Tank, Vessel & Pressure Equipment Fabrication worked example

Fit-Up Labor at 58% productive fit-up time factor: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop productive fit-up time factor to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Fit-Up Labor estimates the shop cost of aligning, gapping and tacking the shell courses, heads and internals of a tank or pressure vessel before final welding.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Fit-up joints to complete: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Fully burdened labor rate per joint: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Productive fit-up time factor: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed rigging and tooling charge: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Fit-Up Labor cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where productive fit-up time factor sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to productive fit-up time factor, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. It assumes joints of similar difficulty; a rolled shell longitudinal seam and a heavy set-in internal support carry very different fit-up hours.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Fit-Up Labor calculator, set productive fit-up time factor to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.