Frequently Asked Questions

General & Company

General & Company
Questions

What does Category 5 Steel do?

Category 5 Steel is a full-service structural steel fabrication and erection company based in Spokane Valley, Washington. We provide in-house structural detailing, precision steel fabrication with AWS Certified Welding Inspector oversight, and field erection for commercial and industrial projects. We operate under a single-contract model — one team from first drawing to final connection.

Where is Category 5 Steel located?

Our fabrication shop and main office are in Spokane Valley, Washington. We hold active contractor licenses in 16+ states and have completed projects in 29 states total across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, Southwest, Midwest, and beyond.

Who founded Category 5 Steel and when?

Category 5 Steel was founded in 2013 by Darryl Matlen and Claire Cerling-Matlen. Darryl is a career ironworker and structural steel superintendent. Claire is an AWS Certified Welding Inspector who runs quality control at the shop. The company was built to eliminate the gap between fabrication and erection that causes most structural steel problems on commercial projects.

Why is it called Category 5 Steel?

Two reasons. A Category 5 storm is the highest classification on the scale — maximum intensity, maximum force, nothing held back. That's the standard we hold our work to. The second reason: the Construction Specifications Institute's MasterFormat Division 5 refers to Metals — structural steel. When someone on a jobsite says 'Category 5,' they're talking about structural steel.

Does Category 5 Steel work with veterans?

Yes. Darryl Matlen served 22 years in the US Army before founding Category 5 Steel. We actively seek to hire veterans and understand the discipline and work ethic that military service builds.

What size projects do you work on?

We work on mid-market commercial projects in roughly the $500K to $10M+ structural steel scope range. Our clients are general contractors and developers running projects in the $5M–$50M total project value range. We don't overcommit to chase volume — we take on the projects we can execute at the level our clients expect.

Bidding & Pre-Qualification

Bidding & Pre-Qualification
Questions

How do I request a preliminary bid?

Send us your structural drawings, project specs, and schedule milestones — email to steve@cat5steel.com or call (509) 919-0350. We'll review the full scope and return a preliminary bid that reflects real numbers. We don't send placeholder numbers to hold a project while we figure out the actual cost.

How fast do you turn around a preliminary bid?

We prioritize bid response. Send us complete drawings and we'll return a preliminary bid on a timeline that works with your submission schedule — not weeks later when the decision has already been made. Call us if you have a hard deadline.

What should I send you to get a bid?

Structural drawings at whatever stage you have them, seismic system specifications if applicable, project location and jurisdiction, your schedule milestones (especially structural steel start and pour date), and scope of work — fabrication only, erection only, or full package. The more you give us, the faster we can come back with a meaningful number.

Can you provide a pre-qualification package?

Yes, and we can have it in your inbox the same day you request it. Our standard pre-qualification package includes: AWS D1.8 seismic welding certification, AWS Certified Welding Inspector credentials, state contractor licensing for all applicable jurisdictions, OSHA Authorized Construction Trainer credentials, certificate of insurance, safety program documentation, and project references with GC and owner contacts.

Do you offer design-assist or pre-construction involvement?

Yes. For design-build teams and structural engineers who want constructability input during pre-construction, we can participate in coordination meetings, review preliminary structural concepts, and provide fabrication and erection perspective before documents are issued for permit. Early engagement reduces RFIs and protects the schedule.

Can you work on projects that are still in the design phase?

Yes. We can review preliminary drawings, provide cost input, flag constructability conditions, and have our detailing team ready to go the moment documents are issued.

Seismic & D1.8

Seismic & D1.8
Questions

What is AWS D1.8 and why does it matter?

AWS D1.1 is the general structural welding code that covers most steel construction. AWS D1.8 is the seismic welding supplement -- an additional standard written specifically for connections in seismic force-resisting systems. D1.8 imposes additional requirements on joint preparation, welding parameters, preheat, inspection, and documentation because seismic connections must perform during an earthquake. A fabricator certified only under D1.1 cannot legally claim D1.8 compliance.

Is your AWS Certified Welding Inspector on staff or contracted?

Claire Cerling-Matlen is our AWS Certified Welding Inspector and she is on staff -- a co-founder of the company. She is present at our fabrication shop and involved in quality oversight throughout every project. CWI oversight is not a service we bring in at the end to sign off on finished work. It is part of how we operate every day.

What seismic systems have you built?

We have fabricated and erected special moment frames (SMF), buckle-resistant bracing (BRB) systems, complete joint penetration (CJP) weld assemblies, and eccentrically braced frames across commercial, healthcare, educational, and industrial project types in seismically active markets in Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, and beyond.

Are you licensed for seismic steel work in California?

Yes. We hold active contractor licensing in California and our D1.8 certification and documentation practices meet the requirements of California's seismically active construction markets, including the scrutiny that comes with hospital and government projects.

What documentation do you produce on seismic projects?

Pre-construction: D1.8 certification, AWS CWI credentials, qualified and prequalified WPS for all required connection types, material documentation, state licensing. During fabrication: CWI inspection records for each critical weld, preheat and interpass temperature records, material certifications (MTRs), NDE records where required. At closeout: a complete organized package formatted for municipal submission, owner file, and EOR record retention.

How do you handle RFIs on seismic connection details?

We issue RFIs when field conditions or constructability questions arise that affect seismic connection performance. We coordinate directly with the structural engineer of record and respond on a timeline that keeps fabrication moving -- not a timeline that waits on three layers of communication between a detailer, fabricator, and erector.

Fabrication & Detailing

Fabrication & Detailing
Questions

Do you handle detailing in-house or use a third party?

We detail structural steel packages in-house. This is one of the most important operational differences between working with Category 5 Steel and a shop that outsources detailing. When coordination questions come up between detailing and fabrication, they get resolved the same day -- not across a week of email with a third-party detailer in a different time zone.

What types of projects do you fabricate?

Our fabrication experience includes structural steel frames (traditional red iron), D1.8 seismic moment frames and BRB systems, bar joist and deck building packages, cold storage facilities, tenant improvement and structural remodel steel, aircraft hangars, mezzanine platforms, stair structures, canopy framing, equipment support steel, and custom assemblies of all kinds.

What certifications apply to your fabrication work?

Our fabrication is performed under AWS D1.1 structural welding certification with AWS D1.8 seismic welding certification available for projects in seismic zones. Our AWS Certified Welding Inspector is on the shop floor during critical weld production. We maintain WPS records, CWI sign-offs, and material certifications for every project that requires them.

How do you handle tenant improvement and structural remodel work?

TI fabrication is where most contractors get into trouble. Existing steel that doesn't match as-builts. Connection conditions that weren't visible during the bid. We use field measurement coordinated with modeling software, often catching issues before submittals and fabrication -- and before the inevitable rework. Our detailers know what questions to ask before the first piece is cut.

What equipment do you have in the fabrication shop?

Our fabrication facility is equipped with extended reach forklifts, a four-wheel drive telehandler, warehouse forklift, and gantry cranes. We have the equipment to handle structural steel material without relying on rented equipment that isn't available when you need it. We have (3) scotchman Ironworkers, a shear and punching station. Dedicated handrail stations, (9) miller shopmaster multiprocess welding units with high frequency tig stations for aluminum and stainless, track burner for large or lengthy cuts and (coming soon) a plasma table for intricate parts

Erection & Field Work

Erection & Field Work
Questions

Do you do erection only, or fabrication only, or both?

We do all three. Full-service packages covering detailing, fabrication, and erection under one contract are what most of our clients choose. But we also take on fabrication-only scopes where the GC has a separate erector, and erection-only scopes where we're installing steel fabricated by another shop. Call us and describe the scope -- we'll tell you straight whether it's a fit.

Do your crews work in all weather conditions?

Yes. Our crews are experienced working in the rain, snow, and heat that Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West job sites deliver. We've worked in Midwest snowstorms, Arizona heat, and the rainiest March ever recorded in Seattle. We build realistic schedules and we hold to them. Weather is not an excuse.

What happens when field conditions don't match the drawings?

Our foremen solve the problem rather than stopping work and waiting for direction. That field problem-solving capability is the product of decades of experience building a wide range of project types. When something comes up that genuinely needs engineering input, we issue a clear RFI fast and stay in motion on everything else.

Do you have your own crane operators?

Yes. Our operators hold NCCCO crane operator licenses -- the nationally recognized certification standard for commercial crane operation.

Do you work on tenant improvement projects in occupied buildings?

Yes, and it's a specialty. Working around live tenants, tying into existing structure, and field-solving conditions that don't match the as-builts is where our single-team model delivers obvious value. There's no coordination meeting between a separate detailer, fabricator, and erector when something comes up in the field.

Scheduling & Delivery

Scheduling & Delivery
Questions

How do you coordinate fabrication delivery with the erection schedule?

We sequence and time fabricated steel delivery to match your erection schedule -- not our shop schedule. Steel ships complete, sequenced for erection, and marked to match the erection drawings. We coordinate delivery timing so material arrives when your crew is ready, not two weeks early sitting in the mud or two days late holding up your pour.

What happens if there is a schedule change on site?

We stay in communication throughout the project. If your site schedule shifts, call us early. Early notice gives us the most options. We don't disappear between bid and delivery -- our team is tracking fabrication milestones against your schedule and flagging issues before they become problems.

How far in advance do you need to be engaged for a project?

Earlier is always better, but we've mobilized on projects with tight lead times before. For a typical commercial steel scope, getting us engaged 8-12 weeks before your structural steel start date gives the detailing and fabrication process enough runway to protect your milestone. For seismic scopes with complex documentation requirements, longer lead time is better. Call us with your timeline and we'll tell you what's workable.

Can you handle multiple projects simultaneously?

Yes, within the scope that allows us to maintain our quality standard on each one. We don't overcommit to chase volume. If a project timeline conflicts with existing commitments at a level that would compromise delivery, we'll tell you that upfront rather than take the job and underperform.

Documentation & Quality Control

Documentation & Quality
Control Questions

What quality control documentation do you produce?

For every project that requires it: material certifications (MTRs) for all structural steel, weld procedure specifications (WPS) for each connection type, CWI inspection records for critical welds, preheat and interpass temperature records, and NDE records where specified. For seismic scopes, the complete D1.8 documentation package is organized and formatted for AHJ submission, owner file, and EOR record retention.

How does your CWI oversight actually work day to day?

Claire Cerling-Matlen is in the shop. She is not a third-party inspector we bring in at the end. She is present during critical weld production, reviews joint preparation and fit-up before welding begins, monitors preheat compliance, documents inspection results as they happen, and maintains the weld map and inspection records throughout fabrication. QC is built into the process, not applied at the end.

Can you support AHJ inspections and pre-qualification submittals?

Yes. Our documentation system is organized to support exactly this. Pre-qualification packages including all certification documents, licensing, and safety records can be delivered the same day they're requested. Project documentation packages for AHJ final review are assembled and formatted during fabrication, not scrambled together at closeout.

Do you maintain safety documentation for public and government projects?

Yes. Our OSHA Authorized Construction Trainers maintain crew training records, site-specific safety programs, fall protection plans, and the full OSHA documentation package that public, healthcare, and government project pre-qualifications require.

Licensing & Service Area

Licensing & Service Area
Questions

What states are you currently licensed in?

We hold active contractor licenses in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. That's 16+ states. If your project is in a state not on that list, reach out -- Claire will find out how quickly we can obtain the necessary licensure.

How many states have you completed projects in?

29 states total since our founding in 2013. Our licensing structure exists because our clients asked for it -- GCs and developers who work with us on a project in Spokane want to be able to use the same sub on their next project in Portland, Phoenix, or Salt Lake City. Work with us in any given region you want to use.

Can you get licensed in a state where you aren't currently licensed?

Yes. Contact us and Claire will research what's required and how quickly it can be done. Licensing lead time varies by state. The sooner you loop us in, the more options we have.

Do you travel for projects outside of the Pacific Northwest?

Yes. We have crews that travel and we've completed projects across the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West, Southwest, Midwest, and East Coast. Distance doesn't change our quality standard or our accountability model.

Do you have a minimum project size for out-of-state work?

We evaluate out-of-state projects on a case-by-case basis, considering scope size, schedule, and fit with our current capacity. Call us and describe the project -- we'll give you a straight answer about whether it's a fit.