and per m² by structure type, the six drivers behind every quotation, a 10,000 m² warehouse worked example and landed cost to nine markets.
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Updated October 2026By Guiguan Steel Engineering Team5 guides · 5 categories
Steel Building Resources: Cost Data, Grade Charts and Shipping Guides
Five working guides from our detailing, QC and logistics engineers. Indicative FOB prices, shop drawing checklists, GB / EN / ASTM equivalents, section selection and 40HQ loading, written for engineers and buyers who quote real projects.
Featured · Cost guide
01Featured guide
Steel building cost per ton in 2026, FOB China
The question we answer most often is “what does it cost per tonne?” This guide gives indicative FOB ranges for six structure types, from USD 1,100/t for simple purlins and portal frames to USD 1,800/t and above for multi-cavity mega columns.
It then converts tonnes into cost per m² using real steel-consumption tiers (32–45 kg/m² for single-storey warehouses, 55–95 kg/m² for multi-storey and heavy industrial) and walks through a full 10,000 m² warehouse estimate, including freight to Manila, Port Klang, Jakarta, Sydney, Jebel Ali and Lagos.
USD 1,100–1,800per tonne FOB, indicative
10,000 m²worked warehouse example
8 marketslanded cost table
02Categories
Browse by topic
Each category starts with one in-depth guide. More articles are added as we publish project data.
03All guides
Latest articles from our engineering team
Every figure comes from quotations, QC records and shipping files on real projects. Prices are indicative ranges and are confirmed per quotation.
Materials
Q355B vs S355JR vs ASTM A572 Gr.50 and 12 more structural steel grades side by side: yield, tensile, Charpy impact temperature and CEV, with substitution rules and how to read an EN 10204 3.1 mill certificate.
Drawings
What a complete PEB and structural steel shop drawing set contains: GA, erection, assembly and part drawings, NC/DSTV files, BOM, a 10-point review checklist and the approval cycle. Request our sample drawing set (PDF).
Design
H-beam vs I-beam vs box column: definitions, a full comparison table, when to use each, same-weight stiffness and torsion examples, and how section shape drives fabrication cost.
Logistics
40HQ internal dimensions (12.03 × 2.35 × 2.69 m), 26 t payload and 11.8 m member length, open-top and flat-rack options, break-bulk thresholds, bundling, lashing and typical tonnage per container for structural steel.
04Start here
Reading paths by role
Three short routes through the guides, depending on what you need to decide next.
Project owners and developers
Start with the cost guide to set a realistic budget, then read the loading guide to understand what lands on site and when.
Structural engineers
Use the grade chart to approve Chinese-mill substitutions and the section guide to compare H and box options before you freeze the design.
EPC contractors and steel buyers
Use the shop drawing guide to set what you expect in each submission, and the cost guide to check quotations line by line.
Every guide answers a question we get on real enquiries: what the steel costs, what drawings to expect, which grade to accept, which section to use and how it ships. Read them in any order. Each one links to the product, service and project pages behind the numbers, so you can check how the figures were reached.
05Downloads
Engineering files you can take into your next meeting
Request any of these through the quote form. Name the file you want in the message field and we email it the same working day.
Excel + PDF. Enter length, width and eave height to get a tonnage range and an indicative FOB budget.
Desensitized PDF: GA, anchor bolt plan, erection, assembly and part drawings with a matching BOM.
GB / EN / ASTM / AS grade equivalents, bolt grades and weld inspection levels on two pages.
06How these guides are written
Numbers from our own projects, not from brochures
The authors are the engineers who detail, inspect and ship our steel. Cost figures come from FOB quotations issued in 2025–2026. Grade data comes from mill test certificates we check every week. Loading figures come from packing lists for containers shipped from Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
Where a number depends on the project, we give a range and say what moves it. For a firm figure, send drawings and our Tekla detailing team returns a BOM and FOB price within 24 hours.
We update each guide when plate prices, freight rates or standards change, and the date at the top of every article shows the last review. If a figure in a guide does not match your quotation, ask us why: the answer is usually coating, connection type or shipping length, and we will show the difference line by line.
- Written by detailing, QC and logistics engineers
- Prices shown as indicative ranges, confirmed per quotation
- Codes referenced: AISC 360, EN 1993, AS 4100, GB 50017
- Reviewed and updated when material or freight prices move
- Every guide links to the product and service pages it relates to
Engineering review meeting
07FAQ
About these resources
Questions about a specific project? Our engineers reply within 24 hours.
Are the prices in your guides fixed?
No. They are indicative FOB China ranges based on 2025–2026 quotations. Steel plate prices, coating systems and complexity move the figure. We confirm a firm price per project after reviewing your drawings.
Can I get the sample shop drawing set without starting a project?
Yes. Request it through the quote form and note “sample drawing set” in the message. We send a desensitized PDF set by email, usually the same working day.
Which design codes do the guides use?
We reference AISC 360, EN 1993 and AS 4100 for design, GB 50017 and GB 50205 for Chinese practice, and EN 10204 3.1 for material certificates.
Can you review my own design for cost?
Yes. Send IFC, DWG, Tekla or PDF drawings. Our engineers check tonnage, connection types and shipping lengths and suggest changes that reduce cost before fabrication starts.
Send your drawings. Get a 24-hour BOM and FOB price.
DWG, IFC, Tekla or PDF. Engineering review by our Tekla team, from 50 t or 2,000 m².