Cut-to-size aluminum frame workshop
Rent a small unit, cut and assemble aluminum frames to size, and supply local glaziers, builders and fabricators.
- $15k-60k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in the US, not guarantees.
Official data
8,608 US businesses with employees in this field, -0.2% in a year
NAICS 423510 “Metal service centers and other metal merchant wholesalers”. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023.
What it is
A small workshop that buys aluminum profiles in standard lengths, cuts, drills and assembles them into frames to customer measurements, and delivers or hands them over for pickup. Customers get made-to-order frames without ordering from a distant factory.
Your first three steps
- Talk to local glaziers and builders about the sizes and lead times they struggle to get
- Get quotes on a small unit and on a miter saw, crimper and bench, and compare them to your expected orders
- Open dealer accounts with aluminum profile suppliers and make sample frames to show customers
Who pays
Glazing contractors, window and door installers, builders and small fabricators who need quick turnaround on custom sizes.
How it makes money
You charge per frame or per project. The price covers material, your labor and a margin, and repeat contractor accounts give the steadiest income.
Skills that help
- Precise measuring and metalworking
- Using saws, drills and assembly tools
- Quoting and managing orders
Watch out for
- Check zoning and your lease for light manufacturing use, and any local business license
- General liability, product liability and property insurance, and workers' compensation once you hire
- Safe use of saws and metal cutting, including OSHA requirements and dust, noise and eye protection
- Frames may need to meet building code, wind load or energy rating requirements, so check with your supplier and local building department
- Cutting mistakes waste costly material, so double-check measurements before every cut
- Check your state's sales tax rules for goods you make and sell
Deep research report · US
Everything you need to start: cut-to-size aluminum frame workshop
Researched with live web search for United States: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start an aluminum frame workshop?
Startup costs are typically estimated at around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on your unit, saws and assembly tools, and opening stock of profiles. Cutting mistakes waste costly material, so double-check measurements before every cut.
How much revenue can a cut-to-size frame workshop make?
Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $40,000, depending on your customer base, turnaround speed and order volume. That is revenue, not profit. Material waste from mistakes can reduce what you keep.
What rules should I check before opening a frame workshop?
Check zoning and your lease for light manufacturing use, and any local business license. Also check OSHA requirements for saws and metal cutting, building code, wind load or energy rating needs for frames, and your state's sales tax rules.
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