Rebar takeoff
Bar-by-bar quantities for every structural element, broken down by bar size, grade, coating, and location. Built for contractors and fabricators preparing a bid.
Reinforcing Steel
Rebar Estimating Services: Accurate Takeoffs, Bar Lists, and Detailing
Prime Estimation provides rebar takeoffs, reinforcing steel cost estimates, bar bending schedules, and rebar shop drawings for concrete contractors, rebar fabricators, steel erectors, and general contractors across the United States. We read the structural drawings and general notes, calculate every bar with its laps, hooks, and bends, and deliver quantities by bar size, grade, and structural element. You get a weight you can bid with and a bar list your fabricator can use.
Rebar is priced by the ton, but it is lost in the details: a missed dowel schedule, lap splices counted as a flat percentage, or corner bars and opening trim bars left out entirely. Our estimators calculate each of these from the drawings instead of estimating them with allowances.
#3 to #18Every bar size, by weight and grade
Laps calculatedNot a blanket percentage
ACI 318 & CRSIDetailing to standard practice
lbs & tonsBy bar size and structural element
At a Glance
What Are Rebar Estimating Services?
Rebar estimating is the process of calculating the quantity, weight, and cost of reinforcing steel required for a concrete structure.
| What you get | Details |
|---|---|
| Experience | 17 years of construction estimating, including reinforced concrete and civil work |
| Services | Rebar takeoffs, cost estimates, bar bending schedules, placing and shop drawings |
| Standards followed | ACI 318, ACI 315 / SP-66 detailing practice, CRSI Manual of Standard Practice, ASTM A615 and A706 |
| Software | Tekla Structures, Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, Excel |
| Deliverables | Weights by bar size and element, bar lists, accessories list, priced estimate, marked-up plans |
| Turnaround | Takeoffs typically in 1–2 business days; detailing schedule quoted per project |
| Pricing | Flat fee per project, quoted upfront |
An estimator reads the structural drawings, schedules, and typical details, then works out each bar's size, length, shape, and count, including lap splices, hooks, and development lengths. Quantities are converted to weight and then priced for material, fabrication, accessories, and placing labor. A rebar takeoff answers “how much steel?” A rebar estimate adds “what will it cost to buy, fabricate, and place?” Rebar detailing goes one step further and produces the placing drawings and bar lists the fabricator uses. We provide all three, separately or together.
Our Services
Takeoff, Estimate, Schedule or Full Detailing
Order one, or all four from the same drawing set.
Rebar cost estimate
The takeoff priced with material cost per ton, fabrication, coating, delivery, accessories, and placing labor hours. Material and labor stay in separate columns so you can apply your own mill pricing and crew rates.
Bar bending schedule & bar lists
Bar marks, sizes, quantities, cut lengths, and bend shapes for each element, following standard CRSI bend types so fabricators can process them directly.
Detailing & shop drawings
Placing drawings, sections, and bar lists prepared in line with ACI 315 detailing practice and the CRSI Manual of Standard Practice, submitted for engineer review. Complex structures are modelled in 3D in Tekla Structures to check congestion and clearances before fabrication.
Deliverables
What Your Rebar Estimate Includes
Weight summary by bar size
#3 through #18, by grade and coating, reported in pounds and tons.
Breakdown by element and area
Footings, grade beams, slabs, walls, columns, and beams — so you can price, phase, and release steel by pour.
Laps, hooks and bends
Calculated from the drawings and ACI 318 requirements, not added as a blanket waste factor.
Dowels, corner and trim bars
At openings, construction joints, and wall intersections — the details that typical drawings assume you will apply everywhere.
Welded wire reinforcement
By style and square footage, wherever the drawings show it.
Accessories list
Chairs, slab bolsters, high chairs, standees, tie wire, rebar caps, and mechanical couplers.
Priced estimate in Excel
Material, fabrication, accessories, and placing labor shown separately so each can be swapped for your own numbers.
Marked-up drawings & RFI list
What was counted, plus drawing conflicts — missing bar callouts, or schedules that don't match sections.
Materials
Reinforcing Steel Types and Grades We Estimate
| Type | Specification | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon steel (black) bar | ASTM A615 Grade 60 and 80 | Most building foundations, slabs, walls, and frames |
| Low-alloy weldable bar | ASTM A706 | Seismic frames and bars that require welding |
| Epoxy-coated bar | ASTM A775 / A934 | Bridge decks, parking garages, and marine exposure |
| Galvanized bar | ASTM A767 | Corrosive environments and exposed architectural concrete |
| Stainless steel bar | ASTM A955 | Severe chloride exposure and long-service-life structures |
| Welded wire reinforcement | ASTM A1064 | Slabs on grade, toppings, and precast |
| GFRP bar | ACI 440 per project spec | Non-corrosive and non-magnetic applications |
Reference
Standard US Rebar Sizes and Weights
Every takeoff converts linear footage to weight using these nominal values (ASTM A615).
| Bar size | Diameter (in.) | Weight (lb/ft) | Bar size | Diameter (in.) | Weight (lb/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 | 0.375 | 0.376 | #8 | 1.000 | 2.670 |
| #4 | 0.500 | 0.668 | #9 | 1.128 | 3.400 |
| #5 | 0.625 | 1.043 | #10 | 1.270 | 4.303 |
| #6 | 0.750 | 1.502 | #11 | 1.410 | 5.313 |
| #7 | 0.875 | 2.044 | #14 / #18 | 1.693 / 2.257 | 7.650 / 13.600 |
A #5 bar weighs 1.043 lb per foot — total bar length, including laps, hooks and bends, multiplied by that figure and summed by size gives the tonnage you bid.
Scope Coverage
Structural Elements We Take Off
| Category | Elements |
|---|---|
| Foundations | Spread and continuous footings, pile caps, drilled piers and caissons, mat foundations, grade beams, and dowels |
| Slabs | Slabs on grade, elevated slabs, one-way and two-way slabs, mild steel in post-tensioned slabs, and toppings |
| Vertical elements | Columns, shear walls, basement and retaining walls, elevator and stair cores |
| Framing | Beams, girders, joists, and transfer beams |
| Masonry | Vertical and horizontal reinforcement in grouted CMU walls, bond beams, and lintels |
| Tilt-up and precast | Panel reinforcement, embeds, and additional bars at openings |
| Civil and heavy | Bridge decks, abutments, barriers, box culverts, tanks, and water and wastewater structures |
| Site concrete | Stairs, ramps, equipment pads, and loading docks |
Need concrete priced along with the steel? Our concrete estimating services cover formwork, concrete volumes, placement, and finishing from the same drawing set.
Where Tonnage Hides
Where Rebar Takeoffs Most Often Go Wrong
In our experience, most rebar estimates that come in light share the same few gaps. Our estimators calculate each of these directly from the documents.
Lap splices estimated with a flat percentage
Instead of calculated from bar size, grade, concrete strength and splice class. On walls and long slabs this alone can move the total tonnage significantly.
Typical details not applied to every location
Corner bars at wall intersections, trim bars around openings, and additional bars at slab penetrations.
Dowels left off
Footing-to-wall and footing-to-column dowels, construction joint dowels, and dowels into existing concrete.
General notes and specifications missed
Minimum temperature and shrinkage steel, required cover, epoxy coating in specific areas, or Grade 80 substitutions.
Hook and bend lengths omitted from cut lengths
Understating weight on stirrups, ties, and hooked bars.
Accessories treated as an afterthought
Chairs, bolsters and standees for heavy mats can be a meaningful cost on thick slabs.
Addenda and revised structural sheets
Bar sizes or spacing that changed after the original takeoff.
Anything the drawings leave unclear
Flagged in the RFI list, so you can clarify it before you commit to a price.
Methodology
How We Price a Rebar Estimate
Three inputs, each visible and editable in the spreadsheet you receive.
Material and fabrication
Material is priced per ton by bar size, grade, and coating, based on current regional pricing for your project location. Fabrication, bending, and delivery are carried separately. If you have a quote from your mill or fabricator, we use your pricing.
Placing labor
Estimated in hours per ton, adjusted by element type and bar size — tying #4 slab bars takes far more time per ton than placing #11 column verticals. We apply your crew rates, union ironworker rates, or prevailing wage rates as required.
Accessories and equipment
Supports, tie wire, caps, and couplers are priced from the accessory takeoff. Crane time, hoisting, and material handling are included when they are part of your scope.
Who We Work With
Built for Everyone Pricing Reinforcing Steel
Concrete contractors
Bidding foundations, flatwork, and structural concrete.
Rebar fabricators
Bar lists and weights to quote and schedule production.
Placers and ironworkers
Pricing placing labor by the ton.
General contractors
Checking reinforcing steel subcontractor bids.
Engineers and developers
Rebar quantities for budgets or value engineering.
Project Types
Projects We Estimate and Detail
Residential
Single-family foundations, basements, multifamily podiums, and townhome slabs.
Commercial
Office buildings, retail, hotels, hospitals, schools, and high-rises.
Industrial
Warehouses, manufacturing plants, equipment foundations, refineries, and chemical plants.
Parking structures
Cast-in-place and post-tensioned garages.
Infrastructure
Bridges and overpasses, transit structures, retaining walls, and culverts.
Water and wastewater
Treatment plants, tanks, clarifiers, and pump stations.
Our Process
Upload Your Plans →
How Our Rebar Estimating Process Works
Five steps from your structural set to a tonnage you can bid.
-
01
Send your drawings
Upload the structural drawings, general notes, specifications, and addenda. Architectural and civil sheets help when they show slab edges, openings, or site walls. Let us know your bid date and whether you need a takeoff, priced estimate, or detailing.
-
02
Receive a fixed quote
We review the scope and reply with a flat fee and delivery date, usually within a few hours.
-
03
Approve and we begin
Once approved and paid, your project is assigned to estimators experienced in reinforced concrete.
-
04
We clarify, not assume
Missing bar callouts or conflicting schedules are logged as RFIs and discussed with you before we finalize the quantities.
-
05
Quality check and delivery
A senior estimator reviews tonnage against expected steel ratios for the element types and checks bar counts on sample areas. You receive the Excel estimate, bar lists, and marked-up drawings.
Before You Upload
What to Send for an Accurate Rebar Takeoff
- Complete structural drawings — foundation plans, framing plans, sections and all schedules
- Structural general notes and typical details — lap splice tables, typical corner and opening details
- Concrete and reinforcing specifications — Divisions 03 20 00 and 03 30 00
- Architectural plans for slab edges, openings and depressions, and civil plans for site walls or structures
- All addenda and revised sheets
- Your pricing per ton and labor rates, if you want us to use them
Most rebar takeoffs are delivered within 1–2 business days of approval. Rush service is available when your bid date is close, and detailing can be released in pour sequence to match your construction schedule.
Our Portfolio
Recent Rebar Projects
[Project type], [City, State]
[Description]. Scope included [elements]. Total reinforcing: [X] tons across [X] bar sizes, with [coating detail]. Delivered in [X] business days. [Outcome]
[Project type], [City, State]
[Description]. [Key challenge]. [Outcome]
Our Team
Meet Our Rebar Estimating Team
Rebar takeoffs are prepared by estimators who focus on reinforced concrete and reviewed by a senior estimator before delivery. Detailing work is done in Tekla Structures in line with ACI and CRSI standards.
Tekla Structures
3D reinforcement modelling and congestion checks.
Bluebeam Revu
On-screen measurement and drawing markup.
PlanSwift
Assembly-based takeoff and quantity export.
Microsoft Excel
Bar lists and priced estimates in your cost codes.
[Estimator Name], [Title] — [X] years of rebar estimating and detailing experience. [Credentials]. [Project specialty].
FAQ
Rebar Estimating FAQs
What is a rebar takeoff?
A rebar takeoff is a count and measurement of all the reinforcing steel shown on a project's structural drawings, listed by bar size, length, shape, and location, and converted to total weight. It is the basis for pricing, ordering, and fabricating the steel.
How is rebar weight calculated?
Each bar's total length, including laps, hooks, and bends, is multiplied by the standard weight per foot for its size. For example, a #5 bar weighs 1.043 lb per foot. Totals are then summed by size and element and converted to tons.
Do you include lap splices and hooks?
Yes. We calculate lap and development lengths from the project's splice schedule or from ACI 318, based on bar size, concrete strength, and splice class. Hooks and bends are added to cut lengths rather than covered by a general waste percentage.
What is the difference between rebar estimating and rebar detailing?
Estimating determines how much steel is needed and what it will cost, for bidding. Detailing produces placing drawings and bar lists with bar marks and bend shapes, which the fabricator uses to cut and bend steel and the ironworkers use to place it.
Can you provide a bar bending schedule?
Yes. We prepare bar bending schedules with bar marks, sizes, quantities, cut lengths, and CRSI standard bend shapes, organized by element or pour.
Do you estimate accessories like chairs and tie wire?
Yes. Every rebar estimate includes an accessory list with chairs, bolsters, high chairs, standees, tie wire, safety caps, and couplers where required.
What file formats do you accept?
We work from PDF drawing sets and also accept DWG files, plan room links, and cloud storage links.
How accurate are your rebar takeoffs?
Quantities are calculated from the drawings bar by bar and checked by a senior estimator against expected steel ratios for each element type. Where the drawings are incomplete, we list the assumptions and RFIs so you know exactly what the number is based on.
Can you use my pricing per ton?
Yes. Send your mill, fabricator, or supplier pricing and your crew labor rates, and we will build the estimate with them.
Is my project information confidential?
Yes. Drawings and pricing are used only to prepare your estimate and are not shared with anyone else. An NDA is available on request.
Ready to Get Started?
Get Your Rebar Takeoff Before Bid Day
Send us your structural drawings and bid date. We will reply with a flat quote and delivery date, with no obligation, and your plans stay confidential.
Related Services
Trades That Sit Alongside the Steel
Concrete Estimating
Division 03 — formwork, volumes, placement and finishing from the same drawing set.
Masonry Estimating
Division 04 — CMU, brick, grout and the reinforcement inside grouted walls.
Commercial Estimating
All CSI divisions priced together — conceptual budgets through bid-ready takeoffs.