Frequently asked.
The answers we give over and over again, written down.
When will pricing be available?
Late Q2 2026. We’re finishing the last few features shops asked for before publishing tiers. Sign up to the notification list and we’ll email you the day they go live.
Do I need MetalCutHQ to use MetalShopHQ?
No. They’re independent products that happen to share a login and a shop record. Use MetalShopHQ on its own, or pair it with MetalCutHQ if you also want instant customer-facing quoting.
Who owns my data?
You do. We don’t train AI on your shop’s data, we don’t sell it to third parties, and we don’t make your files publicly addressable. Uploads are served via signed URLs.
Can my shop floor staff use it on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Time tracking, drawings, and the jobs board are designed for thumbs and gloves. Most shops put a tablet at each station and a TV on the wall.
Can I import my existing jobs, customers, or suppliers?
Customer and supplier CSV imports are on the roadmap. In the meantime, if you’ve got an existing list, send it to us when you set up — we’ll help load it in. Reach out via the shop enquiry form.
What does AI document ingest actually do?
Drop a supplier PDF or photo (invoice, quote, packing slip). MetalShopHQ AI reads it and pulls out the supplier name, document number, and total — then drafts a PO for you to review. Nothing saves until you commit. It works best on type-set PDFs; handwritten or heavily scanned documents are hit-or-miss.
What roles can I assign to team members?
- Owner — full control.
- Purchaser — jobs, suppliers, POs, costs, AI ingest.
- Operator — stock and job uploads; no costs visible.
- Shop Staff — sees assigned jobs, drawings, photos; logs own time; no costs.
- Viewer — read-only.
Is there a free trial?
MetalShopHQ is free to use today while we finalize pricing. Set up a shop, get your team in, run some real jobs through it. When tiers go live, you’ll have plenty of notice.
Where are you based?
Squamish, BC, Canada. We work with shops across North America.