A rebar cutting list, called a bar list in Canadian practice, lists every bar to be cut and bent with its mark, quantity, size, length, bend type and leg dimensions. To make one, work through the structural drawings element by element: count the bars from the spacing, work out each length from the concrete dimensions less cover plus hooks and laps, give each distinct bar a mark, then total the weight by size. The format most Canadian shops use comes from the Reinforcing Steel Institute of Canada (RSIC) Manual of Standard Practice.
This post gives you the template fields, the method and a worked sample. For how the list fits into an order with tags and delivery, see how to order cut and bend rebar.
What a cutting list is for
The RSIC manual describes the bar list as having two jobs. It tells the fabricator what length and shape to make each bar, and it lets the field crew identify the finished bars when they arrive. That is why every bar list line has a mark that also appears on the bundle tag and on the placing drawing.
A cutting list is not:
- A placing drawing, which shows where each bar goes. See how to read rebar shop drawings.
- An estimate. An estimate counts tonnage to price a job. A cutting list is precise enough to fabricate from.
- Exactly a bar bending schedule. The term BBS comes from British and international practice, with its own shape codes. The idea is the same; the format differs. See what is a bar bending schedule.
The template fields
Header. The RSIC bar list form carries: project, structure, contract number, job number, drawing number, grade, group or block number, revision, date, prepared by, and sheet number. It also states the length unit and, on approval, has spaces for approval and fabrication sign-off. RSIC practice is that a bar list cross-references a specific drawing and identifies the type of reinforcing: black, epoxy, stainless, galvanized or FRP.
Columns.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Item | Line number |
| Bar mark | Unique label for that bar size, length and shape |
| Number per unit | Bars per member, when several identical members are listed together |
| Total | Total quantity of that mark |
| Size | 10M, 15M, 20M and so on |
| Length | Total length of the bar, in mm |
| Type | Bend type from the RSIC typical bar bends; blank for straight bars |
| A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H | Leg and hook dimensions for that bend type |
| Remarks | Location, coating, special tolerance or other notes |
Optional estimating columns. For your own use, add mass per metre and total weight. These don't change the fabrication, but they let you check the tonnage.
How to make the list, step by step
1. Read the notes first. Grade, cover, lap splice schedule, hook requirements and any coated bar. If the drawings don't give a grade, RSIC practice is to supply 400 MPa bar, so state 500W if the job needs it.
2. Split the structure into elements. Footings, walls, piers, columns, beams, slabs. One element at a time keeps the list easy to check.
3. Count the bars. For bars at a spacing: number of spaces = length covered ÷ spacing, rounded up, plus one bar. Check whether the drawings stop bars a set distance from the edge.
4. Work out each length.
- Start with the concrete dimension, less the cover at each end. RSIC practice details footing bars as straight bars extending to within 75 mm of each face unless shown otherwise.
- Add hook allowances where the drawings call for hooks. See the rebar hook length table.
- Add laps where bars continue into the next element.
- For stirrups and ties, use out-to-out dimensions plus hooks, as in how to calculate stirrup cut length.
5. Check stock lengths. RSIC lists standard stock lengths of 12 m for 10M and 18 m for 15M and larger. A bar longer than stock has to be split with a lap, a coupler, or a special arrangement with the fabricator. Our post on standard rebar lengths has more.
6. Round the lengths. RSIC asks for lengths to the nearest 20 mm, with a note where a length is critical. Round down where rounding up would eat into cover.
7. Assign marks. One mark for every distinct combination of size, length and shape. Use a consistent system, such as the element and a number, so marks are easy to find on the placing drawing.
8. Add the bend dimensions for each bent bar, using the leg letters for its type.
9. Calculate weights and summarize. Weight per row = total × length in metres × mass per metre. Then total by bar size.
Worked example: a footing, dowels and pier ties
A 600 mm wide strip footing 6,000 mm long with two continuous 15M bottom bars and 10M transverse bars at 400 mm, 15M L-shaped wall dowels at 400 mm, and eight 10M ties for a 400 mm square pier. Grade 400W, from drawing S-2.
| Item | Mark | Total | Size | Length (mm) | Type | A | B | Remarks | kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F1-01 | 2 | 15M | 5,840 | Straight | Footing bottom, continuous | 18.3 | ||
| 2 | F1-02 | 16 | 10M | 440 | Straight | Footing transverse @ 400 | 5.5 | ||
| 3 | W1-01 | 16 | 15M | 1,200 | L-bar | 300 | 900 | Wall dowels @ 400 | 30.1 |
| 4 | P1-01 | 8 | 10M | 1,480 | T1 | 320 | 320 | Pier ties, 135° hooks | 9.3 |
How the numbers were reached:
- Item 1: 6,000 minus 2 × 75 = 5,850 mm, rounded down to 5,840 to keep the cover. 2 × 5.84 m × 1.570 kg/m = 18.3 kg.
- Item 2: 600 minus 2 × 75 = 450 mm, rounded down to 440. Count: 5,850 ÷ 400 = 14.6, rounded up to 15 spaces, so 16 bars.
- Item 3: leg lengths from the dowel detail on the drawing; the total is the sum of the out-to-out legs. Same count as item 2.
- Item 4: 400 minus 80 = 320 mm out-to-out each way. 2 × (320 + 320) + 2 × 100 mm hooks = 1,480 mm.
Summary: 15M, 48.4 kg; 10M, 14.8 kg. On a real list the L-bar would carry its RSIC type number, and the dowel lengths would come from the engineer's lap and embedment requirements.
Building the template in Excel
A spreadsheet works well for small and mid-size lists:
- Header block at the top with the fields above, including drawing number and revision.
- A bar mass lookup table on a second tab: 10M 0.785, 15M 1.570, 20M 2.355, 25M 3.925, 30M 5.495, 35M 7.850, 45M 11.775, 55M 19.625 kg/m.
- Formulas per row: total quantity = number per unit × number of units; weight = total × length ÷ 1,000 × the looked-up mass.
- A summary by size using SUMIF or a pivot table.
- Lengths in millimetres, as whole numbers, so rounding is visible.
Keep one row per mark and never reuse a mark for a different bar, even on a later revision.
Common mistakes on cutting lists
- No cover deducted, so bars are too long to fit.
- Hooks left off the length.
- Laps missed where bars continue into the next pour or element.
- Off-by-one counts from rounding spaces down or forgetting the end bar.
- Bars longer than stock length with no splice shown.
- No grade, or the wrong grade, on the header.
- Old revision. The list must match the current drawing.
Let us prepare the bar list
Bar lists are part of what we do every day. We prepare bar lists and placing drawings from your structural drawings, then cut, bend, tag and bundle the rebar from 10M to 55M so your crew can place it without sorting on site. If you have already made your own cutting list, send it with the drawings and we will quote from it.
Send your drawings or cutting list for a free quote, or see our services.
Frequently asked questions
What is a rebar cutting list?
A rebar cutting list, called a bar list in Canada, lists every bar to be cut and bent: its mark, quantity, size, length, bend type and leg dimensions, with the project, drawing and grade in the header. The shop fabricates from it and the field uses it to identify bars.
What columns go in a rebar cutting list template?
The RSIC bar list format uses item, bar mark, number per unit, total quantity, size, length, bend type, leg dimensions A to H (and others as needed) and remarks. Estimators often add mass per metre and total weight columns.
How do you calculate rebar length for a cutting list?
Take the concrete dimension, subtract the cover at each end, add hook allowances and laps, and round to the nearest 20 mm as RSIC practice asks. Bars longer than the stock length are split with laps.
Can I make a rebar cutting list in Excel?
Yes. Set up the bar list columns, add a lookup table of bar masses (0.785 kg/m for 10M, 1.570 kg/m for 15M and so on), and calculate total length and weight per row, then summarize weight by bar size.
