Budget Estimating
Freelance Estimating
Blueprint Estimating
Fireproofing Estimating Services
We provide professional fireproofing estimating services for contractors, general contractors, subcontractors, and project managers across all 50 states. Send us your plans and get a detailed, code-compliant fireproofing estimate.
● Why accuracy matters here
Fireproofing estimates that hold up at bid time
Fireproofing is one of those trades where a rough number can cost you the job — or worse, cost you money after you've already won it.
The materials alone vary by a wide margin. Spray-applied fireproofing runs anywhere from $5 to $14 per square foot installed for cementitious systems. Intumescent coatings jump to $10 to $30 per square foot depending on fire rating requirements, steel complexity, and accessibility. Miss those variables in your takeoff and your bid is either too high to win or not profitable enough to finish.
That's where we come in. We do the detailed takeoff work — material quantities, labor hours, surface areas, linear feet of penetrations, code requirements — so you can put a competitive number in front of the owner and actually defend it.
In business since 2011. Over 8,300 projects completed. We know how fireproofing scopes behave across project types, and we know what inspectors look for when it comes to fire ratings.
● Scope of work
What we cover in a fireproofing estimate
A complete fireproofing estimate isn't just a material list. Experienced estimators account for application method, thickness requirements, fire rating classifications, substrate conditions, and access limitations. Here's exactly what our fireproofing estimating includes:
Spray-Applied Fireproofing (SFRM)
Structural steel columns, beams, decking, and trusses. We calculate surface area by member type, account for density specs (standard, medium, or high-density), and factor in thickness per the project's fire rating schedule. Both cementitious and fibrous spray systems are covered.
SFRM CSI 07 81
Intumescent Coatings
Exposed steel in architectural applications, atriums, parking structures, and high-end commercial interiors. Intumescent coatings require careful DFT (dry film thickness) calculations tied to fire rating hours — our estimators work through those precisely, no guesswork on coverage rates.
Intumescent DFT Calc
Cementitious Fireproofing
Heavy industrial applications — refineries, power plants, warehouses, manufacturing facilities. Cementitious fireproofing is durable and cost-effective for concealed structural elements. We account for trowel vs. spray application and factor structural load impacts from added coating weight.
Cementitious Industrial
Gypsum Board & Fire-Rated Assemblies
UL-listed assemblies using gypsum board — shaft walls, corridor assemblies, stairwell enclosures, column wraps. We calculate board quantities, fastening systems, joint compound, and tape per the rated assembly specifications.
UL Listed Gypsum
Firestopping & Penetration Seals
Pipe, cable tray, and duct penetrations through fire-rated barriers. We quantify firestop pillows, intumescent wraps, sealant volumes, and collar quantities by penetration type and fire rating. Electrical rooms, mechanical rooms, and floor/ceiling assemblies included.
Firestopping CSI 07 84
Fire Doors & Rated Openings
Fire door quantities, frames, hardware, and closer specifications per opening schedule — coordinated with our openings estimating work when the full scope is involved.
Fire Doors Hardware
Cellulose Insulation & Specialty Systems
Some residential and light commercial applications use cellulose insulation as part of a fire protection assembly. We account for these where applicable per project documents. Materials, labor, equipment, surface prep, and cleanup — everything in one organized estimate.
● Who we serve
Who we work with
Fireproofing scope affects every party in the project chain differently. Here's how we serve each one.
Fireproofing Subcontractors
You need accurate quantities before you price the job. Our fireproofing takeoffs give you board-by-board, ton-by-ton material lists so you're not padding numbers to protect yourself from uncertainty.
General Contractors
Need fireproofing broken out as a separate line item in your GMP or hard-bid estimate? We prepare cost breakdowns in the format your owner expects, with clean scope separation between systems.
Project Managers
You're juggling schedules, subs, and RFIs. Handing off the fireproofing takeoff to our team means one less scope to worry about getting wrong before bid day.
Developers & Owners
Budgeting a new commercial building or industrial facility? We provide early-stage fireproofing cost estimates to help with planning before the structural design is finalized.
Architects & Engineers
Spec review, value engineering, and system comparison are available when you need an estimating team that understands passive fire protection at a technical level.
● Project coverage
Project types we estimate
Most fireproofing estimating requests come from commercial and industrial projects — but we cover everything.
Commercial
Commercial Construction
Office buildings, hotels, retail centers, mixed-use developments. High-rise commercial projects often involve spray-applied fireproofing on structural steel alongside fire-rated assemblies throughout the building — we handle both in a single integrated estimate.
Industrial
Industrial Projects
Power plants, refineries, manufacturing plants, data centers, warehouses. These scopes frequently require cementitious fireproofing on heavy structural components and extensive firestopping at a high penetration count. Our estimators know how those two scopes interact — and price them accordingly.
Residential
Residential & Multi-Family
Apartment complexes, condominiums, and mid-rise residential construction. Fire ratings matter here too, especially in corridor and stairwell assemblies where the IBC and IRC set explicit requirements. We estimate these correctly and completely.
Healthcare
Healthcare & Institutional
Medical office buildings, schools, and government facilities. These occupancies carry strict fire resistance requirements tied to building use and life safety classifications. We know the code well enough to catch spec discrepancies before they become field problems.
Civil
Infrastructure & Civil
Tunnels, parking structures, transportation facilities, bridges. Some of these scopes require specialized hydrocarbon-rated systems (UL 1709). When that's the case, we account for it from the start.
● Know the difference
Fireproofing vs. Firestopping — what's actually different
Contractors ask about this regularly, so here's the short version.
Fireproofing
Structural Protection
It's what you apply to steel beams, columns, and other structural elements to slow heat transfer and keep them from losing load-bearing capacity during a fire. The goal is time — enough for occupants to get out and firefighters to work. Fire ratings (1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour) describe how long a protected assembly can maintain structural integrity under fire conditions.
Firestopping
Compartmentalization
It's about sealing penetrations through fire-rated barriers so fire can't travel through walls, floors, and ceilings via pipes, cables, and ducts. Firestop pillows, intumescent sealants, collars, and wraps are the typical materials in that scope. A different takeoff, different material list, different labor calculation.
● Our methodology
What makes our fireproofing estimating accurate
Fireproofing is one of the more technically demanding trades to estimate correctly. The gap between a thorough takeoff and a rough one shows up fast when the job starts. Here's how our team approaches it:
Plan Review Before Calculations
We read the structural drawings, fire rating schedules, and Division 07 specifications before touching a number. Miss a 3-hour requirement on a column and the entire scope shifts. We catch those things upfront.
Member-by-Member Surface Area Takeoff
For spray-applied fireproofing, every structural member type gets its own calculation. Perimeter-to-area ratios determine coating thickness requirements per fire rating — we apply those correctly, by member, not by floor-wide average.
Exact Quantities from Actual Drawings
Our takeoffs come from what's on the plans — not from multiplier-based shortcuts. You get linear feet of penetrations, square feet of rated assemblies, and gypsum board counts down to the sheet.
Code & Compliance Cross-Check
If a fire code requirement appears to conflict with the specified system, we flag it. A note from us at the estimate stage costs nothing. The same issue discovered during inspection is a different conversation entirely.
Value Engineering Where It Applies
Sometimes the specified system isn't the only compliant option. Where SFRM and intumescent coatings both satisfy the fire rating requirement, we can run a side-by-side cost comparison. Building fire resistant structures doesn't always mean going with the most expensive assembly.
RS Means Pricing Tied to Your Region
Material and labor pricing reflects current market data from RS Means, adjusted for regional rates. You're not working off national averages that don't apply to your market.
96%
That's how we maintain 96% accuracy across every fireproofing project we handle — member-by-member takeoffs, current market pricing, and a compliance cross-check before anything leaves our desk.
● How it works
Our process: four steps to a complete estimate
Pretty straightforward. Four steps and you have a complete estimate ready to use.
Step 01
Send Your Plans
Upload your drawings through our website or email them directly. Structural drawings, fire rating schedules, architectural plans, and specifications are all useful. If you only have partial documents, reach out — we'll work with what you have and tell you upfront what we're assuming.
Step 02
We Confirm Scope & Quote
We review your documents and send you a flat-fee quote within 15–30 minutes. No hourly billing. No scope creep on the invoice. One number for the complete fireproofing takeoff.
Step 03
Takeoff & Estimation
Our estimators work through the plans systematically — structural members, rated assemblies, penetrations, doors, specialty systems. Most projects are completed in 24–48 hours. Rush turnaround is available when bid deadlines are tight.
Step 04
You Receive the Estimate
You get a detailed Excel file with itemized quantities, material costs, labor costs, and a summary page — organized by system and location so your team can use it right away.
Here's what that deliverable includes:
Itemized material takeoff by system (SFRM, intumescent, gypsum board, firestopping)
Quantities in the units that matter — sq ft of coverage, linear feet of penetrations, board counts, gallon quantities for coatings
Labor hours broken out by application type and access condition
Cost summary separated by material, labor, and equipment
Marked-up plan set showing takeoff areas for reference
● Transparent pricing
Fireproofing estimating cost: what you pay us
Our estimating services are flat-fee. Pricing scales with project size and complexity — not with how many hours it takes us.
$500–$1,500
Typical range — most commercial fireproofing estimatesLarger industrial projects or multi-building scopes run higher. We'll give you the exact number within 15–30 minutes of reviewing your plans.
No hourly rates. No revision fees for scope questions. No upcharge on rush delivery for most projects. Just a complete, usable estimate at a price you know before we start.
Compare that to the cost of a missed fire-rating requirement or a material over-purchase on spray-applied fireproofing. The math is easy.
No hourly billing
No revision fees for scope questions
No upcharge on rush delivery (most projects)
Get a flat-fee quote →
or call (786) 575-7818 — we respond in minutes.
What pushes fireproofing project costs higher
A few things cause fireproofing scopes to run over budget when they haven't been estimated carefully:
Fire Rating Hours
A 3-hour requirement calls for significantly more coating thickness than a 1-hour rating on the same steel section. Thickness drives material volume, and material volume drives cost directly.
Steel Accessibility
Ground-level open web steel is fast to spray. High ceilings, tight mechanical rooms, and complex steel geometry slow crews down and add labor hours. An accurate estimate reflects those conditions.
Exposed vs. Concealed Steel
Steel visible in the finished space typically requires intumescent coatings — a cost difference of $5–$20 per square foot compared to standard cementitious systems.
Penetration Volume
Heavy MEP coordination with a high penetration count adds significant firestopping scope. Contractors routinely undercount penetrations from early drawing sets. We count all of them from the coordinated set.
Our estimates account for every one of these variables so the number you bid is the number you can build to.
● Common mistakes
Where fireproofing estimates go wrong
Some of this is worth knowing before you rely on a number that wasn't put together carefully.
Underestimating Penetration Scope
Firestopping scope gets defined late in the design process. The penetration count visible in early-stage documents is almost always lower than what ends up in the coordinated MEP drawings. Bid from the early set and you've already left money on the table.
Applying Square Footage Multipliers to SFRM
It's fast, but it's not right. Member section factors vary across a building, rating requirements change by floor and occupancy zone, and accessibility conditions are never uniform. Surface area has to be calculated by member type — a building-wide rate per square foot doesn't hold up.
Treating All Fireproofing Systems the Same
SFRM, intumescent coatings, gypsum board assemblies, and firestopping use different insulation materials with different coverage rates, cure times, and waste allowances. Swapping assumptions between systems produces incorrect quantities — sometimes in both directions at once.
Not Reading the Rating Schedule Carefully
A 2-hour column wrap requires more coating than a 1-hour wrap on the same member. If those requirements aren't applied member by member from the actual schedule, you'll either overbuy or fail inspection. Both outcomes cost money.
● Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is included in a fireproofing estimate?+
A complete estimate covers material quantities for every fireproofing system on the project — spray-applied SFRM (cementitious or fibrous), intumescent coatings, gypsum board assemblies, and firestopping. It also includes labor costs, surface preparation, equipment, and waste factors. All quantities come from actual plan dimensions and fire rating schedules, not rule-of-thumb multipliers.
How much does fireproofing cost per square foot?+
Spray-applied cementitious systems typically run $5 to $14 per square foot installed. Intumescent coatings range from $10 to $30 per square foot depending on coating thickness, required fire rating, and steel accessibility. Gypsum board assembly costs vary by system type. Our estimates give you project-specific numbers based on your actual drawings — not a generic industry range.
What's the difference between fireproofing and firestopping?+
Fireproofing protects structural components — steel beams, columns, decking — from heat transfer and structural failure during a fire. Firestopping seals penetrations through fire-rated barriers to stop fire and smoke from moving between compartments. Both are typically required on commercial and industrial jobs, and both need separate takeoffs. We cover both, kept clearly distinct in the deliverable.
What fire ratings do you estimate for?+
All standard fire resistance ratings — 1-hour, 2-hour, 3-hour, and 4-hour assemblies. That includes both ASTM E119 cellulosic ratings and UL 1709 hydrocarbon fire ratings for industrial and petrochemical applications. We work directly from the fire rating schedule in your project documents.
Do you estimate fireproofing for residential projects?+
Yes. Multi-family buildings, apartment complexes, and mid-rise residential construction where IBC and IRC fire resistance requirements apply. Corridor and stairwell assemblies in residential projects often require fully rated systems — we estimate those completely.
What plans do you need?+
Structural drawings and a fire rating schedule are the most important documents. Architectural plans help with penetration counts and rated assembly locations. Division 07 specifications round out the scope. If your set is incomplete, reach out — we work with partial documents regularly and will be upfront about what assumptions we're making.
How long does a fireproofing estimate take?+
Most commercial estimates are completed within 24 to 48 hours. Larger industrial scopes or multi-building projects may take 48 to 72 hours. Rush delivery is available for tight bid deadlines — mention it when you submit your plans and we'll confirm whether we can hit your date.
Do you also cover firestopping estimating?+
Yes. Our firestopping estimating services cover penetration seals, firestop pillows, intumescent collars, sealants, and rated joint systems — all kept separate from the fireproofing scope in the deliverable so each party's scope is clearly defined.
What software do you use?+
PlanSwift for digital takeoffs, Bluebeam for plan markup and verification, and RS Means for material and labor pricing. All deliverables are provided in Excel so you can edit, share, or plug figures directly into your bid.
Can you estimate fireproofing and insulation together?+
Yes. Many projects have overlapping fireproofing and insulation scopes — especially in mechanical rooms, electrical rooms, and industrial facilities. We can produce a combined estimate with both scopes cleanly separated, or handle them independently if that works better for your workflow.
● Why PRO Estimating
Why contractors choose PRO Estimating Services
We've been in construction estimating since 2011 — 15 years covering every trade in the CSI MasterFormat, including the full Division 07 scope that fireproofing falls under. Over 8,300 projects completed across all 50 states.
96%
The Numbers Hold Up
A documented accuracy rate across thousands of completed jobs. That's not a rounding claim — it's the difference between a change order conversation and a clean closeout.
24–48h
Fast Turnaround
For most projects. Bid due Friday, plans sent Wednesday? Call us first and we'll tell you honestly whether we can make it.
Flat
One Flat Fee
You know the cost before we start. No hourly billing, no invoice surprises, no upcharge for back-and-forth on scope questions.
50
Regional Pricing, Not Averages
Labor rates, material costs, and code requirements differ across the country. Our estimators account for those differences whether your project is in Texas, New York, Florida, or anywhere in between.
2011
Real Construction Knowledge
Our team understands how fireproofing scopes actually get built — where the cost risk sits, how inspectors evaluate rated assemblies, and what changes between project types.
Send your plans and get a free quote. We respond within 15 to 30 minutes.