California Sheet Metal

What California Sheet Metal does

California Sheet Metal (CSM) is a 117-year-old architectural sheet metal fabrication and installation contractor headquartered in El Cajon, California. The company designs, fabricates, and installs building facades, decorative exteriors, custom railing systems, ACM (aluminum composite material) panels, Trespa and EQUITONE fiber cement panels, ornamental metalwork, parking garage screen systems, and commercial planter boxes. CSM serves architects, general contractors, construction managers, and property owners on commercial construction projects ranging from under $25,000 to over $1 million per engagement, with marquee projects reaching $40 million in scope (The Grand LA Frank Gehry project) and 1.13 million square feet.

CSM's technical capabilities rest on a 62,500 square foot fabrication facility equipped with state-of-the-art laser cutting (capable of cutting steel up to 0.75", stainless steel and aluminum up to 0.5"), CNC programmable ACM panel processing (panels up to 16 feet in length formed to radii as tight as 3 feet), and 3D laser scanning for precise layout of concrete embeds and subframes. The company holds mill-direct buyer and approved fabricator status with major ACM manufacturers Reynobond (Alcoa) and Alpolic, and maintains strategic partnerships with Trespa North America and Etex (EQUITONE) for high-performance facade materials. A union workforce through Sheet Metal Workers Local 206 and an ESOP ownership structure (transitioned in 2019) underpin operations.

Revenue is generated through project-based contracts sold directly to general contractors, construction managers, and property owners via competitive bidding and negotiated design-build or design-assist arrangements. Customer relationships are anchor-driven, with multi-decade partnerships with top Southern California general contractors (Lusardi Construction, Level 10 Construction, Rudolph and Sletten, Turner Construction, Enclos Corp) and marquee developers and owners (American Assets Trust, Alexandria Real Estate, BioMed Realty, Westfield, Qualcomm). The company has earned five Tom Guilfoy Memorial Craftsmanship Awards from CAL SMACNA between 2014 and 2023 and ranked #16 in ENR's Top 20 Sheet Metal Firms in 2019-2020.

Name

California Sheet Metal

Legal name

California Sheet Metal

Website

https://califsheetmetal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

California Sheet Metal is a 117-year-old El Cajon, California-based architectural sheet metal fabrication and installation contractor serving architects, general contractors, and property owners with building facades, ACM and Trespa panels, custom railings, ornamental metalwork, and parking garage screen systems on commercial and institutional construction projects throughout the Western US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Metal Fabrication and Installation

NAICS

Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322), Ornamental and Architectural Metal Products Manufacturing (33232), Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing (3323), Ornamental and Architectural Metal Work Manufacturing (332323)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444), Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal & Ductwork Contracting (IMAFALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sheet Metal & Flashing Works (Gutters, Copings, Edge Metal, Downspouts) (IMAFAMAE), Metal Cladding, Soffits & Trim (Non-Panel Components) (IMADACAM), Architectural & Miscellaneous Metals (Stairs, Railings, Ladders) (IMADACAE)

Keywords

• Architectural sheet metal fabrication
• Building facade installation
• ACM panel fabrication
• Custom metal railings
• Ornamental metalwork services

Headquarters

HQ city

El Cajon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architectural Metal Fabrication and Installation: Project-based revenue from designing, fabricating, and installing architectural metal components for commercial construction projects including building facades, decorative exteriors, railing systems, ACM panels, and ornamental metal work. Projects range from under $25k to over $1M based on the contact form budget categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California Sheet Metal is an architectural metal fabrication and installation company that designs, fabricates, and installs building facades, decorative exteriors, custom railing systems, ACM and Trespa panels, ornamental metalwork, and sunshade and garage screen systems for commercial and institutional construction projects. The company provides full-service capabilities from design assist through fabrication and installation, supported by an in-house engineering team, CNC and laser cutting equipment, and 3D laser scanning technology. It operates from a 62,500 square-foot facility in El Cajon, California, and serves as a mill-direct buyer and approved fabricator for major ACM manufacturers including Reynobond and Alpolic.

Product overview

California Sheet Metal is an architectural metal fabrication and installation company offering a comprehensive portfolio of building envelope and decorative metal solutions. The company's core offerings include building facades, custom railing systems, and decorative metalwork, supported by specialized capabilities in laser cutting, CNC routing, and panel forming. They serve as both fabricator and installer for projects throughout Southern California, working with major material partners including ACM panels (Reynobond, Alpolic), Trespa panel systems, EQUITONE fiber cement composite panels, and ALUCOBOND PLUS. Their 62,500 square foot facility in El Cajon includes specialized equipment for Trespa cutting, automated panel forming, and laser cutting systems. The company operates under a Craftsmanship Built To Scale philosophy, delivering projects from initial design assistance through fabrication and installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Facades & Exterior Metal Panels

Quantifiable outcome

• 62,500 sq ft of fabricating capabilities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Trespa North America, Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Sheet Metal is a proud partner of Trespa North America, a world leader in high-performance panels for exterior cladding, decorative facades, and interior surfaces. Trespa provides innovative, aesthetically pleasing, and high-performance solutions for virtually any building specification. CSM offers Trespa panel systems including concealed and exposed fastener options for various architectural applications.
• Etex (EQUITONE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Sheet Metal partners with Etex, manufacturers of EQUITONE through-colored facade materials. EQUITONE is a fiber cement composite designed by and for architects, consisting of cement, mineral materials, and cellulose. The partnership provides design flexibility with panels up to 4x10 ft that can be perforated, cut, embossed, or printed.
• AlpoliccoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved fabricator for Alpolic ACM panels with mill-direct buying status, ensuring competitive pricing and quality control through every manufacturing step.
• Reynobond (Alcoa)coreTechnology or IntegrationApproved fabricator for Reynobond ACM panels with mill-direct buying status, enabling competitive pricing as part of their in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities.
• SMACNA (Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association)coreOthersProud member of SMACNA, an international trade association representing 1,834 member firms in 97 chapters throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. Featured in SMACNA's Contractor Spotlight video series showcasing company operations and culture.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• A. Zahner Company: Kansas City-based architectural metal fabrication and installation firm specializing in complex, design-driven metal facades, ornamental metalwork, and custom architectural surfaces. Highly comparable to CSM in its portfolio of starchitect projects, in-house engineering, and emphasis on complex curved/perforated metal systems.
• W&W Glass, LLC: New Jersey-based facade contractor specializing in custom glass, metal, and architectural panel systems for commercial buildings. Comparable to CSM in providing design-assist, fabrication, and installation of architectural envelopes, though W&W has a stronger national footprint.
• Enclos Corp: National custom facade contractor delivering unitized and stick-built curtain wall and architectural metal systems. CSM is a current supplier/partner to Enclos; both serve the same high-end commercial facade market with design-build capabilities.
• Baker Metal Products: Texas-based architectural and structural metal fabricator serving commercial construction with custom metal panels, ornamental work, and architectural metal products. Directly comparable business model focused on design-build architectural metal for the Southwest.
• Joseph Fazzio, Inc. New Jersey architectural metal fabricator and distributor serving the Northeast commercial construction market with custom sheet metal, ornamental iron, and architectural panel work. Comparable custom architectural metal fabrication capabilities and contractor customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Harmon Inc. Subsidiary of Apogee Enterprises and one of North America's largest architectural facade contractors, providing custom curtain wall and architectural metal systems. A much larger incumbent in the same architectural facade space as CSM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/califsheetmetal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-sheet-metal-works-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Sheet Metal