Footings & foundations
- Strip, pad and raft footing reinforcement
- Pier cages and pile reinforcement
- Ground beams and edge beams
- Starter bars and dowels
ASMM / ANZSMM · Reinforcement (Concrete Works)
Reinforcement Estimating
Bar and mesh takeoffs in kilograms and tonnes, with laps, chairs and wastage shown separately
Reinforcement is priced by weight but lost by detail: a missed lap, the wrong cover, or mesh counted as a flat area without overlaps will quietly erode a margin. Australian drawings add their own traps, from N-bar and R-bar notation to mesh sheets called up by reference rather than size.
We read the structural set, build the bar and mesh takeoff by element, and return a schedule you can send straight to a reinforcement supplier or detailer, with the same quantities tied back to the Concrete Works and Substructure elements of your estimate.
kg & tonnesBar by size, mesh by sheet
N-bars & meshD500N, D500L and D500E grades
Laps includedPer AS 3600 and drawing notes
Supplier-readySchedules you can send for quotes
Deliverables
What You Actually Receive
| Deliverable | Format | Detail level |
|---|---|---|
| Bar takeoff by element | Excel, kg / t | Footings, slabs, beams, columns and walls reported separately |
| Mesh schedule | Excel, sheets / m² | By sheet type (SL62 to SL102, RL818 to RL1218) with laps |
| Bar bending summary | Excel | Straight, cut-and-bent and fabricated counts by size |
| Accessories | Excel, No. / m | Bar chairs, spacers, tie wire and starter bars |
| Labour hours | Excel, hrs | Fixing hours by element, not a blanket rate |
| Priced estimate | Excel + PDF | Supply, cut, bend and fix with GST shown separately |
| Marked-up drawings | Colour-coded overlay so every quantity can be audited |
Australian Framework
How This Work Fits Into the Australian Standards
Every estimate is structured to the trade sections used for tendering and to the elements used for early cost plans, so one set of quantities serves both.
| Trade section (ASMM / ANZSMM) | Element (NPWC / AIQS) |
|---|---|
| Concrete Works: Reinforcement | 01 SB Substructure |
| Concrete Works: Reinforcement | 03 UF Upper Floors |
| Concrete Works: Reinforcement | 02 CL Columns / structural frame |
Scope Coverage
Reinforcement Work We Measure
All bars and sheets in the structural set, measured in metric units.
Slabs & decks
- Mesh and bar mats for ground slabs
- Suspended slab top and bottom steel
- Post-tensioning strand and anchors
- Trimmer bars around openings
Beams, columns & walls
- Beam and column cages with ligatures
- Shear wall and core reinforcement
- Retaining wall steel
- Stair and landing reinforcement
Mesh & fabric
- SL and RL mesh sheets by type
- Laps and cover deductions
- Trench mesh for strip footings
- Mesh for pavements and hardstand
Accessories
- Bar chairs and spacers by cover
- Tie wire
- Couplers and cast-in splicing systems
- Cast-in anchors and plates
Our Process
Start a Project →
How We Prepare Your Estimate
Five steps take you from drawings to a reinforcement price you can defend in a scope review.
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01
Scope review
An estimator reads the structural drawings, bar schedules (where issued) and general notes covering cover, laps and bar grades before touching a takeoff tool, and lists every assumption, exclusion and missing item as a query for you to confirm. Nothing is priced on a guess.
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02
Digital measurement
Quantities are measured digitally in Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift or On-Screen Takeoff, in metric: kilograms and tonnes of bar by size, and square metres of mesh by sheet type. Each measurement sits on a named layer, so the marked-up PDF you receive is a visual audit trail.
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03
Pricing
We price the quantities using current Australian supplier quotes, subcontract rates and published benchmarks such as Rawlinsons, adjusted for your postcode and state. If you give us your own rates or a preferred supplier schedule, we use those.
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04
Senior QA review
Before anything is sent, a second estimator compares the takeoff with the drawings and verifies the measuring rules, deductions, wastage allowances and productivity assumptions.
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05
Delivery
Excel and PDF files reach your inbox within one to two days for standard jobs. One round of changes is included, and we remain available for tender queries and scope questions after the tender.
Tooling
Software We Work In
You do not have to hold a licence for these tools. We do the measuring with them and hand over the results.
Bluebeam Revu
Measuring, marking and comparing drawings on screen.
PlanSwift
Takeoffs made from ready-built assemblies, with quantities you can export.
On-Screen Takeoff
Layer-based measuring on big commercial drawing sets.
Rawlinsons-benchmarked rates
Up-to-date Australian unit rates, compared with supplier and subcontractor quotes.
Microsoft Excel
The final file, set out to match your cost codes and trade sections.
If you use Buildsoft, CostX, Estimate One, Procore or your own template, let us know and we will prepare the file so it imports straight in.
Turnaround & Pricing
Cost and Delivery Time
We quote a fee for each project before starting, in AUD excluding GST. We never bill by the hour, and you are never charged more than the quote.
Small / residential scope
24 hoursSingle dwellings, driveways and small slabs.
Typical fee A$350 to A$850
Mid-size commercial
24 to 48 hoursWarehouses, shops and mid-rise buildings.
Typical fee A$850 to A$1,800
Large / complex
48 to 72 hoursMulti-storey, post-tensioned and heavy civil work.
Typical fee A$1,800 to A$3,600
Monthly takeoff package
OngoingA set number of estimates every month, with your jobs placed first in the queue.
Flat monthly rate from A$2,200/mo
Cost vs. Capacity
Why Builders Hand Reinforcement Estimating to Us
A full-time estimator is a salary, super, software seats and training. A reinforcement takeoff from us is a per-project cost that only appears when you are actually tendering.
- No software licences. Takeoff and cost-data subscriptions cost thousands of dollars per user each year. With us, you use ours.
- Tender more, more selectively. Most builders do not lose jobs through bad pricing. They lose them because they run out of time to reach enough tenders before closing.
- Site time stays site time. Items get overlooked when estimating at 9pm after a long day on site.
- Independent accuracy check. Even builders with in-house estimators use us to sanity-check large or unfamiliar reinforcement scopes before they submit.
- Moves up and down with how busy you are. Five takeoffs in a busy month and none in a slow one. You never carry a fixed cost.
Who We Work With
Made for Anyone Buying or Fixing Reinforcement
Steel fixers
Fixing quantities and hours for each element.
Concrete contractors
Supply and fix pricing on structural packages.
Reinforcement suppliers
Weights and sheet counts to price from.
Builders
Checks against subcontractor quotes.
Detailers
Independent checks of schedule weights.
Quantity surveyors
Rate-per-m³ checks on cost plans.
Sample Output
Sample Line Items
Every estimate has this much detail: quantities tied to elements and measured in metric, never lump sums.
| Item | Unit | Qty | Material | Labour | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N12 bars, strip footings | t | 3.84 | $ | $ | $ |
| N16 bars, ground beams | t | 6.10 | $ | $ | $ |
| N20 bars, columns | t | 9.45 | $ | $ | $ |
| R10 ligatures | t | 2.12 | $ | $ | $ |
| SL82 mesh, slab-on-ground | m² | 412.0 | $ | $ | $ |
| SL82 mesh laps and wastage | m² | 38.0 | $ | $ | $ |
| Bar chairs, 40 mm cover | No. | 2,640 | $ | $ | $ |
| Tie wire | kg | 120 | $ | $ | $ |
These example items show only the layout and units. They do not come from a client project.
FAQ
Common Questions
How do you measure reinforcement?
By bar size and length, converted to kilograms using standard unit masses, with laps, hooks and cover accounted for. Mesh is measured by sheet type and area, including laps.
Do you work from bar schedules or from the drawings?
Both. If the engineer has issued bar schedules we check them against the drawings. If not, we build the takeoff from the sections and details and flag anything unclear.
What grades and standards do you price to?
Whatever is specified: D500N bars, D500L mesh and D500E where required, in line with AS/NZS 4671 and the AS 3600 detailing rules noted on the drawings.
Do you include wastage?
Yes, as a separate, visible allowance so you can adjust it to your own cutting practice.
Can you separate supply and fixing?
Yes. Supply, cut-and-bend and fix are priced as separate lines, or as a single supply-and-fix rate if you prefer.
Do you cover post-tensioning?
Yes: strand tonnage, anchor counts and stressing quantities.
What does it cost?
A fee is quoted per project, in AUD excluding GST, before work starts. There is no hourly billing and no invoice larger than the quote.
How fast is turnaround?
Standard scopes ship in 24 to 48 hours. Large structural packages take 48 to 72 hours.
Ready to Get Started?
Ready for Your Next Reinforcement Tender?
Send your drawings along with a short note on what the job covers. A fee and delivery date come back the same working day, and the finished estimate follows within one to two days of your approval.