"First takeoff I ran, I checked every count manually. It caught outlets I missed on a 47-page commercial set. Checked out. Now I trust the counts and just verify flagged items — takes 10 minutes instead of 3 days."
Stop Counting. Start Winning Bids.
Upload your PDF plans. The AI reads every page, counts every device, maps every circuit, and flags anything it is unsure about. You get contractor-ready material counts in 15 to 30 minutes, not 3 days.
Manual takeoffs are the most expensive hour you do not bill.
A commercial plan set takes 8 to 40 hours to count by hand. At estimator rates of $75 to $150 per hour, that is $600 to $6,000 in labor on every bid. Most contractors do not skip bids because the work is not there. They skip bids because the counting takes too long to make the turnaround worth it. TakeoffBuilder does not replace your judgment. It eliminates the hours you spend before your judgment ever gets to work.
- 8 to 40 hours per plan set at $75 to $150 per hour equals $600 to $6,000 in labor
- One TakeoffBuilder credit: $199. Any size plan. 15 to 30 minutes.
- The math works on the first job. Every job after that is margin.
Every hour you count is an hour you are not bidding.
The bottleneck is not the pricing. It is the counting.
Manual takeoffs are the most expensive hour you do not bill.
A commercial plan set takes 8 to 40 hours to count by hand. At estimator rates of $75 to $150 per hour, that is $600 to $6,000 in labor on every bid. Most contractors do not skip bids because the work is not there. They skip bids because the counting takes too long to make the turnaround worth it. TakeoffBuilder does not replace your judgment. It eliminates the hours you spend before your judgment ever gets to work.
- 8 to 40 hours per plan set at $75 to $150 per hour equals $600 to $6,000 in labor
- One TakeoffBuilder credit: $199. Any size plan. 15 to 30 minutes.
- The math works on the first job. Every job after that is margin.
Manual takeoffs are the most expensive hour you do not bill.
A commercial plan set takes 8 to 40 hours to count by hand. At estimator rates of $75 to $150 per hour, that is $600 to $6,000 in labor on every bid. Most contractors do not skip bids because the work is not there. They skip bids because the counting takes too long to make the turnaround worth it. TakeoffBuilder does not replace your judgment. It eliminates the hours you spend before your judgment ever gets to work.
Any PDF format works — CAD exports, scanned drawings, permit sets up to 150MB. Drag and drop or browse. We've processed 47-page commercial permit sets, multi-building residential packages, and hand-drawn TI plans.
Construction-trained AI reads your legends, schedules, notes, and drawings — understanding trade-specific symbols the way an experienced estimator would. Not generic object detection. Trade-specific symbol recognition trained on thousands of real plan sets.
Anything the AI isn't confident about gets flagged — with the exact page and location shown. You verify flagged items manually. Everything else ships in your Excel. Most contractors check flagged items in 5-10 minutes.
Download as Excel, CSV, or JSON. Import directly into PlanSwift, Accubid, or your estimating software. Or price it right there — the counts are organized exactly the way suppliers need them.
Every hour you count is an hour you are not bidding.
The bottleneck is not the pricing. It is the counting.
Every Major Trade. One Platform.
15 trade types supported. One credit covers one complete plan, any size — electrical, HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, and 11 more. The AI reads what your estimators read: legends, schedules, symbols, notes.
Electrical Takeoffs
Device counts, panel schedules, wire footage by gauge, conduit runs with sizing — circuit by circuit from your plan set. The AI asks your code year, occupancy, and hazard class before it reads a page.
- Device counts: outlets, switches, dimmers, receptacles
- Panel schedules organized by circuit
- Wire footage estimates by gauge and type
HVAC Takeoffs
Duct linear footage by size, diffuser counts by type, equipment schedules with tonnage and CFM, hydronic pipe runs. Configured for new construction, renovation, TI, or retrofit before the AI touches the plan.
- Duct runs with dimensions and footage
- Diffuser and grille counts by type
- Equipment schedules: AHUs, VAVs, RTUs
Plumbing Takeoffs
Fixture counts, pipe routing by material and size, valve and fitting schedules, drain and vent quantities. Commercial and residential. Riser diagrams parsed.
- Fixture counts: toilets, sinks, showers
- Pipe runs by material, size, and footage
- Valve and fitting schedules
Fire Protection Takeoffs
Sprinkler head counts by type and coverage, pipe footage by size, alarm devices, riser and backflow assembly counts. NFPA 13 / 13R aware.
- Sprinkler head counts by type and coverage
- Pipe footage by size and material
- Alarm devices: pulls, horns, strobes
Manual takeoffs are the most expensive hour you do not bill.
A commercial plan set takes 8 to 40 hours to count by hand. At estimator rates of $75 to $150 per hour, that is $600 to $6,000 in labor on every bid. Most contractors do not skip bids because the work is not there. They skip bids because the counting takes too long to make the turnaround worth it. TakeoffBuilder does not replace your judgment. It eliminates the hours you spend before your judgment ever gets to work.
Every hour you count is an hour you are not bidding.
The bottleneck is not the pricing. It is the counting.
What Contractors Are Saying
We don't have celebrity endorsements. We have plumbers, electricians, and HVAC guys who needed to submit more bids without hiring another estimator.
6 reviews
"The AI handles ductwork counts while I focus on pricing strategy and equipment specs. Exports directly to my estimating software. Cut my takeoff time from 2 days to about 2 hours on a typical commercial job."
"Pays for itself on the first job. I was spending weekends counting fixtures. Now I upload the plans Friday, have counts Monday morning, and actually have a weekend. Sign up free to see a live example takeoff — just try it."
"Use it to verify sub bids. Caught a 20% undercount on a recent electrical sub package. Paid for a month of credits on that one catch. Now I run every sub bid through it before signing."
"Sprinkler layouts are complex — density zones, obstruction calcs, riser diagrams. The AI catches head counts and pipe footage I'd need hours to verify manually. Especially useful on large commercial projects."
"No subscription is the key for me. I pay credits when I bid, not monthly whether I use it or not. Slow months cost me nothing. Busy months I load up credits at the 10-pack rate and save 25%."
Real Questions. Honest Answers.
What contractors ask before they buy a credit. No marketing fluff.
How much does one plan actually cost?
One credit covers one complete plan submission, regardless of page count or complexity. Starts at $199 for 1–5 credits and slides down to $119 each at 25+. Credits never expire. Compare that to a manual takeoff: 8–40 hours at $75–$150/hr = $600–$6,000 per plan set.
- $199 per plan at 1–5, $119 per plan at 25+ credits
- Credits never expire. Non-refundable.
How accurate is it, really?
Accurate where the plans are clear, and honest about where they are not. Anything the AI is not confident about gets flagged with exact page and location — you verify it manually instead of trusting a silent guess. That is the difference between AI-assisted and AI-automated.
- Low-confidence items flagged with page and location
- You keep the judgment. The AI handles the counting.
How long does it take?
15–30 minutes on a typical commercial plan set. Larger sets (100+ pages) or high queue load can push it longer — you get an email when it is ready so you are not waiting at the screen.
- 15–30 minutes typical · email notification on completion
- Max file size 150MB · any PDF format
What if it gets something wrong?
Submit feedback and we re-run the plan once — free. One correction pass per credit. Tell it what to fix, it reads the plan again with your feedback, and produces an updated takeoff. No extra credit spent.
- One free re-run with feedback per credit
- Editable output — adjust any count manually
Is it American only? I work outside the US.
A PDF does not have a nationality. The AI reads construction drawings — legends, schedules, symbols — not English. Our waitlist includes contractors from the US, Slovakia, the Middle East, and beyond. Set your applicable code in the configurator and upload.
- Works on plans from any jurisdiction
- Configurator handles code year and occupancy type
Does it replace PlanSwift / Bluebeam / Accubid?
No. It makes the first 15 minutes of every PlanSwift job disappear. Export to Excel, CSV, or JSON and import into whatever you already use. TakeoffBuilder handles the counting. Your existing software handles pricing and proposal packaging.
- Export to Excel, CSV, JSON — imports into PlanSwift, Accubid, ConEst
- Eliminates the hours before your judgment gets to work
More questions? See the full FAQ.
See Full FAQReady to stop counting by hand?
Upload your first plan and see results in about 15 minutes
- Free account, 1 takeoff included, no credit card
- One credit equals one complete plan. Any size. Any trade.
- Credits never expire. One free re-run with feedback.
Start free. See the IMAX takeoff.
The math works on the first job. Every job after that is margin.