Fireproofing Estimating and Takeoff Services

We quantify fireproofing member by member from your structural drawings — surface area by shape, with thickness derived from the required hourly rating, the referenced UL design and each member's W/D ratio — delivered as an editable Excel workbook with the marked-up plan set.

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What We Take Off

Fireproofing is not an area trade and it is not a coating priced by the square foot. The required thickness on any given member depends on the hourly rating, the UL design the specification references and the member's own weight-to-heated-perimeter ratio — which means two beams of the same length and the same surface area can require materially different thicknesses of the same product. A blanket rate across the structure is wrong on most of it.

Spray-applied fire-resistive materialsurface area by member type and shape, with thickness calculated per member from the required rating and the UL design rather than applied uniformly

Member-by-member thicknessbeams, girders, joists, columns and deck each quantified at their own required thickness, since W/D and D/T ratios vary member to member

Columnsquantified separately from beams, since column ratings frequently differ from beam ratings in the same building and column geometry changes the application

Metal deck and floor assembliesby area against the specific UL floor-ceiling assembly, with the deck profile identified, because assembly thickness depends on the deck type

Intumescent fireproofingby area and dry film thickness where architecturally exposed structural steel requires a finished appearance, priced as the multi-coat system it is

Intumescent surface preparationSSPC-level preparation and primer compatibility, which on exposed steel is a substantial part of the cost and a common omission

Density and product typestandard, medium and high-density cementitious products separated, since exterior, high-humidity and abuse-prone locations require denser and more expensive material

Exterior and wet condition fireproofingquantified separately where exposure requires an exterior-rated product

Bond and adhesion requirementsprimer compatibility, bonding agent and any required mechanical keying, since spray-applied material will not adhere to many shop primers without treatment

Patching and repair after other tradesthe damage to fireproofing caused by hangers, supports, penetrations and follow-on trades, which is a real and predictable quantity

Firestopping interfacewhere fireproofing meets rated walls, penetrations and joints, coordinated with the firestop scope so neither is assumed to cover the other

Perimeter fire containmentslab edge safing and the tested perimeter joint system, where that falls in this package

Masking and protectionprotection of adjacent finishes, glazing and equipment during spray application, which is substantial because overspray is difficult to remove

Overspray cleanupa real scope item on any project where spray application happens near completed work

Testing and inspectionthickness testing, density testing, bond testing and third-party special inspection at the specified frequency, as scheduled activities with hold points

Access and stagingquantified by height and method, since fireproofing is applied to the underside of structure at height throughout

Sequencingthe window between steel erection and deck, MEP rough-in and close-in, which controls whether the work is done once or in several returns

How Fireproofing Quantities Are Measured

Every quantity below is reported in the unit the scope is actually bought and bid in — not converted into a single convenient unit that hides where the cost sits.

Beams and girdersSF at member thicknessEach member at its own required thickness. W/D ratio varies member to member, so a blanket thickness is wrong on most of them.

ColumnsSF at column thicknessSeparated from beams. Column ratings frequently differ from beam ratings in the same building.

Metal deckSF by assemblyAgainst the specific UL floor-ceiling assembly, with the deck profile identified since it affects thickness.

JoistsSF or LF by seriesOpen web joists have a very high surface area per ton and are quantified on their actual geometry.

IntumescentSF at specified DFTBy dry film thickness, as a multi-coat system with surface preparation quantified separately.

Surface preparationSF by SSPC levelFor intumescent work, and it is frequently the larger half of the cost on exposed steel.

Material densityseparated by productStandard, medium and high-density products kept apart — exterior and abuse locations need denser and costlier material.

Patchingby area or allowance statedDamage from hangers, penetrations and follow-on trades is predictable and quantified rather than assumed away.

Masking and protectionSF and LFProtection of adjacent finishes and glazing, because overspray is very difficult to remove.

TestingEA by test typeThickness, density and bond testing at the specified frequency, each a hold point in the programme.

AccessSF by height and methodApplied to the underside of structure at height throughout, so access is quantified rather than absorbed.

MobilisationscountWhere sequencing forces the crew to return after other trades, each return is a real cost.

Who This Is For

General contractors carrying this trade directly, or checking a subcontractor's number before it goes into the bid.

Subcontractors pricing their own scope in this division.

Developers and owners validating a number they've already been given.

Material suppliers and distributors verifying a customer's order.

What You Receive

An itemized Excel takeoff, organized by division
A marked-up plan set — every quantity traces back to a location on the drawings
Labor, material and equipment split out separately
Waste and overage factors shown as visible line items
An assumptions and exclusions schedule

Marked-up fireproofing plan crop

What Moves the Number on Fireproofing

Required thickness per member. Thickness is not a property of the product, it is the output of a calculation — the required hourly rating, the referenced UL design and the individual member's weight-to-heated-perimeter ratio. Light members need more material than heavy ones for the same rating. An estimate that applies one thickness across the structure is wrong on nearly every member, and usually short on the light ones that need most.

The UL design the specification references. That design number governs the assembly, the acceptable products, the thickness tables and the deck profile it applies to. Two buildings with the same nominal hourly rating but different referenced designs are different scopes. Estimating from the rating alone skips the document that actually defines the work.

Exposed structural steel and intumescent systems. Where structure is architecturally exposed, spray-applied cementitious material is not acceptable and an intumescent coating system is used instead — at a large multiple of the cost, with surface preparation, primer compatibility and multiple coats to a measured dry film thickness. Exposed steel is a specification decision with major cost consequences.

Product density. Standard-density material is the cheapest and it is only suitable where it is protected and undisturbed. Exterior exposure, high humidity, and areas subject to abuse or traffic require medium or high-density products at substantially higher cost. Where those conditions apply is a specification and location question rather than a default.

Sequencing and return visits. Fireproofing goes on after steel and deck and before MEP rough-in and close-in, in a window other trades control. Where that window is missed or work is damaged, the crew returns — and each return is mobilisation, access and setup again for a fraction of the production. On a compressed programme this can be the biggest variable in the package.

Patching after other trades. Hangers, supports, penetrations and general traffic damage fireproofing after it is applied, and the damage must be repaired for the assembly to be rated. This is predictable rather than exceptional, and an estimate that carries nothing for it has assumed a level of care that does not happen on real projects.

Bond and primer compatibility. Spray-applied material will not bond to many shop primers without a bonding agent or mechanical keying, and the shop primer is chosen by the steel fabricator rather than by this trade. Where compatibility is not established, the remedy is additional preparation on every square foot of steel.

What We Need From You

A complete set is ideal, but rarely what exists. Send what you have — we will tell you at quote stage what can be quantified firm and what has to be an allowance.

Structural drawings — framing plans, schedules and member sizes for every element requiring protection
Specification section for Division 07 applied fireproofing, including the referenced UL design numbers
Life-safety plans showing required hourly ratings by element and by area
Metal deck information including profile and gauge
Architectural drawings identifying exposed structural steel requiring intumescent treatment
Steel shop primer information, for bond compatibility
Reflected ceiling plans, to establish which areas are concealed and which are exposed
Testing and special inspection requirements from the specification

How It Works

1 Send your plans — PDF, DWG, DOC, images or ZIP, up to 100MB per file.
2 Get your quote — a flat price for the scope with a delivery date, confirmed in writing.
3 Approve — nothing starts until you confirm.
4 We take it off — quantities from the drawings and schedules.
5 Delivery — workbook, marked-up set, assumptions schedule.

How Pricing and Turnaround Work

Every project is priced individually from your drawings. Send the plan set and you get a flat quote for the scope before any work starts — no hourly billing, no open-ended engagement.

Turnaround depends on the size of the package and how many trades are in scope — which is why you get a firm delivery date with your quote rather than a generic promise.

Tools and Standards

Takeoffs are produced in Bluebeam, PlanSwift, Trimble, STACK, organized against CSI MasterFormat divisions — this scope is specified under Division 07 — Thermal and Moisture Protection (07 81 00 Applied Fireproofing).

Quantities and assemblies are read against the published standards that govern this trade, because the standard is what decides whether two apparently identical items are actually the same line item:

UL Fire Resistance Directory — the design numbers the specification references, which govern thickness and assembly
ASTM E119 / UL 263 — fire tests of building construction and materials
ASTM E605 — thickness and density of sprayed fire-resistive material applied to structural members
ASTM E736 — cohesion and adhesion of sprayed fire-resistive material
ASTM E760 / E761 — effect of impact and compressive strength of sprayed fire-resistive material
AWCI Technical Manual 12-A — standard practice for testing and inspection of field-applied sprayed fire-resistive materials
ASTM E2307 — perimeter fire barrier systems using the intermediate-scale multi-storey apparatus

Pricing is built on RSMeans cost data localized to your project's market, then reconciled against current supplier quotes and our own completed project costs. Every estimate states its pricing basis and the date it was priced.

Why Fireproofing Is Estimated Wrong

One thickness applied across the structure. The defining error. Required thickness is calculated per member from its W/D ratio against the UL design, and light members need more material than heavy ones for the same rating. A blanket thickness is wrong on nearly every member and is usually short exactly where the most material is needed.

Priced as an area rate. Fireproofing looks like a coating and is quantified like a structural package. Surface area varies enormously per ton between wide flange, open web joist and deck, and the thickness varies per member. A square foot rate across the building hides both variables at once.

Exposed steel not identified. Architecturally exposed structural steel requires an intumescent system at a large multiple of spray-applied cost, with surface preparation and multi-coat application to a measured DFT. Missing which members are exposed means pricing the wrong product on the most expensive part of the package.

Patching and return visits not carried. Damage from hangers, penetrations and follow-on trades is predictable, and repairs are required for the assembly to be rated. So are the return mobilisations when sequencing does not allow the work to be completed in one pass. An estimate carrying neither has priced an ideal programme.

Bond compatibility assumed. Spray-applied material will not adhere to many shop primers without a bonding agent or additional preparation, and the primer is selected by the fabricator. Where compatibility has not been confirmed, the potential remedy applies to every square foot of steel on the job.

Masking, protection and overspray cleanup omitted. Spray application near completed work requires substantial masking and protection, and overspray is very difficult to remove once it lands. This is real scope on any project where fireproofing happens after glazing or finishes, and it is routinely absent from the estimate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you determine fireproofing thickness?

Per member, from the required hourly rating, the UL design the specification references and each member's weight-to-heated-perimeter ratio. Light members need more material than heavy ones for the same rating, so a single thickness across the structure is wrong on nearly every member and short where it matters most.

Do you price to the referenced UL design?

Yes — that design number governs the assembly, the acceptable products, the thickness tables and the deck profile. Two buildings with the same nominal hourly rating but different referenced designs are different scopes, and estimating from the rating alone skips the document that defines the work.

Do you estimate intumescent fireproofing?

Yes, as its own system. Architecturally exposed structural steel requires intumescent coating at a large multiple of spray-applied cost, with SSPC-level surface preparation, primer compatibility and multiple coats to a measured dry film thickness. The preparation is frequently the larger half of the cost.

Do you carry patching and repair?

Yes. Hangers, supports, penetrations and follow-on trades damage fireproofing predictably, and the repair is required for the assembly to remain rated. An estimate carrying nothing for it has assumed a standard of care that does not happen on real projects.

Do you account for sequencing and return visits?

Yes, where the programme suggests it. Fireproofing sits in a window between steel and close-in that other trades control, and each return the crew makes is mobilisation, access and setup again for a fraction of the production. On a compressed programme this is often the largest variable in the package.

Do you include testing and inspection?

Yes, at the specified frequency. Thickness, density and bond testing plus third-party special inspection are scheduled activities with hold points in the programme, not line items that can be absorbed into an application rate.

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