Budget Estimating
Freelance Estimating
Blueprint Estimating
Metal Estimating Services
for every Division 5 scope.
We provide professional metals estimating services for steel erectors, rebar contractors, fabricators, and general contractors across all 50 states. Flat-fee pricing. 96% accuracy. Deliverables back in 24–48 hours.
96% Accuracy rate
8,300+ Projects completed
24–48 hr Turnaround time
15+ yrs In business since 2011
● About This Service
Division 5 Metals Estimating Done Right
Metal is one of the most complex and cost-sensitive trades in construction. Prices shift. Specifications are dense. One wrong calculation on a structural steel estimate can blow your entire bid, or your project budget mid-construction.
That's where we come in.
At PRO Estimating Services, we handle the full CSI Division 5 scope: structural steel, rebar, miscellaneous metals, detailing services, and everything that falls between. We've been doing this since 2011. That's 8,300+ completed projects across residential, commercial, and industrial construction nationwide.
We don't guess. We measure, verify, and get it back to you on time.
What we cover
- Structural Steel Estimating
- Rebar & Reinforcing Steel Estimating
- Miscellaneous Metals Estimating
- Metal Framing & Light Steel
- Sheet Metal Estimating
- Bar Bending Schedules
- Steel Detailing & Shop Drawings
- Rebar CAD Drawings
● Our Metals Estimating Services
What's Included When You Work With Us
When you outsource your metals estimating to us, here's what you're actually getting:
Structural Steel Estimating
Getting the tonnage wrong on a structural steel project isn't a rounding error. It can kill a bid or derail a budget mid-construction. Our structural steel estimating services cover material takeoffs for beams, columns, girders, plates, connections, crane requirements, and labor hours. Fabrication costs and erection costs are broken out separately, so there's no ambiguity about what's included.
We handle structural steel estimates for new builds, additions, renovations, and industrial facilities of any size. Simple steel frame or a 12-story structure, scope doesn't intimidate us.
Structural Steel Fabrication Costs Erection Costs
Rebar & Reinforcing Steel Estimating
Rebar estimation is detail work. Bar sizes, lengths, spacing, lap splices, hooks, ties: miss any of it and you're either over-ordering or running short on a pour. Neither is a good day.
Our rebar estimators produce reinforcing steel takeoffs aligned with ACI 318, ASTM A615, and CRSI (Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute) standards. That covers accurate bar bending schedules, reinforcing steel placement quantities, and rebar shop drawings support: everything rebar fabricators, rebar contractors, and concrete subcontractors need to bid with confidence and order correctly. On projects with precast concrete elements, precast concrete detailing and rebar positioning detailing get handled alongside the cast-in-place scope, one package, one source. Rebar CAD drawings are available for fabricators who need shop-ready documentation rather than just a quantity spreadsheet.
Bar Bending Schedules CRSI Standards ACI 318
Miscellaneous Metals Estimating
This is where a lot of estimators leave money on the table. Miscellaneous metals, including stairs, railings, ladders, grating, embeds, steel anchors, steel doors, frames, and hollow metal aluminum frames, add up fast and tend to get underestimated when everyone's focused on the structural package.
Our miscellaneous metals estimating services account for every Division 5 line item individually. Base plates, gusset plates, lintels, bollards, nosing strips, the pieces that get lumped together or missed in a hurry, each get their own quantity and price. That's how we protect your margin before the job even starts.
Misc Metals Base Plates Hollow Metal
Metal Framing & Light Steel Estimating
Light gauge steel is its own discipline. Stud sizing, track, bridging, and accessories all vary by application, and load-bearing systems carry different pricing from non-structural partitions. We keep those scopes separate and clearly labeled.
Structural and light steel come back to you as two distinct estimates. Your crews, suppliers, and subs each know exactly what they're working from.
Stud Framing Load-Bearing Light Steel
Sheet Metal Estimating
Sheet metal quantities vary more than most trades. Roofing panels, wall cladding, ductwork support systems, and custom fabrications each carry their own labor and material rates. We break quantities down by component, gauge, and finish. Your bid number reflects actual scope, not a blended average.
Sheet Metal By Gauge By Finish
● Who We Serve
Built for the People Actually Doing the Work
Our metals estimating services are built for the people actually doing the work:
Steel Erectors
Accurate steel frame erection takeoffs before pricing a job.
Steel Fabricators
Detailed fabrication cost breakdowns for shop bids.
Rebar Contractors
Complete reinforcing steel takeoffs and bar bending schedules.
General Contractors
Division 5 numbers to build your overall project budget.
Metal Framing Contractors
Stud framing quantities to price competitively.
Developers & Owners
Reliable structural steel cost estimation before committing to a project.
Architects & Engineers
Pre-bid cost checks on steel-heavy designs.
● Deliverables
What You Get When We Deliver
Here's what you actually receive when we deliver your estimate:
Steel Takeoffs in Excel
Organized by CSI MasterFormat, Uniformat, or whatever format your team uses. Every line item broken out by component, quantity, and unit cost.
Color-Coded Marked-Up Plans
Trace every measured item back to the drawings. Fast to review, easy to edit if anything needs adjusting.
Detailed Cost Estimate
Materials, labor, equipment (cranes, rigging), welding, and erection costs: the full cost picture a fabricator or GC actually needs.
Bar Bending Schedules
For rebar work: cut lists, bend angles, placement notes, ready for the shop or the field.
Fast Turnaround
Estimates are back in 24–48 hours for most projects. Got a bid due sooner? Rush turnaround is available. Just tell us when you submit.
Flat-Fee Pricing
From $200 to $5,000 based on project scope, not hours spent. You know the price before we start.
● How It Works
Our Process: Simple and Straight forward
The process is simple. No complicated onboarding, no retainer, no long setup call.
Step 01
Send Your Plans
Upload your blueprints, drawings, and specs. We accept PDFs, CAD files, and most standard formats. Takes about 2 minutes, and you can include notes about scope or bid deadline right in the message.
Step 02
We Review & Confirm Scope
We review the drawings and confirm the metals scope with you. If anything's unclear, we'll reach out within 15–30 minutes. No long back-and-forths.
Step 03
Takeoff & Pricing
Our senior estimators work through the full Division 5 scope using PlanSwift, Bluebeam, and RS Means pricing data. Quantities get cross-referenced, regional material costs applied, and labor hours factored in for each component. Location-based pricing means your numbers reflect your market, not a national average.
Step 04
Quality Review
Before anything goes out the door, a second estimator checks quantities, pricing, and scope completeness. That review process is why our accuracy rate holds at 96% across thousands of projects.
Step 05
Delivery
Your complete estimate package lands in your inbox, Excel takeoff, color-coded plans, and cost summary, within the same business day or next, depending on scope. Formatted and ready to submit.
● Why Outsource
Why Outsource Your Metals Estimating?
Honest answer? Because maintaining an in-house estimating team for structural steel and rebar work is expensive when you actually run the numbers.
A full-time estimator runs $70,000 to $100,000 per year in salary, before software licenses, benefits, and the learning curve on complex steel packages. That cost is fixed whether you're slammed with bids or sitting on a slow month. Most mid-size contractors and steel fabricators don't need a full-time metals estimator. They need a reliable one they can call on demand.
That's what we are. You send the drawings, we return a verified estimate the same day or next, and you pay a flat fee based on scope. No retainer. No commitment between projects. Just accurate numbers when you need them.
Steel estimation is also genuinely difficult to do quickly in-house, especially on projects with complex structural steel packages, multiple reinforcing steel takeoffs, or detailed miscellaneous metals scope. A lot of contractors have told us they were losing bids simply because they couldn't turn estimates fast enough. That's a capacity problem, and it's one we solve every day.
Get a free estimate →
We respond in 15 to 30 minutes.
In-House vs. Outsourced
Full-time estimator salary $70K–$100K/yr
Software licenses $3K–$8K/yr
Benefits & overhead $15K–$25K/yr
PRO Estimating flat-fee $200–$5,000
Per project. No retainer. Pay as you go
● Why Choose Us
Why Contractors Choose PRO Estimating Services
There are a lot of estimating companies out there. Most of them offer the same things: Excel takeoffs, marked-up plans, 24 to 48 hour turnaround. So what's actually different here?
Deep Division 5 Specialization
We've been specifically estimating metals and structural steel since 2011, and this trade is where our senior estimators have built their deepest experience. They understand fabrication processes, laser welding tolerances, erection sequencing, and connection detailing, not just how to measure lengths on a drawing. That background matters when the drawings are complex or the specs are tight.
Location-Specific Pricing
Pricing is location-specific. RS Means data is pulled by zip code, which means your structural steel estimate reflects actual regional labor and material costs. Not a national average that may or may not apply to your market.
Steel Price Volatility, Accounted For
Steel prices are volatile, and we account for that directly in your estimate. Key material cost assumptions get flagged so you can revisit them if mill prices shift between when we deliver the estimate and when you submit the bid. Your number stays defensible even in a moving market.
Proven Track Record
Over 8,300 projects completed. 96% accuracy rate. 15+ years in this industry. We're not a new company figuring out Division 5. We're the estimating firm you call when the number has to be right.
96% Accuracy rate
8,300+ Projects completed
15+ Years in business
50 States covered
● Project Types
Every Project Type. All 50 States.
Commercial
Office buildings, retail, warehouses, mixed-use, multi-family.
Industrial
Manufacturing plants, processing facilities, distribution centers.
Residential
Custom homes with structural steel, multi-unit residential, high-rise framing.
Civil & Infrastructure
Bridges, retaining structures, highway projects, and public works.
Institutional
Schools, hospitals, government buildings.
All 50 states · All project sizes · Residential through industrial
● Software & Tools
Tools & Standards We Follow
Wondering what software we use? Here's the stack:
PlanSwift
Digital takeoffs. Fast, precise, and measurable.
Bluebeam
Plan review, markup, and color-coded annotation.
RS Means
Location-based pricing data pulled by zip code.
Industry Standards
We align every estimate with the standards your team and clients already expect. Deliverables come in the format your team and clients already use, no reformatting required.
ACI: American Concrete Institute CRSI: Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute ASTM AISC CSI MasterFormat Uniformat ASTM A615 ACI 318
What does your metals estimating service include?
Our Division 5 coverage spans structural steel, rebar, miscellaneous metals, metal framing, and sheet metal. Every estimate package includes a complete Excel takeoff, color-coded marked-up plans, and a cost breakdown with materials, labor, and equipment separated out. Bar bending schedules come with rebar work automatically.
How much does a metal estimate cost?
Flat-fee pricing starts at $200 and goes up to $5,000 depending on scope and complexity. You get a quote before we start. No surprises.
How fast can you turn a metals estimate around?
Most estimates are back within 24 to 48 hours of scope confirmation. If your deadline is tighter, just flag it when you submit your plans and we'll prioritize accordingly.
Do you estimate structural steel and rebar on the same project?
Yes. We can handle the full Division 5 package or just the portion you need. A lot of GCs send us the complete drawings and we cover structural steel, rebar, and miscellaneous metals together. Easier for you, cleaner coordination on our end.
What file formats do you accept?
PDFs, DWG, DXF, and most standard drawing formats. If you've got it, we can work with it.
Do you provide shop drawings or just estimates?
Both. Structural steel detailing services and rebar shop drawings are available alongside the estimate. Let us know what you need when you submit your plans.
Can you handle industrial projects?
Absolutely. Manufacturing facilities, processing plants, distribution centers, power infrastructure: industrial projects make up a significant part of our metals estimating work. Send us the drawings.
How accurate are your estimates?
We maintain a 96% accuracy rate across 8,300+ completed projects. Every estimate goes through a second-level review before delivery, and RS Means pricing is applied by zip code to keep numbers grounded in your actual market.
What if steel prices have shifted recently?
We flag key material cost assumptions in every estimate so you know exactly which line items to revisit if mill prices move before your bid goes out. You're not locked into a stale number.
Do you work with smaller contractors, not just large firms?
Definitely. A single-trade rebar contractor bidding one residential job and a regional steel fabricator running multiple commercial bids at once, we work with both regularly. The flat fee scales to the scope, so smaller jobs stay affordable.
● Get Started
Ready to Get Started?
Get Estimate Now and we'll have your metals estimate back within 24 to 48 hours. Structural steel, rebar, miscellaneous metals, or the entire Division 5 scope, we handle all of it.