Misc metals takeoff services
We count Division 05 the way a shop buys it — rails by detail number in lineal feet, stairs broken out per flight, lintels and shelf angles by mark, embeds and anchors counted each against the structural set. A fabrication-ready quantity list, not a lump-sum guess. For metals fabricators across Canada: from $600, on time or 50% off.
What we count on a
Div 05 takeoff
Every item that gets fabricated, galvanized, delivered and installed — tied to the detail number it comes from. Misc metals is a detail-driven trade, so the workbook is organized by detail and mark rather than by floor area.
- Guardrails and handrails by detail numberLF / mEach detail its own line — post spacing, infill type, top rail profile and mounting condition recorded against it.
- Rail posts, returns and terminationsEA
- Stairs broken out per flightEA + LF + risersStringers, treads, risers, landings and platforms separated so shop hours land on the right item.
- Ships ladders, cat ladders and roof hatches accessEA + LF
- Lintels by mark and sizeEA + LFAgainst the lintel schedule, with bearing length and galvanizing noted.
- Shelf angles and support anglesLF / m
- Embeds, weld plates and anchor boltsEACounted from the structural drawings, by type, because that's the sheet they're drawn on.
- Bollards, wheel stops and guardsEA
- Gratings, floor plate and trench coversSF + EA
- Equipment supports, dunnage and platformsEA + LFFrom the mechanical and structural sets, where the support is yours and the equipment isn't.
- Loose steel, angles and miscellaneous framingLF + EA
- Elevator sill angles, divider beams and hoistway steelEA + LF
- Corner guards, bumper rails and edge protectionLF / EA
- Metal fabrications in ornamental and feature workEA + LF
- Finish and coating per itemstatedHot-dip galvanized, shop primed, painted or architecturally finished — recorded against every line, since it changes both cost and lead time.
- Connection hardware and fastenersEA
How we measure
miscellaneous metals
Misc metals is measured off details and schedules, with the architectural and structural sets read together. Almost every scope gap in this trade comes from reading only one of the two — the rail is on the A-sheets, the embed that holds it is on the S-sheets.
Every item is tied to the detail it comes from
Rails, stairs and fabrications are grouped by detail number, not by location, because that's how a shop estimates and how a fabrication drawing gets produced. The workbook reads like a cut list with quantities, and every line points back at a drawing you can open.
Architectural and structural read against each other
The rail is on the A-sheets and its embed is on the S-sheets. Lintels are scheduled structurally and shown architecturally. Equipment supports come from the mechanical layout. We read all of them together, and where they disagree, both readings go on the assumptions page.
Stairs are broken down, never counted as stairs
A stair is stringers, treads, risers, landings, handrails and guards — different material, different shop time, different install. Counting "one stair" hides all of it. We report per flight with the components separated, so shop hours attach to the right item.
Galvanizing and finish recorded per item
Hot-dip galvanizing changes cost, adds a trip and adds lead time. Shop primer, field paint and architectural finishes all price differently again. Finish is written against every line so procurement and schedule both work off the same list.
Rails measured by condition, not by total length
Wall-mounted, floor-mounted, fascia-mounted, guard versus handrail, sloped versus level — each is a different rate over the same lineal foot. Post counts come from spacing in the detail rather than from an assumed average.
"Miscellaneous metals as required" is answered with a list
Specs love that phrase, and it means everything nobody else claimed. We give you an itemized list of what was measured, so your exclusions can be specific instead of a blanket qualification that a general contractor will read past.
Embeds tied to the pour they go in
Embeds are counted by type against the element they're cast into, which is what makes them useful on site rather than just in a bid. It's the same reading that drives the concrete and formwork takeoff from the other side.
Metric or imperial, whichever you bid in
Commercial and institutional sets in Canada are commonly metric; residential work is often imperial. The workbook arrives in the units you price with, or both columns, with detail numbers and marks carried through exactly as drawn.
Scope gaps we flag
on Div 05 packages
The six that cost metals fabricators money most often. Each one lands on the assumptions and exclusions page with the sheet it came from, so you can qualify it in your bid instead of meeting it in a change order.
Embeds live on the structural set
The rail lives on the architectural sheets, the embed that holds it lives on the structural. Bid one set and half the package is somebody's assumption — and embeds have to be on site before the pour, so the discovery is expensive as well as late.
"Miscellaneous metals as required"
It means everything no other trade claimed, and it's a blank cheque unless you answer it with a list. Exclude by itemized list, not by hope — a general qualification is worth very little in a scope meeting.
Equipment supports and dunnage
Rooftop units, tanks and mechanical equipment need steel supports drawn on the mechanical or structural sheets. The equipment belongs to another trade; the steel under it is Division 05, and it's rarely on any architectural drawing.
Galvanizing assumed rather than scheduled
Whether an item is hot-dip galvanized, shop primed or architecturally finished is a spec decision with real cost and real lead time attached. Assumed wrong on a large rail package, it's a margin problem you can't recover mid-fabrication.
Glass guards that might be Division 08
Glass railings and guards sit in Division 05 on some specs and Division 08 on others. We name which one the spec uses so you and the glazing sub aren't both excluding it — or both carrying it.
Lintels scheduled but not shown
Lintel schedules sit on the structural sheets and rarely repeat on the architectural. Every masonry and concrete opening has one, they're heavy, they're usually galvanized, and they're easy to miss when the count is taken off elevations.
More of these by trade in the bid traps list, and the cost side in what a construction takeoff costs in Canada.
Workbook +
marked plans
Everything is checkable. Every quantity traces back to a detail number, a sheet and a marked-up location — a list your shop can quote from and your project manager can order from.
Download the sample workbook (.xlsx) — a fictitious office TI, in the real format.
- Excel quantity workbookCSI MasterFormat or your own cost codes, grouped by detail number.
- Colour-coded plan markups (PDF)Straight from On-Screen Takeoff / Bluebeam Revu.
- Assumptions & exclusions pageAn itemized list of what was measured, finishes assumed, and drawing conflicts.
- One revision round and bid-period addendaIncluded, not billed as an extra.
- Optional: price placeholders (+15%) and quote template (+$150)Bid-ready workbook and a clean proposal format.
Project types we
take off most
The set types where senior counting changes the number most.
- Concrete mid-rise and high-rise residentialStair and guard packages repeated floor to floor, embeds coordinated to the pour, elevator hoistway steel.
- Wood-frame multifamilyBalcony guards, exterior stairs, lintels and the connection hardware between wood and steel.
- Mixed-use podiumFeature stairs and ornamental work at grade over a repetitive guard package above.
- Commercial and institutionalShips ladders, roof access, equipment dunnage and long runs of corner and bumper protection.
- Parking structuresBollards, wheel stops, guards and galvanized everything, with heavy embed counts.
Misc metals takeoff FAQs
How much does a misc metals takeoff cost?
How fast is it delivered?
Do you read the structural drawings as well as the architectural?
How are stairs presented?
Can you give me a list I can hand to the shop?
What drawings do you need?
What's excluded?
Send the drawings.
Fixed quote in 4 hours.
Drop a link through the quote form or email info@sharpbid.ca. A fixed price and a guaranteed delivery date come back within 4 business hours.
Trades that usually come with it
Where we work
…and anywhere else in Canada — everything is digital.