Time saved / Measure quantities off the drawings
Takeoff software for subcontractors: measure areas, lengths and counts off tender drawings
Measure square metres, metres and counts off the tender drawings by layer, take out the voids, and let each quantity feed its quote line until you type over it.
The builder sends a set of drawings and a date. You print them, run a scale rule over every room, add it up on a calculator and type the totals into the quote. When a revision lands you do it again.
- By hand
- 3 h 35 min
- In Excel
- 2 h 45 min
- In YourCA
- 20 min
- Saved
- 3 h 15 min
Estimate for a 6-month electrical job with 10 people on it, each job you price. Set your own job.
The risk it heads off
- A void is left in the area, or a room is counted twice, and the price is wrong on every line it feeds.Every shape sits on the sheet in its layer colour, cut outs take their area away, and each layer shows how many shapes it holds.
- A quantity changes on the drawing and the quote still carries the old one.A line sent from a layer follows it while the quote is a draft, and says Typed once somebody types over it.
Step by step
| Step | By hand | Excel | YourCA | What YourCA does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Measure each room and run off the drawings with a scale rule | 90 min | 70 min | 8 min | Set the scale once per sheet, then click round each room or area, or along each run. The figure shows as you draw. |
| Add up the rooms and take out the voids | 30 min | 20 min | 1 min | Each layer adds its shapes on every sheet, and a cut out takes its area away. |
| Count the fittings sheet by sheet | 20 min | 20 min | 5 min | Tap each fitting with Count. The layer keeps the tally across every sheet. |
| Work out wall areas from runs and heights | 20 min | 10 min | 2 min | Give a length layer its wall height and it gives square metres. |
| Type the quantities into the quote, and again after a change | 25 min | 15 min | 2 min | Send a layer to the quote. The line follows the drawing until you type over it. |
| Put the marked sheets in the quote file | 20 min | 20 min | 1 min | Download gives the quantities and each sheet with its shapes on, on your letterhead. |
| Set up the colour, symbol and waste of each layer again on the next job | 10 min | 10 min | 1 min | Save a layer as a tool once. On the next job it is one press from My tools. |
| Total, each job you price | 215 min | 165 min | 20 min |
How to do it in YourCA
Questions subbies ask
- Does it change my quote by itself?
- Only a line you sent it to, and only while that quote is a draft. Type over the quantity and it stops following.
- What happens when a new revision of a drawing arrives?
- Your shapes stay on the revision you measured, and the sheet shows a chip saying a newer one is out. No quantity moves by itself.
Get the hours back on your next job
Your first job is free. See what YourCA runs or every function’s time saved.
Start free