McNichols Metal Grating & Perforated Panels: 7 Questions We Answer Every Week

What You'll Find Here

I'm a quality compliance manager at a materials supplier that ships something like 200+ unique grating and perforated metal orders every year. In the last 12 months, I've rejected about 15% of first deliveries because the spec didn't match the drawing — not because our team is picky, but because those mismatches cost customers time and money they don't plan for. Below are the questions I hear most often from contractors, engineers, and facility managers. I'll answer them straight, with real examples from our audits.

1. Why should I choose McNichols when I can get similar products from local suppliers?

Fair question. Look, I'm biased — I work here — but what I can say is that our product breadth alone saves you from juggling six different vendors. Need steel grating for a mezzanine, fiberglass grating for a chemical platform, and perforated metal for an architectural screen? You can get all three cut to size on one order. That consolidation reduces your administrative cost, and fewer trucks means lower freight cost per pound.

But here's the thing: the real value isn't just selection. It's specification consistency. I've seen cases where someone ordered 'standard grating' from two different suppliers and got different bearing bar spacing. When that happens on a job site, you're looking at field modifications, change orders, and delays. We maintain internal tolerances that are tighter than typical industry minimums — for example, on bar spacing we hold ±1/16" instead of the ±1/8" that many mills consider acceptable. That might not matter for a warehouse mezzanine, but it absolutely matters for a trench cover that needs to meet OSHA walkway requirements.

Let me rephrase that: if your project has tight fit tolerances or safety standards, a broader product catalog with consistent quality reduces the risk of rework. That's a TCO win.

2. Isn't McNichols more expensive than just buying from a local steel distributor?

The assumption is that a local distributor will be cheaper because they have lower overhead. But the causation runs the other way: cheaper per piece often means higher total cost once you account for the things that don't show up on the invoice.

Let me give you a real example from our Q1 2024 audit. A contractor ordered panels from three different sources for different areas of the same project. The cheapest quote — from a small distributor — was $2,800 for expanded metal. The McNichols quote was $3,450. The customer went with the cheapest. Then they discovered the panel dimensions were slightly off (the shear was 1/4" short) and two panels had burrs that required grinding on-site. Total rework cost: $700 in labor and $200 in shipping for replacement panels. The McNichols quote, with cut-to-size guarantee and deburring included, would have been cheaper overall by $250.

The TCO breakdown I use internally:

• Unit price: $2,800 vs $3,450
• Rework: $900 vs $0
• Downtime: 2 days lost for rework
• Risk: safety issue from burrs (near-miss report filed)

3. How do I know I'm getting the right spec for my perforated metal project?

This is where I see the most confusion. Perforated metal is specified by hole diameter, pattern, open area percentage, and material gauge. People think 'if the holes are round and the pattern looks right, it's fine.' Actually, small differences in open area affect structural load and flow rate in ways that compound.

I can only speak to our process: when we get a perforated metal order, we don't just punch holes and ship. We verify that the pattern aligns with your engineering drawing using a coordinate measuring machine on random samples. In 2023, we caught a case where the specified 60° staggered pattern was accidentally entered as 45° in our cutting program — the open area dropped from 40% to 30%. That panel would have restricted airflow in a ventilation project. We rejected that batch before it left our facility. If you order from a supplier that doesn't do post-manufacturing inspection, you might never know until it's installed.

What I mean is: ask your supplier about their inspection protocol. If they can't tell you the tolerance they hold on hole position and burr height, you're taking a risk that could cost you a redo.

4. What hidden costs should I watch out for when ordering metal grating?

You mentioned TCO — good. The hidden costs I see most frequently:

• Cutting fees. Some suppliers charge per cut, while others include a number of cuts in the base price. We include two free cuts per piece; additional cuts are $3.50 each. That's reasonable, but if you need twenty custom lengths, those add up.
• Packaging. Grating bundles can weigh hundreds of pounds. If a supplier doesn't secure them properly, you'll pay for damaged edges. We use edge protectors and banding — cost built in, not a line item.
• Shipping to remote jobsites. A $500 grating order might cost $200 to ship to a rural location. Always ask for a delivered price, not FOB factory.
• Change order fees. If you realize mid-project you need a different size, some suppliers charge a 25% restocking fee. We waive restocking if we haven't cut the material yet.

One more: rush fees. The 'standard' premium is 50-100% for next-day production. I've seen a customer pay $600 extra on a $1,200 order because they needed it in two days instead of five. Next time, we helped them plan ahead and saved the rush fee entirely.

5. Does custom fabrication (cut-to-size) really add that much cost?

It depends. If you order stock sizes and cut yourself, you save the fabrication fee but incur labor and waste. If you're a contractor with a plasma cutter, you might prefer stock. But for most facility managers and engineers, custom cuts reduce installation time and waste disposal.

Historically, people thought custom fabrication was a premium luxury. That thinking comes from an era when each piece was manually measured and cut one at a time. Today, our automated shears and CNC lasers handle custom cuts in the same cycle as standard — the incremental cost is often just 5-10% more than a stock piece. On a $3,500 order, that's $175-350. Compared to $500+ in field cutting labor, it's a net savings.

Take this with a grain of salt: I'm quoting our pricing which includes automated cutting. Smaller shops with manual processes may charge significantly more. So ask specifically: what's your custom cut surcharge? If it's over 15%, consider stock sizes.

6. How should I compare quotes between different grating suppliers?

First, normalise for the same spec. I've seen quotes where one supplier lists A36 steel and another lists 6061-T6 aluminum — not comparable at all. Check material grade, thickness, coating (painted, galvanised, or bare), and bearing bar spacing.

Then calculate TCO using this simple framework I teach our customers:

• Base price: include all volume discounts
• Cutting/fabrication fees: per piece or per cut
• Packaging & handling: often hidden
• Shipping: get delivered price, not FOB
• Lead time: longer lead = risk of project delay (value that)
• Quality guarantee: what's the policy on defects? Do they cover re-installation labor?

The question isn't 'which supplier is cheaper.' It's 'which supplier gives me the lowest total cost including risk.' I keep a spreadsheet where I track our own quotes against competitors and flag when a customer comes back with a lower-priced competitor — nine times out of ten, the lower quote is missing a factor we included.

7. What about fiberglass grating vs. metal grating? Which is better for my application?

This worked for us, but our situation was industrial environment with occasional chemical spills. Your mileage may vary if you're in a high-load traffic area or need magnetic separators — but here's the general rule.

Metal grating (steel, aluminum) is stronger and cheaper per square foot. Fiberglass grating is corrosion-resistant and non-conductive. The cost comparison: fiberglass is typically 1.5-3x more expensive upfront. But if you're in a corrosive environment (chemical plant, water treatment), the steel grating might need replacement every 5 years, while fiberglass lasts 20+. That's a TCO win for fiberglass over the long term.

I can only speak to domestic operations where we have good data. If you're dealing with international logistics the TCO calculus might be different due to shipping weight.