Lead Times Explained: What to Expect from Kite Group & How We Keep You Moving

Madeleine Mankey
Oct 29
5 min read

In fast-paced construction, infrastructure, and maintenance environments, clear communication around lead times can make or break a project timeline.

At Kite Group, we understand that our clients need fast, reliable updates and flexible solutions which is why transparent lead times and proactive planning are now a central part of how we operate.

In this blog, we’ll break down:

Our typical lead times
The factors that can affect delivery
- Accounts

- Drawings

- Galvanised vs Self Colour- Couriers

What we keep in stock (and how it can help you stay on schedule)
How we’re improving lead time communication across the board

Typical Kite Group Lead Times – a Quick Overview

Here’s a general guide to how long our products usually take from order to despatch:

Standard stock components: Same-day to 2 working days
GRP grating & flooring: 3–7 working days
Bespoke fabricated items: 2–4 weeks (post-approval)

Please note that these are estimates and can vary based on material availability, workload, and project complexity.

Do You Have an Account?

This question is asked right from the off when we will be taking your order or quotation request. As well as being the first to hear about our latest offers, our account customers have an edge when it comes to lead time as we can action an order as soon as we receive a PO. For non-account customers, we have to receive payment before we can get moving on an order. For those paying over the phone or through our website, this payment can be received instantly and we can get moving immediately on your order. For BACS payments, we have to wait until the money shows in the account which may take days. We understand that every company has different ways of managing payments that may not be flexible, so if bank transfer is the only way to pay, it may be best to plan ahead.

Drawing Approvals: The Clock Starts Here

One of the most important factors in determining lead time for our fabricated items is drawing approval.

Before any bespoke or fabricated product can be put into production, it must go through a design and approval stage:

We create fabrication drawings and raise any queries that arise from the design stage
You review and approve (or request changes which will then be made to revised drawings)
Production begins only once drawings are signed off

Production schedules are tight and to retain your place in the ‘queue’, approval speed is of the essence. But please note that if drawings are signed off and then later changes are made to the design, the clock starts again there. Therefore it is important to approve, but more important to approve with accuracy. To keep projects on track, we will chase responses if we don’t hear back from you on time.

The faster we receive your approval, the sooner we can deliver.

Galvanised vs. Self Colour: What’s the Impact?

Hot-dip galvanising provides essential corrosion protection for steel components. Typically galvanised items cost more than their self colour counterparts which accounts for the extra production involved. But how much does this affect your production lead time?

We are often asked if a job has been placed in production, if a customer galvanised the job themselves, will they see the goods any quicker and the answer is often surprising.

Contrary to popular belief, galvanising a job that we have in production can add as little as 1 day to your lead time. This means that it is often quicker, cheaper and less effort to leave galvanised jobs with us rather than organising yourself.

Of course, 1 day might make all the difference to your project. Another way we can cater to our customer’s needs is to provide Zinga Galvanising Spray which can be applied to self colour steel. This product is available off the shelf and allows for adaptability in your design, placing the deadline back in your hands.

Couriers vs Uplifts?

At Kite Group, we do not have our own fleet of dedicated vehicles, and so like many manufacturers we rely on a UK-wide courier network. We are pleased to offer exceptional service with our courier partners, who often assist us with next day delivery, AM deliveries, booking-in services, PODs on demand and updates. Our admin team work very closely with deliveries and often liaise with drivers and customers to ensure your order gets to you in time, with time and care taken to provide stellar service.

However, all couriers are as subject to traffic, breakdowns, adverse weather or acts of God as the rest of us. This is why we can never guarantee next day delivery, though we are pleased to see most of our orders are received next day. For this reason, we encourage any customers who can uplift, to do so from our warehouse if next-day delivery is crucial. Our warehouse team run a tight ship and can offer orders same-day if placed just a few hours in advance. This includes services we offer, such as cutting tube at 80p per cut.

What We Keep in Stock – Ready to Go

We hold a large range of products in stock for immediate dispatch, often same-day or next-day. These include:

If your preferred product has a long lead time, our team will always offer stock alternatives that can get you moving faster.

Flexible Thinking = Faster Projects

Can we swap out a bespoke item for a stocked one? Can a standard gate or panel be trimmed onsite? Would a GRP option work instead of steel?

These are the kinds of questions we’re now asking on your behalf — because sometimes a 1-week alternative is better than a 4-week wait.

Let us know your deadline, and we’ll work backwards to find the best solution.

Communicating Lead Times – A Core Priority

We know that "radio silence" is one of the most frustrating parts of working with suppliers. That’s why we’ve made clear lead time communication a priority: