Commercial & Industrial Steel

Steel Repair & Mobile Welding
in Houston, TX

Repair and modification of steel that is already standing, across Greater Houston. Corrosion and impact repair, beam and column reinforcing, new openings and added supports, welded to AWS D1.1 by our own crews.

Get a Free Estimate

Welder plating a corroded steel column base inside a Houston industrial plant

23Years Building in Houston

1,850Repairs & Modifications

6,200Field Welds Inspected

98%Repeat & Referral

Service Overview

Steel Repair for Buildings and Plants Already in Service

Steel that is already carrying load in Houston rusts from the bottom up, and the section loss hides under the scale until someone strips it back. Forklift hits, storm damage and new equipment loads do the rest. Repair and field modification put the strength back into the member you already own, without shutting the building down around it.

Jimenes Construction self-performs that work, with 23 years on Gulf Coast structures. Our own fitters and AWS-certified welders work on site as a mobile welding crew and handle the shoring, cutting, plating and weld-out. No brokered crews, and one superintendent from the field assessment to the inspection report.

We work on frames that are standing and usually still in production. That covers corrosion and section-loss repair, plus cover plates and stiffeners that add capacity. We also cut new door and duct openings with reframing, add connections and hangers, and repair crane runways. When a member is hit hard enough, we replace it outright.

New pieces are cut and welded in our shop first, so read steel fabrication for how those parts are made. For a brand new frame, start at structural steel or steel erection.

Nothing gets cut before an engineer says it can. A Texas PE checks the remaining section against AISC 360 and seals a repair detail. Then we shore the load and do the work to that detail. You get it back with third-party weld inspection reports. Column base repairs often reach the anchor bolts, so we tie into concrete foundation work when the pedestal needs attention too.

Steel Repair at a Glance

Sealed repair detail before any torch work
AWS D1.1 qualified welders on every repair
Ultrasonic thickness readings on wasted steel
Temporary shoring designed for the real load
Night, weekend and turnaround windows
Third-party special inspection coordinated

Coverage

Steel Repairs & Modifications We Self-Perform

Each of these carries its own engineering, its own shoring and its own inspection. We run all six in house.

Corrosion & Column Base Repair

Rusted bases cut back to sound steel, then plated or replaced with new base plates, leveling nuts and non-shrink grout. Coating restored for Gulf air.

Beam & Column Reinforcing

Cover plates, flange doublers and web stiffeners welded on to raise capacity when a roof unit, mezzanine or crane load lands on an existing member.

New Openings & Reframing

Door, dock, duct and conveyor openings cut into existing walls, floors and roofs, with headers, jambs and kickers framed back to the main frame.

Added Connections & Supports

Clips, hangers, beams and outriggers welded in for new process piping, HVAC units and machinery, tied back into the existing frame.

Crane Rail & Runway Repair

Runway beam repair, bracket and tie-back replacement, rail alignment and stops, so bridge cranes track straight and stop tripping the operator.

Impact & Storm Damage Replacement

Bent columns, torn braces and damaged girts cut out and replaced after a forklift strike, a vehicle hit or hurricane wind damage.

Our Process

Our Steel Repair Process

Five steps, the same on one rusted column and on a full crane runway. Call (832) 576-3278 to start at step one.

01
Field Assessment & Measurement
We walk the structure with you, strip scale at the bad spots and take ultrasonic thickness readings. Remaining section, member sizes and the load path all get recorded and photographed.
02
Sealed Repair Detail
A Texas PE checks the member against AISC 360 and seals a repair drawing. It fixes plate sizes, weld sizes, the welding procedure and the shoring the member needs.
03
Shoring, Access & Work Window
We design and set temporary shoring to carry the load while a member is out. Access, containment, hot work permits and fire watch get arranged around your shutdown or night window.
04
Cut, Fit & Weld to AWS D1.1
Wasted steel is removed and new plate or a new member is fit in place. Qualified welders weld to the procedure, then the surface is prepped to SSPC and recoated.
05
Inspection, Load Return & Turnover
A third-party inspector checks the repair welds by visual, MT or UT. Shoring comes out once the welds pass, and the sealed letter and reports go in your closeout file.

Timeline

How Long Does a Steel Repair Take?

Real ranges from our own job records, from field assessment to inspection sign-off.

Project Type	Typical Size	Duration
Single column base repair	1 column	1 - 3 Days
Corrosion repair across a bay	6 - 12 columns	1 - 2 Weeks
Beam reinforcing with cover plates	2 - 6 members	3 - 7 Days
New opening cut and reframed	1 - 3 openings	4 - 10 Days
Crane runway repair and realignment	100 - 400 linear ft	2 - 4 Weeks

Engineering & Compliance

Materials, Methods & Code Compliance

Repair work has to respect steel that is already loaded. Every detail starts with what the member can still carry today.

Evaluation & Testing

Ultrasonic thickness readings on wasted webs, flanges and bases
Remaining section checked against AISC 360
Existing grade confirmed before a weld procedure is picked
Load path traced from the repair down to the foundation

Code & Standards

AISC 360 for the strength of the repaired member
AWS D1.1 welding, including welding on in-service steel
IEBC and IBC review when a modification changes the load
SSPC surface prep and ASTM A780 repair of damaged galvanizing

Shoring & Site Safety

Temporary shoring designed and set for the actual load
Hot work permit, fire watch and spark containment
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart R and 1910 rules in occupied plants
Work areas isolated so your people keep moving safely

Inspection & Sign-Off

Third-party special inspection under IBC Chapter 17
Visual, MT and UT reports on the repair welds
Welder qualification records and mill test reports collected
Sealed engineer letter filed at closeout

Why Jimenes

Why Choose
Jimenes Construction

One Crew From Shoring to Coating

Repairs stall at the hand-offs: one outfit shores, another welds, a painter shows up late. Our own crew shores, cuts, fits, welds and recoats the member.

23 Years of Gulf Coast Steel

We have plated column bases in Ship Channel plants and reframed openings in downtown buildings. Salt air, tight access and old mystery steel are normal work for us.

Built Around Your Operation

Nights, weekends and turnaround windows are how most of this work gets done. We isolate the area, hold the fire watch, and keep your floor running while we cut.

Line-Item Repair Pricing

Engineering, shoring, plate, welding hours, coating and inspection each get their own line. Anything we find behind the scale is priced and signed before we continue.

Credentials

Insurance, Warranty & Sign-Off

Texas does not license steel contractors or general contractors. We send the insurance certificate, welder qualification records and the sealed repair detail with every proposal. Here is what a steel repair contractor in Houston can actually show you.

Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County

General Liability $2M per occurrence

Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage

Warranty 10-yr structural, 1-yr workmanship

Where We Work

Our Service Area

Headquartered in Houston and repairing steel across the Greater Houston area, from downtown and the 610 Loop out to the Grand Parkway and east into the Ship Channel plants. If you searched for a steel repair contractor near me and landed here, this is the radius we cover. We can walk your structure the same week.

Do not see your town? Call us, we travel for the right project.Check Your Address

Good Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Send us photos of the bad steel and we will tell you what it needs. Or call and talk to the person who will run the repair.

Talk to a Builder

(832) 576-3278

How much does steel repair cost in Houston?

There is no flat rate, because two rusted columns can price very differently. Five things drive the number:

Engineering time for the sealed repair detail
How much steel is gone and how much plate replaces it
Shoring, access equipment and containment
Field welding hours, coating and inspection
Shift, shutdown window and access inside a working building

Send photos and the member sizes and you get a line-item quote. New pieces for the repair are priced through steel fabrication.

Can you repair a rusted column base instead of replacing the whole column?

Usually yes. Corrosion in Houston concentrates in the bottom foot of the column, at the base plate and in the grout line. We shore the load, cut back to sound steel, then weld in new plate or a new base plate section. If the concrete pedestal or anchor bolts are also gone, we repair those under our concrete foundation scope.

Can you cut a new opening in an existing steel frame or floor?

Yes, once an engineer approves the detail. Cutting a beam web or removing a brace changes the load path, so the opening gets a header, jambs and often new kickers back to the frame. We do this for new doors, dock openings, duct chases and conveyor lines. If the change also adds floor area, see mezzanines.

Do we need an engineer and a permit for a steel modification?

For anything structural, yes to both. A Texas PE seals the repair or modification detail, and the City of Houston or your county issues the permit. Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Brazoria counties all run their own offices. Structural repair welds also fall under special inspection in IBC Chapter 17. We pull the permit, book the inspector and file the reports.

Can you work while our plant or building keeps running?

That is most of what we do. We take night shifts, weekends and scheduled shutdown or turnaround windows along the Ship Channel. Work areas get isolated, with hot work permits, fire watch and spark containment before a torch is lit. Shoring holds the load so the bay above or below can stay in use. Existing access steel is often repaired at the same time, which is covered on our platforms and catwalks page.

Can you repair hurricane or impact damage to a metal building frame?

Yes. Bent columns, torn braces, damaged girts and pulled connections all get evaluated first, then replaced or straightened to a sealed detail. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and we keep repair crews open for storm work. East of SH 146 in Harris County, and in Galveston, Brazoria and Chambers counties, TDI windstorm rules apply to the rebuilt connections. See metal buildings, or call (832) 576-3278.

Built On Integrity. Repaired To Detail.

Let's Fix the SteelYou Already Own.

Free field assessments, sealed repair details, and our own welders from shoring through final inspection.

Get a Free Estimate OR CALL (832) 576-3278

Steel Repair & Mobile Weldingin Houston, TX