Weight of Rebar Calculator

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Rebar Weight Per Foot Chart

Use these nominal ASTM weights for standard US reinforcing bar sizes.

How rebar weight is calculated

Reinforcing bars are sold and specified by nominal size, and each size has a standard nominal weight per unit length, published in the ASTM A615 and A706 specifications in the United States and in CSA G30.18 for Canadian metric bars. Total weight is simply weight per foot (or metre) × length of each bar × number of bars. The calculator adds an optional percentage for lap splices, hooks and cutting waste, which estimators usually include.

Weight per foot follows from the steel's density (about 490 lb per cubic foot) and the bar's nominal cross-sectional area: weight = area × density. A #4 bar has a nominal area of 0.20 sq in, giving 0.20 ÷ 144 × 490 ≈ 0.668 lb per foot.

US bar sizes explained

In the US inch-pound system, the bar number is the nominal diameter in eighths of an inch for sizes #3 to #8: a #4 bar is 4/8 = ½ inch, a #5 bar 5/8 inch. From #9 upward the numbers no longer match eighths exactly, because those sizes were defined by equivalent areas of old square bars. Bars are also stamped with mill marks showing the producer, the size and the grade (for example 60 for Grade 60, 60,000 psi yield strength).

Metric bar sizes

Many other countries use bar sizes named by nominal diameter in millimetres (8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 25, 32 mm). For those, weight in kg per metre ≈ d² ÷ 162, where d is the diameter in millimetres: a 12 mm bar is about 0.888 kg/m and a 16 mm bar about 1.58 kg/m.

Worked example

A slab needs 50 #4 bars, each 20 feet long. Total length is 1,000 feet, or 1,050 feet with 5% for laps and waste. At 0.668 lb per foot, that is 701 pounds — about 318 kg, or 0.35 short tons. If the same slab used #5 bars at 1.043 lb/ft, the weight would be about 1,095 pounds. Suppliers often price rebar per piece for small orders and per hundredweight (100 lb) or per ton for larger ones, so knowing the weight helps compare quotes and plan delivery.

Why weight matters on a project

• Estimating and bidding: rebar is frequently priced by weight, so accurate tonnage drives material cost.
• Ordering: fabricators schedule bending and cutting by bar size and weight.
• Transport and handling: vehicle payload limits and crane lifts depend on bundle weight.
• Placement labour: installation productivity is often estimated in tons per crew-day.
• Checking takeoffs: comparing estimated and delivered tonnage catches errors.

Laps, hooks and waste

Bars are joined by overlapping them — a lap splice — whose length is specified by the structural engineer, often expressed as a multiple of the bar diameter (for example 40 to 60 diameters for many common cases, depending on the code, concrete strength, bar grade and location). Hooks at the ends of bars also add length. Rather than a flat percentage, detailed estimates add these lengths explicitly from the drawings; for quick budgets, 5–10% is a common allowance. Always follow the project's structural drawings and specifications.

Estimating bars for a slab or footing

For a rectangular grid, the number of bars in one direction is the dimension perpendicular to the bars divided by the spacing, plus one. A 20 × 30 ft slab with #4 bars at 12 inches on centre each way needs 31 bars 20 feet long and 21 bars 30 feet long (less concrete cover at the ends). That is 620 + 630 = 1,250 feet of bar, about 835 pounds before laps. The paid workbook automates this grid calculation for slabs, walls and footings.

Handling and safety

Rebar is heavy and has sharp cut ends. Wear gloves and eye protection when cutting and handling, cap exposed vertical bar ends with approved safety caps to prevent impalement, lift with proper techniques or equipment, and store bundles off the ground on dunnage to keep them clean and avoid tripping hazards.