What do stack and on-screen takeoff services include?
Stack and on-screen takeoff services convert PDF plan sheets into measured quantities using calibrated digital tools: linear measurement, area polylines and counts, each tied to a stated scale factor and unit of measure. You receive an Excel workbook, a PDF summary and marked-up drawing pages showing where every quantity came from.
Our Professional STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Services
We measure directly on the drawing set in STACK and in on-screen takeoff tools, so every quantity on the sheet traces back to a plan sheet, a scale, and a measurement rule you can re-run. A stack takeoff service is only as good as its calibration: we set the scale from a printed dimension string on each sheet, confirm it against a second known dimension, and record the scale factor in the workbook header before any polyline is drawn.
You send the architectural, structural, and MEP sheets plus the addenda; we return an Excel workbook, a PDF summary, and marked-up drawing pages. The fee is quoted per project after we review the plans, and no delivery time is promised until the set is in hand. Our stack and on-screen takeoff services cover the full drawing set, with each sheet's scale, revision, and measurement rule logged in the takeoff sheet.
Material quantities by selling unit
We measure materials by the unit the supplier sells them in: concrete by cubic yard, formwork by square foot of contact area, studs by linear foot and piece count, drywall by square foot, pipe by linear foot with fittings counted. Each polyline or count tool carries a label naming the assembly and the CSI MasterFormat division it posts to, so a wall type appears as one line in the takeoff sheet rather than three loose measurements. Waste factors are applied by material at typical rates and shown as a separate column, never buried in the quantity.
Labor rates by crew and trade
Labor is priced from production rates tied to the crew that installs each item, with the trade wage from published BLS data and a burden line for taxes, insurance, and fringe. A concrete laborer and a cement mason finish the same slab at different rates, so the crew composition is stated on every line. Supervisory time is carried separately at the first-line supervisor rate rather than spread across the trades. You see hours, rate, and extended cost side by side, which is what a cost estimator needs to test a production assumption.
Bid-ready pricing with alternates and allowances
The bid package is organized to the scope breakdown in the invitation to bid, so alternates, allowances, and unit-price items sit on their own lines. We reconcile the takeoff against the sheet index to confirm the revision and addendum set matches what was priced, and we flag scope gaps where a division is referenced but no sheet covers it. Material pricing reflects current published index movement, then an estimator reviews the assembled estimate before release. Send your plans through our construction estimating services intake and the same measured quantities carry into the bid form.
What Is Included in Our STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Estimates?
Every estimate starts with a sheet index check and a calibration pass, because digital takeoff fails most often at the scale, not the arithmetic. We record the drawing set date, the addenda reviewed, and the scale factor used per sheet in the workbook so a reviewer can repeat any measurement. Each measured area or run carries a snapshot of the marked-up sheet, and the legend on that snapshot names the condition, the unit of measure, and the color used for it.
The deliverable is an Excel workbook with a takeoff sheet per division, a summary tab, and a PDF summary with the marked-up drawing pages attached.
| Line item | Unit of measure | Measurement rule | Illustrative quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Footing concrete | Cubic yard | Length × width × depth from footing schedule | 42.6 CY |
| Wall formwork | Square foot of contact area | Both faces, height × length | 1,840 SF |
| Slab reinforcement | Ton | Bar length × unit weight, 5% lap allowance | 6.8 tons |
| Interior partitions | Square foot | Centerline length × height, no deduction under 10 SF | 3,215 SF |
| Door frames | Each | Counted from door schedule, verified on plan | 28 EA |
| Branch conduit | Linear foot | Routed polyline, 3% vertical allowance | 1,460 LF |
Divisions 03 through 16 measured from the drawings
The takeoff covers concrete, masonry, metals, wood and plastics, thermal and moisture protection, openings, finishes, specialties, equipment, furnishings, special construction, conveying systems, mechanical, electrical, and communications work as the drawings show it. Each division tab lists the assemblies measured, the sheet references, and the quantity in its selling unit. Items shown in a schedule rather than a plan, such as door and hardware schedules or panel schedules, are counted from the schedule and cross-checked against the plan view.
Quantities, counts and measured lengths
We report concrete in cubic yards, formwork and finishes in square feet, linear work in linear feet, reinforcement in tons, and discrete items by count. Openings are counted and also measured for perimeter to price frames and sealant. Roof and floor areas are measured as both plan area and sloped or contact area where the assembly requires it. Where a dimension is missing, the assumption is written on the line instead of being absorbed silently.
Materials, labor, equipment and cost breakdowns
Each line separates the components so you can adjust one without disturbing the others:
- Material quantity with waste factor shown as its own column
- Labor hours at a stated production rate, with the crew mix named
- Equipment cost carried as a line where the work needs it, such as a pump or crane
- Subtotal, overhead and profit handled per your bid format
Pricing uses national average unit costs adjusted with published wage and price data, then reviewed by an estimator. Our outsourced takeoff work runs in a digital measuring workspace, so the same calibrated sheet feeds both the quantity survey and the cost estimator. For tool-side workflow, see the quantity takeoff software we measure in and our construction estimate software output format.
Who Needs Our STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Services?
Stack and on-screen takeoff services are used wherever the drawings are the contract document and the quantity has to survive a comparison. Three groups send us sets most often, and each reads the workbook differently.
Specialty subcontractors
Trade contractors bid several packages a week and need the quantity before the bid deadline, not after. A framing or mechanical subcontractor uses the division tab as the basis for a bid, then edits the waste factor or production rate to match their own crews. The markup on the marked-up drawing pages shows the reviewer exactly where a run was measured, which shortens the internal review before pricing goes out.
General contractors and home builders
A general contractor uses the full takeoff to build a schedule of values and to check subcontractor bids for scope gaps between divisions. Home builders running repeated plans use the same workbook as a template, adjusting quantities per elevation or option rather than remeasuring each house. The scope-gap notes sit next to the division totals so a missing line is visible before award.
Developers, architects and suppliers
Developers need an order-of-magnitude check early, and the AACE estimate class is stated on the summary so the reader knows how much design is behind the number. Architects use the measured areas to test program and finish budgets against the drawings. Material suppliers use the counts and lengths to size a quote without a manual scale-up. Start with send your plans and we will confirm what the set supports.
Types of STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Projects We Estimate
The measurement method does not change much between project types, but the drawing quality and the unit of measure do. Digital takeoff depends on a clean vector file: a scanned plan forces manual scaling, and we note that in the workbook. Annotations on the marked-up pages record the scale factor and any assumption made where a dimension was unreadable.
Residential projects
Single-family and multifamily sets are measured from floor plans, elevations, and framing layouts, with quantities reported per unit and per building so a repeat plan can be scaled by count. Roof areas are measured on the slope, wall areas net of openings, and finishes by room schedule. Interior trim and cabinetry are counted from the cabinet and finish schedules rather than scaled from the plan.
Commercial buildings
Office, retail, and institutional work brings a full sheet index, a reflected ceiling plan, and coordinated MEP drawings, so the takeoff runs division by division against the specification. Ceiling and partition areas are reconciled between plan and ceiling sheet, and equipment is counted from the equipment schedule. Compare the result against our construction cost estimates format if your bid needs a full assembly price.
Industrial and infrastructure projects
Process and infrastructure sets carry large plan sheets, detail callouts, and civil drawings at a different scale from the architectural sheets, so each sheet is calibrated separately. Pipe and conduit runs are measured with fittings counted, and structural steel is taken off by member from the framing plans. Expect the takeoff to be organized by area or by system so the quantities line up with the construction sequence. Our professional quantity takeoff services page covers the general method behind these sets, and the same calibration rules apply to any stack and on-screen takeoff services you compare against.
Our STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Estimating Process
Every set moves through three stages, and each stage closes with a check before the next one opens. The sequence is the same for a single-sheet tenant fit-out and for a multi-building drawing set, because the failure modes are the same: a missed revision, a wrong scale, a quantity counted twice. Our stack and on-screen takeoff services follow that fixed sequence, and if you want the method reviewed against your own bid calendar, send your plans and we will confirm scope before starting.
Plan takeoff services start with the drawing register, not the first sheet. We log every plan sheet, the sheet index, the legend, the general notes and each addendum date so the quantities are pulled from the current issue only.
Submit drawings and specifications
You send the complete drawing set and the project manual in PDF, with addenda and any alternates flagged. We confirm the issue date, the sheet count and the disciplines covered, then list what is missing — a structural sheet referenced but not included, a specification section with no drawing, a schedule that stops mid-table. That gap list comes back to you before takeoff starts, so a scope gap is caught at the bid package stage rather than after award.
Plan review and digital takeoff
The estimator sets the scale on each sheet and verifies it against a known dimension — a grid spacing, a door width, a stated wall length. Plan scaling is checked sheet by sheet because a detail at 3/4" = 1'-0" dropped into a 1/8" plan view will silently double or halve an area. Each assembly is traced as a polyline or counted with the count tool, then assigned to a layer named for its CSI MasterFormat division and line item. Waste factor is applied per material at the line, never as a blanket percentage on the total, so lumber, rebar and drywall each carry their own typical allowance.
Cost calculation, quality checks and delivery
Quantities flow into the takeoff sheet, where each line carries a unit of measure, a unit cost and an extension. A second estimator re-traces a sample of high-value lines — concrete, steel, electrical feeders — and reconciles any variance above the agreed threshold. The finished workbook and PDF summary go out with the marked-up drawings, the assumptions page and the open-questions list, so you can see the arithmetic behind every number. That traceability is what separates our stack and on-screen takeoff services from a quantity list with no audit trail.
Sample STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Estimate and Deliverables
The example below is illustrative and uses round assumptions, not a quoted price. Assume a 4,000 sq ft single-story tenant improvement with a 10 ft ceiling height, 2x4 gypsum partitions at 9 ft, and a 40 ft storefront. Electronic plan takeoff gives 320 linear feet of partition; at 9 ft that is 2,880 sq ft of wall face, and with both sides finished it is 5,760 sq ft of drywall. A 10 percent typical waste allowance brings it to 6,336 sq ft. The arithmetic is shown so you can check it against your own sheet.
Calibration matters at this scale: a 1 percent scale error on 4,000 sq ft moves the floor area by 40 sq ft and the floor finish line with it. We record the calibration dimension on each sheet so the check can be repeated. An overlay of the architectural and MEP sheets then catches conflicts — a partition running through a duct drop, a floor drain outside the wet wall — before they become a change order. The quantity survey closes when every traced layer reconciles to the sheet index. Stack and on-screen takeoff services differ mainly in where the geometry lives, and the reconciliation step is the same either way. For a comparable scope priced line by line, see our quantity takeoff services.
| Item | Qty | Unit | Unit cost range | Extended range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2x4 gypsum partition, both sides finished (6,336 sq ft incl. 10% waste) | 6,336 | sq ft | $3.10 – $4.25 | $19,641.60 – $26,928.00 |
| Acoustic ceiling tile, 2x2 lay-in (4,000 sq ft + 5% waste = 4,200) | 4,200 | sq ft | $2.40 – $3.20 | $10,080.00 – $13,440.00 |
| VCT floor finish (4,000 sq ft + 7% waste = 4,280) | 4,280 | sq ft | $2.15 – $2.90 | $9,202.00 – $12,412.00 |
| Storefront glazing system | 40 | lin ft | $185.00 – $240.00 | $7,400.00 – $9,600.00 |
| Interior hollow metal door, frame and hardware | 6 | each | $950.00 – $1,250.00 | $5,700.00 – $7,500.00 |
| Duplex receptacles, 20A | 48 | each | $95.00 – $130.00 | $4,560.00 – $6,240.00 |
| 2x4 LED troffer, lay-in | 64 | each | $110.00 – $145.00 | $7,040.00 – $9,280.00 |
| Subtotal (illustrative) | — | — | — | $63,623.60 – $85,400.00 |
Excel quantity takeoff sheet
One row per line item, with columns for CSI division, description, quantity, unit, waste allowance, net quantity and source sheet. Formulas stay live, so changing a quantity recalculates the extension instead of leaving a stale total. A summary tab rolls the lines up by division for the bid package.
Marked-up drawings
Each PDF page carries the takeoff markup: color-coded polylines, count symbols, dimension annotations and a snapshot of the scale used. Layer names match the workbook rows, so a reviewer can click a line and find the geometry that produced it. Stack and on-screen takeoff services both end here: the markup is the audit trail for the number.
Itemized cost estimate
Quantities are priced with material and labor split, then rolled into a subtotal, overhead and profit line and a bid total. Assumptions and exclusions sit on their own page, so the cost estimator on your side can adjust a rate without redoing the takeoff.
Software and Pricing Data We Use
Takeoff and estimating services are only as good as the two inputs behind them: the geometry pulled from the drawings and the price applied to each unit. Both are recorded so the reader can trace a number back to its source. The scale factor used on each sheet, the sheet index and the takeoff sheet row are all part of the audit trail we hand over.
Pricing is national average unit costs adjusted with published U.S. wage and price data, then reviewed by an estimator before release. We do not quote from a single database without a review pass, because a database line for the right material in the wrong assembly is still wrong.
Takeoff and estimating software
We work in three tool categories: PDF and on-screen takeoff software for measuring, marking up and counting from plan sheets; spreadsheet estimating software for the takeoff sheet and cost build-up; and published cost databases for the starting unit rates. The takeoff tool holds the calibration, layers and annotations; the spreadsheet holds the formulas and the audit trail. If your team already runs a specific platform, tell us at intake and we will match the workbook structure to it — see the estimating software we work in for how that handoff is organized.
Regional material and labor pricing method
Each line starts from a national average unit cost, then adjusts for location, prevailing wage requirements and project conditions such as occupied-space work or night shifts. Material movement is tracked with the Producer Price Index, shown in the chart below rebased to 100 so the direction of each series is visible at a glance — lumber and wood products, ready-mix concrete, steel mill products and copper wire and cable each move on their own curve. Labor rates come from the BLS wage table below, which carries the national median hourly wage for the trades in this scope. We never restate those figures in text, because they change when the data is refreshed; the chart and the wage table are the current source. For a full build-up of labor by trade, see our labor cost estimating services.
Material price movement, Oct 2023 to Sep 2026
| Occupation | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 |
| Carpenters | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 |
| Electricians | $23.76 | $30.38 | $40.36 |
| Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters | $24.13 | $30.67 | $40.92 |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $22.60 | $27.41 | $32.15 |
| First-line supervisors, construction trades | $30.48 | $38.42 | $48.78 |
| Cost estimators | $29.40 | $37.86 | $48.97 |
Base wages before payroll taxes, insurance and benefits. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national, all industries.
Why Contractors Choose Our Estimating Services
The reasons are method-based, and each one is something you can check on the delivered file. Every quantity takeoff from pdf drawings carries the scale, the measurement rule and the source sheet, so a reviewer can reproduce the number without calling us. That is the difference between a takeoff you can defend in a bid review and a spreadsheet of unexplained totals.
We also price the same scope the same way twice. A line measured with the linear measurement tool on one sheet and traced as a polyline on another lands in the same workbook row, under the same CSI division, with the same unit of measure.
Trade-specific expertise
Takeoffs are organized by CSI MasterFormat division and reviewed by an estimator who works in that trade's units — square feet of wall face for drywall, linear feet of pipe by diameter for plumbing, counts and home runs for electrical. That matters at the line level: a plumbing takeoff that misses fittings and hangers, or an electrical takeoff that stops at the device count, will underprice the bid package even when the pipe and wire lengths are right. The cost estimator reviewing the sheet knows which lines carry the risk.
Quality control and clear assumptions
Every deliverable carries an assumptions page: what was measured, what was excluded, which revision was used and which open questions remain. A second pass re-checks high-value lines against the drawings before release. When a scope gap appears — a spec section with no matching drawing, a schedule that ends early — it is listed rather than silently priced at zero.
Turnaround, communication and revisions
Delivery dates are agreed in writing when the scope and drawing set are confirmed, and they are tied to the issue date of the plans you send. If an addendum or a revision arrives mid-takeoff, we log it against the sheet index and tell you which lines it affects before the workbook is finalized. Revisions are handled as a tracked delta against the prior takeoff sheet, so you can see what changed and why. To start, request a quote with the drawing set and the bid date.
STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Services Pricing
The fee for our stack and on-screen takeoff services is quoted per project after we review the plans, not published as a rate per sheet. Before we quote, we open the drawing set, read the sheet index and confirm the discipline mix, because a 40-sheet architectural package and a 40-sheet combined set carry very different labor. We also check the general notes for the unit of measure conventions and the legend for symbol definitions, since those drive how each line item is built.
For a slab or foundation package, the calculator below returns area, cubic feet, net cubic yards and order quantity from length, width, thickness and a waste percentage. It is a single-item check, not a substitute for a full takeoff: it does not read reinforcement, vapor barrier, edge forms or finish allowances, and those lines still come from the plan sheets.
| Input or output | Example value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 40 | ft |
| Width | 30 | ft |
| Thickness | 6 | in |
| Waste | 5 | % |
| Area | 1,200 | sq ft |
| Volume | 600 | cu ft |
| Net volume | 22.22 | cu yd |
| Order quantity | 23.33 | cu yd |
How quotes are calculated
We price the work by sheet type and trade coverage. A plan sheet of floor framing takes longer than an index sheet, and a sheet with a dense equipment schedule takes longer than one with three details. We count the number of plan sheets, the number of CSI MasterFormat divisions the scope touches, and the quantity of schedule-driven items such as doors, windows, fixtures and equipment that must be entered line by line rather than scaled.
Alternates and addenda are priced as scope, not as overhead. Each addendum issued after the bid set changes the sheet it revises, so we re-open the affected sheets and rebuild the quantities that move. If the bid package includes alternates, we take off the base scope and each alternate separately so your bid form can carry them as distinct numbers. Our blueprint takeoff services quote lists the sheets reviewed, the divisions covered and any excluded scope, and you can send your plans through the quote request page to start that review.
What affects price and delivery time
Sheet count, trade count, drawing quality and addendum volume are the four drivers that move both fee and schedule. A set with a clean sheet index, legible dimensions and a complete schedule takes less time than a set where wall types live only in keynotes and the area measurement must be reconstructed from room tags. Sets that arrive as scanned images rather than vector PDFs also take longer, because text and dimensions cannot be searched or snapped.
Delivery time is confirmed with the quote, and the confirmed date reflects the bid date you give us. A single-trade package with a fixed sheet list is shorter than a multi-division set with three addenda issued in the final week. If your bid date moves, tell us when you send the revised set, because the sequence of quality checks is scheduled backward from that date. We do not publish a standard turnaround, and the quote is the document that carries the date.
Slab quantity takeoff
- Area
- 2,400 sq ft
- Volume
- 800 cu ft
- Net concrete
- 29.63 cu yd
- Order quantity
- 31.11 cu yd
Formula: length × width × (thickness ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = cubic yards. Thickened edges, footings and pump waste are taken off separately.
STACK & On-Screen Takeoff Services Across the US
We serve all U.S. states from one team, so the takeoff method does not change with geography: the same sheet index review, the same count tool conventions and the same line-item structure apply whether the drawing set comes from a Texas school or a Washington transit facility. What changes is the pricing basis. Labor rates differ by market, and public work carries prevailing wage requirements that raise the labor component of a bid above the open-shop rate for the same trade.
Material delivery also shifts unit costs. Remote sites and dense urban sites carry different freight and handling, and the PPI series for lumber, ready-mix concrete, steel mill products and copper wire and cable shows how far those inputs have moved in the past year. Climate and code adoption move scope as well: snow load, wind speed and seismic design categories change structural quantities, and local amendments to the IBC affect fire-rated assemblies and egress counts. Confirm the code edition in force with the building department before pricing a division. Our stack and on-screen takeoff services quote states the pricing basis used for each line, so a reviewer in another market can check it, and the same convention holds for every outsourced takeoff services engagement we run.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an STACK & On-Screen takeoff estimate cost?
The fee is quoted per project after we review the plans. It depends on the number of sheets, the number of divisions in scope, how much of the set is revision or addendum work, and whether you want the takeoff in your own template. Send the drawing set and the scope list, and the quote states the fee and the deliverable.
How long does an STACK & On-Screen takeoff takeoff take?
The delivery date is set when we quote, after we see the sheet count and scope. What drives it is the number of plan sheets, how many trades are in the bid package, whether the drawings are dimensioned or need scaling from a PDF, and how quickly addenda arrive. We confirm the date with the quote rather than promise one up front.
Do you estimate labor and material costs?
Yes. Material quantities come off the drawings with the unit of measure and waste factor shown, and labor is priced from published U.S. wage data by trade and adjusted for the project's location. The workbook separates quantity, material cost, labor hours and labor cost so you can see each line and change any of them.
What drawings do you need?
Send the complete PDF set: architectural, structural, and the MEP sheets for any division in scope, plus the specifications, the sheet index and the schedule pages. If the bid package includes alternates or a unit-price schedule, send those too. Vector PDFs scale more reliably than scanned images, so send the original files when you have them.
Can you use my estimate template?
Send your template with the plans and we confirm whether the estimate can be delivered in it. We match your division structure, line item naming and unit conventions where the template allows, and we tell you before the work starts if a column or formula cannot be carried over. Otherwise the deliverable is our Excel workbook and PDF summary.
Do you sign NDAs?
Clients can request an NDA before sending drawings, and the terms are agreed before plan review begins. Send the document you want signed with your first message so it is executed before the files move. We do not publish a standard NDA form, so the terms are set per client.
Do you offer stack and on-screen takeoff services for a single trade?
Yes. A single-division package is common, for example Division 09 finishes or Division 26 electrical, taken off from the same PDF set with the same calibration and markup trail. Single-trade work is quoted from the relevant sheets only, so send the full set and identify the divisions you are bidding.
How do you handle revisions and addenda?
We log every sheet by number and revision date at the start, and each addendum is compared against the previous issue before quantities change. Changed areas are re-measured and the takeoff sheet shows the revision it was priced from. If an addendum lands mid-review, we tell you which quantities moved and why.
What does the marked-up drawing set show?
Each PDF page carries the color-coded polylines, count markers and area shapes used for the quantities, with annotations naming the line item and the measurement rule. The markups are the audit trail: any number in the workbook can be traced back to a shape on a sheet and to the scale it was measured at.
Can you take off quantities from scanned or image-only PDFs?
Yes, with a caveat. Image-only sheets have no vector geometry, so the scale is set by calibration against a known dimension such as a grid spacing or a door width, and the accuracy depends on the scan resolution. We note the calibration basis on the takeoff sheet so you know which quantities rest on a scaled image.
Which CSI MasterFormat divisions can you cover?
Any division present in the set, from Division 03 Concrete and Division 05 Metals through Division 26 Electrical and Division 31 Earthwork. Line items are organized under the current 50-division MasterFormat numbering so the takeoff drops into a bid package without renumbering. Confirm the code edition your specifier uses before we finalize.
How do you check the takeoff before it is sent?
A second estimator runs a quality check: sheet coverage against the index, unit consistency, waste factors applied at the stated rate, and a spot re-measure of the largest quantities. Discrepancies are corrected and noted. The workbook you receive has passed that check, and the notes column records what was verified.
Do you provide digital takeoff services for design-phase budgets?
Yes. Early sets are taken off at the level of detail the drawings support, and the estimate is labeled with its AACE estimate class so the reader knows how much contingency the number carries. Quantities from a schematic set are flagged as preliminary and re-measured when the design develops.