A Comprehensive Guide to Takeoff Software

Imagine you have a sudden urge to recreate your favorite dish. Later that evening, you went to the supermarket for the ingredients.

In haste, you forgot to bring pepper because you somehow missed it on your list. And now, the dish is incomplete. What a bummer!

This can also happen to a construction project, but the impact will be much more significant. A missing material for construction can adversely impact your reputation, cause budget issues, and stalled projects.

This is where construction takeoff software proves invaluable. It completely automates takeoffs for scopes like earthwork, concrete and more—ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. Instead of spending hours tracing PDFs and counting quantities manually, estimators can rely on the takeoff software to generate fast, accurate measurements that streamline the entire bidding process.

Additionally, construction takeoff software can solve many other pressing takeoff challenges like loss of bidding opportunities, decrease in sales funnel, reduced productivity, etc.

To know more, we have composed this consumable comprehensive guide to takeoff software packed with valuable insights to propel your pre-construction activities.

Table of contents

1. What is Takeoff in Construction?
2. Why is a Takeoff Important?
3. The Takeoff Story So Far…
4. How to Find the Takeoff Software that’s Right for You
5. Manual Takeoff Software Vs. Fully Automated Takeoff Software
6. Why is AI-Based Takeoff Software the Way Forward?
7. FAQs

What is Takeoff in Construction?

It is a process in which an estimator figures out two of the most important aspects of a construction project. They are:

1. Material type: The estimators will get to know the list of relevant material types for a project, like concrete, wood, rebar, bricks, etc.
2. Quantity of materials: It gives a clear idea about the required material amount for a project. Different trades have different material requirements. And it is essential to do quantity takeoff for them.

For example - 

• Concrete: To measure rebar, concrete, framework, join & curb/gutter,etc.
• Masonry: To measure CMU/Brick wall, stone, etc.
• Electrical: To measure wiring, conduit, fittings, etc.
• HVAC: To measure ducts, fittings, etc.
• Plumbing: To measure pipes, drains, etc.
• Flooring: To measure flooring & related tasks.

The list includes other trades like painting, drywall, landscape, paving, lumber, earthwork and roofing.

Why is a Takeoff Important?

In construction, your bid is as good as your takeoff. Why?

If you don't have a clear picture of the type and quantity of materials required for a project, you'll end up underbidding or overbidding on the project.

How will overbidding and underbidding impact a business's bottom line?

Overbidding - Let's say your proposal is around $ 20,000 for a project. However, other contractors are submitting a proposal for $ 15,000. Your chance of winning the project becomes small as others are providing their services at a lower rate unless you can justify the bid amount.

Underbidding - Assume you came up with material and quantity takeoff on your own by doing mental math and a calculator. This estimation can be incorrect due to manual errors, and you can end up suggesting fewer materials than expected to prospects, thereby impacting profit margin.

Important Note: 

Takeoff is vital to determine the exact amount of materials to order for a project. Knowing this will save you from project delays, missing revenue targets, legal issues, and reputation loss.

Also, estimating material costs (which are measured based on takeoff results) helps with labor and equipment costs.

Wondering how much accurate takeoffs can impact a project? Here's the answer.

Nearly 40-50% of a project’s cost goes towards labor. You can imagine a single mistake in takeoff can have a domino effect (in an adverse way) on a project. Crazy!

The Takeoff Story So Far…

Most construction companies have estimators to do takeoffs.

They are highly skilled individuals who specialize in understanding a blueprint and know how to trace accurately and calculate site measurements from it.

How are Takeoffs Conducted till Now

1. Manual Takeoffs - Pen & Paper: Initially, estimators were heavily dependent on manual takeoffs, where they would take the printout of an electronic print. Then, trace on top and draw boundaries and polygons. Estimators had to depend heavily on calculators and mental math to detect the type of construction materials like bricks, plastics, concrete, etc, and their coverage quantity. Eventually, the manual takeoff procedure became archaic and error-prone.
2. Manual Takeoff Software: With technology, manual takeoff software came into the picture. To use this, one needs to do a lot of clicking and dragging on the electronic plan. Once this activity is over, the estimators will get an electronic report on the number of materials and their quantity.
3. Semi-Automated Takeoff Software: Then came the semi-automated takeoff software, which tried to remove some pressure from the estimators by automating nearly 30% of takeoff activities. For the rest, estimators had to sit and trace on a plan.
4. AI-Based Fully Automated Takeoff Software: With AI-based, fully automated construction takeoff software, all you need to do is upload your project plans. The takeoff software then automates the entire process—delivering faster, more accurate quantity takeoffs without any manual effort. This eliminates human error and boosts estimating efficiency at scale.

How to Find the Takeoff Software that’s Right for You

The million-dollar question: How efficient is my takeoff software?

We understand your concern, as a study shows that inefficient software can cause overspending of nearly $40 billion per year.

Here are a few points on which you can decide on the takeoff software’s efficiency:

1. Saves Time on Takeoff: Did you know that 40–50% of the bidding cycle is spent on manual takeoffs? With Beam AI's construction takeoff software, you can save up to 90% of that time. By automating quantity takeoffs, estimators can shift focus from repetitive tasks to what really matters—refining bids, enhancing value engineering strategies, and winning more projects.
2. Easy to Use: An easy-to-use software makes life simpler for everyone. A user-friendly software operates with limited commands and produces digestible output. For example, a color-coded site map makes takeoff reports easy to comprehend.
3. Generate High Accuracy Results: Accurate takeoffs are a cornerstone for a successful construction project. Hence, takeoff software should have the ability to trace blueprints accurately and generate a detailed report on material types, their place of application, and quantity.
4. Quick Access with a Cloud-Based Software Solution: A cloud-based takeoff software will allow you and your team members to access software from anywhere globally from any device. This will help relevant members to be on the same page. Overall, this enhances team efficiency and productivity.
5. Handle Scope Changes with Auto-Detect Addenda: In real-world projects, scope changes and revisions are inevitable. With Beam AI’s construction takeoff software, you don’t need to start from scratch each time. The platform auto-detects addenda in new plan versions, allowing estimators to quickly review and update takeoffs—saving hours of manual work and ensuring bids stay accurate, even as project details evolve.
6. Process Multiple Takeoffs Simultaneously: A reliable takeoff software should let you manage several measurement tasks at once—eliminating bottlenecks and helping your estimating team get more done in less time. This parallel processing boosts productivity, especially during tight bidding windows.
7. Be a Master of all Trades, and NOT a “Jack of none”: Construction has several trades like concrete, masonry, plumbing, electrical, etc. Each trade depends on different materials. For example, for a concrete contractor, it is relevant to calculate rebar, concrete, and joint materials.

That’s why your takeoff software should support trade-specific material takeoffs—ensuring results are tailored, accurate, and directly relevant to the estimator’s scope of work.

Manual Takeoff Software Vs. Fully Automated Takeoff Software

In most scenarios, manual takeoff software fails to deliver compared to fully automated takeoff software.

For example, when handling a big and complex construction project, clicking and dragging in manual takeoff software can be more time-consuming than manual takeoffs.

On the other hand, fully automated takeoff software is faster and frees up estimators to focus on more strategic work instead of spending hours on manual measurements.

Let’s break down the key differences between manual takeoff software and fully automated takeoff software

Why AI-Based Takeoff Software Is the Future of Construction Estimating

The construction industry is evolving fast—and so should your tools. AI-powered takeoff software is transforming the way contractors estimate projects, helping teams move from time-consuming manual work to smart, scalable workflows.

With AI-based takeoff software, the process becomes lightning-fast, highly accurate, and fully automated. No more spending hours tracing lines or counting items. Most importantly, your estimators can finally focus on high-impact work like value engineering, vendor coordination, and pricing strategy.

Want to see the difference for yourself?
Try Beam AI—save up to 90% of your takeoff time, send out 2X more bids, and win more profitable projects. It’s time to boost your bottom line with the power of AI takeoffs.

FAQs

What does a Construction Takeoff Software do?

A takeoff software steps up the measurement game for the construction industry. You can do even more with such software and be quicker at your task with high accuracy. 

All you need to do is upload a blueprint, and the software will do all the calculations for you. You can double-check those takeoff numbers to validate for accuracy.

Is it easy to use AI-powered automated takeoff software?

Yes, with Beam AI you can generate your takeoff in four simple steps;

1. Upload site plans in PDF format
2. Define scope of work and hit submit
3. AI takes quantities off plans.
4. An expert estimator reviews & delivers your takeoff in 24-72 hours.

What is Blueprint Takeoff Software?

Such powerful software can trace blueprints, save a lot of time, and address skill shortage issues to a certain degree. This software can calculate accurate material requirements and quantities required for a project.

Which is the Best Takeoff software?

It depends on your requirements. If you want to do something proactive like chasing leads and nurturing customer relationships, then go for AI-powered automated takeoff software.

And the best takeoff software will provide the following benefits:

1. Simple to use.
2. Produce measurements in minutes.
3. Accurate takeoff reports.
4. Offers convenient ways to share the takeoff reports.
5. Improves profit margins.