What does a fireproofing estimate include?
Fireproofing estimating services convert the rated assemblies on your drawings into measured surface area, applied thickness and material volume, then add labor, access and waste. Each line shows the member, the UL assembly, the measurement rule and the arithmetic, priced from published wage and price data.
Our Professional Fireproofing Estimating Services
Fireproofing sits in CSI Division 07 as a line item that is easy to under-measure and hard to reprice after award. We measure the steel, not the floor plan: each beam, column, joist and deck underside is taken off separately because applied thickness, density and wrap configuration drive both material and hours. Our fireproofing estimating services are built on that member-by-member logic, so every quantity on the sheet traces back to a drawing, a schedule note and a stated measurement rule. The same discipline carries into adjacent envelope scopes, and siding estimates support the same audit trail when exterior finishes share a bid package.
A spray applied fireproofing takeoff is only as good as the assumptions behind it. We record the Underwriters Laboratories assembly designation, the required fire-resistance rating in hours, the specified thickness and density, and the waste factor applied to each area. Material cost is then adjusted with published producer price data rather than a stale vendor quote, and the arithmetic is shown in the workbook so you can audit any cell. If the drawings are incomplete, we list the missing input on the takeoff sheet instead of filling the gap with a guess.
Fireproofing material takeoffs
We quantify spray-applied and cementitious fireproofing by member type, using surface area in square feet of steel perimeter times uncoated length. Beams are measured as a three-sided or four-sided wrap depending on the deck condition, columns as full perimeter, and deck underside as plan area. Each line carries the required thickness in inches, the density in pounds per cubic foot and the resulting dry material weight. The output is a material takeoff with a stated waste allowance, ready to price against an applicator's bag or bag-equivalent rate.
Fireproofing labor cost estimates
Labor is estimated from productivity rates expressed in board feet or square feet per applicator hour, then multiplied by the applicable hourly labor rate. We separate surface preparation, masking, priming of the substrate, application passes, thickness gauge checks and cleanup so that a lift drawing or a scaffold move does not hide inside a single blended rate. Hours for scaffolding erection and the fireproofing applicator crew are kept as distinct line items. The estimate shows the crew size and output assumption behind every hour, so a change in access or shift pattern can be repriced quickly.
Bid-ready fireproofing cost estimates
For bid packages, the estimate is organized to match the specification sections and the schedule of values a general contractor will review. Material, labor and equipment are subtotaled by building area or by steel package, with unit rates kept visible next to extended totals. You receive an Excel workbook, a PDF summary and marked-up drawing pages showing where each quantity was measured. The same file supports a pre-bid review and a post-award buyout, because the assumptions are written down rather than carried in someone's head.
What Is Included in Our Fireproofing Estimates?
Every estimate is a worksheet you can follow line by line, from the assembly callout to the extended total. We keep the MasterFormat location and the specification reference beside each item so a reviewer can match the line to the drawings without hunting. Where a scope item is excluded, we say so explicitly on the summary page.
Our fireproofing estimating services start with the UL assembly designation, because the fire-resistance rating drives thickness, density and material selection before any quantity is measured. Each steel member is tagged by shape and size, then measured for surface area in square feet per linear foot of member, so a W24 beam and a W12 column carry different quantities for the same length. Spray-applied cementitious material is priced by the bag yield at the specified density and thickness, while intumescent coatings are priced by square foot of prepared steel at the dry film thickness the test required. The takeoff sheet carries the member mark, the drawing sheet reference, the surface area, the thickness and the extended quantity, so an applicator can reconcile our numbers against their own lift drawings.
We also separate the work that surrounds the coating: substrate primer, masking of adjacent finishes, protection of deck underside and beam wrap details, and the access method. Those lines are where a fireproofing bid estimate usually drifts, because scaffolding and masking are frequently left in a lump sum. We list them as measured quantities with a stated measurement rule. If your scope includes wet areas or exterior steel, the same logic carries into our waterproofing estimating services, where membrane coverage and flashing lengths are measured the same way.
Materials, labor, equipment and cost breakdowns
Materials are listed by product type, specified density and thickness, with a typical waste factor stated as typical rather than applied silently. Steel mill products feed directly into the cost of the members being protected, and the Producer Price Index for steel mill products has moved sharply over the past year, so we date the material basis on the summary page. Labor is built from productivity in square feet per hour by member type and access condition, multiplied by the published hourly wage for the applicable trade, then reviewed by an estimator. Equipment covers scaffolding, lifts, mixing and pumping, and masking consumables, each as its own line rather than a percentage add-on.
The summary page shows cost per square foot of protected steel area, cost per ton of steel and cost per square foot of floor area. Those three views let a general contractor compare the estimate against a bid package without reworking the detail, and they let an owner sanity-check a fireproofing cost per square foot figure quoted in a proposal. We state the AACE estimate class on the cover so the reader knows how much design detail the number rests on. Deliverables are an Excel workbook, a PDF summary and marked-up drawing pages, with the arithmetic visible on every line so a reviewer can trace any total back to its measurement rule.
Who Needs Our Fireproofing Estimating Services?
Different readers need the same numbers arranged differently. A specialty applicator bids from the member list, a general contractor checks the scope against the package, and a developer tests the number against a budget. We deliver one measured takeoff that serves all three, with the detail visible underneath the summary.
For a general contractor, the useful output is a line-by-line comparison against the applicator's bid: square feet of beam wrap, column protection and deck underside, the specified thickness for each fire-resistance rating, and the pounds of dry material implied by the coverage rate. When the bid comes back low, the gap is usually a missing primer, masking, or a thinner UL assembly than the drawings call for. Our fireproofing estimating services put those items on separate lines so the comparison is arithmetic, not opinion.
For a developer or architect, the question is earlier and coarser: does the budget carry the right order of magnitude before drawings are complete? We price from the structural framing plans and the rated assemblies shown, state the AACE estimate class, and flag what is still unknown, such as the final coating type or whether the deck underside is exposed. That gives you a defensible allowance rather than a single lump figure.
Every sheet shows the unit, the measurement rule and the arithmetic behind each line, so a reviewer can retrace any total back to the drawing page it came from.
General contractors and home builders
You need the scope split the way the bid package splits it. We break spray-applied and intumescent work by member type and floor, carry the waste factor as its own line, and note the access assumption, since scaffolding and lifts change the labor hours more than the material does. Fireproofing estimating services from us arrive as an Excel workbook with a PDF summary and marked-up drawing pages, so your estimator can adjust a rate without rebuilding the sheet.
Developers, architects and suppliers
You need a number you can defend to a lender or an owner before the package is bid. We price from the framing plans and the rated assembly schedule, state the estimate class, and list the open items that will move the number, such as a change from cementitious to intumescent coating or a primer requirement on galvanized steel. Suppliers get the same takeoff read the other way: quantities by product and density, ready to convert into board feet or pails.
Types of Fireproofing Projects We Estimate
The measurement rules stay constant; what changes is the rating basis, the assembly mix and the access conditions. Each project type below carries a different set of inputs we ask for before pricing. A structural steel fireproofing estimate for a warehouse shell is not built the same way as one for a high-rise core. Our fireproofing estimating services start from the rated assembly schedule, not from a square-foot allowance, because a 1-hour column and a 2-hour beam rarely share the same thickness or density. The takeoff sheet lists each member by mark, shape, perimeter, length and required thickness, so the applicator can reconcile our quantities against the lift drawings before the bid goes out.
Residential projects
Wood-framed residential work seldom carries sprayed fire-resistive material, so the scope usually lands on the steel in a podium, a transfer beam or a detached garage ceiling. We take those members off by perimeter and length, apply the thickness the listed assembly calls for, and separate the labor line from the material line. Intumescent paint estimating on exposed beams in a parking podium follows the same logic, with surface preparation and primer counted as separate items rather than buried in the coating rate. Where the same drawing set includes exterior finishes, our stucco and eifs estimating team keeps the Division 07 and Division 09 quantities on one sheet so the two scopes do not double-count scaffolding.
Commercial buildings
Office, retail and hotel structures carry the bulk of the work: sprayed cementitious or gypsum-based material on beams, columns and deck underside, with intumescent coatings on exposed architecturally finished steel. We build the fireproofing material takeoff from the framing plans and the rated assembly schedule, then add a typical waste factor for overspray and rebound, which runs higher on open webs and deep deck ribs than on wide-flange columns. Masking, protection of adjacent finishes, and the primer coat under an intumescent system are priced as their own lines. A fireproofing bid estimate that omits rebound and masking usually loses money on the deck, so we show both explicitly.
Industrial and infrastructure projects
Plants, warehouses and transit structures bring large tonnages, tall lifts and hard access. We take off member weights in w/ft from the shape tables, multiply by the coated length, and convert to board feet or bags using the density printed on the manufacturer's data sheet. Scaffolding, lifts and containment are measured by the area served, not as a percentage. Steel pricing moves, and the producer price index for steel mill products has shown sharp swings over the past year, so we flag the steel-driven items separately from the labor-driven ones. Labor hours come from published wage data for the trades that perform the work, adjusted for the local market.
Our Fireproofing Estimating Process
Each estimate starts from the fire-resistance-rated assemblies named in the drawings, not from a blanket allowance. We read the UL assembly design numbers, the scheduled thickness, and the steel member sizes before any quantity is entered, so the fireproofing material takeoff is tied to a tested assembly rather than a rule of thumb. Where the schedule is silent, we issue a request for information instead of assuming a thickness.
Every measured quantity carries a rule: surface area taken from the member perimeter times the unheated length, deck underside counted flat, and beam wrap area measured as three faces of the beam plus the deck contact. The plan markup records where each number came from, so a reviewer can trace a line back to the sheet and detail it was measured on. Those same traceability rules carry into our insulation estimates, our siding estimates and the rest of the thermal and moisture scope.
Submit drawings and specifications
Send the architectural, structural and fire protection drawings plus the specification section covering Division 07 fireproofing and any Division 05 notes on steel protection. The UL design listing, the required hourly rating, and the substrate condition (shop-primed, galvanized, or bare) all change the material and labor. If the applicator's scope includes masking, scaffolding, or protection of adjacent finishes, send that scope split as well. You can send your plans in PDF and we will confirm what is missing before takeoff begins.
Plan review and digital takeoff
We review the drawings against the specification for conflicts: a beam scheduled at one rating and detailed at another, a column protection detail that omits the fire test reference, or a deck underside noted as exposed when the reflected ceiling plan says otherwise. The takeoff is then measured on-screen from the PDFs, with each member type grouped by size, rating and thickness. Where the spec calls for a fire test on a specific assembly, we hold the quantity against that listed design number so the bid package matches what the applicator will actually install. This is the step that separates our fireproofing estimating services from a square-foot allowance.
Cost calculation, quality checks and delivery
Material is priced by density and thickness for spray-applied products and by coverage rate for intumescent coatings, then labor is applied from productivity rates for the applicator trade. A second estimator re-measures a sample of members and checks the waste factor, the unit conversions, and the extension arithmetic before release. You receive the Excel workbook, the PDF summary and the marked-up pages together, and the assumptions page lists every rate and rule used. Our quantity takeoff services follow the same check sequence on every package, and the same discipline applies across our thermal and moisture protection estimating scope. Fireproofing estimating services from KNR keep every w/ft, board foot and square foot tied to a sheet reference.
Sample Fireproofing Estimate and Deliverables
The example below is illustrative and uses assumed inputs, not a quoted price. Assumptions: 60 wide-flange beams, 20 ft unheated length each, beam wrap measured as three faces totaling 4.5 ft of developed width, 1.5 in. of cementitious spray-applied fireproofing, and a 10% waste factor on material. Beam wrap area is 60 × 20 ft × 4.5 ft = 5,400 sq ft; with 10% waste the material quantity is 5,940 sq ft. At an assumed $1.85 per sq ft installed, the line extends to $10,989.00.
The fireproofing cost per square foot in your project will move with member size, because a small steel member carries more surface area per ton than a deep one. That is why our fireproofing estimating services report quantities by member type rather than a single building total, and why a thickness gauge reading on site can be checked against the scheduled thickness in our sheet.
| Item | Qty | Unit | Unit cost range | Extended range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cementitious spray-applied fireproofing, 1.5 in., beam wrap | 5,940 | sq ft | $1.60 – $2.10 | $9,504.00 – $12,474.00 |
| Intumescent coating, shop-primed columns (alternate) | 1,200 | sq ft | $2.40 – $3.60 | $2,880.00 – $4,320.00 |
| Surface preparation and masking | 1 | lump sum | $1,500 – $2,500 | $1,500.00 – $2,500.00 |
| Scaffolding and access, interior bays | 1 | lump sum | $2,000 – $3,500 | $2,000.00 – $3,500.00 |
| Applicator labor, beam wrap and deck underside | 5,400 | sq ft | $0.55 – $0.85 | $2,970.00 – $4,590.00 |
| Total, cementitious scope | — | — | — | $15,974.00 – $23,064.00 |
Excel quantity takeoff sheet
The workbook holds one row per member type with the member mark, size, rating, scheduled thickness, developed perimeter, unheated length and extended area. Formulas stay live so you can change a thickness or a waste factor and see the quantity update. A separate tab carries the summary by floor and by rating, which is the format most applicators need for a bid estimate.
Marked-up drawings
Each measured page is returned with the members highlighted by rating and the measured length noted at the member. Columns, beam wrap and deck underside are color-coded separately so a reviewer can see at a glance which surfaces were counted flat and which were wrapped. The markup is the audit trail behind every row in the workbook.
Itemized cost estimate
The cost summary separates material, labor, equipment (including scaffolding and masking), and the applicator's indirect costs, each with its unit and rate basis. Intumescent coatings are priced on a separate line from cementitious spray because the coverage rate, primer requirement and surface preparation differ. The total is presented as a range, not a single figure, with the assumptions stated on the face of the sheet.
Software and Pricing Data We Use
Material and labor rates are built from national averages and then adjusted to the project's location, union status and access conditions. The chart below shows the Producer Price Index series for the material groups that feed this scope, rebased to 100 so the direction of movement is visible across the period. Labor rates are drawn from the wage table below and adjusted for the applicator trade and the prevailing wage determination that governs the site. Those same inputs sit underneath the broader construction estimates we assemble for other divisions, so the assumptions carry across a full bid package.
A fireproofing bid estimate is sensitive to two inputs more than any other: the applied density and the labor productivity on overhead work. We state both on the assumptions page so a reviewer can challenge them before the number goes out.
Takeoff and estimating software
Takeoff is performed on-screen from PDF drawings with area and length measurement tools, and the results feed a spreadsheet-based estimating model with a stored cost database. The tool categories are ordinary: PDF markup, spreadsheet estimating, and a cost database keyed to CSI MasterFormat divisions. We do not publish which products we run, but every output is a standard Excel workbook and PDF that your team can open without special software.
Regional material and labor pricing method
National averages are adjusted using published U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for the trades involved and Producer Price Index movement for steel, plastic and wood-based products that affect accessories and protection. Those adjustments are applied by ZIP code and by project condition, including occupied-building work, high-rise access and prevailing wage requirements. The chart below and the wage table below show the current inputs; the estimator's review is what turns them into a defensible rate for your scope. Column protection quantities are often quoted in w/ft of column height for comparison, while the bid itself is extended in square feet of coated surface.
Material price movement, Oct 2023 to Sep 2026
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation workers, floor, ceiling and wall | $20.77 | $23.62 | $29.32 |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | $21.46 | $23.75 | $29.65 |
| Construction laborers | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 |
Base wages before payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national, all industries.
Why Contractors Choose Our Estimating Services
The reason is arithmetic you can follow. A cementitious fireproofing takeoff is only as good as its surface area rule, and we publish that rule on the sheet: developed perimeter times unheated length for members, flat area for deck underside, and a stated allowance for beam wrap and column protection. Board feet and square feet are never mixed in the same column without a conversion note.
Substrate conditions drive real cost, and we price them rather than bury them. A galvanized member or a shop-primed surface changes the bond strength requirement and may require a primer or a different product, which we show as a separate line so the applicator can price it or exclude it knowingly.
Trade-specific expertise
Our estimators work in the Division 07 family daily, which means the fireproofing scope is measured alongside the waterproofing, insulation and roofing scopes that share the same drawings. That matters when a roof assembly and a deck underside fire rating interact, or when a rated separation needs coordination with thermal and moisture protection takeoff. The same measurement discipline carries across trades, so the quantities reconcile when the packages are compared, and it is the same approach behind our professional roofing estimating services and our professional stucco and eifs estimating.
Quality control and clear assumptions
Every package goes through a second-estimator check on a sample of members, a unit-conversion audit, and a review of the waste factor against the product's published coverage. The assumptions page names the UL design numbers, the scheduled thickness, the substrate condition and the access method. If a reviewer disagrees with a rate, the line can be changed without re-measuring the whole building.
Turnaround, communication and revisions
Delivery dates are agreed when we review the drawings and confirm scope, and we tell you at that point what the package will contain. Revisions are handled against the marked-up set: you send the revised sheets, we re-measure only the affected areas and note the change on the summary. Questions during review go to the estimator who built the sheet, not to a general inbox. To start, request a quote and include the rating schedule and any applicator scope split.
Fireproofing Estimating Services Pricing
We quote a fee per project after reviewing the drawings, because a 40-sheet steel package with two addenda is not the same task as a single-line renovation. The fee follows the scope you send: number of sheets, trades covered, alternates, addenda, and the complexity of the UL assemblies specified. A fireproofing takeoff services scope that stops at Division 07 quantities is priced differently from one that also reconciles the structural steel tonnage and the deck areas.
Send the bid set, the structural drawings, and the fire-resistance schedule through our quote request page and we will return a fixed fee with the scope of what it covers. The calculator below is for your own budget model, not for our fee: you enter building area, your base hard cost per sq ft, soft-cost %, contingency % and escalation %, and it returns hard cost, soft costs, contingency, escalation, budget total and all-in cost per sq ft. It carries no prices of its own and no building-type selection.
How quotes are calculated
Our fee is a scope-based number, not a percentage of your contract value. We read the sheet count, count the trades the takeoff touches, list alternates and addenda separately, and price the work of measuring each one. A package where spray-applied fireproofing is the only Division 07 item and the steel is already tabulated is a shorter read than one where we must build member lengths from the framing plans before we can apply the w/ft or surface area rules.
Where a project carries intumescent paint, the fee reflects the extra step of separating primed from unprimed steel and masking allowances, since those change both the material and the labor line. The same logic applies to cementitious material on the deck underside, where the density and thickness schedule drives the quantity. We quote the fee once, in writing, against the documents you send.
What affects price and delivery time
Sheet count, trade count, alternates, addenda and drawing quality move the fee. Delivery time moves with the same inputs plus your bid date: a clean set with a member schedule and a complete fire-resistance schedule reads faster than a set where the UL assembly numbers appear only in a general note. The date is confirmed with the quote, and we do not publish a standing turnaround because the scope decides it.
Late addenda are the most common reason a date slips, so send them as they are issued rather than bundling them at bid time. If your bid date is fixed, say so when you send the plans and we will confirm what is achievable before you commit. For scopes that sit next to this trade, our thermal and moisture protection takeoff team reads the same drawing set.
Square-foot budget calculator
- Hard cost
- $444,000
- Soft costs
- $53,280
- Contingency
- $49,728
- Escalation
- $21,880
- Budget total
- $568,888
- All-in per sq ft
- $237
Enter your own base rate from a recent bid, cost book or estimator. The default values are placeholders for the math, not market prices.
Fireproofing Estimating Services Across the US
Fireproofing cost per square foot varies by region for reasons that are readable in the estimate: the hourly labor rate for applicators and helpers, prevailing wage requirements on public work, freight and delivery on bagged cementitious material, and the code edition the local building department enforces. Climate matters less to the quantity than to scheduling, but humidity and temperature limits on application can push a crew to a different shift and change the labor productivity assumption.
We serve all states from one team, so the arithmetic is consistent and only the inputs change. Your fireproofing estimate excel workbook carries the wage basis and the waste factor as visible cells, so a reviewer in another region can see exactly where the number moved. Where a job includes intumescent coating over primed steel, the masking and substrate primer lines are itemized rather than buried in a lump sum.
Code editions differ by jurisdiction, so confirm the adopted IBC chapter 7 and any local amendments with the building department before the bid is finalized. Our professional quantity takeoff services follow the same traceable structure on other divisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a fireproofing estimate cost?
The fee is quoted per project after we review the drawings, so it depends on the number of steel members, the number of fire-resistance-rated assemblies, the coating type, and how much of the scope is already broken down in the bid package. Send the structural plans, the fire-rated assembly schedule, and the specification section covering Division 07 fireproofing, and the quote states the fee and the deliverable list together.
How long does a fireproofing takeoff take?
The delivery date is set when we quote, based on sheet count, how many UL assemblies need matching, and whether the steel is already scheduled by member size. We confirm that date in writing with the fee before work starts. A takeoff built from an existing member schedule moves faster than one where we measure beam wraps and column protection directly from framing plans and elevations.
Do you estimate labor and material costs?
Yes. Each fireproofing estimate separates material, labor, and equipment. Material lines carry the coating type, applied thickness, density, and a stated waste factor; labor lines carry the productivity rule in board feet or square feet per hour and the hourly rate applied. The workbook shows the arithmetic on every line so you can check or override any assumption.
What drawings do you need?
Send the structural framing plans and elevations, the fire-rated assembly schedule or UL design numbers, the Division 07 specification, and any architect's reflected ceiling or deck plans showing the underside areas. A steel member schedule with sizes and lengths removes most of the measuring. If the rating is shown only by note or legend, send the sheet where that legend appears.
Can you use my estimate template?
Send your template with the plans and we confirm whether the estimate can be delivered in it. If the template's cost structure matches the scope, the takeoff quantities and pricing are mapped into your columns. If it does not, we return the Excel workbook and PDF summary with marked-up drawing pages and note which fields need to be carried over.
Do you sign NDAs?
Clients can request an NDA before sending drawings, and the terms are agreed before plan review begins. Send the document you want signed along with a short scope note so the agreement covers the right project. We do not publish a standard NDA policy, so the arrangement is set per project rather than assumed.
Do your fireproofing estimating services price intumescent coatings differently from spray-applied cementitious?
Yes. Intumescent paint estimating is driven by steel surface area, member size and section factor, primer compatibility, and the number of coats, so labor is priced by area per coat with masking and surface prep as separate lines. Cementitious fireproofing takeoff is driven by applied thickness to reach the fire-resistance rating, density in pounds per cubic foot, and board feet of member wrap, so material is priced by volume applied rather than by coat.
How do you handle waste and overspray in a fireproofing material takeoff?
Waste is stated as an explicit percentage on the material line, not buried in the unit cost. Spray-applied material loses volume to overspray, rebound, and thickness build-up at beam wraps and deck underside, so the waste factor is set by the application method and the geometry. The workbook shows the net quantity, the waste percentage, and the gross quantity purchased.
Can you break a structural steel fireproofing estimate out by floor or by drawing sheet?
Yes. Quantities are tracked by member and tagged to the sheet and grid line they came from, so the summary can be sorted by floor, by area, or by drawing sheet. That breakdown lets an applicator phase the work by lift and compare the bid package scope against the takeoff line by line.
What estimate class do your fireproofing estimates fall under?
Most takeoffs from complete construction documents sit at AACE Class 3, where quantities are measured from drawings and unit costs are applied with stated labor productivity. When only a schematic or a budget request arrives, we say so and the estimate carries wider contingency, closer to Class 4. The class is stated on the cover of the workbook.
Do you check the fire-resistance rating shown on the drawings?
We read the rating from the assembly schedule and the UL design listed, and we flag members that carry a rating note but no matching assembly. Rating requirements trace to IBC Chapter 7 and the local amendments, so confirm the adopted code edition with the building department. We report the discrepancy; we do not redesign the assembly.
How is fireproofing cost per square foot presented in the estimate?
The workbook shows a cost per square foot of protected steel surface area and a separate cost per linear foot of member, because applicators bid both ways. The square-foot figure is derived from the measured surface area, not applied as a blanket rate. That way the number moves correctly when member sizes or ratings change.