"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 by Hand. Get Your Takeoff in About 15 Minutes.
Upload your PDF plans. Select your trade. Download contractor-ready material counts — circuit by circuit, fixture by fixture, duct run by duct run. No software to install. No training. No subscription.
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
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.
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 From Contractors
We've heard every objection. Here's the honest answer to each one.
Will it catch everything, or will I miss items?
Accuracy runs 95%+ on standard commercial drawings. Anything the AI isn't confident about gets flagged — with the exact page and location. You review flagged items manually. Most contractors find the spot-check takes 5-10 minutes and catches less than 5% edge cases.
- 95%+ accuracy on standard commercial plans
- Flagged items show exact page and location for manual review
What if my plans are old, scanned, or hand-drawn?
We've processed 47-page scanned permit sets, faded drawings from the 80s, and hand-drawn TI plans. Accuracy may be slightly lower on degraded scans — the AI flags anything it's uncertain about rather than guessing. You get honest results, not inflated claims.
- Works on scanned, hand-drawn, and CAD exports
- Lower confidence items flagged, not silently guessed
How long does it actually take?
About 15 minutes for a typical 30-page commercial set. Larger plan sets — 80-100 pages — run 25-40 minutes. You'll get an email when results are ready. Upload before lunch, have counts before you leave the office.
- 30 pages: ~15 minutes
- Email notification when complete — no waiting at the screen
What exactly do I get back?
An Excel spreadsheet (or CSV) organized by trade category — circuits, devices, wire footage by gauge, conduit runs with sizing. The same format you'd hand to a supplier or import into your estimating software. Plus a flagged items list with page references.
- Excel, CSV, or JSON — your choice
- Organized by category, ready to import or price
How do I get started?
Create a free account with one Google click and we’ll show you a real commercial plan set alongside the AI-generated takeoff from it. See the output format, accuracy, and how flagged items work — before uploading any of your own plans. No credit card required.
- One Google click — no credit card required
- See a real example plan and takeoff output immediately
I already use PlanSwift / Bluebeam. Will this replace it?
No — and we're not trying to. TakeoffBuilder handles the counting. Your existing software handles pricing, markup, and workflow. We export to the formats your software imports. Think of it as a counting layer on top of what you already use.
- Exports to PlanSwift, Accubid, and Excel
- Complements your existing tools — doesn't replace them
Visit our complete FAQ page or contact support for specific questions about your projects
More Questions?See a Real Takeoff Before You Buy
Upload your plans. Get counts. See it work on your actual drawings before you spend a dollar.
- Sign up free — see a real example plan and AI takeoff output
- Results in about 15 minutes, not 3 days
- Works on your existing plans — PDF, scanned, or CAD export
Start free. See the IMAX takeoff.
The math works on the first job. Every job after that is margin.