- Get the whole bid packet: the Project Manual, the plan sheets and every addendum.
- Read your specification section before you open a drawing. List each item it requires, with the model or type.
- Read the front of the manual for the bid date, bonds, wage rules and tax status.
- Find the sheets that show your work. Plans, elevations, schedules and details can each carry a count.
- Count or measure each item. Write down the sheet each number came from.
- Check the spec against the drawings. Look for items in one and not the other.
- Apply the addenda. An addendum can change a count or remove an item.
- Write your exclusions and assumptions.
- Send open questions to the architect before the question deadline.
The step people skip
Step 6 is the one that gets skipped when time is short. It is also where the expensive mistakes are. Takeoff Tool does steps 2 to 7 and puts the conflicts from step 6 in front of you.
Guides · Updated 11 Nov 2026