In Ontario you can buy rebar from four kinds of seller: home centres, building supply or steel yards, rebar fabricators (rebar shops), and supply-and-install contractors. Yards and home centres sell straight bar you cut and bend yourself. A rebar fabricator works from your drawings or bar list and delivers bar that is cut, bent, tagged and bundled ready to place. For anything beyond a small repair or a handful of bars, the fabricator route usually saves time, waste and mistakes.
Here is how the options compare, what to have ready before you call, and how delivery works on an Ontario job.
Your four options compared
| Option | What you get | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home centre | Short straight bars in a few common sizes, sold by the piece | Small repairs, a few dowels, DIY non-structural work | Limited sizes and lengths, no bending, highest cost per kilogram |
| Building supply or steel yard | Straight bar in stock lengths, sometimes cut to length, delivered by the load | Contractors with their own cutting and bending equipment | You do the take-off, cutting, bending and sorting |
| Rebar fabricator | Bar detailed, cut, bent, tagged and bundled to a bar list, delivered to site | Footings, foundations, slabs, walls and anything with bent shapes | Needs drawings or a bar list, and fabricated bar needs scheduling |
| Supply and install | A fabricator or placing contractor supplies and places the steel | Builders who want one party responsible for the rebar | Coordinate placing with forming and inspections |
There is overlap. Some yards cut to length, and many fabricators sell straight stock as well. The useful question is not "who sells rebar" but "who will turn my drawings into the right bars on site".
When a supply yard makes sense
Buying straight bar from a yard works when:
- The job is small and simple, such as a short run of straight bars or a few pieces to replace on site.
- Your crew has the equipment and skill to cut and bend accurately to the bend diameters and dimensions on the drawings.
- You already have an accurate take-off and can plan cuts to keep waste down.
Keep in mind that bending bar properly is not just a matter of getting the shape. Bend diameters, hook dimensions and tolerances are set by CSA A23.1 and the drawings, and an under-sized bend can crack the bar. Hand-bending larger sizes on site is slow, and getting it wrong is costly.
When a rebar fabricator makes sense
A fabricator is usually the better fit when the job has any of these:
- Bent shapes: corner bars, L-dowels, hooks, stirrups, ties or hoops.
- Many marks: footings, walls, grade beams and slabs each with their own bars.
- A schedule: pours that need the right steel on the right day.
- Inspections: bar that is tagged to marks on placing drawings makes inspection and checking straightforward.
What you get from a fabricator is bar that matches a bar list, bundled and tagged by mark so the crew can place it without sorting. Many fabricators also prepare the bar list and placing drawings from the structural drawings. If that's new to you, our guides to rebar detailing services and ordering cut and bend rebar explain the process step by step.
What to have ready before you ask for a price
Whoever you buy from, the quality of the quote depends on what you send:
- Structural drawings (or for a house, the stamped or permit drawings) showing bar sizes, spacing and details.
- A bar list, if you already have one. If not, ask the fabricator for a take-off.
- The grade. Most Canadian work is CSA G30.18 grade 400W. If the drawings call for something else, such as 500W, epoxy-coated or GFRP bar, say so up front.
- The site address and access. Lot size, overhead wires, laneway access and where the truck can park all affect delivery.
- The schedule, including whether you need phased deliveries for footings, walls and slabs.
- Supply only, or supply and install.
Bar sizes on drawings use the Canadian metric system (10M to 55M). If you're working from American details or a US product spec, check our rebar size chart before ordering, since US sizes don't line up one for one.
Quality checks when the rebar arrives
Whoever you buy from, check the delivery against the order:
- Markings. Canadian rebar carries rolled-in marks identifying the mill, size and grade. They should match what was ordered.
- Mill certificates. For commercial and engineered work, ask for mill test certificates so the bar can be traced to its heat.
- Tags. Fabricated bundles should carry tags with the bar mark, size, quantity and length or shape that tie back to the bar list.
- Count and condition. Check bundles against the delivery slip, and look for bars that are bent out of shape in transit or badly rusted. Light surface rust is normal; heavy, flaking scale is worth raising.
Questions to ask any rebar supplier
Before you commit, a few questions tell you a lot about how the order will go:
- Who does the take-off and bar list, and is it included? If you are relying on the supplier's take-off, ask to see it.
- What is on the tags? Tags should tie each bundle to a bar mark on the drawings.
- How are changes handled? Ask what happens if the drawings are revised after bar has been cut.
- What are the delivery terms? Truck type, unloading, number of drops and how phased deliveries are scheduled.
- How long is the price held? Steel prices move, so check the quote's validity period.
- Can they install, or recommend who does? Useful if you need one party to handle supply and placing.
For a longer checklist focused on fabricators, see our guide to choosing a rebar fabricator in Ontario.
Delivery and site logistics in Ontario
Delivery is where many rebar orders go wrong, so plan it:
- Unloading. Know whether the truck will unload itself or whether your site needs a machine, and where bundles will be landed.
- Storage. Keep bar off the ground on dunnage, sorted by pour, so tags stay readable and mud stays off the steel.
- Phasing. Deliveries matched to the pour schedule keep the site clear and reduce the chance of the wrong bundles being placed.
- Winter work. Steel can be delivered and placed year round, but snow and ice need to be cleared from forms and bars before the pour, and cold weather concreting has its own requirements under CSA A23.1.
For how pricing works across these options, see our article on rebar prices in Canada.
Buying rebar from Procut
We're a rebar and structural steel fabricator in Erin, serving the GTA and Ontario. We prepare estimates and bar lists from your drawings, cut and bend 10M to 55M bar to standard shapes, tag and bundle it by mark, and deliver across the GTA and Ontario with phased deliveries to match your schedule. We also supply GFRP bar and can install rebar on residential, commercial and high-rise work, year round.
Send us your drawings for a free take-off and quote, or see the rebar products we supply.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy rebar in Ontario?
Home centres and building supply yards sell straight bar in common sizes. Rebar fabricators (rebar shops) supply bar cut, bent, tagged and delivered to a bar list, and some also install. The right choice depends on the size of the job and how much cutting and bending it needs.
What is a rebar shop?
A rebar shop, or rebar fabricator, takes structural drawings or a bar list and supplies reinforcing bar cut to length, bent to shape, tagged by mark and bundled for delivery. Many also prepare the bar list and placing drawings.
Can I buy rebar cut to length?
Yes. Fabricators cut bar to the lengths on your bar list, and many supply yards will cut to length for a charge. Cut-to-length bar saves waste and labour on site.
What grade of rebar is used in Ontario?
Most Canadian work uses CSA G30.18 grade 400W, where 400 is the minimum yield strength in MPa and W means weldable. Always use the grade on your drawings.
