What is the price of rebar per pound on TDOT projects?
Checked 2026-11-04
Tennessee DOT contracts awarded in 2025 paid an average of $1.62 per pound for steel bar reinforcement in roadway work and $1.72 per pound in box bridges, statewide. On pipe endwalls, a much smaller quantity, the average was $4.42 per pound.
The numbers come from TDOT's "Average Unit Prices, 01JAN2025 thru 31DEC2025, Awarded Contracts". Omnicost loads that report, and we checked these rows against the PDF on November 4, 2026.
Statewide averages
| Item | Description | Avg unit price | Quantity awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 604-01.02 | Steel bar reinforcement (roadway) | $1.62/lb | 945,201 lb |
| 604-02.02 | Steel bar reinforcement (box bridges) | $1.72/lb | 1,068,933 lb |
| 611-07.02 | Steel bar reinforcement (pipe endwalls) | $4.42/lb | 19,998 lb |
Source: TDOT, Average Unit Prices 2025, awarded contracts, statewide rows.
What the spread tells you
Roadway and box bridges each moved around a million pounds, and their averages sit 10 cents apart. Pipe endwalls moved under 20,000 pounds and averaged almost three times as much per pound. When you price rebar from bid tabs, check the quantity behind the average before you reuse it.
These are in-place pay item prices: furnishing and placing the steel, as contractors bid it. A supplier quote per pound is a different number, since it leaves out placing.
How to cite it
"TDOT 2025 Average Unit Prices, awarded contracts, item 604-01.02, statewide: $1.62/lb."
Sources
| Source | Observed date | URL |
|---|---|---|
| TDOT Average Unit Prices, 01JAN2025 thru 31DEC2025, Awarded Contracts | 2026-11-04 | https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/construction/previous_lettings/Const_aup2025.pdf |
How to cite this
Reinforcing steel price per pound on Tennessee DOT jobs (2025). Omnicost (Ipita LLC). Checked 2026-11-04. /en/guides/rebar-price-per-pound-tdot. Sources: TDOT Average Unit Prices, 01JAN2025 thru 31DEC2025, Awarded Contracts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of rebar per pound on TDOT projects?
In 2025 awarded contracts, steel bar reinforcement averaged $1.62/lb statewide for roadway work and $1.72/lb for box bridges.
Why does rebar for pipe endwalls cost $4.42/lb?
It was a much smaller quantity, 19,998 lb statewide against roughly a million pounds for roadway and box bridges, and small items tend to carry higher unit prices.
Do these prices include placing the steel?
Yes. They are average awarded unit prices for the pay item, so they cover furnishing and placing the reinforcement as bid by contractors.
What period do they cover?
Contracts awarded from January 1 to December 31, 2025.