Cloud-Based Takeoff Software
ContractorCounter runs the whole takeoff in the browser: upload PDF or image drawings, calibrate once, measure and count on the sheet, and build a live Bill of Quantities, from the office, site trailer, or home, on any machine.
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Verdict
Choose ContractorCounter if the estimator is on a Mac and the site is on an iPad and both need the same marked-up sheet — it runs in the browser with nothing to install and no licence server, from US$14/month. Stay with a desktop tool if you need to work with no connection: there is no offline mode, and in exchange markups save to the cloud seconds after you draw them.
01
Nothing to install or maintain
No desktop suite, no license dongle, no Windows requirement. A modern browser is the whole setup, on Mac, Windows, or Linux, the same reason it works as a Bluebeam alternative for Mac.
02
The same workspace everywhere
Drawings, markups, measurements, counts, BOQ, and quotes live in one cloud workspace, so the takeoff you started at the office is the one you open on site on the iPad — part of the wider construction takeoff software workspace.
03
Priced like a tool, not an enterprise platform
Try for free, then subscribe by the month or year, or take the one-time lifetime license. No per-seat enterprise contract.
04
Built for real drawing sets, not toy PDFs
Cloud takeoff is only useful if it survives real files. Uploads are accepted up to 500 MB per drawing file, and heavyweight sheets are rendered server-side into map-style tiles — the browser streams just the region you're zoomed into instead of decoding the whole document, with pre-rendering supported on sets up to 1,000 pages. Drawings, markups, and quantities are stored server-side and saved automatically seconds after you stop drawing, so closing the tab on site never loses the morning's takeoff.
Desktop takeoff software (Bluebeam, PlanSwift, OST) vs ContractorCounter
A practical comparison for contractors choosing a markup and drawing review workflow.
| Category | ContractorCounter | Desktop takeoff software (Bluebeam, PlanSwift, OST) |
|---|---|---|
| Install | None — runs in the browser | Per-seat desktop install + updates |
| Platform | Windows, Mac, iPad, Linux | Windows only (VM for Mac) |
| Where you work | Office, site, or home on the same workspace | The machine the license is on |
| Takeoff to quote | Live BOQ to multi-version quotes | Usually a separate estimating step |
| Free option | Try for free, card required | Trial only |
| Pricing | Try for free, then US$14/month; US$249 one-time lifetime | License + maintenance per seat |
Common questions
Questions about Cloud takeoff
Is cloud takeoff accurate enough for estimating?
Accuracy comes from calibration, not the install. Set the drawing scale once and linear, area, and volume measurements are computed from the calibrated sheet, the same approach desktop tools use.
Can it handle large drawing sets?
Yes — this is where cloud rendering earns its keep. Individual drawing files are accepted up to 500 MB, and large or scan-heavy sheets are rendered server-side into tiles so the browser only loads the area on screen, keeping pan and zoom responsive on an iPad as well as a workstation. Pre-rendering covers sets up to 1,000 pages. If a set renders slowly on first open, later opens are served from the pre-rendered tiles.
