Structural Steel Estimating Services

Structural steel is taken off from the framing plans, sections and details, member by member. Each beam, column, brace and girt is listed by shape, size and length, then multiplied by its weight per foot. The shape name tells you the weight: a W12x26 beam weighs about 26 pounds per foot. Weights are totaled in pounds and tons, and one ton equals 2,000 pounds.

Members are grouped by type and level, such as columns, floor beams, roof beams and bracing, so you can compare our tonnage with fabricator quotes and see where the weight sits.

Connections can add a meaningful share to steel weight. Where they are detailed, we take off base plates, cap plates, gussets, shear tabs, clip angles and stiffeners. Where they are not detailed, we apply a connection allowance as a percentage of member weight and show it on its own line, so you can adjust it.

• Anchor rods, leveling plates and grout under base plates
• High-strength bolts by size and count, when shown
• Shear studs for composite floors
• Embed plates and angles cast into concrete

Steel joists and joist girders are listed by designation, span and count, along with bridging and bearing details. Metal deck is measured by area for each deck type and gauge, such as roof deck or composite floor deck, and often priced by the square of 100 square feet. We add edge closures, pour stops and reinforcing at openings.

Joists and deck are usually supplied by specialty manufacturers, while erection may be carried by the steel erector. We list supply and installation separately, so you can match each line to the right quote and avoid paying for the same work twice.

• Steel stairs, landings and handrails
• Guardrails, railings and ladders
• Loose lintels and shelf angles
• Bollards, pipe guards and corner guards
• Roof frames for mechanical equipment and screens
• Overhead door frames and support steel

• Piece count: many light pieces cost more to fabricate and erect per ton than fewer heavy pieces.
• Connection type: moment connections and field welding cost far more than simple bolted shear connections.
• Finish: shop primer, galvanizing and painted architecturally exposed steel all add cost.
• Erection: crane size, site access and building height affect erection time.
• Steel prices: mill prices change, so quotes have short validity periods.

Warehouses and distribution centers are mostly columns, joists, joist girders and roof deck, with large repetitive bays. Multistory office buildings have heavier beams, composite deck and moment or braced frames. Schools and gyms add long-span trusses or joists. Retail and restaurants often combine wood or light-gauge framing with steel beams, columns and canopies.

• Is your scope fabrication, erection or both?
• Are connections designed by the engineer or delegated to the fabricator?
• Which finish is required: unpainted, shop primer, galvanized or exposed architectural steel?
• Are joists and deck in your scope, or bought separately?
• Who carries miscellaneous metals, stairs and railings?

Each assumption is written into the clarifications, so your proposal is clear.

Steel cost has three main parts. Detailing turns the design drawings into shop drawings that show every piece, hole and weld. Fabrication cuts, drills, welds and coats each piece in the shop. Erection sets the pieces on site with cranes and connects them. A steel estimate that only counts tons misses how much each part costs, so we price them separately when they are in your scope.

Shop drawings and engineering of delegated connections are often carried by the fabricator. We list them so you know whether your price includes them.

Tonnage by member type helps you compare fabricator quotes line by line and spot missing scope. Piece counts and member weights help you plan crane size and erection sequence. The breakdown by level and area also gives you a schedule of values for billing, and makes it easy to price changes when members are added or resized.

W shape

A wide flange beam or column. W12x26 means about 12 inches deep and 26 pounds per foot.

HSS

Hollow structural section, a square, rectangular or round steel tube.

Joist girder

A primary open-web steel member that supports steel joists.

Composite deck

Metal floor deck that works together with the concrete poured on top of it.

Miscellaneous metals

Smaller steel items such as stairs, railings, lintels and bollards.

• Members by shape, length and weight, with totals in tons
• Connections, plates and hardware, or a stated connection allowance
• Joists, joist girders and deck by type
• Miscellaneous metals listed by item
• Labor and material costs, plus clarifications, in Excel and PDF