How to choose a metalworking partner for contract projects
When choosing a metalworking partner for contract projects, check five things: a technical office that develops the design into construction drawings; in-house fabrication and finishing; prototypes and samples approved before production; the ability to organise packing and deliveries; and verifiable projects with locations, years and materials. Price per kilogram says little: the real costs arise from remakes, delays and finishes that differ from the sample.
This guide is written by YDF, a company in Carimate (Como) that has made bespoke metal furnishings and semi-finished products to architects', designers' and brands' drawings since 1972. It is intended for architects, general contractors and purchasing departments commissioning metal furnishings, cladding or architectural elements. The questions apply to any supplier.
What contract furnishing is and where metal fits in
The term contract furnishing refers to the supply of furnishings and finishes made to a project design for non-domestic spaces: shops, hotels, restaurants, offices, showrooms, coworking spaces and high-end residences. Unlike catalogue furniture, every commission starts from a specific drawing, involves several manufacturers and ends with on-site installation by a fixed date, often the opening date.
Five parties are involved in almost every project:
- Architect or designer: creates the concept, selects materials and finishes, and approves samples and details.
- Brand or client: in luxury retail, it often has its own technical department and a specification to be followed in every shop.
- General contractor: coordinates the site, suppliers and programme, and often places the manufacturing orders.
- Contract division: the part of a furniture company that handles project-specific supply rather than catalogue products.
- Specialist manufacturers: wood, glass, stone, textiles and metal, each responsible for their own scope.
Metal is used where thin sections, strength and a visible finish are needed: counters and desks, display units and cases, clothing rails, cladding and walls, staircases and balustrades, table bases. The same element often combines metal, glass and stone, which is why the metal manufacturer works with the designer from the drawing stage, not only in the workshop.
Light metal fabrication for interiors and structural metalwork
Contract projects involve light metal fabrication for interiors, which has little in common with structural steelwork for buildings. The materials, priorities and people responsible for approving the checks are different.
| Feature | Light metal fabrication for interiors | Structural metalwork |
|---|---|---|
| What it produces | Bespoke furnishings, cladding, displays, table bases, staircases and balustrades | Load-bearing frames, mezzanines, roofs and building structures |
| Materials | Sheets, tubes and profiles in steel, stainless steel, brass, bronze, copper and aluminium | Structural steel beams and profiles |
| Priority | Visible appearance, finish, connections with glass, stone and wood | Structural strength, stability and safety |
| Technical reference | The designer's drawing and approved finish sample | Structural design in accordance with NTC 2018 |
Staircases, mezzanines and balustrades sit between the two: they are visible interior elements, but must comply with regulations. Checks are the structural designer's responsibility and must follow municipal building regulations; the manufacturer works to approved calculations and drawings. We discuss this on the page dedicated to staircases, railings and balustrades.
10 criteria for choosing a metalworking partner
A table to use during selection: for each criterion, the question to ask, why it matters and what evidence to request.
| Criterion | Question to ask | Why it matters | What to ask to see |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. In-house technical office | Who develops the detailed drawings and resolves the construction details? | Only engineering turns a concept into a manufacturable component. If it is outsourced, every change adds time. | Detailed drawings from a similar project, including details and parts lists. |
| 2. In-house processes | Which processes do you carry out in-house, and which do you outsource? | Cutting, folding, welding and finishing in the same place mean control over quality and lead times. | The production department during a visit, not just a list of machines. |
| 3. Materials | Which metals do you usually work with? | Brass, bronze, stainless steel and aluminium require different experience, particularly in welding and finishing. | Finished pieces in the same metals as the project. |
| 4. Finish sampling | Do you prepare samples on the actual material? Do we sign off a reference sample? | In contract projects, the finish is part of the design: without an approved sample, the colour delivered is a matter of opinion. | Physical samples, with codes and an approval procedure. |
| 5. Prototype | Do you make a prototype or a sample of the critical detail before production? | An error is corrected on one piece, rather than across the entire order. | Prototypes or prototype documentation from previous commissions. |
| 6. Coordination | Who is my point of contact, and how do you coordinate with the other suppliers? | Opening dates are fixed, and metalwork must fit with glass, stone, wood and building services. | A typical schedule and the name of the technical contact. |
| 7. Packing and logistics | Do you carry out assembly and installation yourselves? Which countries have you worked in? | Packing, transport and delivery arrangements must be agreed before shipping, in coordination with whoever manages the site. | Projects installed in other regions or abroad, with location and year. |
| 8. Confidentiality | Do you sign confidentiality agreements? How do you handle photographs and project references? | Many brand projects remain confidential until opening and beyond. | An NDA template and the internal policy on publishing images. |
| 9. Documented sustainability | Do you have an up-to-date third-party assessment? | An increasing number of brands require this from their supply chain partners. | The scorecard or certificate, with date and level. |
| 10. Verifiable references | Which similar projects have you completed, where, when and in what role? | Locations, years, materials and roles say more than a presentation. | Project profiles crediting the designer and specifying the supplier's role. |
Warning signs
- A quotation by weight or as a lump sum, without drawings or samples.
- No clear answer about what is outsourced.
- Finishes shown only in photographs or on a different metal from the one specified for the project.
- Delivery times promised before the detailed drawings have been seen.
- References without a location, year or designer's name.
From drawing to delivery: how we work at YDF
For transparency, here is how we address the same criteria. We work to drawings from architects, designers, brands and general contractors: we do not originate the concept; we make it buildable and manufacture it.
- Technical office. Our in-house technical office develops working drawings and construction details from the designer's concept or drawings, and handles estimates and bespoke engineering.
- Prototype and samples. Before production, we make prototypes and finish samples in the project's metal for the designer's approval. For brass alone, finishes range from Antique Brass to Dark Bronzed, Satin Vcut to Polished Nickel: you can find them on the page brass finishes.
- Production. On site: 10 kW fibre laser cutting, 3D tube laser cutting, press-brake folding and VIVO METALFOLDING® for boxes and structures without screws or pins, sheet metal rolling, tube bending, milling from conventional machines to 5-axis CNC, TIG, MIG, MAG and oxyacetylene welding, and brazing.
- Finishes. Developed in-house: burnished (burnishing, brushing and protective coating), satin (satin finishing and protective coating), and distressed (manual chemical treatment and protection). Our sample collection also includes gold PVD on stainless steel.
- Packing and logistics. We prepare the pieces for shipping and agree delivery arrangements, in Italy and abroad.
Company: based in Carimate (Como) since 1972, now in its second generation; 5,000 m² and 22 people (2022 figures).
Sustainability: EcoVadis assessment with a Gold medal (September 2025), placing us in the top 5% of companies assessed. See Sustainability.
A YDF project: Spaces Réaumur, Paris
For the office centre Spaces Réaumur in Paris (2017), with a concept by D&P Associates, YDF made the Arabesque tables with laser-cut bases.
Other published projects in contract interiors and retail:
- the 6.5 m-high bronze cladding for the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Milan (2018, manufactured under contract);
- the metal furnishings for Ferragamo in Brussels (contract manufacturing);
- the stainless steel elements for desks and display cases at Panerai in New York;
- the champagne-coloured structures for the Luxury Mall in Venice (2016, contract manufacturing);
- for Ermenegildo Zegna, the monumental staircase in Rome (2012), the exterior balustrades in Paris (2011) and the polished stainless steel balustrades at the New York façade (designed by Peter Marino).
Are you selecting suppliers for a contract project? Send us the drawings and proposed finishes: we will respond to the ten criteria and prepare finish samples for approval. Request a quotation or samples.
Questions we receive
What does contract furniture mean?
Contract furnishing means supplying project-specific furnishings and finishes for non-domestic spaces, such as shops, hotels, restaurants and offices. The designer develops the design, a general contractor or contract division coordinates, and several manufacturers produce and install the elements by an agreed date.
What is the difference between light metal fabrication for interiors and structural metalwork?
Light metal fabrication uses sheets, tubes and profiles for furnishings, cladding and visible details, where the finish and assembly precision matter. Structural steelwork produces load-bearing building elements to a structural design. Staircases and balustrades always require checks by the structural designer.
When should the metal manufacturer be involved?
During design development, before the final working drawings. Engineering, prototyping and sampling take time, and resolving a detail on a drawing costs less than correcting it during production or on site.
Why request a signed finish sample?
It provides an objective reference for colour and appearance, particularly for chemical and hand-applied finishes such as burnished or delabré finishes, which vary from one piece to another. The sample should be prepared on the same metal as the project.
Is it better to choose a supplier near the site or one with international experience?
The ability to organise delivery to the site matters more: packing, transport, documents and coordination with the general contractor. Distance from the workshop matters less than experience on similar sites.
What is needed to request comparable quotations?
Drawings (concept or detailed, in 2D and, where possible, 3D), materials and finishes, even if provisional, quantities and variants, location and dates for delivery, installation and opening, and constraints such as brand specifications, local regulations and confidentiality.
Which sustainability assessments should you request from a metal supplier?
An up-to-date third-party assessment, such as EcoVadis, with a verifiable date and level, together with concrete information on metal recyclability, energy and scrap recovery. Ours is the September 2025 EcoVadis Gold medal, placing us in the top 5% of assessed companies.
Related pages
Do you have a metalwork project?
Send us a drawing or description: we respond with a technical assessment and a quotation.