03 - Concrete
Cast-in-place concrete bid estimating, without the grind.
The concrete estimate doesn't live in the takeoff — it lives in the mix design, the FF/FL finish tolerance, the formwork contact area, and the scope handoff to the earthwork contractor. Drop in your package and get back a cited first-pass: rebar by schedule, formwork by SFCA, concrete by neat-line CY, the risks that actually bite a concrete bid, and the RFIs you should send before you price a yard.
✓ PE-reviewable✓ Cited to source✓ Your cast-in-place concrete workflow
✓
REVIEWED
REVIEWED
Mobilization / general conditionsmeasure CY (cubic yard)— cite
Formwork — footings / walls / columns / elevated slabs / SOG edgemeasure SFCA (square feet of contact area)— cite
Reinforcing steel — furnish + install (by size/grade/coating)measure TN or LB (CWT)— cite
Embeds, anchor bolts, dowels, weld platesmeasure EA— cite
Concrete supply — by mix design / strength (f'c)measure CY (cubic yard)— cite
9
governing codes
12
line-item groups
9
units of measure
6
risk flags
What it surfaces for cast-in-place concrete
Priced for the way cast-in-place concrete is actually bid.
The engine reads your package and flags exactly what bites cast-in-place concrete estimators — before it costs you.
Governing codes named, not guessed: ACI 318-19 (structural requirements), ACI 301 (the master reference spec), ACI 117 (FF/FL floor flatness tolerance), ACI 305/306 (hot/cold-weather concreting), ASTM C94 (ready-mixed), ASTM A615 (rebar), IBC Ch. 19. The analysis cites which code governs each assumption it makes.
Line-item groups your bid actually breaks into: formwork (footings/walls/columns/elevated slabs/SOG edge) by SFCA; rebar furnish+install by size/grade/coating; concrete supply by mix design f'c; placement+pumping; finishing by surface type; curing+protection; joints+sealant; waterproofing/waterstop; testing coordination; patching/rub.
The concrete risks the analysis ranks: floor flatness FF/FL tolerance driving finishing labor + rework; cold/hot-weather protection scope; pump/crane access; mis-set anchor bolts as a steel-erection dispute; ready-mix supply escalation; the sitework/concrete line on subgrade prep + vapor barrier.
The RFIs automatically drafted (verbatim from the pack): "Confirm concrete mix designs (f'c, w/c ratio, air entrainment, aggregate size) for each element — footings vs. walls vs. slabs." "Floor finish schedule and flatness/levelness tolerance (ACI 117 FF/FL) per area — who takes the readings and what's the remedy?" "Is the SOG subgrade prep, vapor retarder, and capillary break in our scope or the sitework contractor's?"
The trade's anatomy
Everything cast-in-place concrete needs, structured.
Line-item groups
Mobilization / general conditionsFormwork — footings / walls / columns / elevated slabs / SOG edgeReinforcing steel — furnish + install (by size/grade/coating)Embeds, anchor bolts, dowels, weld platesConcrete supply — by mix design / strength (f'c)Placement + pumping / conveyanceFinishing — by surface type (broom, trowel, exposed, hardener)Curing + protection (incl. hot/cold-weather measures)Joints — control / construction / expansion + sealantWaterproofing / vapor barrier / waterstop (if in scope)Testing coordination (cylinders/slump — often by owner's lab)Patching / rub / repair
Governing codes
ACI 318-19 · structural concrete design requirementsACI 301 · specifications for structural concrete (the master reference spec)ACI 117 · tolerances for concrete construction and materials (incl. FF/FL floor flatness)ACI 347 · guide to formwork for concreteACI 305 · hot-weather concretingACI 306 · cold-weather concretingASTM C94 · ready-mixed concrete (batching, delivery, water additions)ASTM A615 · carbon-steel deformed reinforcing barsIBC Ch. 19 · adopted concrete provisions (references ACI 318)
Units of measure
structural concrete (footings, walls, columns, elevated slabs) → CY (cubic yard)slab-on-grade → SF (then converted to CY at design thickness)formwork → SFCA (square feet of contact area)reinforcing steel → TN or LB (CWT)embeds / anchor bolts / dowels → EAfinishing → SF of finished surfacecuring + protection → SFjoints (control / construction / expansion) → LFwaterstop → LF
The risks that usually bite
Floor flatness (FF/FL) toleranceCold/hot-weather protectionPump / crane accessEmbed & anchor-bolt coordinationConcrete supply escalation / availabilityUnder-slab / subgrade responsibility
“"A concrete takeoff tool measures the CY; the gaps are in the finish spec and the scope line, which I catch by reading."”
Reading is exactly the part that costs the week. The analysis turns the drawings+spec+addenda into structured scope, finish-tolerance flags, and RFIs — so the estimator spends time pricing mix designs and placement, not hunting the FF/FL clause that re-prices the slab at the end. And the cited output hands straight to the structural-concrete engineer for review under PE supervision — no black box.
Run this on your own concrete package.
30 minutes. Bring a real bid package — mixed-use slab, structural concrete, even a tricky FF/FL finish — and we'll walk the cited line items, the finish-tolerance risk flags, and the draft RFIs on your actual drawings.