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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comAug 21 · 15 min read

Steel fabrication software in 2026: a structural steel fabricator's guide to the four categories

tldr: If you fabricate structural steel, most search results for "steel fabrication software" are about sheet metal job shops and will not help you. The software that matters for your trade splits int

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comAug 20 · 14 min read

Tekla PowerFab vs STRUMIS vs FabSuite: an honest comparison for steel fabricators (2026)

tldr: If you are comparing Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, and FabSuite, you are choosing between two systems, not three, because FabSuite became PowerFab after Trimble bought it in 2018. Both are serious st

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comAug 10 · 10 min read

Outsource, hire, or buy software: how steel fabricators fix an estimating bottleneck

tldr: When the bids stack up faster than your estimators can count, you have three ways out: outsource the estimating, hire another estimator, or buy takeoff software. They solve three different probl

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comAug 5 · 13 min read

Fabrication estimating software: why sheet metal tools break on structural steel

tldr: Search "fabrication estimating software" and almost everything you find prices sheet and plate parts by cut length, nest yield, and machine time. Structural steel is priced on a different basis

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comJul 29 · 10 min read

Ferra 1.5, our biggest release yet: connections, columns, and open signup

tldr: Ferra 1.5 is the biggest release we've shipped. Connection data, column property detection, and joist and brace detection are all live today, along with a rebuilt 3D viewer, and you can now crea

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MGMichael Gubidferra.comJul 23 · 13 min read

AISC steel shapes explained: W, HSS, C, L, WT, and how to read them off a drawing

tldr: The structural steel shapes you meet on real jobs are wide flanges (W), hollow sections (HSS), channels (C), angles (L), and tees (WT). The designation on the drawing tells you the size, and for

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MGMichael Gubidferra.comJul 20 · 10 min read

Steel connection types explained: shear tabs, moment connections, gusset plates, and what they cost you in the shop

tldr: For beam connections, the two main categories are simple and moment. The common types an estimator sees are shear tabs, clip angles, end plates, gusset plates, and moment connections. The type m

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comJul 17 · 13 min read

SketchDeck alternatives in 2026: what steel fabricators should test before switching

tldr: If you are shopping for a SketchDeck alternative, you already know what steel takeoff software is. The questions that matter now are why a shop switches, what to test before you renew, what gets

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comJul 16 · 10 min read

Why structural steel fabricators lose margin on change orders

tldr: A change order is a formal change to the contract after a job is awarded. In structural steel, margin does not usually disappear because of the changed steel alone. It disappears while identifyi

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JFJosh Fordbidferra.comJul 2 · 6 min read

Why steel estimators are still losing days to addendums

tldr: Steel estimators do not lose days on the first takeoff. They lose them to addendums and drawing revisions that have to be manually re-checked, re-compared, and re-confirmed, one change at a time

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#structural-steel-estimating

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#structural-steel-estimating

Explore Hashnode

Trending tags this week

Steel fabrication software in 2026: a structural steel fabricator's guide to the four categories

Tekla PowerFab vs STRUMIS vs FabSuite: an honest comparison for steel fabricators (2026)

Outsource, hire, or buy software: how steel fabricators fix an estimating bottleneck

Fabrication estimating software: why sheet metal tools break on structural steel

Ferra 1.5, our biggest release yet: connections, columns, and open signup

AISC steel shapes explained: W, HSS, C, L, WT, and how to read them off a drawing

Steel connection types explained: shear tabs, moment connections, gusset plates, and what they cost you in the shop

SketchDeck alternatives in 2026: what steel fabricators should test before switching

Why structural steel fabricators lose margin on change orders

Why steel estimators are still losing days to addendums