Automate Your Roofing Takeoffs with Beam AI

Summary:

You’re looking at a complex roof plan — angles intersecting, slopes meeting valleys, and details demanding precision. The bid deadline is fast approaching, and you’re still caught up in measurements and calculations, hoping to avoid even the smallest error. For roofing contractors, this scene is all too familiar. Traditional roofing takeoffs can eat up hours, leaving little room for strategy or growth.

That’s where Beam AI steps in. Built for the real challenges of roofing estimation, Beam AI automates the takeoff process with accuracy and speed — so you can focus on winning more bids, not counting lines and slopes.

In this post, we’ll unpack why roofing takeoffs are often a bottleneck, and how Beam AI helps contractors reclaim 90% of the time, improve precision, and streamline their entire workflow.

What is Roofing Takeoff Software?

Roofing takeoff software is a digital tool designed to help roofing professionals and contractors quickly and accurately estimate the materials and costs required for a roofing project—without relying on manual calculations.

Key features include:

1. Automatic Measurements: Extracts dimensions directly from digital plans or PDFs, eliminating the need for manual measuring.
2. Material Calculation: Determines the exact quantity of roofing materials needed, such as shingles, underlayment, and flashing.
3. Cost Estimation: Uses material quantities and pricing to create precise project cost estimates.
4. Plan Updates: Tracks revisions in project plans and updates calculations automatically.

By replacing traditional measuring and calculation methods, roofing takeoff software improves accuracy, saves time, and allows teams to focus on strategy, project planning, and winning more contracts.

How does the roofing takeoff process work?

Step 1. Gather comprehensive information: Collect your roof plans, dimensions, and architectural drawings. Identify key features like chimneys, skylights, or vents that may impact material calculations. 

Step 2. Measuring roof areas: Accurate measurements are critical for determining the roofing materials needed. This includes calculating the total roof area and determining the slope or pitch, as steeper slopes often require more material. 

Step 3. Use takeoff software for calculations. While traditional on-screen software allows calculating roof areas by drawing polygons on a digital version of the plans, AI-based solutions like Beam AI automate this process, significantly reducing manual effort. It uses your uploaded plans to calculate precise roofing quantities, and even capture addenda changes. This means no more manual measurements and endless clicking–just ready-to-use quantities every time.

The Manual Roofing Takeoff Process

Let's be honest, manual roofing takeoffs are a nightmare. They're time-consuming, tedious, and prone to errors. You're juggling blueprints, rulers, and calculators, trying to estimate the materials needed for the job accurately. One wrong measurement, one missed detail, and your entire bid could be off. 

Think about all the time wasted on manual takeoffs—time that could be spent on higher-value tasks like building stronger client relationships, refining estimates, or identifying cost-saving opportunities. Manual processes drain resources that could be better used strategically.

This is exactly why roofing takeoff software is becoming a game-changer. By automating measurements and calculation, it frees up your team to focus on what really matters: accuracy, efficiency, and winning more bids.

Projects with intricate designs and multiple components can overwhelm manual takeoffs. Complex structures, with their interconnected elements, make it difficult to capture every measurement accurately—often leading to costly oversights and errors.

The Limitations of Traditional Takeoff Software

You might be thinking, "Well, I already use takeoff software. Isn't that good enough?" While traditional on-screen takeoff software is a step up from manual methods, it still has its limitations. You're still spending a significant amount of time clicking and dragging, tracing roof lines, and inputting data. It's a semi-automated process, but it's far from fully automated.

These tools don’t capture plan revisions or addenda automatically, meaning you must constantly update your work every time there’s a change, a process that can slow you down significantly. 

Beam AI: The Future of Roofing Takeoffs

Now, imagine a world where roofing takeoffs are fast, accurate, and effortless. A world where you can simply upload your plans and let AI do the rest. That’s where Beam AI comes in.

Beam AI is a game-changer for roofing contractors. No more tedious manual measurements, no more wrestling with complex software. With Beam AI, you can get done for you takeoffs so you can spend your time and energy on strategic initiatives.

How Beam AI Works: Simple and Powerful

Beam AI is incredibly easy to use. You don't need any special training or technical expertise. Here's how it works:

1. Upload Site Plans in PDF Format: Drop all your spec docs, architectural plans, and legends here, Beam AI reads everything. 
2. Confirm scope of work for your takeoff: Your scope will already include quantities needed for your pre-aligned trades. Just check to confirm. If your GC/client has unusual packaging, quantity breakdowns, or preferences, list them under “Project-Specific Deviations.”
   
3. AI takes quantities off plans: Our AI scans your uploaded files, reads through specs and notes to extract quantities.
4. Get Your Takeoff in 24-72 hours: Our Quality Assurance team reviews every takeoff before it lands in your inbox.
   

The Benefits of Beam AI: Reclaim Your Time and Boost Your Profits

The benefits of using Beam AI are numerous. Here are just a few:

• Save Time: Beam AI can reduce your takeoff time by up to 90%. Imagine how much more you could accomplish with those extra hours.
• Boost Productivity: Free up your estimators to focus on higher-value tasks, like building client relationships and identifying upselling opportunities.
• Boosted Profitability By automating takeoffs with AI, contractors can swiftly respond to RFPs—gaining a real competitive edge. Precise material calculations also free up time to refine your estimates, ultimately boosting your profit margins.

Key Features That Set Beam AI Apart

Beam AI is packed with features that make it the ultimate roofing takeoff solution:

1. Automated Roofing Material Calculation: Beam AI's AI identifies roof areas, slopes, and features (like valleys, ridges, and dormers) and automatically calculates the quantities of roofing materials needed. This includes shingles, underlayment, flashing, nails, sealant, and even waste allowances. It recognizes different roofing types (shingles, metal, tile, etc.) and adjusts calculations accordingly. It even identifies and quantifies the necessary materials for specific roofing features, such as the flashing needed for skylights or chimneys.
   
2. Process Multiple Roofing Takeoffs in Parallel: Running multiple roofing takeoffs simultaneously is crucial when bidding on several projects. Beam AI allows you to process multiple takeoffs concurrently, significantly reducing turnaround time. ‍
3. Get Addendum Processed Automatically: Roofing projects often involve revisions. When addendums or updated plans are released, Beam AI's "Resubmit Takeoff" feature automatically detects the changes and updates the relevant sections of the roofing takeoff. This eliminates the need to redo the entire takeoff, saving you time and preventing errors caused by manual updates. It even highlights the changes in quantities between versions.
   

4. Takeoff Library: All your completed takeoffs are stored in a centralized "Takeoff Library." This makes it easy to access past projects, review material quantities, and reuse data for similar jobs. It's a valuable resource for historical data and project comparisons.
   
5. Export Roofing Takeoffs: Beam AI offers multiple export options. Share links allow you to collaborate with subcontractors and clients with a view-only link. PDF reports provide professional-looking documents for bids. Excel exports enable seamless integration with estimating software. Screenshots are useful for quick sharing and communication.
   
6. ‍Share Roofing Takeoff Access with Your Team Members: Cloud-based access means your entire team can collaborate on roofing takeoffs in real-time. Estimators, project managers, and even clients can view and comment on the same takeoff, facilitating better communication. This facilitates a more collaborative and efficient bidding process.

Ready to Transform Your Roofing Takeoffs?

If you're tired of the headaches and inefficiencies of traditional roofing takeoffs, it's time to make a change. Beam AI is the future of roofing takeoffs, and it's here to help you streamline your workflow, and win more bids.

Stop wasting time and resources on manual methods. Embrace the power of AI and experience the difference that Beam AI can make. Ready to see Beam AI in action? Book a personalized demo today and discover how you can revolutionize your roofing takeoff process.

FAQs

‍1. What types of roofing projects can Beam AI handle?

Beam AI supports all types of roofing projects, including residential, commercial, and industrial. It can calculate materials for shingles, metal, tile, flat, and multi-slope roofs, as well as complex features like valleys, dormers, skylights, and chimneys.

2. How much time can I save using Beam AI for roofing takeoffs?

Contractors and roofing estimating services using Beam AI can reduce takeoff time by up to 90%, allowing your team to focus on strategic tasks like refining estimates, communicating with clients, and increasing bid capacity.

3. Can Beam AI process addenda or plan revisions automatically?

Yes! Beam AI detects changes in updated plans or addenda and automatically updates the relevant material quantities. This eliminates the need to redo entire takeoffs manually and ensures your bids remain accurate and up-to-date.