Structure & Site
Steel Estimating Services in New Zealand
Structural steel quantities by member and section, with tonnage, connections, coatings and erection items measured.
Steel is priced by the tonne, but a fabricator's real costs sit in the details: connection plates, bolts, stiffeners, coatings and site welding. A steel estimate that only counts member weight leaves out a large part of the work.
We take off structural steel member by member from the engineer's drawings and schedules. Each member is listed by section size, length and weight. Connections are measured where they are detailed, or allowed as a stated percentage where they are not. Base plates, cleats, purlins, girts and bracing are counted separately.
Protective coatings are measured in square metres of surface area, which is how coating applicators price. We also flag fire protection requirements where the drawings show them.
Scope
What we measure in a steel takeoff
| Item | Unit | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Primary members | t / no. | Columns, beams and rafters by section and length. |
| Secondary steel | t / lm | Purlins, girts and lintels by profile. |
| Bracing | t / no. | Rod, flat and tube bracing. |
| Connections | t / no. / % | Plates, cleats, stiffeners and bolts, measured or allowed. |
| Base plates and anchors | no. | Plates, cast-in bolts and grout. |
| Protective coatings | m² | Surface area by coating system. |
| Fire protection | m² | Intumescent coatings or board where specified. |
| Miscellaneous metalwork | kg / no. | Stairs, balustrades and lintels where in scope. |
Deliverables
What you receive
Steel estimates include a member schedule sorted by section size, which fabricators can use to source material and quote quickly.
| Itemised quantity sheet | Excel + PDF |
| Marked-up plans | Colour-coded PDF |
| Material and labour schedule | Excel |
| Assumptions and exclusions list |
Who it is for
Built for the people who price the work
- Builders
- Check a fabricator's tonnage against an independent measure.
- Subcontractors
- Steel fabricators can quote more jobs with a ready-made member schedule.
- Developers
- Compare the cost of steel and concrete frames on a commercial project.
- Architects
- Understand the tonnage impact of a long-span roof or large cantilever.
Process
How a steel estimate runs
STEP 01
Upload plans
Upload the structural drawings, steel schedules and specification.
STEP 02
Scope confirmation
We confirm connection assumptions, coating systems and miscellaneous metalwork scope.
STEP 03
Takeoff and review
Members are measured and weighted, then checked against total tonnage per square metre of floor area.
STEP 04
Delivery
You receive the steel schedule, quantity sheet, PDF and marked-up structural drawings.
New Zealand context
Standards and practice
Structural steel in New Zealand is designed to NZS 3404 and fabricated and erected under AS/NZS 5131, which uses construction categories (CC1 to CC4) to set inspection and quality requirements. Higher categories add fabrication and testing cost, so we note the category where it is stated.
Corrosion protection is often specified with reference to AS/NZS 2312, using atmospheric corrosivity categories. Coastal sites in New Zealand can require heavier coating systems, which we measure by system rather than as a single generic coat.
We measure and price to the drawings. Design compliance and building consent remain with your designer and building consent authority.
Cost drivers
What drives the cost of steel work
01
Piece count
Many light members cost more to fabricate and erect than fewer heavy ones of the same tonnage. We report piece counts alongside weight.
02
Coating system
Galvanising, paint systems and fire protection can add significantly to the steel price. Coastal and industrial environments often need heavier systems.
03
Construction category
Higher construction categories under AS/NZS 5131 bring more inspection and testing. This is noted on the drawings and affects fabricators' prices.
04
Erection access
Crane size, site access and erection sequence affect erection cost. We note access assumptions so they can be priced.
Where steel estimates go wrong
Steel estimates go wrong when tonnage is used as the only measure. Two jobs with the same tonnage can differ greatly in cost if one has many small members and complex connections.
Coatings are the other common miss. Surface area, not weight, drives coating cost, and heavier coating systems in coastal areas can add significantly. We calculate surface area for every member.
Site welding and touch-up painting after erection are also often left out of steel prices. Bolted connections made on site still need tightening and checking, galvanised steel cut or welded on site needs repair coating, and painted members damaged in transport or erection need touch-up. These tasks are small individually but are present on almost every steel job, so we include allowances for them.
FAQ
Steel Estimating questions
Do you include connection weight?
Where connections are detailed, we measure them. Where they are designed by the fabricator, we apply a stated percentage that you can adjust.
Can you measure coating areas?
Yes. Surface areas are calculated per member so coating applicators can price the job.
Do you estimate light gauge steel?
Light steel framing is covered under our framing service. Purlins and girts are included here.
Do you include erection?
We can include erection allowances based on tonnage and piece count, or leave erection to the steel contractor.
Can you estimate steel stairs and balustrades?
Yes, as miscellaneous metalwork, where they are drawn.
Related services
- Structural Estimating
Structural quantities measured straight from the engineer's drawings and schedules, across concrete, steel and engineered timber.
- Industrial Estimating
Estimates for warehouses, cool stores, factories and rural buildings, where the slab, the steel and the envelope carry most of the cost.
- Reinforcement and Rebar Estimating
Reinforcing steel quantities by bar diameter, shape and element, plus mesh, laps, chairs and accessories, in tonnes and counts.
- Fire Protection Estimating
Active and passive fire protection quantities: sprinklers, alarms, detection, hydrants and fire stopping, measured from the fire design.
Get a quote
Send your plans for a steel estimate
Upload your drawings and we will reply with a fixed fee and turnaround before any work starts. No obligation.
- — PDF, DWG and ZIP accepted
- — Fees in NZD, excluding GST
- — Prefer email? Use the link in the footer