How-to guide
How to mark up construction drawings on an iPad
An iPad and an Apple Pencil are a good way to mark up drawings on site. The catch is scale: plenty of apps can draw on a PDF, but far fewer can measure from it. Here are the options and what each can actually do.
Updated · 2 min read · Sources
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iPad options for construction drawings
From each app's App Store listing or its maker's own pages, read 2026-10-28.
| Option | What it does on drawings | Price and requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Markup (Preview, Notes, Mail) | Draw and handwrite, add text and shapes. Apple's guides describe no scale or measurement tools. | Free, built into iPadOS |
| Bluebeam app | Markups and photos, length, area, polylength and count, Studio Sessions and Projects, offline files. Rated 1.5 out of 5 (408 ratings). | Free; iPadOS 18 or later; some features for licensed Bluebeam users |
| Drawboard PDF | Markup shapes and layers; length and area measurement with page calibration in Pro. Rated 4.8 out of 5 (2K ratings). | Free app; Pro tiers as in-app purchases; iPadOS 17 or later |
| ContractorCounter | Markup, calibrated measurement and counts in the browser, feeding a Bill of Quantities. Needs a connection: no offline mode. | Free preview; Pro US$1 a week per person, billed US$4 every 4 weeks, or US$39 a year; Lifetime US$78 one-time |
How to set up an iPad for marking up drawings
- 1
Decide whether you need to measure
Notes and sketches only: Apple's Markup will do. Lengths, areas and counts: choose an app that calibrates the sheet.
- 2
Check the requirements
Bluebeam's app needs iPadOS 18 or later; Drawboard PDF needs iPadOS 17 or later; a browser tool needs a connection.
- 3
Calibrate every sheet
Set the scale against a dimension printed on the drawing, once per sheet, before you measure anything.
- 4
Test on a real drawing
Mark up, measure and count one live sheet with the Pencil before you rely on the app on site.
Marking up is easy; measuring is the hard part
Any of these will let you circle a clash or write a note with the Pencil. Measuring is different: the app has to know the drawing's scale, which means calibrating the sheet against a dimension you trust. Check this before you choose an app, because a PDF that was rescaled when it was printed or exported will give wrong lengths in any tool that only reads the printed scale.
If you already use Bluebeam
Revu for iPad left sale and support at the end of 2025, so the iPad option is Bluebeam's free field app. It brings your Studio work and Revu tool sets to the iPad, with basic measurement. See Bluebeam for iPad for what it does and what it needs.
Working offline on site
If the site has no signal, pick an app that stores files on the iPad. Bluebeam's app works offline on files synced ahead of time, and Drawboard PDF works on files saved to the device. Browser tools, including ours, need a connection.
Marking up and measuring on an iPad in ContractorCounter
ContractorCounter runs in Safari on the iPad: open the drawing, calibrate the scale, then mark up with touch or Apple Pencil, measure and count. The same workspace opens on the office computer, so the quantities you take on site are already in the Bill of Quantities. See using it on an iPad; plans start at US$1 a week, billed US$4 every 4 weeks.
Questions about How-to guide
What is the best app to mark up construction drawings on an iPad?
It depends on whether you need to measure. For sketches and notes, Apple's built-in Markup is free. To measure to scale, use an app with calibration, such as Bluebeam's field app, Drawboard PDF's Pro tiers or a browser tool like ContractorCounter.
Can you measure on a PDF drawing on an iPad?
Yes, with an app that calibrates the sheet. Calibrate against a known dimension first; apps that only draw on the PDF can't give real-world lengths.
Can I use Bluebeam Revu on an iPad?
Not any more. Revu for iPad was removed from sale and support at the end of 2025. Bluebeam's free field app replaces it on iPad.
See whether it fits your next job.
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Sources
Each app's features, requirements, prices and rating were read from its App Store listing or its maker's own pages on the date shown.
- Reviewed
- Checked by
- Tylar E., founder
App Store prices are shown without plan names or billing periods, and features change with each release. Check the listing before you buy.
Published sources
- Bluebeam on the App StoreFree; markups, length, area, polylength and count; Studio; offline files; iPadOS 18 or later; 1.5 out of 5 from 408 ratings.
- Drawboard PDF on the App StoreFree with in-app purchases; length and area measurement with smart page calibration under Pro; layers; iPadOS 17 or later; 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings.
- Apple iPad User Guide: MarkupMarkup for drawing and handwriting, and for adding text, shapes and stickers, in apps such as Preview, Notes and Mail. No scale or measurement tools are described.