--- title: "Contract Sawing for Steel — Tolerances, Saw Types, Quotes" description: "How contract steel sawing works: the tolerance each saw type holds on bar and section, kerf loss, EN 10204 traceability, and how to choose a provider." canonical: https://steelequivalents.com/services/contract-sawing language: en robots: index, follow og_type: website type: service-detail language_alternates: en: https://steelequivalents.com/services/contract-sawing.md cs: https://steelequivalents.com/cs/služby/řezání-oceli-na-míru.md de: https://steelequivalents.com/de/dienstleistungen/lohnsägen.md es: https://steelequivalents.com/es/servicios/corte-de-acero-a-medida.md fr: https://steelequivalents.com/fr/services/sciage-à-façon.md hu: https://steelequivalents.com/hu/szolgáltatások/acél-méretre-vágás.md it: https://steelequivalents.com/it/servizi/taglio-acciaio-a-misura.md nl: https://steelequivalents.com/nl/diensten/staal-zagen-op-maat.md pl: https://steelequivalents.com/pl/usługi/cięcie-stali-na-wymiar.md pt: https://steelequivalents.com/pt/serviços/corte-de-aço-à-medida.md ru: https://steelequivalents.com/ru/услуги/резка-металла-в-размер.md tr: https://steelequivalents.com/tr/hizmetler/çelik-fason-kesim.md zh: https://steelequivalents.com/zh/服务/钢材锯切加工.md ja: https://steelequivalents.com/ja/サービス/切断加工.md ar: https://steelequivalents.com/ar/خدمات/نشر-الحديد-بالمقاس.md ko: https://steelequivalents.com/ko/서비스/절단-임가공.md pt-br: https://steelequivalents.com/pt-br/serviços/corte-de-aço-sob-medida.md hi: https://steelequivalents.com/hi/सेवाएं/स्टील-कटिंग-सेवा.md content_hash: sha256:5053a783a6a54d2cfa156cf74d62733e9b59e84786bb56018740fbdf83952454 generated: 2026-09-24 --- > **Machine-readable Markdown rendering.** This is a Markdown representation of a web page, > served for AI agents and crawlers as a token-efficient alternative to the full HTML. > Full interactive HTML version: https://steelequivalents.com/services/contract-sawing > Canonical URL: https://steelequivalents.com/services/contract-sawing > Available languages: en, cs, de, es, fr, hu, it, nl, pl, pt, ru, tr, zh, ja, ar, ko, pt-br, hi > Change detection: `content_hash` is the SHA-256 of this document's Markdown body — everything > below this block, whitespace-trimmed, excluding the front-matter. Compare it to detect a real > content change; `generated` moves on every render and is not a change signal. ![Contract sawing](/images/uploads/21167868-0718-46b8-abed-e5933fd418b4/contract-sawing-service-cold-saw-blade-cutting-bar-stock-1920x1080.jpg) Category # Contract sawing Contract sawing for steel: tolerances, saw types and what a quote needs Contract sawing is cutting steel to length as a service — you supply the requirement, a sawing shop supplies the cut pieces. This page covers what actually decides the outcome: which saw suits your section, the tolerance you can realistically hold, how much material the cut consumes, and what a provider needs from you before quoting. ## Achievable tolerances | Process | Form | | Tolerance | | | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Band saw | Bar and profile | Up to 200 mm | ±2 mm | Supplier-published | Source: Gemmel-Metalle, published tolerance table (DIN ISO 2768-1 class c) | | Plate saw | Plate | From 3 mm | ±0.3 mm | Supplier-published | Source: Gemmel-Metalle, published tolerance table | | Shearing | Thin sheet | — | ±0.5 mm | Supplier-published | Source: Gemmel-Metalle, published tolerance table | | Precision sawing | Bar | — | ±0.13 mm down to ±0.013 mm in the precision segment | Supplier-published | Source: TCI Precision Metals — precision/aerospace segment, NOT a general sawing figure | Read against DIN ISO 2768-1, class c. Indicative figures. Confirm the achievable tolerance with the provider for your grade, section and quantity. ## Which saw for which material ### Band saw Best for: Large-diameter solid bar The continuous blade spreads heat along its length, so each tooth cools between entering and leaving the cut. Indicative Source: Trade consensus across supplier pages; the continuous blade spreads heat over its length, so the tooth cools between entry and exit. ### Circular / cold saw Best for: Clean, square cuts in small to medium sections Typical diameter: Ø25–125 mm Indicative Source: Trade consensus; low RPM / high torque worm-gear drive. ### Abrasive saw No industry-wide norm exists for this — it varies by provider. Indicative Source: ⛔ NOT ESTABLISHED in the sources reviewed. The page must NOT state specifics here until sourced. ## Kerf and material loss 1–3 mm per cut Supplier-published Source: Stahlportal — minimum scrap allowance per cut ## What drives the price - Material thickness - Steel grade - Cut complexity — straight or angled - Total volume - Tolerance requirement - Finishing — deburring or chamfering ## What to send for a quote - Grade or material number - Form and dimensions - Cut lengths and quantity - Required tolerance - A drawing, if the cut is angled or complex - Whether you need an inspection certificate - Delivery address and required date ## Traceability and EN 10204 certificates - 2.1 - 2.2 - 3.1 - 3.2 Standard for steel purchases: 3.1 The certificate belongs to the material, not to the cut. Sawing does not create an EN 10204 certificate — the real question is whether traceability survives cutting, and how the pieces are marked so that it does. Standard-defined Source: EN 10204 defines inspection-document types. ## Services What tolerance can contract sawing achieve? It depends on the saw and the section. On bar and profile up to about 200 mm a band saw typically holds ±2 mm, plate sawing about ±0.3 mm on plate from 3 mm thickness, and shearing about ±0.5 mm on thin sheet — figures published against DIN ISO 2768-1 class c. Precision sawing reaches ±0.13 mm, but that comes from the precision and aerospace segment and is not what a general sawing shop will quote. Confirm the achievable tolerance for your grade, section and quantity with the provider. Band saw or cold saw — which is right for my material? A band saw suits large-diameter solid bar: the continuous blade spreads heat along its length, so each tooth cools between entering and leaving the cut. A circular cold saw, typically used from roughly 25 to 125 mm diameter, gives a cleaner, squarer cut face on small and medium sections. For abrasive cutting we have no sourced guidance to offer, so we would rather say nothing than guess — ask the provider what they run and why. What information do you need for a quote? Send the grade or material number, the form and dimensions, the cut lengths and quantity, and the tolerance you actually need. Add a drawing if the cut is angled or complex, say whether you require an inspection certificate, and give the delivery address and the date you need it. Those seven things are what turn an enquiry into a firm price rather than a range. Can I send my own material to be cut? Cutting customer-supplied material is common practice, but whether a given shop accepts it — and on what terms regarding liability, remnants and traceability — varies by provider. Ask before shipping. If the material carries an inspection certificate, ask in the same message how they will mark the cut pieces so that traceability survives. Do I get an EN 10204 3.1 certificate? This is the question worth asking carefully. EN 10204 defines inspection document types 2.1, 2.2, 3.1 and 3.2, and 3.1 is the usual buyer default in steel procurement. But sawing does not create a certificate — the certificate belongs to the material. What matters is whether traceability survives the cutting operation, and how each cut piece is marked so it stays linked to its heat. Ask the provider that directly. How much material is lost to the kerf? Allow roughly 1 to 3 mm per cut for the kerf. Over many cuts from one length that adds up, so include it when you calculate how much stock a job consumes — the material lost to the blade is real material you are paying for. Is there a minimum order quantity? There is no industry-wide minimum order quantity for contract sawing; it varies by provider. Some will cut a single piece, others price small quantities in a way that makes them impractical. Ask as part of your enquiry rather than assuming. What is the lead time? No general lead time can be stated honestly — it varies by provider, and with the section, quantity and their current load. One supplier advertises same-day cutting depending on quantity, but that is one supplier's offer and not a norm you should plan around. Ask for a committed date with your quote. Is the cut deburred? There is no industry-wide norm here — whether the cut is deburred, and whether that is included or charged separately, varies by provider. Because it is not a given, put it in the enquiry explicitly if you need the edges deburred or chamfered — it is one of the factors that moves the price. Can I request angled cuts? Angled cuts are a normal request, but they are harder to hold to tolerance than a square cut and they take longer, which is why cut complexity is one of the things that drives the price. Send a drawing with the angle and the tolerance you need rather than describing it in text. What is the difference between contract sawing and contract cutting? Sawing removes material mechanically with a blade, so it leaves a kerf of roughly 1 to 3 mm and no heat-affected zone worth speaking of. Thermal processes such as laser and plasma cut by melting or burning, which changes the edge condition and the material immediately next to it. For cutting stock to length, sawing is the usual choice; thermal cutting comes into its own for profiles and contours a blade cannot follow. What does a custom steel cut cost? Contract sawing is not priced from a single rate, so any figure quoted here would mislead. What drives it is material thickness, steel grade, whether the cut is straight or angled, total volume, the tolerance you require, and any finishing such as deburring or chamfering. 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