Rebar is priced mainly by weight: a supplier starts from a base rate per tonne or per kilogram for straight bar, then adds charges for anything beyond plain stock, such as smaller sizes, special grades, cutting, bending, coating, small quantities and delivery. Retail outlets work differently and sell by the piece. Understanding that structure is the easiest way to read a rebar quote and to see why two orders of the same weight can cost very different amounts.
We don't publish prices or a price list, because the market moves too often for one to stay accurate. This post explains the structure. For the market forces behind the base rate, see our rebar price in Canada guide.
The supply chain behind the price
Rebar passes through several hands before it reaches a site, and each step adds cost and service:
- Mills melt scrap, cast billets and roll them into bar in standard sizes and grades. They sell in large quantities to distributors and fabricators.
- Distributors and service centres hold straight stock and sell it on in bundles or smaller lots.
- Fabricators detail, cut, bend, tag and bundle bar to project bar lists and deliver it to site, sometimes also placing it.
- Retail outlets, such as building supply stores and some yards, sell individual straight bars to small buyers.
Contractors on larger jobs usually buy from a fabricator, because the bar arrives cut and bent to the drawings. Small buyers and homeowners often buy straight bar at retail. Each route prices differently, which is the source of much of the confusion about "the price of rebar." Our post on buying rebar in Ontario compares the routes.
Base price and extras
Across the steel industry, prices are commonly built as a base price plus extras, sometimes called adders. Rebar follows the same logic even when a quote shows a single rate.
The base price is the rate for the simplest product: straight bar in common sizes, standard grade, in full bundles and standard lengths. It moves with the steel market.
Extras are charges added for anything that takes more work or ties up more resources than base product. Not every supplier itemizes them, but these are the usual sources:
| Extra | Why it costs more |
|---|---|
| Size | Small sizes mean more metres and more pieces per tonne; some sizes are rolled less often |
| Grade | Grades other than the standard 400W, such as 500W, may carry a different rate or longer lead time |
| Cut length | Cutting to specific lengths instead of selling stock lengths |
| Bending | Each bend is a machine operation; complex shapes take longer |
| Small fabricated pieces | Stirrups, ties and short dowels mean many pieces per tonne to cut, bend, tag and bundle |
| Coating | Epoxy, galvanizing or other coatings are separate processes |
| Quantity | Small orders carry set-up and handling costs over fewer kilograms |
| Detailing | Producing bar lists and placing drawings from structural drawings |
| Delivery | Distance, site access, number of drops and phased deliveries |
A fabricator quote might roll all of this into one rate per tonne, or show material, fabrication, detailing and delivery as separate lines. Either is fine as long as you know what is included. The cut and bend side is covered in detail in what drives rebar fabrication cost.
Pricing by weight: per tonne, per kg and per bar
Because rebar is sold mainly by weight, you need the weight per metre of each size to turn a rate into a cost. The relationship is simple:
cost of a bar = length (m) × weight per metre (kg/m) × rate per kg
Weights per metre come from CSA G30.18 and are the same for every supplier:
| Bar size | Weight (kg/m) | Weight of a 6 m bar | Weight of a 12 m bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10M | 0.785 | about 4.7 kg | about 9.4 kg |
| 15M | 1.570 | about 9.4 kg | about 18.8 kg |
| 20M | 2.355 | about 14.1 kg | about 28.3 kg |
| 25M | 3.925 | about 23.6 kg | about 47.1 kg |
To go the other way, from a per-bar retail price to a per-kg equivalent, divide the bar price by its weight. That lets you compare a store price with a trade quote on a fair basis. If you are pricing by length instead, our post on rebar cost per foot covers the conversion, and rebar price by size shows metres per tonne for each size.
Watch the unit when comparing sources. Canadian quotes use the metric tonne (1,000 kg). Many US sources quote per short ton (2,000 lb, about 907 kg) and in US dollars.
Wholesale vs retail pricing
Wholesale or trade pricing is what contractors get from distributors and fabricators. It is quoted by weight for full bundles or complete bar lists, often with a minimum order, and includes services like fabrication and delivery as needed.
Retail pricing is per bar, usually in short stock lengths, from stores and yards. It is convenient for a homeowner who needs a few bars today, with no minimum and no delivery wait. Per kilogram it is normally more than a trade price, because the outlet carries the cost of stocking, handling and selling small quantities.
For anything beyond a handful of bars, especially if bending is involved, a fabricated order from a bar list usually works out better once you count the time to cut and bend on site and the waste from offcuts.
What makes an order "bulk"
Larger orders usually get a better rate per kilogram, but tonnage alone does not decide it. What really lowers the cost per tonne comes down to these:
- Fewer pieces per tonne. Long straight bars in larger sizes are cheaper to process than many short bent pieces.
- Repetition. The same shapes repeated many times are faster to fabricate than many unique marks.
- One delivery instead of many. Full truckloads to one drop spread delivery cost best. Phased deliveries are often worth it for the schedule, but they are a cost.
- A complete, final bar list. Revisions after fabrication starts cost time and material.
- Normal lead time. Orders that fit the shop's schedule avoid rush costs.
That is why a large job made up mostly of stirrups and ties can cost more per tonne than a smaller job of long straight bars.
How to read and compare rebar quotes
With the structure in mind, comparing quotes is mostly about lining up the same things:
- Same quantities. Ideally every supplier prices the same bar list. If each did its own take-off, check that laps, waste and accessories are treated the same way.
- Same scope. Detailing, fabrication, accessories, delivery and placing either in or out on every quote.
- Same units and currency. Metric tonne or kg, Canadian dollars, tax in or out.
- Same terms. How long the price is held and whether it can change before delivery. See rebar price trends for why that matters right now.
Getting your rebar priced
The most accurate rebar price is a quote on your actual bar list or drawings. We do free take-offs and quotes, detail, cut, bend, tag and bundle bar from 10M to 55M, fabricate dowels and stirrups, supply GFRP, and deliver across the GTA and Ontario, with phased deliveries available.
Send your drawings or bar list to get pricing, or see our rebar products.
Frequently asked questions
How is rebar priced?
Mostly by weight. Suppliers start from a base rate per tonne or per kg for straight bar, then add charges for things like size, grade, cutting, bending, coating, small quantities and delivery. Retail outlets sell by the piece instead.
Is rebar cheaper in bulk?
Generally yes per kilogram, because fixed costs such as order set-up, detailing and delivery are spread over more tonnes. What counts as bulk depends on the supplier, and a large order with many small bent pieces can still cost more per tonne than a smaller straight-bar order.
What is the difference between wholesale and retail rebar prices?
Wholesale or trade pricing is quoted by weight to contractors buying full bundles or bar lists. Retail pricing is per bar at stores and yards for small quantities, which works out to more per kilogram but avoids minimum orders.
Why don't rebar suppliers publish a price list?
Because steel prices move with scrap, energy, trade measures and the dollar, a printed list goes stale quickly. Most suppliers quote each order and hold the price for a stated period.
Is rebar expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On most concrete jobs the cost of rebar includes material, fabrication, placing and delivery, and good detailing and ordering keep the total down more than chasing the lowest rate per tonne.
