I bought an older sailboat that needed some upgrading. The bow pulpit's design led to jib sheets getting caught in it when gybing, and at some point it must have impacted something, being slightly bent downward and off center. I went to the marine welder I'd used for years over three different boats and was told they were too busy doing bigger commercial jobs to see me any sooner than two months out. I decided to shop around and was pleasantly surprised to find Benchmark Welding very nearby, and willing to take on my project immediately. The reviews were good, so I removed the pulpit, delivering it to the Benchmark shop the next day. Right away, the estimate for the work came in at HALF of what my long-time welder quoted. One look at his shop told me I was dealing with a meticulous professional. The next day I was called to advise that the pulpit could be straightened to a point, but the way it was bent might not allow correcting to perfect symmetry. I agreed that his eyeballing the curvature of added stainless tubing to the best look possible was acceptable. In another day he had me take the pupit back to the boat to check fit and photograph it. We decided to raise the front higher, and even with an added change to nav light placement, it was ready the next day. The look was better than I expected (I got positive comments from the dock minutes after remounting it on the boat), the welding and polishing were top notch, and the attention to the intricate points of metal fabrication in a marine environment were well addressed. This is a very professional shop offering expert work at a reasonable price. I wiil be taking all future boat welding projects there and heartily recommend Benchmark. read more

Benchmark, (Matthew) is a true professional and an artist at his trade. If you are interested in quality, in craftsmanship and up-front honest transactions this is the shop for you. In the boating world there is no room for anything less! I highly recommend Benchmark, (Matthew), and his craftsmanship for any of your welding and/or metal fabrication needs. read more

It's easy to see why Matthew has such good reviews on Yelp. From the moment I met him he was very professional and his wealth of experience came through impeccably. I needed a very unique mount for a Simrad radar to mount to a custom solar panel rack. I wasn't even sure what I wanted but Matthew took the time to listen to my needs and he came up with an absolutely amazing radar mount. I'm quite sure he went well above what he had quoted me, but he honored his quote and I'm extremely happy with his work. The job was done quickly and before the timeframe I needed. Thank you so much Matthew!! I have posted photos for viewing. read more

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Matthew is the best!! We needed to add / update some fishing rod holders to our boat - Benchmark Welding did an excellent job! Super professional, looks great, just like the original. Couldn't be happier. Will always recommend Benchmark to fellow boaters. Thanks Matthew! read more

Upgrade Marine uses Benchmark for all our custom fabrication projects. Mathew's work is exceptional and our customers are always very pleased with the quality of work that Mathew delivers. From custom stainless steel solar panel racks, radar mounts, dual radar/com mounts, and any other custom pieces we need fabricated, Mathew can do it all in a timely and professional manner. Highly recommended. read more

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I think Matthew just saved our lives in a way. :) We have a 30 year old Kitchen-Aid Imperial 27 dual oven, which works really well. The only problem was that the original conventional oven door handle snapped. The door is heavy, with strong springs, and was very hard to open without a handle, especially when the oven was hot. I searched online for a replacement handle, but of course, after 30 years, we were out of luck. I called Matthew, expecting him to say the job was too small for him, but I was totally wrong. He was interested and professional from the start. I made measurements and took the old handle to his workshop. He described what he thought he could do, and showed me the materials. It looked really fascinating. One week later, Matthew had fabricated what I can only call a functional work of art. See for yourself in the attached photos. The welding/brazing on the joints is superb, and the handle fits perfectly. I just wish Kitchen-Aid had made the handle to his design in the first place - it would last a life time! I can highly recommend Matthew's professionalism and ability. I can't wait to find another project that he could help with. read more

Benchmark Custom Welding - New handle installed - Metal Fabricators Near Me - San Diego, California

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My sailing friend Mark asked me to write this review about some stainless steel work Matthew at Benchmark Custom Welding had done for him. Mark showed me the "chain plates" that Matthew had made for him - and raved about the quality and reasonable cost. "Matt delivered exactly what he promised - on time and on budget," Mark said. "Make sure you put that in the review." Mark has a Norseman 447 sailboat and this is the second project Matt has done for him (the first was a life-raft cradle which was also first rate. There are a number of stainless steel fabricators who service the marine market - some a lot more expensive. Matthew's work, according to Mark, is fabulous (check out all the 5 star reviews, to the right). Thelma Jesselman read more

Needed custom brackets to extend my wing rearward and line it up with my trunk lip spoiler. Matthew talked me through my multiple design iterations til I decided on a final shape to extend it 6 cm. When it came time to mount the wing, everything lined up perfectly. This guy delivers. read more

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Had a time sensitive Job in a critical spot, a 1/4" tap broke off in my daily driver motorcycle and After calling about 7-8 different shops I found Benchmark. Matt is amazing finished the removal in less than an hour and gave me helpful advice on where to go from here. Can't thank him enough for quality work. read more

Great guy! Does GREAT work!!!! I came in with a problem, not even knowing how to explain what I wanted (or needed). and in less then 5 min, he had my solution. He is awesome! read more

Matthew has designed and fabricated numerous custom fittings for my sweet old yacht Selene. Selene has been recognized with several SDYC Opening Day Trophies over the years including Best Maintained Yacht of the Year. Matthew's completes high quality yacht finish work. After spending a number of hours in his shop and watching customers come and go I know he works well helping solve problems and delivering quality product; I also know he does not well suffer foolishness. read more

When a vintage designer article of furniture from the 1940s broke a steel strut I realized I was in trouble. After multiple phone calls to the original manufacturer I was advised to find a skilled marine welder who might have an interest in repairing this type of item. This was no easy task as the original frame had undergone previous repairs and modifications that made the project even more complicated. Fortunately I was able to make contact with Matt at Benchmark Custom Welding. Matt confidently advised me that he would be able to repair the frame and provide a stable and aesthetic functioning base for the Womb Settee. He was true to his word as the work was perfect. The repair is essentially seamless, the upholstered shell fit precisely into the replaced section and it all sits square. I couldn't ask for a better end result. read more

Wow. I needed a real quick weld, on a tiny project. Matthew was quick, fair, and professional. This is a top tier shop, with a hands on owner. read more

If you are looking for exceptional craftsmanship with an amazing eye for detail, honesty and very competitive pricing look no further. I have been in the marine industry for over twenty years and believe me when I tell you Matt is the real deal. Captain Chris Coletta read more

Replicated a mount for us quickly and for a 1/4 of the price that another company charged us to do wrong! Really impressed with his professionalism and the results. We'll definitely used benchmark again in the future! read more

Mathew is an amazing artist of steel. He has skills that are impressively breathtaking. We run a local sailing tour company. He built us a custom set of rails for our sailboat out of scratch after another unprofessional welder destroyed our beautiful boat's rails. He was very understanding of our situation and worked with us on the price. The pricing was very fair and we came to find out that he is known to be the best. He is well known among the boating community of San Diego and has been doing what he does for many years. He was very fair to us and he got us out of a bind that we were afraid we would never. We were actually afraid of using another welder as the first experience was horrible, but Mathew restored our faith in the trade. He did us right and our entire team has nothing but thanks to offer to this guy. I'd give him 6 stars if I could. - Thanks Mathew!!!!! read more

I was so disappointed with Mathew's work and his attitude. I have used him before with success, but he must have been off his meds for the last job. Poor work, half done, followed by immediate angry demands for money. Never again. read more

husband called for a rough estimate before hauling in the table that needed to be welded. The guy who answered the phone was completely unprofessional, rude, and insulting. Maybe having a bad day, but really? read more

Exceptional experience at Benchmark! I went in for a custom piece needed for my workshop. No other welder could / would help me saying it was, "too small of a job." Matthew was super helpful, timely and informative. Really outstanding job and couldn't be happier with the welding work he did for me. Small business, big results. read more

I also purchased the custom brackets from Matt for my BRZ wing. He still had the templates so the turnaround was quick and I love the corrected look of the wing. Thanks! read more