Lead Times in the Hollow Metal Industry: How HMF Express Stays Ahead

The Industry Context: Lead Times Have Stretched

Over the past several years, lead times for custom hollow metal doors and frames have extended significantly across many manufacturers. What was once a 2–3 week standard turnaround has stretched to 4–8 weeks or longer at many producers for custom-specified product. The causes are well documented: steel supply disruptions, increased demand, labor shortages at fabrication facilities, and the growing complexity of custom specifications as building programs become more demanding.

For contractors and distributors managing tight construction schedules, long lead times create real problems — delayed rough-in, compressed installation windows, and schedule float that evaporates before other trades can sequence in. When a door and frame shipment is late, it can hold up drywall finishing, hardware installation, and ultimately occupancy.

Why Lead Times Grew Industry-Wide

The root causes behind extended hollow metal lead times fall into a few categories:

• Steel supply disruptions — Sheet steel procurement became volatile in 2021–2022 and has continued to present intermittent challenges. Manufacturers that rely on just-in-time steel purchasing are more vulnerable to delays when supply tightens.
• Labor market pressure — Skilled fabrication labor is in short supply. Manufacturers that haven't invested in process efficiency are more exposed when headcount fluctuates.
• Increasing specification complexity — Custom sizes, unusual profiles, specialized hardware preps, and non-standard finishes all add production time per unit. As architectural programs grow more complex, average production time per door increases.
• Capacity constraints — Some manufacturers haven't expanded production capacity in step with demand growth, creating bottlenecks that push lead times out.

The HMF Express Approach

HMF Express was built from the ground up around fast, reliable delivery. Our 1–10 business day lead time on custom orders is not a marketing claim — it is the result of deliberate operational decisions made at every level of the business:

• Lean manufacturing — Our production floor is organized to minimize waste and maximize throughput. Work flows efficiently from order entry through fabrication, inspection, and shipping without the queuing delays common in high-volume batch manufacturing.
• Dedicated production cells — Rather than a single production line shared across all product types, we maintain dedicated cells for different product families. This prevents complex orders from backing up standard orders and vice versa.
• Optimized steel inventory — We maintain strategic inventory of the steel gauges, coils, and sheet stock most commonly used in our product line. When an order comes in, material is on hand — not on order.
• Experienced team — Our production staff has deep experience with hollow metal fabrication. Fewer errors, fewer re-runs, and faster setup times all compress turnaround.

What Our Lead Time Actually Covers

Our lead time window of 1–10 business days applies from the date of order confirmation — meaning after your order has been reviewed, any questions resolved, and production has been released. Within that window:

• 1–3 business days — Standard specifications: common door sizes, standard gauge, typical hardware preps, and stock profiles. These are our fastest-moving products.
• 4–7 business days — Moderately complex orders: non-standard sizes, multiple hardware preps, paired openings, or special configurations that require additional setup or machining.
• Up to 10 business days — Complex custom orders: unusual profiles, large quantities, multiple openings with varied specs, or configurations requiring engineering review. Even our most complex custom work ships within two calendar weeks of order confirmation.

What This Means for Your Project Schedule

When your hollow metal supplier can deliver in 1–10 days instead of 4–8 weeks, it changes how you can manage your schedule:

• Order closer to your actual need date — You don't have to place orders weeks in advance to protect your schedule. This reduces the risk of ordering before the scope is fully confirmed.
• Reduce on-site storage burden — Doors and frames stored on a job site are subject to damage, theft, and handling. Shorter lead times mean less time between delivery and installation.
• Maintain schedule cushion for RFIs — If a scope question arises or an architect issues a revision, you have time to absorb it without blowing your delivery date.
• Recover from late changes — Change orders happen. When your lead time is measured in days rather than weeks, a late change order doesn't necessarily mean a schedule slip.