Custom steel lead time is a sum of small steps. If you line them up early—specs, drawings, QA, packing and booking—you save weeks. Here is a realistic breakdown you can plan against.

Typical timeline (working days)

• Spec confirmation + PO: 1–3 days (faster with a clear checklist)
• Raw material allocation: 2–5 days depending on grade/thickness
• Processing: slitting/cutting/polishing/forming 3–10 days by complexity and queue
• QA/MTC and documents: 1–3 days (longer with third‑party inspection)
• Packing: 1–2 days with photos and humidity controls for sea freight
• Booking and loading: 3–7 days depending on vessel space and cut‑off

Total (factory to FOB): ~10–30 working days for most orders once the spec is frozen. Add transit time by route.

How to compress lead time

• Freeze specs early; avoid late changes after material is reserved.
• Approve drawings/samples within 24–48 h with one decision owner.
• Share shipping marks and HS code at PO stage.
• Accept equivalent standards when functionally interchangeable.

What pushes timelines out

• Custom coatings/paint, special tests, or heavy polishing
• Peak seasons and vessel space constraints
• Ambiguous tolerances that force re‑work

Tell us your target ship date and what is most important (cost, finish, speed). We’ll return a schedule with options to pull in the date if needed.