In Canada, CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) certification is the credential that matters, and for structural welding it is effectively mandatory. Canadian structural welding on buildings and bridges is governed by the building code through CSA standards, and the code requires that structural steel be welded by a CWB-certified company. That means two things: the company must hold CSA W47.1 certification (Certification of Companies for Fusion Welding of Steel), and every welder working at that company must hold their own CWB qualification, tested per welding process and per position. Welding itself is a voluntary trade to enter, but you cannot legally weld structural steel on a building outside that CWB system. Get qualified, decide whether you are chasing structural or general fabrication work, and price accordingly.
Licensing and certification: CWB is the gate for structural work
Welding is a voluntary trade in the sense that no province requires a certificate to strike an arc on general or agricultural fabrication. But the moment the work is structural, the building code pulls in the CWB system:
- CSA W47.1 is the certification of the COMPANY for fusion welding of steel. The business holds it, not the individual.
- Every welder at a W47.1-certified company must be CWB-qualified, tested per process (SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW) and per position (flat, horizontal, vertical, overhead). Each process-and-position combination is a separate qualification.
- CSA W59 governs welded steel construction, and CSA W47.2 covers fusion welding of aluminum. Resistance welding and reinforcing steel fall under CSA W55.3 and W186.
Welder qualifications are valid for two years, provided you stay continuously employed with a certified company. A qualification expires if you are not employed by a certified company for more than three months. There is a check-test window of 90 days before to 90 days after expiry. Red Seal: Welder is one of Canada's 54 designated trades and supports interprovincial mobility, but for structural work it is the CWB qualification, sitting under the company's W47.1 certification, that the code requires.
Testing happens at the CWB Test Centre in Nisku, Alberta, and at accredited test centres in colleges and training institutions across the country. Test fees are per process and per position, so budget for several.
Kit and start-up costs (estimates, CAD)
A mobile welding rig is a real capital outlay. Indicative ranges, so confirm current prices, and note that the 25 percent US steel and aluminium tariffs in place since March 2025 have pushed some equipment and consumable prices up:
- MIG welder (professional grade): roughly $2,000 to $8,000.
- TIG welder: roughly $3,000 to $10,000.
- Plasma cutter: roughly $1,500 to $5,000.
- PPE (helmet, gloves, jacket, sleeves): roughly $500 to $1,500.
- Angle grinders and wire wheels: roughly $400 to $1,000.
- CGL plus completed-operations insurance: roughly $3,000 to $8,000 per year.
- A work truck and enclosed trailer: roughly $25,000 to $50,000.
A realistic first-year estimate for a mobile welding operation lands around $35,000 to $75,000.
What you can charge (estimates, not fixed rates)
There is no single published national rate table, so treat these as indicative ranges that vary by region and the type of work. Mobile welding service calls run roughly $150 to $300 per hour in the premium GTA and Vancouver markets, lower in the Prairies and Atlantic Canada. Structural fabrication is usually bid per project rather than per hour. As a reference point, fabrication shops pay employed journeyman welders roughly $30 to $55 per hour, and your billout to a customer needs to clear well above that to cover overhead, insurance, the rig and non-billable time.
- Mobile welding service call: roughly $150 to $300 per hour (premium markets).
- Gate or fence fabrication: roughly $1,500 to $5,000.
- Railing install: roughly $80 to $200 per linear foot.
- Farm equipment repair: roughly $150 to $250 per hour.
Confirm your numbers against your local market before you quote.
Common mistakes
- Welding structural steel without the company W47.1 certification. The code requires it; this is the one rule you cannot work around.
- Letting a CWB qualification lapse. More than three months away from a certified employer ends it; mind the 90-day check-test window.
- Quoting only one process or position. Each process and position is a separate qualification, so do not promise work you are not tested for.
- Forgetting GST/HST. Once taxable revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive quarters (or in a single quarter), you must register within 29 days of the effective date.
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