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As with most processes, construction takeoffs have seen a shift in their production methods as more industries embrace rapid technological advancements. Manual takeoffs are a thing of the past. Long gone are the times of calculating area estimations by hand. Now estimators use computer software to complete their takeoff needs. As with every other piece of technology, the market is flooded with options for takeoff software and the quality can differ greatly from product to product. The best choice of takeoff software varies depending on specific needs and preferences of each team or trade.
Takeoff Monkey has weeded through many software options over the years to test what works best for our team. We've asked our colleagues and the results are in, below are three of the top takeoff software options according to the Takeoff Monkey team:
On Screen Takeoff (OST): Offered by ConstructConnect, OST is our team's go-to takeoff software. The interface is intuitive and the software features an autosave features that saves as you work. OST calculates materials counts in a few quick clicks of your mouse. The software makes color-coding plans a breeze which our customers love. With options to utilize stylesheets, users can quicky add common takeoff conditions to their plans. An overlay feature makes it easy to see which items have been recently deleted and which have been added too. For larger commercial projects, there is an intelligent paste logic function to easily copy and paste takeoff objects at a consistent rate which can be used for hotels, apartments, condos etc.
PlanSwift: This product promotes themselves as takeoff software for numerous commonly used trades: general contracting, concrete, drywall, electrical, flooring, framing, HVAC, landscape, painting, plumbing, masonry, decking, insulation, infrastructure, doors / windows, roofing, sewer and more. They market a single-click tool to complete areas and material counts. PlanSwift is compatible with Excel like OST and Bluebeam. Built in tools make it easy to compute cost projections, edit product cost and calculate square footage & surface areas quickly. Their team offers customer support and a free 14-day trial of the software.
Bluebeam: This full stack construction software offers automatic exporting from Bluebeam plans to Excel spreadsheets without manual data entry. For larger bids, in-document collaboration offers real time edits for teams. Limit redundancies and version numbers by working from the same document at one time. The collaboration feature increases consistency between teams spanning multiple locations. The files have search capabilities within the software itself and once exported to PDFs to swiftly find specific notes, quantities or areas. Bluebeam offers additional benefits outside of takeoffs like 3D modeling, collaboration with subcontractor and third parties and easy integration with other apps commonly used by contractors.*
*Paraphrased from ebook Perfect Your Takeoff Processes from Bluebeam
Each takeoff software promises faster and more accurate bids to save yourself time to make more money. Takeoff Monkey provides the same high quality takeoffs produced from any of these software options but we additionally save your team yet even more time by completing the takeoff for you. To get started we need only the project plans, your notes & project specifications and a due date. Our hardworking production team can sometimes turn around your takeoff in as little as 48-hours, depending on project complexity & scope.
Our team of dedicated industry experts are happy to share what we know about the software we use daily. We've suffered through enough janky software over the years. Take it from us, we know a thing or two about takeoffs as we've recently celebrated our 4th year of business. Our team has decades of collective construction estimating experience and a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips. Feel free to drop us a line if you have any questions how your team could benefit from purchasing takeoff software or if you want to learn more about the services we offer.