Workshop · repairs
Welding and bespoke repairs
Nothing annoys us more than a gate replaced because of one torn hinge. A good part of our work is repairing properly, with the right gesture and the right metal.
7 min · Updated 5 November 2026
A torn hinge, a bent bar, a table base that spreads: nine times out of ten it can be repaired. The real question is whether to weld, reinforce, or replace an interface part. Here is how we diagnose, what we do in the Saumur workshop and what we do on site, with rates that do not depend on who is asking.
What we repair
Metalwork repair covers seven families: gates and pedestrian gates (torn hinges, worn pivots, sagging leaves, pivot bars, reinforcement, straightening after impact); guardrails (broken bars, rusty base plates, tired anchorings, loose handrails); furniture (split bases, loose rails, wobbly tables); stainless steel (worktops, handrails, bar rails, sinks, professional kitchen parts); hardware (locks, bolts, strikes); grilles and fences; and one-off parts — a bracket that no longer exists, an adapter, a machine part rebuilt from the broken original. Load-bearing building structures are excluded: those belong to a structural engineer.
Workshop or on site
The rule is simple: anything that can be removed comes to the workshop, anything anchored stays and is repaired on site. In the workshop we weld in good conditions, grind, treat and paint: cleaner and cheaper. On site we handle anchoring, cutting and repairs that cannot be dismantled, with floor protection and a fire extinguisher — and permission when the piece belongs to a shared building. On site we often prefer bolted stainless reinforcement over welding when welding carries a risk: combustible contact, damp area, live equipment. A bolted plate holds as well as a weld and can be taken apart, which is not a flaw.
Mild steel, stainless, aluminium
Each metal has its process. Mild steel welds with MIG or stick, then needs protection: primer and paint, or a cold galvanising touch-up locally. Stainless welds with TIG under argon and must never see iron contamination — one pass with a grinder used on mild steel makes it rust within weeks; the area then needs pickling and passivation. Aluminium welds with AC TIG and careful preparation, because its oxide melts at 2,000 °C while the metal melts at 660 °C. Cast iron can be welded but often repairs better with a sleeve or a grafted piece: it cracks as it cools unless preheated.
Rates and lead times
We charge by time, with a minimum workshop charge. A photo assessment is free: send three views (overall, close-up of the break, underneath or fixing) plus one dimension and we answer within two working days with a range.
| Job | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment from photos | 2 working days | free |
| Welding in the workshop | per hour | €65 / h |
| Call-out and handling | 30 km included | €20 |
| Guardrail repair | 1 to 2 h | €90 – €250 |
| Gate hinge replacement | 2 to 3 h | €120 – €250 |
| Gate leaf straightening | half day | €180 – €450 |
| Fitting a pivot bar | 2 h | €320 – €520 |
| Table base repair | 1 h | €60 – €180 |
Indicative prices including 20% tax. On-site work is always quoted first; the call-out fee is deducted when the repair is carried out by the workshop.
Before you call
Three minutes of preparation save a week. Take an overall photo, a close-up of the broken area and one from underneath or of the fixing. Measure the length and approximate section of the profile. Note whether the piece is anchored, bolted or welded, and whether it must be removed for repair. Two mistakes to avoid: do not repaint before diagnosis, because paint hides cracks and will have to be stripped; and never have a powered gate welded while still live — disconnect, release manually and wait for the repair.
Every project starts with a drawing, not a photograph.
Configure your piece for an instant price, or ask for a detailed quote: a dimensioned plan and a line-by-line quote within seven working days.