Find Best Takeoff Software for Your Business

Takeoff Software:

Takeoff Software is a software that is used by users in extracting material counts and estimates from digital blueprints.
The software often comes equipped with features to generate cost and labor estimates as well.

Features and Benefits of Takeoff Software:

The Takeoff Software has several features that can benefit the user in many ways to grow their business. Some of these include:

• The software support most of the common file types for blueprints including SVG, DXF, DWG, and even PDF or image files.
• Estimators can point, click, and drag information off of the project plans, rather than manually measuring and calculating values with the digital versions of blueprints which is a prone to error.
• Users will be able to count items on the digitized plans by using the point click methods.
• Optical character recognition can also be used by the software to automatically count how many times a specific item or figure appears in the plans.
• The linear components on the plans can be identified and measured by the users to pull the necessary lengths of various materials which could be piping, wiring, trim, or any number of materials that are measured in units of length.
• Area measurement is another basic feature of takeoff software. By using this feature, an enclosed figure can be identified or drawn by the estimators to determine its area, and then the necessary amount of that material which could be square footage of drywall, tiling, or windows.
• Users has the ability to calculate volumes from project plans.
• The ability to indicate variations in the shape of surfaces that bound the volume can be provided by more advanced volume calculations. This feature is beneficial for put professionals in trades who often work with materials in volumes.
• Predefined assemblies can be provided so that they can easily be called out on project plans, instead of being defined part-by-part..
• As users can define their own assemblies to speed up takeoff with custom assemblies, the repetitively takeoff of each use of the same assembly in the prints can be eliminated.
• As the takeoff process for a perticular structure can use materials from multiple subcontractors involved on the project, they can refer each others annotations and callouts by using the same digital space to perform takeoff, which can help avoid errors in the estimates down the road
• Subcontractors can ask for more information from the project sponsor by quickly putting together a request for information, without breaking their workflow. So, users will be able to include screenshots and files to submit with the RFI for clarity.     
• Users can create layered takeoff and annotations by Plan overlay which makes it easier for them to organize their takeoff process.
• Users are allowed to input blueprints using a variety of file types including SVG, DXF, DWG, PDF, JPEG, etc. and sources of input such as CDs, email, portable drives, etc..
• Optical character recognition technology can be used to allow users to search blueprints for text which is helpful when searching for information like counts and descriptions within annotations and callouts.
• A database of pricing information for materials based on distributor and location can be included and maintained which is immensely useful for estimators, so that they don't need to manually look up item or material costs.
• Users can easily pull or send data from other programs as the software can be integrated with Excel and some third party estimating software
• Useful formulas can be included for electricians and HVAC contractors so that will automatically input values into formulas to help define power, heating, and other requirements when the user performs takeoff.
• It has the ability to output the cost of labor for the assemblies used within the project.
• The user will not have to trace the area as the software can automatically spot floored, tiled, and carpeted areas on the digital plans which can save a lot of time.