Structural Steel Takeoff

Every beam, column, joist, brace and connection shown on the structural steel drawings is counted by member size and length, then totaled by weight — the unit steel is actually priced in — with connection hardware quantified from the connection details.

How we take it off

Members are taken off individually from the structural plan by size, length and shape designation, then converted to weight using standard section properties. Connections — base plates, clip angles, moment connections — are counted from the connection details or the engineer's schedule, not assumed as a percentage of steel weight. Decking and miscellaneous metals shown on the same drawings are quantified separately by area or piece count.

What the second-estimator review is checking

• Tonnage estimated from a rule-of-thumb pounds-per-square-foot factor instead of a real member takeoff
• Connection hardware priced as an allowance rather than counted from the connection schedule
• Miscellaneous metals (stairs, rails, embeds) bid as part of the main steel package and lost in the total
• Camber and cut-length allowances not reflected in the final weight