There is no fixed number of bars in a rebar bundle. Mills bundle straight bar by weight, and rebar fabricators bundle by bar mark from your bar list, so the count depends on the bar size, the length and how heavy the bundle is. The useful number is bars per tonne: at CSA G30.18 nominal weights, one tonne of 10M is about 106 bars at 12 m, and one tonne of 15M is about 53 bars at 12 m. The bundle tag tells you the actual count and weight for what landed on your site.
This post explains how bundles are made up, gives a bars-per-tonne table for 10M to 35M, and covers what to check when bundles arrive.
Why bundle counts vary
People ask "how many bars in a bundle" expecting a single answer, like a box of screws. Rebar does not work that way, for two reasons.
Mill bundles are made up by weight. A steel mill rolls bar to CSA G30.18 and ships it in bundles sized for its own handling equipment and for trucking. The bundle is a target weight, so a bundle of a small bar holds many more pieces than a bundle of a large bar. For example, ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada lists a standard bundle weight of 10,000 lb (about 4.5 tonnes) for its straight rebar. Other mills and distributors use their own targets, and partial bundles are common.
Fabricated bundles are made up by bar mark. When you order cut-and-bent bar from a fabricator, each bundle normally holds one bar mark: the same size, length and shape, in the quantity your bar list calls for. A bundle of footing dowels might be a few dozen pieces, while a bundle of long slab bars might be a full lift. The count comes from your drawings, not from a standard.
So the honest answer to "how many 15M in a bundle" is: as many as the bundle tag says. What you can work out in advance is how many bars make up a given weight.
Bars per tonne for 10M to 35M
The table uses the nominal mass per metre from CSA G30.18, the same values on our rebar products page, and three example lengths. Bar counts are rounded down to whole bars.
| Bar | kg/m | Mass of one 6 m bar | Mass of one 12 m bar | Mass of one 18 m bar | Bars per tonne at 6 m | Bars per tonne at 12 m | Bars per tonne at 18 m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10M | 0.785 | 4.7 kg | 9.4 kg | 14.1 kg | 212 | 106 | 70 |
| 15M | 1.570 | 9.4 kg | 18.8 kg | 28.3 kg | 106 | 53 | 35 |
| 20M | 2.355 | 14.1 kg | 28.3 kg | 42.4 kg | 70 | 35 | 23 |
| 25M | 3.925 | 23.5 kg | 47.1 kg | 70.6 kg | 42 | 21 | 14 |
| 30M | 5.495 | 33.0 kg | 65.9 kg | 98.9 kg | 30 | 15 | 10 |
| 35M | 7.850 | 47.1 kg | 94.2 kg | 141.3 kg | 21 | 10 | 7 |
Notice the pattern: 15M is exactly twice the mass of 10M per metre, so a tonne of 15M has half as many bars as a tonne of 10M at the same length. These are nominal masses. Actual bars can vary slightly within the mass tolerance in the standard, so a weighed bundle will not match a calculated one to the kilogram.
The lengths in the table are examples, not a stock list. Ask your supplier which straight lengths they carry before your bar list is finalised, because the length changes how many laps you need. Our Canadian rebar size chart has the full dimensions for 10M to 55M.
How to work out a bundle yourself
If you know any two of count, length and weight, you can find the third.
Weight of a bundle: number of bars × bar length (m) × kg/m. Example: 60 pieces of 15M at 12 m = 60 × 12 × 1.570 = 1,130 kg.
Number of bars in a bundle: bundle weight (kg) ÷ (bar length × kg/m). Example: a 2,000 kg bundle of 10M at 6 m = 2,000 ÷ (6 × 0.785) = 424 bars.
Length in a bundle of mixed lengths: add up count × length for each line, then multiply by kg/m.
For bent bars, use the total developed length of the bar (all legs added up), not the out-to-out dimension. That is how a bar list calculates weight. If you are estimating a whole job rather than a single bundle, our rebar calculator and estimating guide walks through slabs, footings and walls.
What a bundle tag tells you
Every bundle that leaves a mill or a fabricator should carry a tag. The details differ, but this is what to look for:
| Tag item | Mill bundle | Fabricated bundle |
|---|---|---|
| Bar size and grade | Yes | Yes |
| Heat number (traces back to the mill test certificate) | Yes | Often, or on the paperwork |
| Length | Yes | Yes, as cut length |
| Count and/or weight | Yes | Yes |
| Bar mark | No | Yes, matching the bar list and placing drawings |
| Shape or bending details | No | Yes, for bent bars |
| Job and pour or area | No | Usually |
The bar mark is the important one on site. It ties each bundle to a line on the bar list and a location on the placing drawings, so the crew can land bundles where they will be used and place them without sorting. Our guide to ordering cut-and-bend rebar explains how bar marks and tags are set up.
Bundle weight and your site
Bundle weight matters more than bundle count once the truck arrives:
- Unloading. Know whether the delivery truck can unload itself or whether your site needs a forklift, telehandler or crane, and what each can lift at the reach you need. Tell the supplier about any limits before the bundles are made up.
- Landing area. Heavy bundles need a flat, firm area close to where the bar will be placed, with dunnage under them so they can be slung again.
- Breaking bundles. Cutting the bands on a heavy bundle releases stored energy and bars can spring. Cut bands only once the bundle is resting securely, and keep hands and feet clear.
- Lifting. Use slings rated for the load, choke or basket the bundle so bars cannot slide out, and use a spreader bar for long bars. Never lift by the bundle bands.
- Checking counts. Count bars against the tag when bundles are opened, not after half have been placed. Short counts are much easier to sort out early.
On fabricated orders, ask for bundles made up by pour or area if the job is phased. That way each delivery only contains what the next pour needs.
Is rebar priced by the bundle?
For contractor and commercial orders, rebar is priced by weight (per kilogram or per tonne), with extras for fabrication, coating and delivery. The bundle is just how the steel is handled. A quote for "five bundles" without a weight or bar list behind it is not something you can compare.
Retail outlets that sell single straight bars price per piece, but the steel behind that piece price is still bought by weight. Our guides on how rebar is priced and rebar price in Canada explain what goes into a quote.
Ordering by the bundle vs by the bar list
If you are buying straight stock to cut on site, it is reasonable to order by weight or by piece count in a given length. If your job has bent bars, laps and many marks, ordering from a bar list is cleaner: you get exactly the pieces you need, bundled and tagged by mark, with less waste and less sorting.
We detail, cut, bend, tag and bundle 10M to 55M rebar to your bar list and deliver across the GTA and Ontario. Send us your drawings or bar list for a free take-off and quote, and tell us about any unloading limits on site. See our rebar products for the full range.
Frequently asked questions
How many 10M rebar are in a bundle?
There is no standard count. Bundles are made up by weight or by bar mark, so the count depends on the bundle weight and the bar length. At the CSA G30.18 nominal mass of 0.785 kg/m, one tonne of 10M is about 212 bars at 6 m or 106 bars at 12 m.
How many 15M rebar are in a bundle?
It depends on the bundle weight and length. 15M weighs 1.570 kg/m, so one tonne is about 106 bars at 6 m, 53 bars at 12 m or 35 bars at 18 m. Check the bundle tag, which shows the count or weight.
How much does a bundle of rebar weigh?
Mill bundles of straight bar are heavy, often several tonnes; one Canadian mill lists a standard bundle of 10,000 lb. Fabricated bundles from a rebar shop are made up by bar mark and vary from a few bars to a full lift. The tag or delivery slip gives the weight.
Is rebar sold by the bundle?
Rebar on commercial and contractor orders is normally priced and invoiced by weight, not by bundle. Home centres and some yards sell individual bars, but a bundle is a handling unit, not a pricing unit.
