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How to use Takeoff Tool, and plain answers about takeoffs. Every article starts with the answer.
Getting started
Create an account and run a first takeoff.
- Create your accountGo to the signup page, enter your company, name, email and a password, then add a card. The trial is 15 days free.
- Run your first takeoffOpen New takeoff, drop the bid packet, and select Run takeoff. Takeoff Tool sorts the files, reads the spec, counts on the plans and opens the job.
- What to uploadUpload the bid packet as you received it: the spec book or Project Manual, the plan sheets and the addenda. Add your On-Screen Takeoff file if you have one.
- Is my trade supported?Gym and athletic equipment is live today. Other trades are opening with founding contractors, who use Takeoff Tool free for three months while we build the trade with them.
- The intake summaryAfter you drop a bid packet, the intake summary shows each file and the type Takeoff Tool gave it: spec section, plan sheet, addendum and so on. Check it before you run the takeoff.
- The six steps of a takeoff runA run has six steps: sort the package, read the spec section, match to your catalog, count on the plans, flag contradictions, and write the workbook. The page shows each step while it runs.
- The Projects boardThe Projects board is the first page after you sign in. It lists your company's jobs, shows which are held and why, and has a search box.
- Add an On-Screen Takeoff filePut your .ost file in the bid packet with the spec and the plans. Takeoff Tool reads the quantities you drew and ties them to the takeoff.
Reading your takeoff
What the grades and flags mean, and how to answer them.
- Certain, Maybe and Not sureEvery line on a takeoff has one of three grades. Certain lines need no work. Maybe lines are a guess for you to confirm. Not sure lines name what is missing.
- Review a flagOpen a Maybe line. The suggestion sits next to the source document. Approve it, select Fix the number, or select Exclude from bid. Each decision is saved with your name and the time.
- The conflicts it flagsTakeoff Tool flags the places where the spec and the drawings disagree: items in the spec that are not drawn, items drawn that are not in the spec, mismatches, missing sizes and work by others.
- Cover facts from the bid packetTakeoff Tool reads the facts for your cover form from the packet: bid date, completion date, bonds, prevailing wage, tax exempt status and warranty. Each fact shows the quote it came from.
- Lessons and house rulesWhen you correct or exclude a line, you choose what Takeoff Tool learns: a lesson for all customers, a house rule for your company only, or nothing.
- The five tabs on a jobA job has five tabs: Takeoff, Review, Files, Source and History. Takeoff is the list of lines. Review is the queue of lines that need a decision.
- The Source tabThe Source tab shows what Takeoff Tool read to build the takeoff: the items from your spec section, the sheets it used, the cover notes and the scope.
- The History tabThe History tab lists each decision on a job with the person and the time. It also shows when the takeoff was finalized, the design stage on file and the addenda received.
- What to do with a Not sure lineA Not sure line has no quantity Takeoff Tool will stand behind. Read what is missing, then find the answer on the sheets, ask the architect, or exclude the line.
- By others, owner furnished and exclusionsWhen a plan note marks an item as owner furnished, not in contract or by others, Takeoff Tool proposes an exclusion and shows you the note. You decide.
- Manufacturer questionsWhen the spec's basis-of-design maker is not one your company carries, Takeoff Tool raises a manufacturer question and tells you what the spec says about equals and substitutions.
- When it cannot read a sheetIf Takeoff Tool cannot read a set of sheets well enough, it says so. That is not a claim that an item is missing. Look at those sheets yourself.
- The Lessons pageThe Lessons page lists every correction your company has made and how it was tagged: a lesson for all customers, a house rule for your company, or a one-off.
- The Catalog pageThe Catalog page shows what your company sells: the product families, the fields a takeoff line can have, and the values each field allows. A run matches the spec to this catalog.
Finishing a takeoff
Finalize, print and export.
- Finalize and export a takeoffWalk the open lines, select Finalize, then print the report or export a CSV file. If lines are still open, Finalize asks you first.
- Why a job is heldA held job has a problem that must be answered before it can be exported. The Projects board shows the reason next to the job.
- What is on the takeoff reportThe takeoff report shows the scope, the counts, the open questions, the cover facts and the source of each number. Print it, or save it as a PDF from the print dialog.
- Run a takeoff again after an addendumWhen an addendum or a missing file arrives, add it to the packet and run the takeoff again. Then walk the review queue again before you finalize.
Account and billing
Price, trial, seats and your files.
- Price and trialTakeoff Tool costs $2,500 per seat per month, as a flat fee. The trial is 15 days free, and nothing is billed until it ends.
- Seats and loginsOne seat is one login for one person. A new account starts with one seat. Contact us to add seats for more estimators.
- Your files and privacyYour bid documents sit in private storage. Only your company's logins and our support team can open them. We do not sell them or show them to other customers.
- The founding contractor programIf your trade is not live yet, you can help build it. Founding contractors use Takeoff Tool free for three months. In return you give estimator time and past bid packets.
- Cancel your subscription or delete your dataUse the contact page. We cancel your subscription when you ask. Ask us and we also delete your company's jobs and documents.
- How AI reads your documentsAI models read your bid documents to produce the takeoff. We do not use your documents to train AI models, and another company cannot open your jobs.
- Get help from a personUse the contact page. Tell us the job and the line, and a person replies.
Guides
Plain answers about takeoffs and estimating.
- What is a takeoff in construction?A takeoff is the list of everything a contractor must supply for a job, with a quantity for each item. The estimator takes the quantities off the plans and the specification. That is where the name comes from.
- What is a quantity takeoff in construction?A quantity takeoff is the measured list of materials and items a job needs: how many, how long, how much area, how much volume. It is the counting part of an estimate.
- Takeoff vs estimate: what is the difference?A takeoff is quantities. An estimate is those quantities with material prices, labor, overhead and profit added. The takeoff comes first.
- How to do a construction takeoffRead your spec section first, list what you supply, count each item on the plans, check the spec against the drawings, apply the addenda, and write down what you exclude.
- Can AI do construction takeoffs?Yes, for the reading and the counting. AI can read a spec section, find the items on the plans and count them. A person still needs to decide the lines the documents do not settle.
- Spec vs drawings: which governs?The contract decides. Many contracts set an order of precedence in the general conditions. Do not assume. When the spec and the drawings disagree, ask the architect in writing before you bid.
Trade takeoffs
How to do a takeoff, one trade at a time.
- How to do an electrical takeoffRead Division 26. Count fixtures and devices from the schedules and plans. Measure conduit and wire by length. Check each count against the panel schedules.
- How to do a plumbing takeoffRead Division 22 and count fixtures from the plumbing fixture schedule. Then measure pipe by size and material from the plans and riser diagrams.
- How to do an HVAC takeoffRead Division 23 and list equipment from the mechanical schedules. Count air devices, then measure duct and pipe by size from the M sheets.
- How to do a painting takeoffRead 09 91 00, then measure wall and ceiling area by finish from the finish schedule and plans. Count doors and frames. Measure trim by length.
- How to do a framing takeoffRead 06 10 00 and the structural notes. Measure walls by type and length, count headers and hardware from the schedules, and measure sheathing by area.
- How to do a drywall takeoffRead 09 22 16 and 09 29 00. Measure each wall type by length, multiply by its height, then measure gypsum ceilings and soffits by area.
- How to do a roofing takeoffRead the Division 07 roofing section. Measure roof area and perimeter from the roof plan, then count drains, curbs and penetrations.
- How to do a tile takeoffRead 09 30 00. Measure floor and wall tile by area for each tile type, then measure base, trim and transitions by length.
- How to do a flooring takeoffRead the Division 09 flooring sections. Measure each floor finish by area from the finish plan, then measure base and transitions by length.
- How to do a concrete takeoffRead Division 03 and the structural notes. Work out concrete by volume, forms by contact area and rebar by length, one element at a time.
- How to do a masonry takeoffRead 04 20 00. Measure each masonry wall by area, subtract openings, then convert to units. Measure grout by volume and rebar by length.
- How to do an excavation and earthwork takeoffRead Division 31 and the soils report. Compare existing and proposed grades on the civil sheets, then work out cut and fill by volume.
- How to do a landscaping and irrigation takeoffRead 32 90 00 and 32 84 00. Count plants by symbol, measure turf and mulch by area, then count heads and valves and measure irrigation pipe.
- How to do a fire sprinkler takeoffRead Division 21 for the design criteria. Lay out or count heads by ceiling type, measure pipe by size, and count valves and risers.
- How to do a low voltage takeoffRead Divisions 27 and 28. Count outlets and devices by symbol from the technology sheets, then work out cable length for each drop.
- How to do a doors, frames and hardware takeoffStart with the door schedule. Count each opening by door type, frame type and hardware set. Check each one against the floor plans and the spec.
- How to do a glazing and storefront takeoffRead the Division 08 glazing sections. Count each frame type from the elevations, then measure glass by area and framing by length.
- How to do an insulation takeoffRead 07 21 00. Measure each insulated assembly by area, keep each type and thickness apart, and confirm which trade carries each one.
- How to do a millwork and casework takeoffRead the Division 06 and 12 woodwork sections. Count cabinets from the interior elevations, then measure countertops, trim and panels.
- How to do a structural steel takeoffRead Division 05 and the structural notes. List each member by size and length from the framing plans, then convert the list to weight.
- How to do a toilet accessories and Division 10 specialties takeoffRead each Division 10 section in your scope. Count every item from the accessory schedule, then check each count against the enlarged plans and elevations.
- How to do a signage takeoffRead 10 14 00. Count each sign type from the signage schedule and the location plans, then check room signs against the door schedule.
- How to do an athletic equipment takeoffRead 11 66 23, list what the section requires, then find each item on the gym plans. Count backstops and scoreboards. Measure wall pads by length.
- How to do a site utilities takeoffRead Division 33 and the soils report. Measure pipe by size, material and depth from the civil utility plan, then count structures and fittings.
Bid documents
How to read the Project Manual, the drawings and the front-end documents.
- What is a Project Manual in construction?A Project Manual is the bound book of written documents for a job: bidding requirements, contract conditions and the specifications. The drawings are a separate set.
- What is MasterFormat and how do CSI divisions work?MasterFormat is the standard numbering system for construction specifications in North America. It sorts work into numbered divisions, and each division into six-digit sections.
- How to read a spec section: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3Most spec sections have three parts. Part 1 General covers the rules. Part 2 Products covers what you supply. Part 3 Execution covers how you install it.
- What is Division 01 and why should subcontractors read it?Division 01 is the General Requirements. It sets the rules that apply to every trade on the job: submittals, substitutions, schedule, temporary facilities, cleanup and closeout.
- What is an addendum in construction?An addendum is a written change to the bid documents, issued before bids are due. It becomes part of the contract. You must include it in your price.
- What are bid alternates in construction?A bid alternate is a separate price for a defined change to the base bid. The owner can accept or reject each alternate after bids are opened.
- What are allowances in a construction bid?An allowance is an amount the owner tells every bidder to include for work that is not yet defined. The final cost is adjusted later, up or down.
- What are unit prices in a construction bid?A unit price is a price per unit of work, such as per cubic yard or per linear foot. The owner uses it to pay for quantities that are not known at bid time.
- What does basis of design mean in a specification?Basis of design means the architect designed around one named product. Other products can be used only if they match its size, performance and appearance, as the spec allows.
- What does or equal mean in a specification?Or equal means the spec names a product but allows another one of the same quality and function. The architect, not the bidder, decides if a product is equal.
- What is a substitution request in construction?A substitution request is a formal request to use a product or method that the documents do not name. The architect approves or rejects it under the rules in Division 01.
- General conditions vs supplementary conditions: what is the difference?General conditions are the standard contract rules, often a published form. Supplementary conditions change those rules for one project. Where they differ, the supplementary conditions normally control.
- What are instructions to bidders?Instructions to bidders are the rules for the bid itself: when and where bids are due, what to include, how to ask questions and how the owner picks the winner.
- What is a bid form in construction?A bid form is the document a bidder fills in to state the price and accept the bid terms. The owner supplies it so every bid arrives in the same format.
- What is a bid bond in construction?A bid bond is a surety guarantee that the bidder will sign the contract at the bid price if selected. It protects the owner if the low bidder walks away.
- Performance bond vs payment bond: what is the difference?A performance bond guarantees that the contractor will complete the work. A payment bond guarantees that subcontractors and suppliers will be paid. Owners often require both.
- What is prevailing wage in construction?Prevailing wage is a minimum hourly rate, set by government, that contractors must pay workers on covered public projects. Check the bid documents and your state.
- What does tax exempt mean on a construction project?It means the owner, such as a school district, does not pay sales tax on its own purchases. It does not always mean the contractor's materials are tax free.
- How to read a door scheduleA door schedule is a table with one row per door opening. Each row gives the door number, size, door type, frame type, fire rating and hardware set.
- How to read a finish scheduleA finish schedule is a table that lists the floor, base, wall and ceiling finish for each room. It uses codes, and a legend tells you what each code means.
- How to read a fixture schedule: plumbing and lightingA fixture schedule is a table that ties each tag on the plans to a product. A plumbing schedule gives fixtures and connection sizes. A lighting schedule gives luminaire types.
- What is a reflected ceiling plan?A reflected ceiling plan, or RCP, draws the ceiling as if a mirror on the floor reflected it. It shows ceiling types, heights and everything mounted in the ceiling.
- How construction drawing sheets are numberedA sheet number starts with a letter for the discipline, such as A for architectural or S for structural. The digits that follow give the sheet type and its order.
- How to read construction drawings as a subcontractorStart with the sheet index and find every sheet that shows your trade. Then follow each callout from plan to detail to schedule.
- What is a plan room in construction?A plan room is a place, now usually a website, where the documents for projects out for bid are posted. Contractors use it to find work and download plans, specs and addenda.
- RFI vs pre-bid question: what is the difference?A pre-bid question is asked before bids are due and is answered by addendum. An RFI, or request for information, is asked after award and is answered under the contract.
- What do NIC, OFCI, OFOI and by others mean on drawings?NIC means not in contract. OFCI means owner furnished, contractor installed. OFOI means owner furnished, owner installed. By others means a different party does the work.
- What are submittals and shop drawings in construction?Submittals are the documents a contractor sends for review before it orders or installs the work. Shop drawings are one kind: drawings made for this job that show how the work will be built.
- What is a scope of work in construction?A scope of work is the written description of what one party will supply and do on a job. For a subcontractor it also states what is excluded.
- What are liquidated damages in construction?Liquidated damages are a daily amount, set in the contract, that the contractor owes the owner for finishing late.
- What is retainage in construction?Retainage is a part of each progress payment that the owner holds back until the work is complete. The contract states the percentage and when it is released.
- What is a bid packet and what is in it?A bid packet is the full set of documents a contractor needs to price a job: the invitation, the Project Manual, the drawings and every addendum.
Bidding and estimating
From bid or no bid to the proposal.
- How to bid a construction job as a subcontractorGet the full bid packet and decide if the job fits. Take off your scope, price it, and send a clear proposal to each bidding GC before the deadline.
- Bid or no bid: how to decide which jobs to bidBid jobs that fit your trade, crew, area and calendar. Pick GCs who are likely to use your number. Pass on the rest, and say so early.
- How to write a subcontractor proposal (scope letter)A subcontractor proposal states your price and the documents you priced. It lists what you include, what you exclude and your conditions.
- How to write bid exclusionsWrite each exclusion as one specific line that names the item and, when you can, the spec section or sheet. Exclude only what you truly do not carry.
- Inclusions, exclusions and qualifications: what is the difference?Inclusions are what your price covers. Exclusions are what it does not cover. Qualifications are the conditions your price depends on.
- What is a scope gap in construction?A scope gap is work the project needs that no subcontractor has in a bid. Each trade thought another trade carried it.
- What is bid leveling? How GCs compare subcontractor bidsBid leveling is how a GC adjusts subcontractor bids to the same scope so the prices can be compared. The GC adds money for what each bid leaves out.
- The most common takeoff mistakesMost takeoff mistakes are scope mistakes, not counting mistakes: a missed spec item, a missed sheet, a missed addendum or the wrong scale.
- What is a waste factor in a takeoff?A waste factor is an allowance for material that is cut off, damaged or left over. You add it to the measured quantity after the takeoff.
- What is a unit cost in construction estimating?A unit cost is the cost of one unit of work: one square foot, one linear foot, one cubic yard or one item. Quantity times unit cost gives the line total.
- What are labor units in estimating?A labor unit is the labor hours needed to install one unit of material. Multiply it by the quantity to get hours, then by the crew rate to get labor cost.
- Markup vs margin: what is the difference?Markup is profit as a share of cost. Margin is profit as a share of the selling price. The same job has a higher markup percent than margin percent.
- What is overhead in a construction bid?Overhead is the cost of running the job and the company that is not material or installation labor. A bid must recover it, or the profit line is not real.
- What is contingency in an estimate?Contingency is money in an estimate for costs you expect but cannot yet define. It covers known unknowns, not profit and not careless takeoff.
- What happens on bid day?On bid day, subcontractors send final numbers to the GCs. The GCs level the bids, pick a number for each trade, total the job and submit before the deadline.
- How long does a takeoff take?It depends on the trade, the size of the drawing set and the quality of the documents. No honest single number covers every job.
- A takeoff checklist for subcontractorsUse this checklist on every bid. Confirm the documents, read the spec, count the plans, check the schedules, apply the addenda and list your exclusions.
- How to check a takeoff before you price itCheck a takeoff four ways: against the spec, the schedules, a second count and your past jobs. Then check that every addendum is applied.
- What is a pre-bid meeting?A pre-bid meeting is held before the bid date. The owner and the design team explain the project, and bidders ask questions. Some are mandatory.
- Why do a site visit before you bid?A site visit shows what the drawings do not: access, existing conditions, working height and what is truly there. It matters most on renovations.
- What is value engineering in construction?Value engineering is a design change that lowers cost and keeps the function the owner needs. It often happens when bids come in over budget.
- What is a change order? When a missed item becomes oneA change order is a written, signed change to the contract price, time or scope. A missed item becomes one only if it was not in the documents you bid.
- Public bid vs private bid: what is the difference?A public bid is for work paid with public money and follows procurement law. A private bid follows whatever rules the owner sets. The paperwork differs most.
- Lump sum vs unit price vs time and materialsLump sum is one fixed price for a defined scope. Unit price is a fixed price per unit, paid on measured quantity. Time and materials is cost plus a markup.
- What is design-build? How subcontractors bid itIn design-build, one team holds a single contract for design and construction. Subcontractors often price from incomplete documents.
- What does a construction estimator do?A construction estimator reads the bid documents, measures the work, prices it and writes the bid. The job is part reading, part counting and part judgment.
- How to train a new estimatorTrain a new estimator in stages: read documents, redo finished takeoffs, do checked takeoffs, then price. Time in the field speeds up each stage.
- How to estimate from drawings with no specWith no spec, take scope from the drawings: notes, schedules, legends and details. Then state the products and quality you assumed in a written basis of bid.
- How to handle an addendum after your takeoff is doneRead the whole addendum and find every change that touches your trade. Update the takeoff and the price. List the addendum by number in your proposal.
- How to track bid due datesKeep one bid log for the whole company. For each job, record the bid date and time, the question deadline, the GCs bidding and who owns the takeoff.
- Material takeoff (MTO) vs bill of materials: what is the difference?A material takeoff is quantities measured from the drawings for a bid. A bill of materials is the exact list of parts to order and build with, made after award.
- How suppliers and dealers do takeoffs for contractorsMany suppliers and dealers take off their own products from the bid documents and send a quote. The quote covers what the supplier sells, not the full scope.
AI and takeoff software
What the tools do, and how to judge them.
- What is takeoff software?Takeoff software helps an estimator count and measure items on construction plans on a screen. It produces a list of quantities. It does not price the job by itself.
- What are the types of takeoff software?There are three main types: measuring tools, estimating suites and AI takeoff. Measuring tools count and trace. Suites add pricing. AI takeoff reads the documents and suggests the quantities.
- What is a digital takeoff?A digital takeoff is a takeoff done on a computer from electronic plans, not from paper sheets. The estimator counts and measures on a screen, and the software adds the totals.
- What does on-screen takeoff mean?On-screen takeoff means counting and measuring from plans shown on a computer screen. On-Screen Takeoff, with capital letters, is also the name of a product that estimators measure with.
- 2D takeoff vs BIM takeoff: what is the difference?A 2D takeoff measures from flat plan sheets, usually PDF files. A BIM takeoff pulls quantities from a 3D model. Most subcontractors still bid from the sheets and the spec.
- How does AI takeoff software work?AI takeoff software reads the bid documents, finds the items a contractor supplies, and counts or measures them. A person then reviews the lines the software is not sure of.
- How accurate is AI takeoff software?It depends on the documents, the trade and the item. Do not trust one accuracy number. Check the sources line by line, and test the software on a job you already bid.
- Can AI read blueprints?Yes, with limits. AI can read text, tags, schedules and many symbols on plan sheets. It reads clean PDF sheets best. It has trouble with poor scans, crowded sheets and items shown only by a note.
- Can AI read construction specifications?Yes. Specifications are text, and AI reads text well. It can find a section in a Project Manual, list what the section requires and pull out products and sizes. A person should check the quotes.
- Vector PDF vs scanned PDF: why it matters for takeoffsA vector PDF holds lines and text as data. A scanned PDF is a picture of a sheet. Vector sheets measure cleanly and their text can be searched. Scanned sheets need more care from people and from software.
- Questions to ask an AI takeoff vendorAsk what the software reads, how it shows its sources and what it does when it is not sure. Ask which trades are live today and what happens to your files. Then ask to run a job you already bid.
- What is an AI hallucination, and why does it matter in estimating?An AI hallucination is an answer the model made up that looks real. In estimating it can be a quantity, a model number or a spec requirement that is not in the documents.
- What does human in the loop mean for a takeoff?Human in the loop means a person reviews and approves the AI's work before anyone uses it. For a takeoff, the estimator confirms, corrects or excludes the lines the software is not sure of.
- Takeoff software for subcontractors vs general contractorsA general contractor needs broad quantities across every trade. A subcontractor needs exact quantities and spec detail for one trade. One tool rarely fits both needs well.
- How to choose takeoff software for a specialty contractorStart with where your bids go wrong. If counting is slow, choose a measuring tool. If you miss scope, choose a tool that reads the spec. Test any tool on a job you already bid.
- Manual takeoff vs digital takeoff vs AI takeoffA manual takeoff uses paper sheets and a scale ruler. A digital takeoff uses software, and a person clicks every item. In an AI takeoff the software does the first pass and a person reviews it.
- Can you do a takeoff in a spreadsheet?Yes. A spreadsheet works well to record and total a takeoff. It cannot measure a drawing. You still need the plans, a way to count or measure, and the source of each number.
- How to use a takeoff CSV export in your estimateOpen the CSV file in a spreadsheet and check the columns and units. Then map each line to a line in your estimate. Keep the source column so every priced quantity can be traced.
- Is it safe to upload bid documents to an AI tool?It depends on the tool and on your agreements. Before you upload, ask four things: where the files are stored, who can open them, whether they train AI models, and how you delete them.
- Will AI replace construction estimators?No. AI takes over much of the reading and counting. It does not take over judgment, pricing or responsibility for the bid. The estimator's work moves from counting to checking and deciding.
- What is automatic symbol counting on plans?Automatic symbol counting is software that finds every copy of a symbol on a plan sheet and counts them. You select one symbol, the software marks the matches, and you check the marks.
- Spec-first takeoff: why read the specification before you countA spec-first takeoff starts with the specification section, lists what it requires, and then finds those items on the drawings. It catches required items that are not drawn.
Still stuck?
Use the contact page. A person replies.