Material comparison, point by point: standard configuration against low-cost

Two quotations with a 25 percent price gap almost never mean one is more expensive: they mean one has less material. This is the comparison we run with buyers, point by point, against our standard quotation configuration. Every value can be verified in the factory.

1. Main structure

Our standard: profiles 2.2 / 2.45 / 2.75 / 3.0 mm, 4.0 mm on request, all measured actual thickness; hot-dip galvanising at 60 g both faces, customisable to 300 g; galvanised 1.5 mm joint plates and tube heads; the flat pack top beam includes a drainage channel.

Low-cost: 40 g zinc; typical thickness 1.45 / 1.8 / 1.95 / 2.1 mm; declared thickness usually above the real one.

2. Corner blocks

Our standard: folding units 3.5 / 4.0 mm galvanised; flat pack with both top and bottom blocks 4.0 mm galvanised.

Low-cost: folding units in black iron at 3.0 / 3.2 mm; flat pack at 3.2 / 3.5 mm.

Finished exterior. Frame quality is invisible from outside: it is measured in the factory.

3. Tubes and tolerances

Our standard: main tube from 1.2 mm, 50×50 top tube from 1.5 mm, the rest from 1.0 mm, all to national standard.

Low-cost: lower main tube from 0.8 mm, 50×50 top tube from 1.2 mm, out-of-tolerance sections, a “50×100” measuring 48×98. Many suppliers are small workshops with no quality assurance.

4. Pre-painted sheet

Our standard: “Traffic White” pre-painted coil from Zhejiang Huada, 0.3 to 0.6 mm, 20 g zinc and 18 miu PE coating, more than eight years of service life.

Low-cost: low-grade coil with 5 to 10 g zinc and 8 to 10 miu coating, prone to oxidation.

5. Powder coating

Our standard: virgin powder, warranty over five years, above 80 miu, colours to choice.

Low-cost: recycled powder with no warranty on term or thickness.

6. Floor

Our standard: grade A magnesium and sanded cement board only, asbestos-free.

Low-cost: grade B or suppliers without technical capability, prone to salt efflorescence that damages the structure.

7. Doors, windows and hardware

Our standard: 0.4 mm door sheet with three stainless hinges and a reinforced lock; Dacromet carriage bolts; internal hex and lower tube joint bolts with heavier galvanising; stainless self-tapping screws.

Low-cost: 0.25 mm sheet, low-grade hardware, 1.7 mm glass, weak profiles, finishes that yellow and peel; common out-of-standard screws that rust and shear.

8. Insulation and weight

Our standard: 11 kg/m³ glass wool; unit weight 1.25 to 1.3 tonnes for the same size.

Low-cost: 8.8 kg/m³; unit weight 0.8 to 0.9 tonnes. Our weight is roughly 1.4 to 1.6 times the low-cost configuration — the most direct indicator of the material actually used.

Component diagram: each row of the comparison above maps to an identifiable part in this view.

The practical conclusion

The comparison is not won on page one of the offer, it is won on the weighbridge and with the callipers. If a supplier accepts both tests, the price difference explains itself. If not, it also explains itself.