Short answer
Miscellaneous metals are the fabricated steel items in a building that are not the primary structural frame: stairs, handrails and guardrails, ladders, bollards, lintels, shelf angles, embeds, gates and grating. In MasterFormat they fall under Division 05 50 00, Metal Fabrications.
What counts as misc metals
- Stairs and stair stringers, landings, treads
- Handrail, guardrail, and ornamental rail
- Ladders and safety cages
- Lintels and shelf angles
- Bollards and guard posts
- Embed plates and anchor plates
- Gates, grating, checker plate, trench covers
- Small platforms, catwalks and equipment dunnage
The boundary with structural steel is a scope question. A mezzanine frame is structural, the stair up to it is misc. Contracts and specifications decide who supplies what, and disputes come from that line being unclear.
Why they are estimated differently
They carry far more labor per pound than the frame, so they are priced by the unit (per flight, per linear foot, per each) rather than by weight. Details live on architectural sheets as often as structural ones, so they are easy to miss in a takeoff. See How do fabricators price miscellaneous metals?.
Where do you find them in a set?
Check the specification for metal fabrications, then the architectural plans, wall sections and stair details, the structural details for lintels and embeds, and the site plans for bollards and gates. Read the finish requirements: galvanizing, paint or powder coat each add cost. See the miscellaneous metals estimating guide and misc metals takeoff software.
Examples with weights
Misc metals are priced by unit, but weight is still useful for handling and freight. Some common members and their weights: C10x15.3 channel at 15.3 lb/ft is a typical stair stringer, L4x4x1/4 angle at 6.6 lb/ft is a typical lintel or edge angle, and a 1/2 in plate weighs about 20.4 lb per square foot. A pair of 12 ft channel stringers is about 367 lb of steel before treads and rail.
The steel tonnage of a stair is small. The price is not.
Who supplies misc metals?
Sometimes the structural steel fabricator, sometimes a separate misc metals shop, and sometimes the GC through an architectural metals subcontractor. The contract and the spec section decide. If you are not sure, ask in writing before pricing. A common dispute is two subcontractors each assuming the other has the item, leaving it unpriced until after award.
Look up the sizes
Stop counting steel by hand.
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