Powder Coating Cost: What the Price Depends On

How much powder coating costs

Powder coating costs from UAH 30,000 per tonne including VAT, that is from UAH 30 per kilogram. We name the final price after looking at a drawing or sketch: two parts of equal mass can have different surface areas, and the same part in black steel or over zinc needs different preparation.

You can order coating from one company together with fabrication and galvanising. We agree the terms separately for each order. Prices of the neighbouring stages are covered in the articles on the cost of hot-dip galvanising and the price of steel fabrication.

Dimensions, mass and surface area

The part has to fit the working chamber of the oven: 6 m long, 1 m wide and 1.8 m high. That is why long lighting poles and masts of 8–12 m cannot be coated whole, but anything that fits the chamber can be coated, including a single section of such a pole.

Powder coating depends on the surface area to be covered, not only on mass. A thin-walled tube and a solid round bar of the same mass have different surfaces. You can estimate the area of profiles per metre and per tonne from the surface area tables for steel sections.

Shape of the part

Powder settles evenly on open surfaces. In deep corners and cavities it settles worse, and sharp edges get a thinner coat. So edges are rounded, welds ground smooth, and hollow elements given holes for air and liquid.

Lap joints and narrow gaps add work too: liquid from the pre-treatment baths stays in the gap and later runs out as streaks. Small overlaps are closed with a continuous weld around the contour.

While the drawing is still open, it is easier to build these requirements into fabrication. Fixing a finished structure with closed cavities is harder than making the holes at the start. The rules for holes and welds are covered in the article on designing for hot-dip galvanising and are useful for coating as well.

Condition of the surface

Powder repeats every irregularity, so the surface must be free of grease, rust, mill scale, old paint, slag and weld spatter. The more of this there is, the more preparation: degreasing, removal of rust and scale, abrasive cleaning, phosphating if needed, then drying.

So state the condition of the metal in your enquiry: black steel, galvanised or already painted. It changes the amount of preparation more than a photo suggests.

Coating over zinc (duplex)

Duplex is hot-dip galvanising plus a powder coating. It has to be planned from the start: the coating is agreed before galvanising, because the passivation that prevents white rust weakens adhesion, so it is left out when needed.

Before powder is applied, the zinc is cleaned of runs and drips, roughened and heated so that moisture and air leave the pores; otherwise pinholes and blisters appear in the film. These are working steps that add to the cost of the coating itself.

We galvanise in our own bath with no minimum order: hot-dip galvanising. Why duplex is used and how much it extends coating life is covered in the article on the service life of hot-dip galvanising.

Colour, gloss and texture

We coat in any colour from the RAL catalogue. There is no fixed list of powders, so it is best to name the gloss and texture before quoting. If the colour must match exactly, we agree a sample: a RAL fan or a reference from the customer.

A single-colour batch and a part that needs several colours call for different work. It is best to say in the enquiry how many colours there are and which components they apply to.

Quantity and areas left unpainted

Threads, bolt holes, earthing points and contact surfaces are closed with plugs or heat-resistant tape. The more such places there are, the more manual work before coating. Mark them on the drawing.

There is no minimum batch. We confirm batch size and lead time after reviewing the drawings.

The site gives no cost for each operation: we calculate it from the drawing.

What to send for a quote

A drawing or sketch with dimensions, the mass and the number of parts is enough. Add the condition of the surface (black steel, galvanised or painted; duplex or not) and the RAL colour with the gloss and texture you want.

It helps to say where the part will work: outdoors or indoors, near the sea, roads treated with de-icing salts, or an industrial zone. Mention areas that are not painted, the dates you need, the city and how the parts will be handed over. Skip what you do not know; we will clarify it when we calculate. The service page is powder coating. If you are coating poles, see also lighting poles.