Material Takeoff Software
ContractorCounter turns a set of drawings into a material list you can order and price. Measure lengths, areas, height-driven volumes, and counts on the calibrated sheet, and every quantity becomes a line in a live Bill of Quantities — the material takeoff and the price stay in one workspace instead of a takeoff tool plus a spreadsheet.
Free to start — no card · 3-day Pro trial unlocks exports
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01
From drawing to quantified material list
A material takeoff is only useful if the numbers are right and traceable. Measure on the calibrated drawing and each material quantity — linear runs, areas, counts, and volumes — lands in the Bill of Quantities tied to the geometry that produced it, so a reviewer can audit where every figure came from.
02
Material quantities for every trade
Lumber and framing as linear members — priced by the board foot, which the board foot calculator converts for you — drywall and roofing as area, concrete as height-driven volume, electrical and plumbing as fixture counts and runs — one calibrated engine produces the material quantities each trade orders against.
03
The list stays in sync with the drawing
Revisions happen. Re-measure the changed area and the material quantity — and the quote line built from it — update together, so the material list never drifts from the current set of plans.
04
From measured area to an order, worked through
The step from quantity to material is arithmetic worth showing: 374 m² of measured wall (after deducting 38 m² of openings) at a standard 1200 × 2400 mm board covering 2.88 m² is 130 sheets, and a 10% cut-waste allowance makes the order 143 — see the full working on the drywall takeoff page. The same pattern converts a measured slab to cubic metres of concrete plus waste, or a counted fixture schedule to an order list; the measured quantity is the input, and the BoQ line carries the converted, orderable number.
05
Runs in any browser: desktop or iPad
No Windows-only install and no virtual machine for Mac users. Build the material takeoff in the office or on the iPad on site — part of the wider construction takeoff software workspace.
Bluebeam, PlanSwift & desktop takeoff tools vs ContractorCounter
A practical comparison for contractors choosing a markup and drawing review workflow.
| Category | ContractorCounter | Bluebeam, PlanSwift & desktop takeoff tools |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Any browser: Windows, Mac, iPad | Windows desktop install (VM for Mac) |
| Material list to quote | Live BOQ to multi-version quotes | Usually a separate estimating step |
| AI assistance | AI counts, markups & scale (you review) | Usually manual |
| Free option | Free trial — card required | Trial only |
| Pricing | Free trial, then US$14/month; US$249 one-time lifetime | License + maintenance per seat |
Common questions
Questions about Material takeoff
What is material takeoff software?
Material takeoff software measures quantities from construction drawings — lengths, areas, volumes, and counts — and turns them into a material list that can be ordered and priced. ContractorCounter does the takeoff on calibrated PDFs or images and feeds a live Bill of Quantities, so the material list and the price stay connected.
Is there free material takeoff software?
ContractorCounter is free to try on Pro or Team: add a card to start with calibrated measurement, counts, and a Bill of Quantities, then build a real material takeoff before the first charge. Cancel before then to avoid billing.