When quoting fabrication work, the welding process chosen — MIG or TIG — is not a technical detail without cost consequences: it directly changes processing time and therefore the final price of the product.
MIG welding: speed at volume
MIG welding is faster and suits work with many structural welds where the visual finish is not the priority — frames, load-bearing structures, components that will be painted or hidden. At any real volume, that speed translates directly into a lower hourly cost per piece.
TIG welding: precision on exposed surfaces
TIG welding is slower but produces a far cleaner finish, essential on exposed surfaces, thin materials or stainless steel destined for settings where appearance matters as much as structure. The extra time should always appear in the quote as its own processing line, not flattened into the same hourly rate as MIG.
How the choice lands on the quote
Treating MIG and TIG as interchangeable when estimating time leads to understating the cost when the product needs a clean finish, or overstating it when a faster weld would do. Setting out explicitly which process each product requires is a small detail that protects the margin.