Quantity and material takeoffs, any trade
Construction quantity takeoff services, measured by trade and sheet
Quantity takeoffs start at $149, and single-trade work is ready in 48 hours. Send your plans and specs. Get back quantities by trade, area and sheet, in the units your estimators price by.
Fixed price in 2 business hours. Pay only after you accept.
- Fixed price before any work starts
- Plan review is free
- You pay only after you accept the price and delivery date
- No files needed to get a quote
- Your rates, your final number
Counted from the plan
- Partition type A85LF
- Partition type B, sound rated53LF
- Gypsum board ceilings417SF
- Framed openings20EA
Quick answer
Construction takeoff services from Bidmere measure quantities from your plans and specifications for subcontractors, general contractors and suppliers. You get quantities by trade, area and sheet, measurement markups and a question log, with no pricing applied. Takeoffs are priced from $149. Single-trade work is ready in 48 hours, and you get a fixed quote within 2 business hours.
What do construction takeoff services include?
A takeoff is the measured list of quantities on a project, without prices. You get every quantity tied to the sheet, the revision and the rule used to measure it.
You send
- Plans for the trades you want measured
- Specification sections and schedules that define types
- All addenda and the current revision list
- Your preferred units, breakdown and cost codes
You get back
- Quantity workbook: quantities by trade, type, area and sheet, in the units your team prices by.
- Measurement markups: marked sheets or a sheet-by-sheet reference showing what was measured.
- Measurement basis: the revision, rules and assumptions behind each quantity.
- Question log: missing dimensions, conflicts and scope splits to resolve before pricing.
The delivery format is an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions. Start with a short description of the job. Document sharing is arranged after the scope is confirmed.
Which units does a quantity takeoff use for each trade?
Each trade buys and installs in its own units, so a quantity takeoff follows those units. The table shows the usual basis by CSI MasterFormat division. Tell us if your shop measures differently.
| Trade | CSI division | What is measured | Typical units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | 03 | Footings, walls, slabs, forms, rebar | CY, SF, LB |
| Masonry | 04 | CMU and brick walls, grout, reinforcing | SF, EA, LF |
| Rough carpentry | 06 | Blocking, sheathing, framing members | LF, SF, board feet |
| Roofing | 07 | Membrane, insulation, flashing | SQ, SF, LF |
| Doors and frames | 08 | Doors, frames, hardware sets | EA |
| Drywall and framing | 09 | Partitions by type, board, studs | LF, SF |
| Painting | 09 | Walls, ceilings, doors, exposed structure | SF, EA, LF |
| Flooring | 09 | Flooring by finish tag, base | SF, SY, LF |
| Plumbing | 22 | Fixtures, pipe by system and size | EA, LF |
| HVAC | 23 | Duct, air devices, equipment | LF, LB, EA |
| Electrical | 26 | Devices, fixtures, conduit, wire | EA, LF |
| Sitework | 31 and 32 | Cut and fill, paving, curb | CY, SY, LF |
Square (SQ) means 100 square feet. Cubic yards (CY) come from length times width times depth in feet, divided by 27.
Material takeoff services vs a quantity takeoff
A quantity takeoff gives net measured quantities. A material takeoff converts those quantities into what you order, such as sheets, sticks, gallons or bags, with waste shown.
Both start from the same measurement:
- Quantity takeoff: 1,240 LF of partition type A at 12 feet high. Good for pricing labor and checking bids.
- Material takeoff: the board sheets, studs, track and fasteners needed to build that partition, by size and length. Good for buyouts and supplier quotes.
Material takeoff services suit suppliers quoting from plans and subcontractors who buy their own material. Tell us your stock lengths, sheet sizes and waste factors. Waste is always shown as a separate line, so you can see the net and the ordered quantity side by side. A free material takeoff template shows the layout.
How every quantity is measured and traced
Every quantity names its source sheet, the revision and the rule used. That lets your estimator check any line in minutes instead of re-measuring it.
- Net, not padded. Quantities are measured net. Waste and overage are separate lines you control.
- Stated deductions. Openings are deducted or left in by a stated rule, such as openings over a set size.
- Heights and layers. Wall heights, board layers and coat counts come from the sections and schedules, with the sheet cited.
- Area and phase splits. Quantities can be split by floor, building, phase, alternate or unit price item.
- Your cost codes. The workbook can follow your cost code structure, so it drops into your estimate.
- Revision control. The takeoff states which revision and addenda it reflects. A quantity from a superseded sheet is not presented as current.
Plan conflicts that turn a takeoff into a bid miss
Most takeoff errors come from documents that disagree, not from bad counting. The question log is built to catch these conflicts:
- A tag on the plan does not match the schedule or legend.
- A section shows a height the plan notes contradict.
- A detail is referenced but not included in the set.
- A sheet is not drawn to scale, or a scale bar is missing.
- An addendum revises a sheet after measuring started.
- The specification allows options the drawings do not select.
Each item cites the sheets involved, so your team can send an RFI, carry an assumption or qualify the bid.
Scope gaps between trades that a takeoff should flag
Gaps between trades are where bids get lost. A takeoff that only measures what is clearly yours misses the items nobody owns.
Use this checklist when you scope a takeoff:
- Blocking and backing for casework, toilet accessories and wall-hung equipment: carpentry, drywall or the installer?
- Equipment pads under mechanical and electrical gear: concrete or the MEP trade?
- Roof curbs and supports for rooftop units: mechanical, roofing or steel?
- Firestopping at penetrations: each trade or one firestopping subcontractor?
- Access panels in walls and ceilings: furnished by MEP, installed by drywall?
- Equipment connections: who wires and pipes owner-furnished items?
- Painting of exposed piping and duct: painting or the MEP trade?
The takeoff lists each gap it finds, so your bid can include, exclude or qualify it on purpose.
Have plans for this scope? Send them over. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteHow a quantity takeoff order works
You get a fixed price and delivery date before any work starts.
- Describe the job. Trades, sheet count, bid date and a plans link if you have one.
- Get a fixed quote within 2 business hours.
- Accept, then share documents through a secure exchange.
- Receive the takeoff, ready for your team to price.
Quantity takeoff software or a takeoff company?
Quantity takeoff software is a tool your own estimator runs. A takeoff company supplies the estimator time as well, so the measuring gets done when your team is full.
Software makes sense when you have estimators with open hours and a steady bid volume. A service makes sense when bids stack up or you bid a trade you rarely measure. The estimating software vs service guide compares cost and control in more detail.
What a takeoff does not include
A takeoff-only order stops at quantities. Pricing, labor rates and markups stay with your team.
- Pricing, labor rates, markups and bid totals, unless you order a priced estimate
- Site visits and field measurement
- Purchase orders, shop drawings or fabrication cut lists
- Design, engineering or code review
See estimate vs takeoff vs bid for how the three differ.
Construction takeoff services near me, or material takeoff software?
Location does not change a takeoff. Quantities come from the documents, so a remote takeoff service works the same as one down the street. The real choice is between running material takeoff software yourself and buying quantity takeoff services.
Material takeoff software contractors commonly use:
- PlanSwift measures areas, lengths and counts on PDF, CAD and image files.
- On-Screen Takeoff from ConstructConnect measures lengths, areas and counts and can pass takeoffs to estimating software.
- Bluebeam Revu measures PDFs and can link quantities to Excel.
- STACK is a cloud takeoff and estimating tool with trade assemblies.
What software does not do: decide which revision governs, read the spec, check addenda or write the question log. Someone still has to.
When you compare quantity takeoff services, local or remote, ask:
- Is every quantity tied to a sheet and revision?
- Is waste shown apart from net quantity?
- Do you get marked-up plans so you can check the work?
- Are assumptions, exclusions and open questions written down?
- Is the price fixed before work starts?
Bidmere answers yes to each. Delivery is an Excel estimate with live formulas, color-coded marked-up PDF plans, and a written list of assumptions, exclusions and open questions. For more background, see what is a takeoff and the estimating software vs service guide.
Sample takeoff
What a takeoff looks like
| Item | Quantity | Unit | Sheet and basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab on grade, 5 in. | 6,400 | SF | S-101, net of footings |
| Continuous footing, 24 x 12 in. | 24.0 | CY | S-101, 324 LF perimeter |
| Reinforcing, #4 and #5 bars | 4,860 | LB | S-101, S-501, laps per general notes |
| Partition type A to deck, 14 ft | 410 | LF | A-101, wall type legend A-601 |
| Gypsum board, 5/8 in. Type X | 11,480 | SF | A-601, one layer each side |
| Interior paint, walls, 2 coats | 11,480 | SF | A-601, finish schedule |
| Hollow metal frames | 14 | EA | A-801 door schedule |
| TPO membrane, 60 mil | 66.2 | SQ | A-401, includes parapet base flashing |
| Duplex receptacles | 38 | EA | E-101 |
| Supply diffusers, 24 x 24 | 22 | EA | M-101, schedule M-601 |
Fictional example: part of a quantity takeoff for an invented single-story retail shell. Not a customer project.
Before you send plans
Common questions about handing off the work
Will an outside takeoff match how my team prices?
Tell us your units, cost codes and breakdown at scope review. The workbook is organized to match, so it drops into your estimate.
What if the plans change after you measure?
The takeoff states the revision it reflects. An addendum after that baseline is reviewed as an agreed revision, not quietly mixed in.
Who is responsible for the final quantities?
Your team reviews and owns the number you bid. Every quantity cites its sheet and rule, so checking is fast.
Monthly estimating plans
Bid every week? Put your takeoffs on a monthly plan
If your team bids every week, a monthly plan is simpler than ordering one estimate at a time. You send bids as they come in, and each one is measured and priced the same way.
- Starter: $1,395 per month for up to 6 bids
- Pro: $2,595 per month for up to 12 bids
- Scale: $4,795 per month for up to 25 bids
Each plan uses your rates, your cost codes and your proposal format, so your numbers stay consistent from bid to bid. See monthly outsourced estimating plans for what each plan covers.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much do construction takeoff services cost?
Bidmere takeoffs are priced from $149 for a qualifying single-trade scope. The fixed price depends on the number of sheets, trades, detail and deadline. You get the price within 2 business hours after a free plan review, and you pay only after you accept it. See pricing for the full list.
How fast is a quantity takeoff?
A qualifying single-trade takeoff is ready in 48 hours from your accepted quote and complete documents. Multi-trade takeoffs get a delivery date in the fixed quote. If the bid date is tight, rush work is available as 24-hour rush for 30% more, subject to capacity. Tell us the bid date when you ask for a quote.
What do I need to send for a takeoff?
Send the plan sheets for each trade, the related specification sections and schedules, all addenda, and your units and cost codes. To get a quote you only need a short description and, if you have one, a view-only plans link. Document sharing is arranged after you accept the scope.
What is the difference between a takeoff and an estimate?
A takeoff measures quantities. An estimate applies labor and material rates to those quantities to reach a cost. A takeoff-only order stops at quantities so your team prices the work with its own rates. If you want the priced version, order a trade estimate instead, which includes the same quantities plus a cost summary.
Do you offer material takeoff services?
Yes. A material takeoff converts measured quantities into ordering units, such as sheets, sticks, gallons or bags, with waste shown separately. Tell us your stock sizes and waste factors at scope review. It suits suppliers quoting from plans and subcontractors who buy their own material.
How are addenda handled after the takeoff starts?
The takeoff names the plan revision and addenda it reflects. If an addendum arrives after that baseline, its effect is reviewed and handled as an agreed revision under your accepted quote. A quantity from an older sheet is never presented as current without being reconciled first.
Do I need a construction takeoff company near me?
No. Takeoffs are measured from documents, so location does not change the work. Plans and specs are shared electronically after scope review, and the quantities follow your units. Local factors such as labor rates and wage requirements are applied by your team when it prices the takeoff.
Can you measure trades like fencing or wallcovering?
Often, yes. If the documents define the work, it can be measured. Fencing goes by linear foot with gates and posts counted. Wallcovering goes by square foot or roll. Name the trade in your quote request, and the scope review confirms fit before you accept anything.
What should I look for in quantity takeoff services?
Look for quantities tied to sheet and revision, waste shown apart from net quantity, and marked-up plans you can check. Assumptions, exclusions and open questions should be written down. The price should be fixed before work starts. Bidmere quotes takeoffs from $149 within 2 business hours, and you pay only after you accept the price and delivery date.
Is material takeoff software cheaper than a takeoff service?
Per bid, often yes, if someone on your team has the hours to run it. The license is rarely the big cost; the estimator’s time is. If you bid a few times a month, or bids arrive in bursts, a service can cost less overall. The estimating software vs service guide compares published software prices.
Get a fixed quote
Share the project basics. You get a fixed price and delivery date within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.