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.

Construction plan PDF being analyzed by AI for material takeoff

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.

Screenshot showing electrical plan upload interface

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
Learn More
AI analysis showing component recognition and counting in progress

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
View HVAC Details
Review interface showing flagged items and adjustment toggles

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
See Plumbing

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.
Get my free takeoff
Stopwatch over a plan set illustrating the time cost of manual takeoffs
Every hour you count is an hour you are not bidding.

The bottleneck is not the pricing. It is the counting.

Stopwatch over a plan set illustrating the time cost of manual takeoffs
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.
Get my free takeoff

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.

Screenshot showing electrical plan upload interface

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
Learn More
AI analysis showing component recognition and counting in progress

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
View HVAC Details
Review interface showing flagged items and adjustment toggles

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
See Plumbing
Export options showing Excel, CSV, and JSON format downloads

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
Fire Protection Info

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.

Stopwatch over a plan set illustrating the time cost of manual takeoffs
Every hour you count is an hour you are not bidding.

The bottleneck is not the pricing. It is the counting.

Structural Contractors Who Use It

Structural subs and GC self-perform teams who needed structural counts faster without a dedicated estimator.

4.8 6 reviews
"Steel framing on a 4-story office. Member counts by W-section were accurate. The connection hardware from typical details was a nice bonus — I never had that organized before."
Patrick O'Brien Structural Steel Contractor, Chicago
"Concrete and rebar on a commercial TI. Slab CY was within 3% of my manual check. Rebar schedule organized by bar size — exactly how the rebar sub needs it for pricing."
Jim Kowalski Concrete Sub, Milwaukee
"Open web joist takeoff on a warehouse. Counted by series and span in 18 minutes. Would have taken me 3 hours manually. Joist bridging was included too — didn't expect that."
Sandra Lee Steel Erector, Minneapolis
"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."
David Kumar General Contractor, Seattle
"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."
Lisa Thompson Fire Protection, Denver
"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%."
Robert Martinez Electrical Estimator, Houston

Structural Takeoff — Contractor Questions

Honest answers to what structural contractors ask before their first AI structural takeoff.

What structural components does it count?

Structural steel (W-sections, HSS, angles, plates by size and length), concrete (slabs, footings, walls — SF and CY), rebar (by bar size #3-#11 with spacing and total LF), metal deck (by gauge and area), open web joists (by series and span), connection hardware, holdowns, and post-installed anchors.

  • Steel, concrete, rebar, deck, joists, hardware — all counted
  • Schedules and detail sheets read together
Does it read structural schedules and details?

Yes. Member schedules, column schedules, rebar schedules, and typical detail sheets are read alongside the framing and foundation plans. Connection hardware quantities come from the typical details — not just the framing plan.

  • Member and rebar schedules cross-referenced to framing plans
  • Typical connection details used for hardware quantities
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 Structural Takeoff Free

Upload any structural plan set with a free account. Get steel counts, concrete volumes, and rebar schedules in about 15 minutes. No credit card required.

  • 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
Contractor reviewing AI-generated takeoff on laptop
Structural Takeoffs

Steel, concrete, rebar — ~15 minutes