Two jobs with the same floor area can take very different amounts of time. The trade, the set and the documents matter more than the size of the building.
The trade
- Counted trades go faster. Doors, fixtures and equipment are counted one by one.
- Measured trades take longer. Pipe, duct, conduit and wall areas are traced along their length.
- Trades with many accessories per item take longer. Each item brings a list of parts.
- Trades spread across disciplines take longer. You must look at more sheets.
The size of the set
- The number of sheets that show your work.
- The number of other sheets you must check for stray items.
- The length of your spec section and the sections it refers to.
- The number of addenda.
- The number of alternates, each of which is a second small takeoff.
The quality of the documents
Clean documents are fast. A clear schedule, a legend and tagged items let you count with confidence. Poor documents are slow. Scanned sheets, missing scales and missing details all cost time. So does a spec that disagrees with the drawings. Each conflict means a question to the GC and a wait for the answer.
What else changes the time
- The estimator's experience with this kind of job.
- How much checking you do after the count.
- Interruptions from other bids due the same week.
- The tool you measure with.
How to plan your week
Keep a log of your own takeoffs. Record the trade, the sheet count and the hours. After a few months you can judge a new job from its sheet count. Your own history is the only number worth trusting.
Bidding and estimating · Updated 11 Nov 2026