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Think about it—when was the last time you didn’t sit overnight just completing takeoffs so that you could send out more bids in the morning? Seems like you don’t remember it at all! No estimator would ever want to spend 50% of the bid cycle just doing takeoffs—sitting in front of the screen drawing lines and polygons.
That’s exactly what happens when you use manual takeoff software, you end up spending days and weeks only doing takeoffs. Besides, utility projects include elements such as utility piping, electrical conduits, civil elements, concrete foundations, and more, and using manual utility takeoff software often kills most of your valuable time that could have been used doing dozens of strategic tasks such as sending multiple bids, scoping, refining estimates, value engineering, and more.
We get you! Let’s dive into the blog to understand why doing manual utility takeoffs is a thing of the past and why you should move towards AI-based takeoff software like Beam AI, which completely automates the takeoff process for you. And how this can lead to incredible time savings and a significant increase in bid throughput, eventually helping you secure more projects.
What are Utility Takeoffs?
Imagine you’re building a commercial office space. You’ve got the site plans and architectural drawings and you need to figure out how much of everything is needed—how many waterpipes, electricity wiring, and where all the underground utilities like gas, sewage, and telecom lines will go.
This process of quantifying all you’d need is called a Utility Takeoff. It’s like packing for a long trip—you need to make sure you have enough clothes, toiletries, and essentials without overpacking and making your luggage too heavy. At the same time, you don’t want to forget something important and struggle later.
Utility takeoffs help suppliers, contractors, and project managers estimate the exact materials and costs needed for the utility systems throughout the project. This ensures everything is properly planned, avoiding delays, unexpected expenses, or running into existing underground infrastructure.
Now let’s understand why utility takeoffs are so complex for contractors and suppliers and where the real struggle kicks in.
What Makes Utility Takeoffs So Complex?
Utility takeoffs might sound simple—just quantifying materials, right? But in reality, they can be quite tricky! Here’s why:
Multiple Utility Systems to Track – If you’re a contractor, you know the struggle. You’re not just dealing with one thing, you’ve got water lines, electrical wiring, gas pipes, telecom cables, and drainage—all needing separate calculations. Keeping track of everything accurately is a challenge.
Underground Challenges – Unlike walls or roofs, utilities often go underground. This means you need to deal with existing infrastructure, soil conditions, and potential obstacles that aren’t always visible in plans.
Varying Material Specifications – You know better how different projects require different materials—PVC pipes vs. metal, copper vs. aluminum wiring. Choosing the right one while considering costs and regulations adds complexity to your project.
Changing Project Scope – We all know plans evolve! A last-minute design change or unexpected site condition can screw off your original takeoff, requiring quick recalculations.
Now, let’s take a look at how Beam AI simplifies this takeoff process for you.
Key Features of Beam AI for Utility Takeoffs
1. Set up takeoffs in a minute
With Beam AI, you can easily set up your utility takeoffs in just simple 3 steps. The AI-based utility takeoff software completely automates the process and delivers the final outcome within 1-3 days, depending on the complexity of the project. This is all you need to do::
- Upload your site plans in PDF format
- Define your scope of work & hit submit
- Let AI analyze your plans and specs and the takeoff once validated by an experienced estimator, reaches you
2. Export Flexibility: Streamline Collaboration Across Teams
Let’s face it—subs, GCs, and suppliers can’t work in silos. That’s where Beam AI makes your life easier. With Beam AI’s export flexibility, sharing and collaborating on estimates becomes effortless. Here’s how:
Multiple File Formats: Need to send your takeoff site plan to a contractor using Excel? Or a customer who prefers PDFs? Or maybe want to send view view-only shareable link? No problem! Beam AI lets you export site plans in various formats, making sure everyone gets the site plan overview in an organized way.
Easily integrate it with existing industry tools: Already using project management software or estimating tools? Beam AI helps you integrate it with your existing tools. Yes! Simply download a custom Excel report to plug it into your current estimating tool and you are good to go.
3. No more sifting through 1000s of sheets for every Addendum issued
Utility takeoffs are complex—changes in pipe sizes, trench depths, or conduit layouts can sometimes lead to multiple changes that are exhaustive when corrected manually. Beam AI solves this by automatically syncing changes across all addenda, keeping your utility takeoffs accurate and up to date.
Whether it’s water lines, storm drains, or electrical conduits, any revision in the main takeoff is automatically reflected in all linked addenda—no manual edits needed. Resubmitting your takeoff is quick and easy with three simple methods, as shown in the image below.
4. Organize Projects Across Phase or Zones
Tags can be used to sort, filter, and group measurements by phase or zones or any other logical way of breaking down a takeoff. Tags are assigned to measurements using the tags tool in the toolbar while editing a takeoff.
Example: You can create a tag type called phase, and create tags like phase 1, phase 2, and so on. You can create a tag type called trade, and create tags within it like utility, civil, and plumbing, each with sub-tags if needed.
After creating and assigning tags to your measurements, go to the “Detailed Report” section in your takeoff, and you can use the filter and sort options to customize your report before exporting it in Excel format.
What switching to AI takeoff software means for your business
By automating your takeoff process, Beam AI positions you to submit bids faster and more accurately than competitors who are still relying on manual methods. This efficiency can be the key to winning more projects. Read below to know the reasons for switching to Beam AI today.
Send out 30% more bids
With Beam AI-utility construction takeoff software, you can easily push up to 30% more bids. How? Because you can process multiple takeoffs in parallel, and they get processed fast & accurately. So you start bidding on jobs that you had to previously pass up because of limited estimating bandwidth.
Save 90% Time Doing Takeoffs
Imagine cutting down the hours you spend on takeoffs by 90%. With Beam AI, automated utility takeoff software, that's not just a dream—it's a reality. By completely automating the takeoff process, Beam AI frees you up to focus on what truly matters: refining your estimates, engaging with clients, and strategizing for new projects. It's like having an extra set of hands that works around the clock for you.
Improved Win Rate
Now that you have the time to invest in refining estimates, value engineering, chasing new projects, and coordinating with stakeholders like your vendors or GC - your bids improve. And you increase your chances of winning the bid.
Moreover, by automating up to 50% of your bid cycle, Beam AI allows you to respond to bid opportunities more quickly. This speed can be a deciding factor in securing more projects, as clients often favor bids that reach their desks early.
The Bottom Line
Let’s be real—bidding isn’t just about crunching spreadsheets, it’s about accuracy, efficiency, and strategy. And takeoffs alone should never consume half of your day.
Beam AI is designed to reduce these burdens by automating takeoffs, enhancing accuracy, and significantly reducing 90% of the time that you spend on doing takeoffs. By integrating Beam AI into your workflow, you can focus more on refining estimates, engaging with clients, scoping better, and ultimately winning up to 30% more bids. Ready to transform your bidding process? Discover how Beam AI can make a difference in your projects. Book a personalized demo with us to get your first AI takeoff done for free.
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