When you hire a steel erector in Ontario, the questions that matter most are: is the company certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau for any field welding, does it have trained crews and the right lifting equipment, who is responsible for keeping the frame stable during erection, and exactly where its scope starts and stops. A good erector answers all four without hesitation. A vague answer on any of them is where delays, extras and safety problems come from.
This guide is for owners, builders and general contractors hiring an erector, whether separately or as part of a supply-and-install package from the fabricator.
What an erector is responsible for
Erection is the site half of structural steel. The fabricator produces the pieces; the erector puts them together. A typical erection scope includes:
- Receiving and unloading the steel, and checking pieces against the shipping list.
- Checking the anchor bolts and bearing surfaces before the first column goes up.
- Hoisting and setting columns, beams, joists, bracing and deck.
- Temporary bracing to keep the frame stable until the permanent structure is complete.
- Plumbing, levelling and aligning the frame to the erection tolerances in the specification.
- Field connections: bolting, field welding, or both, as the drawings require.
- Grouting under base plates, if it is in the contract (often it is not).
- Touch-up of shop primer where bolts were tightened or field welds made, if specified.
If the steel was fabricated well and the site is ready, erection goes quickly. Most erection problems trace back to one of three things: anchor bolts in the wrong place, pieces that don't fit, or a site that isn't ready for the crane. For a broader look at how the two trades split the work, see steel fabrication vs erection.
The questions to ask any steel erector
1. Are you CWB certified, and does it cover field welding?
CSA S16, the steel design standard referenced by the Ontario Building Code, requires fabricators and erectors responsible for welding under it to be certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau to CSA W47.1 (Division 1 or 2), CSA W55.3, or both. That applies to the field welds on your frame just as much as the shop welds.
Ask which standard and division the erector holds, then confirm it in the CWB Group's certified company directory. If the erector subcontracts field welding to another company, check that company too. Our guide on why CWB certification matters explains what the divisions mean.
An erector that only bolts may not need welding certification, but the drawings often call for some field welding (deck, bracing, embed plates, fixes). Find out before the steel arrives, not when a weld is needed.
2. Who keeps the frame stable during erection?
A partly erected steel frame is not the finished structure. Until the floors, deck and permanent bracing are in, it relies on temporary bracing and guying. Ontario's construction regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) requires every part of a project, including temporary structures, to be designed and built for the loads it is likely to see and to be adequately braced so it does not move or collapse.
Ask the erector:
- Who designs the temporary bracing, and will there be engineered drawings for it on larger frames?
- What is the erection sequence, and when is each bay considered stable?
- How will wind and weather be handled on an open frame?
The same regulation also contains specific rules that touch steel erection, including how two beams connecting to a common member must be connected, and the engineered written procedures required before hoisting multi-tiered loads of structural steel pieces. An experienced erector will know these. We cover the safety side in more depth in steel erection safety in Ontario.
3. Are your crews trained and supervised?
Steel erection is work at height. Under Ontario's training regulation (O. Reg. 297/13), any worker who may use fall protection on a construction project, such as a travel restraint, fall arrest system or safety net, must have completed an approved Working at Heights program. That training is valid for three years.
Ask for:
- The company's health and safety policy and program.
- Working at Heights training records for the crew.
- Who the competent supervisor on site will be.
- A WSIB clearance certificate, and proof of liability insurance.
4. What lifting equipment, and who supplies it?
Cranes are often the single biggest swing item in an erection price. Clarify:
- Whether the erector supplies its own crane, rents one, or expects you to provide it.
- The heaviest pick and the longest reach on the job, so the crane is sized correctly.
- Who arranges road occupancy permits, crane pads and any traffic control.
- Whether smaller pieces will be set by hand, by a telehandler or by the crane.
For tight residential sites, ask how the steel will physically get to where it goes. Long beams may need to be spliced or delivered in pieces, which affects fabrication. Settle this before the shop drawings are finished, not after the steel is cut.
5. What exactly is included?
Scope gaps cause more disputes than workmanship. Get these in writing:
- Anchor bolt supply, setting and survey: who does each?
- Base plate grouting: in or out?
- Steel deck, joists and miscellaneous steel: same erector or a different trade?
- Field touch-up painting and any fireproofing interface.
- Final bolt tightening and inspection, and who arranges third-party inspection if the specification requires it.
- Clean-up, hoarding, and disposal of dunnage and packaging.
6. How will fit-up problems be handled?
Even well-detailed steel sometimes needs a field fix: a slotted hole, a shim, a connection plate that must be reworked. Ask who decides on the fix (the engineer of record should approve anything structural), who pays, and how quickly the fabricator responds. This is where a supply-and-install contract with one company is simpler, because nobody can blame the other trade.
Getting your site ready for the erector
An erector can only work as fast as the site allows. Before the crew arrives:
- Survey the anchor bolts. Check location, projection and elevation against the anchor bolt plan. Bolts that are out of position are much cheaper to fix before steel is on site.
- Confirm the concrete is ready. Footings, piers and walls need to have reached the strength the engineer requires before they carry steel.
- Prepare access. Firm, level ground for the crane and delivery trucks, with overhead power lines identified.
- Coordinate deliveries. Steel delivered in erection sequence saves double handling. Phased deliveries keep the site from filling up with pieces you won't need for weeks.
- Clear the area. Other trades should be out of the hoisting zone.
Comparing erection quotes
Erection is usually priced from the tonnage, the number of pieces and connections, the height and access, the crane, and the amount of field welding. Two erectors quoting the same drawings can come in far apart simply because one included the crane and grouting and the other didn't. Put the quotes side by side against the scope list above before comparing totals. For the factors that drive the price itself, see steel erection cost per tonne.
Also check the erection tolerances in the specification. If the frame is going to carry curtain wall or precast, tighter tolerances may apply, and the erector should know before pricing. Our article on steel fabrication tolerances under CSA S16 explains how the shop and field tolerances fit together.
Red flags
- No CWB certification, but the drawings show field welds.
- "We'll figure out the bracing on site" on anything more than a simple beam installation.
- No written safety program or training records.
- A price with no scope list, or one that excludes the crane without saying so.
- Reluctance to check anchor bolts before mobilizing.
Supply and install from one shop
Procut Steel supplies, fabricates and installs structural steel, from basement beams and posts on residential builds to larger commercial projects. Our shop welding is certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau, our shop drawings are done in-house, and every piece is marked to match the drawings so it goes up quickly on site. Deliveries can be phased to your schedule, and production and site mobilization continue year-round. For field welding requirements, crane needs and the erection scope on your job, ask us when you request a quote.
Send us your drawings for a free take-off and quote, or see our fabrication and installation services.
Frequently asked questions
What does a steel erector do?
A steel erector lifts fabricated beams, columns and bracing into place, plumbs and aligns the frame, and makes the field connections by bolting, welding or both. The erector also keeps the frame stable with temporary bracing until the permanent structure can carry the loads.
Do steel erectors need CWB certification in Ontario?
If the erector welds structural steel designed to CSA S16, which the Ontario Building Code references, S16 requires the company to be certified by the Canadian Welding Bureau. An erector that only bolts may not need it, but most specifications still ask. Confirm with your engineer.
Should I hire the fabricator to erect the steel too?
It often simplifies the job, because one company is responsible for fit-up problems between the shop and the field. Hiring a separate erector works too, as long as the contracts spell out who handles anchor bolt checks, field fixes, touch-up paint and lifting equipment.
What training should steel erection workers have in Ontario?
Any worker who may use fall protection on an Ontario construction project must have completed an approved Working at Heights program, which is valid for three years. Ask the erector for training records along with its health and safety program.
