Pipe fence, cattle guards, feeders, headache racks and gates. Ranch and ag fabrication across Texas uses a particular mix of new and used oilfield steel, and it's often needed far from the nearest service center. We source it, cut it to length, and deliver across the state.
Why ranch fabricators end up driving for steel
Rural shops are the definition of a small account to a city distributor. Delivery minimums are high, delivery days are fixed, and nobody at the big counter is quoting used drill pipe. So ranch fabricators call around to five places, then hitch up a trailer and lose a day hauling full lengths.
We quote new steel and secondary pipe together, arrange cuts to length so pieces fit on a truck, and deliver across Texas. Most quotes come back the same business day.
What ranch and ag shops typically buy
Pipe fence runs on steel pipe, and much of it is used oilfield drill pipe. 2-3/8" and 2-7/8" OD are the common post sizes, with larger pipe for corners and gate posts. Ranchers also use used sucker rod, commonly 3/4" to 1", for top rail and continuous fence. No standard sets a top-rail size. Used pipe varies in wall and condition, so it's priced and described differently from new. It can also carry NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material) scale: Texas requires tagging of contaminated equipment (16 TAC §4.605) and exempts oil-production pipe at or below 50 µR/hr (25 TAC §289.259(d)(3)), so ask for the survey reading or tag on any used lot. For sizes, spacing and brace counts, see what pipe to use for a fence in Texas.
Square tube in 2x2 and 3x3 builds gates, headache racks, bale beds and feeders. Structural steel angle and channel frames cattle guards, loading chutes and implement frames. Hot rolled sheet in 10ga to 14ga covers feeder hoppers, tool boxes and shields.
Expanded metal goes into feeder bottoms, trailer floors and guards. Cold finish bar in 1018 and 1045 makes hinge pins, shafts and bushings, and 4140 is the upgrade for pins that take shock loads, like three-point hitch and loader pins.
Cattle guards deserve their own note. Rails are usually heavy pipe or structural tube set across a channel or beam frame, and the frame needs to carry whatever crosses it, from a pickup to a loaded cattle pot. If the guard sits on a county road or carries heavy trucks, check the load rating the county or your customer expects before settling on rail size and spacing.
How we help
- New steel and used oilfield pipe and rod sourced together
- Pipe, tube and bar saw cut to post and rail lengths
- One contact, most quotes answered the same business day
- Delivered across Texas, with timing depending on the material and where it's going