man thats a rort!
powdercoating is cheap as chips.
example.
i make staircases for a living.i had 2 huge c channel beams about 4m long, each weighing about 150kg.
one had 4 posts welded to it.
i consider it to have been a very heavy and hard job to do.
total cost was
sandblasting $180
powdercoating $180