Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a material takeoff?

A material takeoff is a detailed list of materials to be used on a construction project. While this may sound simple, imagine how many wall studs, floor joists, roof rafters and even tubes of sub-floor adhesive are needed for a residential home. On a commercial project such as an apartment complex, how many sheets of drywall are needed or how many metal studs will it take for the entire complex? Material lists will allow you to solicit bids from subcontractors and compare apples to apples when the quotes come in. Our material takeoffs give you a management tool to successfully manage your project with efficiency and confidence. How much material is being wasted on your job sites? If you never knew how much the job should have taken to begin with, how can you manage waste? Wasted material is wasted money and a drain on your bottom line.

What is included in a takeoff? 

We have many standard takeoff templates for most of the trades for a commercial building as well as a residential home or remodeling project. If you need something in addition to or different from our standard templates, we can customize a takeoff to fit your project’s needs.

How do you form the material lists?

Through our estimating experience, we have found that there is no one estimating program that will give you an accurate takeoff for each trade item on an entire project. Therefore, we have acquired and even created our own estimating programs to assure each item is taken off with the highest level of accuracy possible. We then compile these estimates into the summary page that you receive, listing out each item and it’s associated quantity. We use digitizing instruments as well as old-fashioned long hand, depending on the specific project.

Do you include prices in your takeoffs? 

We typically do not include construction cost information in our standard takeoff package because prices can vary greatly across the nation. We can however, work with your region’s cost basis and provide a full cost budget and even provide assistance in bidding out your project for an additional fee. We also have estimating templates based in Excel that are simple and easy to use for contractors and sub-contractors. Contact us for more information.

What is your turn-around time?

Our turn-around times can vary depending on the complexity of your project and how busy we are at the time. Typically an individual trade item for a commercial project will take 8-10 business days. Our full standard residential takeoff can be done in 5-10 business days. Custom projects will be quoted based on the complexity of the project. We will be able to give you an exact timeframe when your order is placed.

How much does a takeoff cost?

We have a price schedule for our standard residential templates and smaller projects. Large commercial projects can vary so much that we quote those projects individually. Our standard residential takeoffs are $.08 per heated square foot.  We can change or add to our standard templates to fit your needs, which are priced individually.  Please contact us for a quote on your project!

How do I get my plans to you and how do I receive my takeoff?

We can accept plans via Fed-ex, UPS, US mail and also electronically through email or a virtual plan room.

We can send your takeoff to you by fax, email or US mail. For an additional fee we can overnight it or make special arrangements for your convenience.

What payment options do you have?

For your convenience, we accept business checks, money orders and also major credit cards.

Do you provide any other services?

Yes, we provide many business services to contractors, material suppliers and others associated with the construction industry. Some of those services include consulting, construction documents, bid and invoice reviews, building permit assistance, job cost analysis, cost tracking and outsource estimating. If you have a need for your construction company, let us know, we would love to help!