Construction takeoff
Construction Takeoff Software
ContractorCounter turns a set of drawings into quantities you can price. Upload PDF or image plans, calibrate the scale once, measure and count on the sheet, and every quantity lands in a Bill of Quantities that updates when the takeoff changes.
Updated · 4 min read · Sources
On this page
- Bluebeam, PlanSwift & desktop takeoff tools vs ContractorCounter
- See it on a real drawing
- Calibrate once, then measure the sheet
- One workspace for every trade
- A Bill of Quantities that keeps itself current
- From quantities to a priced quote
- AI takes the first pass, you approve it
- Office, site trailer or iPad
- Construction takeoff software demo
- When another tool is the better buy
- Questions
- Sources
Free preview, no card. Nothing is saved or exported until you subscribe, from US$1 a week, billed US$4 every 4 weeks.
Bluebeam, PlanSwift & desktop takeoff tools vs ContractorCounter
Compare the workflow, access and costs that matter to your team. The right choice depends on how you work.
| Category | ContractorCounter | Bluebeam, PlanSwift & desktop takeoff tools |
|---|---|---|
| Install | None: runs in the browser | Per-seat desktop install and updates |
| Platform | Any browser: Windows, Mac, iPad | Windows Revu and PlanSwift; Bluebeam also offers web/mobile tools |
| Trades | One calibrated workspace for different trades | Trade workflows, custom tools and assemblies vary by product |
| Takeoff to quote | Live BOQ to multi-version quotes | PlanSwift includes assemblies and costing; Revu connects quantity data to other tools |
| AI assistance | AI counts, markups & scale (you review) | Bluebeam Max and PlanSwift Takeoff Boost offer AI workflows |
| Offline use | Needs a connection; saves to the cloud as you work | Desktop apps work offline |
| Free option | Free preview, no card required | Trial only |
| Pricing | Free preview; paid plans: US$1 a week, billed US$4 every 4 weeks; US$78 one-time lifetime | Product- and plan-specific pricing; check included features and renewal terms |
See it on a real drawing
This is the real workspace on a sample drawing. Create a free account, with no card, to use it on your own drawings.
Explore the workspace
Every count stays on the drawing.
This is the real workspace. Create a free account to use it on your own drawings.
Sample drawing · scripted walkthrough and AI responses.
Calibrate once, then measure the sheet
Set the scale from a known dimension or the drawing's scale bar, once per sheet (the same idea as measuring in Adobe Acrobat, done once). After that, lengths, areas, perimeters, height-driven volumes and symbol counts all read in real units (metres, feet, square metres, cubic yards) with no manual conversion. Calibrating scale and measuring shows the steps.
One workspace for every trade
Concrete and earthwork take off slab areas and volumes. Roofing measures plan area in squares. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical count fixtures and measure runs. Drywall, painting and flooring measure wall and floor areas. It is the same measuring engine throughout, so a general contractor can take off a multi-trade package on one set of drawings.
A Bill of Quantities that keeps itself current
Every measurement becomes a BOQ line. Move a polygon, stretch a run or split a count group and the quantity updates on the spot, with no export and re-import. Each line traces back to the geometry that produced it, so a reviewer can see exactly what was measured and where. Coming from Revu, where quantities end up in a spreadsheet? Exporting Bluebeam markups to Excel shows what that round trip involves.
From quantities to a priced quote
The BOQ feeds multi-version quotes with snapshots. When a drawing is revised, re-measure the changed area and the quote line built from it updates too, instead of you hunting through a spreadsheet for what moved.
AI takes the first pass, you approve it
Ask in plain English and the AI assistant places counts, draws markups and sets the scale. Nothing commits until you review it, so it removes the repetitive clicking without becoming a black box.
Office, site trailer or iPad
It runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux and iPad, with nothing to install. On an iPad, add it to the home screen from Safari's Share menu and it opens full-screen; Apple Pencil works for markup. Marking up drawings on an iPad compares it with the app options. Drawing files up to 500 MB are accepted, and large sets are rendered into tiles so zooming stays smooth. Work saves seconds after you draw. There is no offline mode: it needs a connection.
Construction takeoff software demo
The walkthrough on this page is the real workspace running a takeoff on a sample drawing, not a recording or a mock-up. To run the same takeoff on your own drawings, create a free account with no card: it has every measuring and counting tool and the Bill of Quantities. Saving, exporting and AI come with a paid plan.
When another tool is the better buy
Desktop suites like Bluebeam and PlanSwift go deeper and are Windows-first, priced per seat. Precon platforms like STACK are built for estimating departments. Togal.AI sells the automatic first pass on its own. ContractorCounter sits between them: full takeoff to quote in the browser for US$1 a week, billed US$4 every 4 weeks, or a US$78 one-time lifetime licence.
Questions about Construction takeoff
Is there a free demo of the takeoff software?
Yes. The walkthrough on this page runs the real workspace on a sample drawing, and a free account with no card lets you do the same takeoff on your own PDFs. A free workspace is temporary: nothing is saved or exported until you subscribe.
What is construction takeoff software?
Software that measures quantities (lengths, areas, volumes and counts) from construction drawings so they can be priced. ContractorCounter does the takeoff on calibrated PDFs or images and feeds a live Bill of Quantities, so the measurement and the price stay connected instead of living in a takeoff tool plus a spreadsheet.
What is the difference between quantity takeoff and material takeoff?
Quantity takeoff measures the work from the drawings (areas, lengths, volumes, counts). Material takeoff converts those quantities into what to order (sheets, lengths, cubic metres of concrete). They share the same measurements, which is why ContractorCounter treats the material list as a view of the same live Bill of Quantities.
Does the Bill of Quantities update when the takeoff changes?
Yes. Editing measurement geometry or count groups updates the linked BOQ lines immediately, so the BOQ always reflects the current takeoff.
Does it work on a Mac or iPad?
Yes. It is browser-based, so it runs on macOS and iPad as well as Windows, with no virtual machine. On an iPad you can add it to the home screen to open it full-screen like an app.
Can it handle large drawing sets?
Drawing files up to 500 MB are accepted. Large or scan-heavy sheets are rendered into tiles, so the browser loads only the part you are looking at and pan and zoom stay responsive, on an iPad as well as a workstation.
Does it work offline?
No. The workspace needs an internet connection. In exchange, your markups and measurements save to the cloud seconds after you make them, so a lost tablet or dead battery never holds the only copy of a takeoff.
Which trades can do takeoff in ContractorCounter?
Any trade that measures from drawings: concrete and earthwork, roofing, electrical and data, plumbing and mechanical, drywall, painting and flooring, and framing and steel. It is one calibrated measuring engine, so a general contractor can take off a multi-trade package on a single set of drawings.
Does ContractorCounter connect takeoff to the quote?
Yes. Measurements and counts pulled from the drawing feed a live Bill of Quantities, and those quantities flow into multi-version quotes, so the takeoff and the price stay connected.
Can I try it for free?
Yes, as a preview. Create a free account with no card and mark up, measure and count your own drawing in the preview. Nothing is saved or exported, and AI is not included. There is no trial: Pro is US$1 a week, billed US$4 every 4 weeks, and paying keeps the work you are on.
See whether it fits your next job.
Start with your own drawing in the free preview. No card required.
Sources
Comparison capabilities checked against the vendors’ official product and pricing pages.
- Reviewed
- Checked by
- Tylar E., founder
Compare specific products and plans. Desktop Revu is not the same feature set as Bluebeam web/mobile, and AI availability varies by plan.