By FencingWise Editorial Team · Updated 3 November 2026.
Two ways of applying zinc
Hot-dip galvanizing brings cleaned steel into contact with molten zinc. In batch after-fabrication galvanizing, a fabricated item is treated as an assembly. Continuous hot-dip processes are also used for products such as wire and strip before later fabrication. The American Galvanizers Association's zinc-coating overview distinguishes these routes.
Electrogalvanizing deposits zinc using an electrical process in an electrolyte. The AGA description of electrodeposited coatings explains the coating and its possible subsequent treatment. Values stated for sheet must not be assumed to describe fence wire or a finished component.
Compare the specified result
| Enquiry item | Why it belongs in both alternatives |
|---|---|
| Component being coated | Panels, posts and fasteners may use different processes |
| Process and fabrication stage | Shows whether cutting and welding happen before or after coating |
| Coating requirement | Defines thickness or mass and the applicable measurement basis |
| Supplementary finish | Identifies powder coating or other specified treatment |
| Inspection method | States how the coating will be checked and recorded |
| Exposure | Connects the proposed finish to the intended environment |
A bright surface is not proof of coating thickness. A dull surface is not by itself a failure. The acceptance decision needs the relevant specification and observations.
“Hot-dip” does not mean “after welding”
Wire can be hot-dip galvanized before it becomes a fence panel. A completed panel can also be galvanized after fabrication. These sequences leave different questions around welded intersections and cut ends.
Keep the process question separate from the sequence question. The pre-galvanized and galvanized-after-welding comparison addresses the latter.
Choose against the environment and evidence
Send the installation exposure and requested finish system with the enquiry. For a factory comparison, ask each offer to identify substrate preparation, zinc process, fabrication sequence and any additional coating. A proposed substitution should explain the change at welds, cut ends and fittings as well as its price; accepting the same colour or the same galvanized label leaves those manufacturing differences unresolved.
A coating specification may use micrometres, a mass per unit area or another defined requirement. Record which surface and component the figure applies to. If zinc and powder coating are combined, a total thickness reading should not silently be treated as zinc thickness.
Make the quotation unambiguous
Use separate finish entries for panels, posts, fabricated gates and purchased hardware. Ask for the records associated with each route, including the agreed treatment of repaired or damaged areas. If the order combines production sources, keep those references distinct so the receiving inspector can compare the actual component with its specified coating rather than a general brochure statement.
FencingWise's quality control page explains the order-checking process. Neither coating name alone establishes a fixed outdoor lifespan, and this comparison does not set a universal minimum coating thickness.