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Reinforcement - Rebar supply and fix – cost per tonne – UK 2026 Rate Guide

Budget rate for supply & lay · typical budget rate before your adjustments

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Reinforcement - Rebar supply and fix
per tonne · supply & lay
£1595 – £3410 / tonne
What is it

Supply, cut, bend, deliver and fix carbon-steel reinforcement bars complete with tying wire and standard spacers to reinforced-concrete elements.

Rate guide
Standard reinforcement to slabs, walls and foundations£1760 – £2145/tonne
Repetitive heavy bars to rafts and pile caps£1595 – £1925/tonne
Congested beams, walls and column cages£2090 – £2695/tonne
Small-diameter bars and complex detailing£2310 – £3080/tonne
Epoxy-coated reinforcement£2475 – £3410/tonne
Labour output
Repetitive heavy raft or slab reinforcement2–3 t/day
Typical slabs, walls and foundations1–2 t/day
Congested beams, columns and cagesup to 1 t/day
Broken-up work or restricted access<1 t/day
Key rate adjusters
Steel market
A £100/tonne movement in reinforcement purchase cost typically changes the installed rate by about £105–£115/tonne after allowances and margin.
Bar diameter
Predominantly small-diameter bars can increase fixing cost by £250–£600/tonne because many more bars and intersections are required.
Congestion
Dense laps, links and intersecting cages commonly add 15%–35% through slower placing and tying.
Couplers
Mechanical connections can add £100–£400/tonne overall, depending on coupler type, bar diameter and frequency.
Quantity and continuity
Small, intermittent pours may attract £200–£500/tonne compared with continuous work offering stable gang utilisation.
Access and handling
Restricted craneage, double handling or remote workfaces can add 10%–25% to the fixing element.
Quantity surveyor insights
  • Waste and buildability: Allow roughly 3%–7% for cutting waste, design development and site loss, with higher exposure on irregular bar shapes and late revisions. Early rationalisation of bar lengths, laps and cage sequencing can materially improve output.
  • Scope and procurement: Confirm responsibility for detailing, bar schedules, chairs, proprietary spacers, couplers, offloading, cranage, testing and remedial cutting or bending. Secure the steel basis and adjustment mechanism early, as delayed call-offs can expose both price and programme.

Estimate Anything AI answer · indicative budget rates · updated 31 August 2026

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