Glossary
Takeoff
A takeoff is the part of estimating where you read the drawings and specs and list every piece of work the job needs, so it can be priced.
By IntelCost Team ·
A takeoff is the step in estimating where you go through the drawings and specifications and "take off" every piece of work the job needs. It is the activity of reading, measuring and counting; the list it produces is the quantity takeoff.
Where takeoff sits in an estimate
Most estimates follow the same order:
- Review the bid documents and decide what is in your scope.
- Do the takeoff: measure and count the work on the plans.
- Price it: put a unit price on each quantity, or get sub quotes.
- Add general conditions, markup and the bond premium to reach the bid.
Pricing can only be as good as the takeoff under it. A missed wall type or a sheet measured at the wrong scale carries straight through to the bid number.
Who does it
On a general contractor's team, an estimator or a takeoff specialist usually measures the self-performed work and enough of the sub trades to check the quotes that come in. Specialty contractors take off their own trade in detail: an electrician counts every fixture and device, a drywall sub measures every wall type. Some firms split the job, with one person measuring and another pricing.
How it is done
- Paper: printed sheets, a scale ruler, highlighters and a tally pad.
- Spreadsheet: dimensions read from the plans and typed into rows.
- On-screen software: the estimator measures directly on the PDF after setting each sheet's scale, and the quantities collect in a list.
Whatever the method, a good takeoff is complete, checkable and organized. Items are named the way they will be priced, filed by trade or CSI division, and marked on the sheets so a second person can see what was counted and what was not.
Example
Say you are taking off one office from a floor plan at 1/4 in = 1 ft (example values):
| Item | Measured | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Partition walls | 12 ft + 14 ft + 12 ft + 14 ft | 52 LF |
| Floor finish | 12 ft x 14 ft | 168 SF |
| Doors | One tagged door | 1 EA |
| Light fixtures | Two 2x4 fixtures on the reflected ceiling plan | 2 EA |
Repeat that for every room, check the schedules and details for anything the plan does not show, and the takeoff is done.
Common mistakes
- Measuring before confirming each sheet's scale, especially enlarged plans and details.
- Counting items twice where two sheets overlap.
- Missing scope that lives only in the specs, notes or schedules.
- Not marking what has been measured, so nobody can check it later.
On-screen tools help with the first and the last: in IntelCost's takeoff, every sheet keeps its own scale and every measurement stays drawn on the sheet it came from. The comparison of paper, spreadsheet and digital takeoff goes through each method in more detail.