T C Rowan is a family-run steel and metal fabricator on Thorpe Way Industrial Estate in Banbury, fabricating bespoke structural and decorative steelwork in mild and stainless steel to your exact specifications. If you are searching for a metal fabricator or metal fabrication near Banbury, steel is the metal we work in, so you are in the right place. We handle the whole job under one roof: in-house design, fabrication in our own workshop, and erection by our own team, so the same firm that draws your steel is the firm that bolts the last connection on site. That single line of responsibility from drawing to erection is what separates a clean steel package from one that arrives wrong and stalls the build.
What we fabricate
We cover the full range of fabricated steelwork, from a single load-bearing beam for a home extension to a multi-tonne structural package for a commercial development.
Structural steelwork
- Steel columns and beams cut, drilled and finished to your drawings, including universal beams (UB), universal columns (UC), parallel flange channels (PFC) and traditional RSJs
- Steel frames including portal frames, goalpost frames for structural openings, and infill steelwork
- Connections and base plates fabricated to the engineer’s detail, welded or bolted
- Plate work, cleats, flitch plates and bespoke brackets for supports and fixings
Decorative and architectural steelwork
- Exposed feature steel for residential and commercial interiors
- Staircases, balustrades and balcony framing where the steel is seen, not hidden
- Architectural metalwork and bespoke metal fabrication in stainless steel where finish and corrosion resistance matter
Need the structural side covered in depth? See our structural steelwork page. For a single beam to open up a wall, our RSJ supply and fit service handles supply, sizing coordination and installation.
Materials and sections
We fabricate in both mild steel and stainless steel. Mild steel is the workhorse for structural frames, beams and columns: strong, weldable and cost-effective, then protected with primer, galvanising or paint as the job needs. Stainless steel is specified where corrosion resistance or a clean architectural finish is the priority, such as external balustrades, handrails and exposed feature work.
Standard sections we work with day to day include universal beams and columns, PFCs, square and rectangular hollow sections (SHS and RHS), angle, flat bar and plate. Where structural grade matters, we work to standard grades such as S275 and S355; the right grade for your job is confirmed against the structural engineer’s specification.
Our workshop and capability
Our Banbury workshop is fully equipped for cutting, drilling, bending, forming, welding and finishing structural and decorative steel. Because we own the workshop rather than subcontracting fabrication out, we control quality and programme directly: your steel is not sitting in someone else’s queue.
Welding is carried out by qualified, coded welders using MIG, TIG and MMA processes to suit the material and the joint. We are fully insured, and for work that has to leave our yard and go to your site, the same team carries out the on-site installation and erection, including on-site welding where a connection has to be finished in place.
From drawing to erection: how the process works
Every fabrication job follows the same disciplined path, and it is the reason our steel arrives ready to bolt up rather than ready to argue about.
- Survey and drawings. We start from your architect’s plans and the structural engineer’s calculations, or we carry out our own site survey to capture real dimensions rather than assumed ones.
- Fabrication drawings and sign-off. We produce fabrication drawings, confirm sections, connections and the finish specification, and agree it with you before any steel is cut.
- Fabrication. Cutting, drilling, welding and finishing in our Banbury workshop, to the agreed drawings.
- Delivery or full installation. We deliver to your site, or our own erection team installs the steel and ties it into the structure.
Working with a single fabricator from drawing to erection closes the gaps where steel projects usually go wrong: mismeasured openings, connections that clash on site, and the days lost waiting for remedial fabrication. For a deeper explanation of what fabrication involves, see our guide on what is steel fabrication.
Quality, standards and traceability
T C Rowan is CE approved and fabricates to BS EN 1090 execution standards, the recognised standard for structural steelwork in the UK and Europe. Material traceability is available on request, so the steel in your structure can be traced back to its source where your project or Building Control requires it.
For load-bearing and structural work, beam and section sizing must be confirmed by a structural engineer’s calculation, and RSJ or load-bearing alterations such as removing a wall require Building Control sign-off. We work to those calculations rather than guessing dimensions, and we coordinate with your engineer and Building Control so the fabricated steel matches what has been approved.
Frequently asked questions
Are you metal fabricators as well as steel fabricators?
Yes. Steel is the metal we work in, so a search for metal fabricators or metal fabrication near Banbury reaches the same workshop. We fabricate in mild and stainless steel, both structural and decorative, from drawing to erection, and finish the work to suit indoor or outdoor use.
Do you fabricate in both mild and stainless steel?
Yes. We fabricate structural frames, beams and columns predominantly in mild steel, finished with primer, galvanising or paint to suit. We also fabricate in stainless steel for work where corrosion resistance or an exposed architectural finish matters, such as external balustrades, handrails and feature steelwork.
Do I need engineer’s drawings before you can fabricate?
For structural, load-bearing work, yes: section sizes must come from a structural engineer’s calculation, and we fabricate to those drawings. If you do not yet have them, we can carry out a site survey, produce fabrication drawings and help coordinate with your engineer. For removing a load-bearing wall or fitting an RSJ, you will also need Building Control sign-off.
Can you install the steel as well as fabricate it, or do you only supply?
Both. We can supply fabricated steel for your own contractor to erect, or our own erection team can carry out the full on-site installation. Using one firm from drawing to erection is our core advantage and is what keeps the steel from arriving wrong on site.
What areas around Banbury do you cover?
From our Banbury base we cover Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire, with larger structural projects taken on UK-wide. You can see examples of completed work across the region on our projects page, or contact us for a free quote on your job.