Takeoff Software That Ends in a Quote
Takeoff is only half the job: the number still has to become a price. ContractorCounter runs the measurement on the drawing and carries every quantity through a live Bill of Quantities into a versioned quote.
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Verdict
Choose ContractorCounter if you want takeoff in the browser on Windows, Mac, or iPad — calibrate each sheet once, measure lengths, areas, volumes, and counts, and have them land in a live Bill of Quantities from US$14/month. Stay with a Windows desktop package if your shop is built on its assembly libraries or already-paid per-seat licences.
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Measure on the sheet, not beside it
Calibrate the scale once per drawing, then take off linear, area, volume, and count quantities exactly where the work appears on the plan.
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No re-keying between tools
Quantities land in the Bill of Quantities the moment they are measured, and geometry edits propagate, so the takeoff and the BOQ never drift apart.
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Built for estimating workflows
Multi-version quotes, snapshots, and a workspace that keeps drawings, takeoff, and pricing in one place instead of three apps and a spreadsheet.
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How to choose takeoff software
Four questions separate the tools. First, how does it handle scale — a takeoff is only as good as its calibration, so look for per-sheet calibration from a known dimension, not a global guess. Second, does it cover the quantity types you bill: linear, area, height-driven volume, perimeter, and grouped counts, not just one of them. Third, what happens after the number — if quantities die in a CSV you still own the re-keying problem; here they land in a live Bill of Quantities that flows into quotes. Fourth, where does it run and what does that cost: per-seat Windows desktop licenses price very differently from a browser tool you can open on any machine.
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Desktop suites, cloud platforms, or a browser tool
Desktop suites like Bluebeam and PlanSwift are deep but Windows-first and priced per seat. Precon cloud platforms like STACK aim at estimating departments and price accordingly. ContractorCounter sits deliberately in between: full construction takeoff in the browser, priced for contractors — try for free, then $14/month or a $249 one-time lifetime license — with the takeoff-to-quote step built in rather than sold separately. If you work across office, site, and a Mac or iPad, that platform difference is the one to test first, on the cloud takeoff workspace.
Common questions
Questions about Takeoff software
Do I need separate takeoff and estimating tools?
Not here. The takeoff feeds a live Bill of Quantities and the BOQ feeds the quote, so measurement and pricing stay connected in one workspace.
What is the difference between takeoff software and estimating software?
Takeoff software measures quantities from drawings; estimating software prices them. Most setups bridge the two with a spreadsheet, which is where numbers go stale. ContractorCounter joins the steps: measurements feed a live Bill of Quantities, and the BOQ feeds multi-version quotes, so the takeoff and the price never drift apart.
What drawings can I take off from?
PDF and image (PNG or JPG) drawings. Upload the set, calibrate the scale once per sheet — from a known dimension or the drawing's scale bar — and measure in real-world units from there.
Can I do takeoff on an iPad or a Mac?
Yes. The whole workspace is browser-based, so it runs natively on macOS and iPad as well as Windows — no virtual machine, no separate app, and the same drawing opens identically on every device.
How do symbol counts work in a takeoff?
Drop a count marker on each fixture or device and markers group by type, so 'GPO outlets: 46' stays one auditable line. Groups can be split or merged as the takeoff evolves, and count totals feed the Bill of Quantities like any other quantity — see the [PDF count tool](/pdf-count-tool-construction) for the details.
