Contractor to build fuel tanks

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Strick,

Due to being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean shipping adds a ton of overhead to materials. The top fab shop here wants $3100/pair for aluminum and $3600 for stainless. I am a sheet metal apprentice and aluminum stock will run me $1342 and stainless $1162 if I layout and bend myself plus what I owe my welder. Alumiwork has quoted me $2200/pair for 5052 1/8" stock shipped FedEx Ground. A shop in Costa Mesa who specializes in marine tanks quoted me roughly $450/ea. per tank with 1/8" aluminum plus shipping. What's your take on aluminum vs. stainless? My understanding is the weld on aluminum is less prone to deterioration than that on stainless. Let me know what you think. Aloha, Greg