Free Takeoff Software for General Contractors
Run your own quantity takeoffs to verify sub bids and catch scope gaps before they become change orders. Measure foundations, framing, roofing, finishes, and sitework from a single tool, completely free.
General Contractors Takeoffs, Simplified
You win one out of every five or six bids. The rest is unbillable time, and at $75 an hour internal rate, that is $300 to $450 per bid just for the takeoff on a kitchen remodel. Most GCs either trust the sub numbers and hope for the best, or roll a scale wheel across paper prints after the crew goes home. Construction takeoff software like PlanSwift costs $1,749 a year. Procore runs $12,000 or more. Both sit idle most weeks. Easy Takeoffs gives you a free, browser-based tool to measure any trade scope from a PDF plan set, verify sub quantities in minutes, and export grouped takeoffs straight into your estimating spreadsheet. Upload architectural, structural, mechanical, or site plans. Set the scale once per sheet and start measuring. Area for slabs and roofing. Linear for walls, footings, and pipe runs. Count for doors, fixtures, and outlets. Group measurements by trade or bid package, each with its own color on the plan. Export to CSV and compare your numbers against every sub bid line by line. No software to install, no license fees, no learning curve.
Area, Linear & Count
Every measurement type your trade needs
Snap to Walls & Corners
Cursor locks to lines, corners, midpoints, and edges
Auto Scale Detection
Reads the scale from your PDF so you can measure instantly
Completely Free
No credit card, no trial, no feature limits
Any Device
Browser-based on Mac, Windows, tablet, or phone
What Is a General Contractors Takeoff?
A general contractor takeoff is the process of measuring quantities from construction drawings to verify subcontractor bids, catch scope gaps, and estimate self-performed work. Unlike a specialty sub who measures only their trade, a GC reviews every sheet in the plan set: A sheets for floor plans and elevations, S sheets for structural framing, C sheets for site work, and MEP sheets for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scope. The goal is making sure that between your own crews and every subcontractor, 100 percent of the project is covered with zero gaps and zero overlaps. For self-performed work like demolition, framing, drywall, doors, trim, and painting, the GC runs a full detailed takeoff measuring areas, linear feet, and counts. For subcontracted work, the takeoff is a scope verification exercise: spot-check the sub quantities to make sure 500 square feet of tile is actually 500 square feet on the plans, not 350. One scope gap on a $300,000 remodel with a 9 percent margin can wipe out more than half of your expected profit.
How to Do a General Contractors Takeoff
Upload the full plan set
Drop your complete PDF plan set into Easy Takeoffs. Architectural, structural, civil, and MEP sheets all live in one project. Navigate between A sheets, S sheets, and site plans using the page selector.
Calibrate scale per sheet
Set the scale on each sheet using a known dimension or let auto-detection read it from the PDF metadata. A sheets at 1/4" = 1'-0", site plans at 1" = 20', and structural details at 3/4" = 1'-0" all coexist in the same project.
Measure every trade scope
Area tools for slabs, roofing, and flooring. Linear tools for wall framing, footings, and baseboard. Count tools for doors, windows, fixtures, and outlets. Group measurements by trade, by floor, or by bid package with color-coded labels.
Export and compare to sub bids
Export grouped quantities to CSV. Compare your independent numbers against sub bids line by line. Catch scope gaps, missing items, and inflated quantities before you sign a subcontract. The annotated PDF export creates a visual record of what you measured.
Built for General Contractors
Multi-trade measurement
Measure any scope from a single tool. Area, linear, polyline, and count cover everything from concrete footings to electrical fixture counts to roofing squares.
Group by bid package
Organize measurements into color-coded groups by trade, floor, or building. Export each group separately so your concrete quantities stay separate from your framing quantities.
CSV export for estimating
Export all quantities to CSV with group names, measurement types, and values. Opens directly in Excel, Google Sheets, or whatever estimating template you already use.
Auto scale detection
Most architectural PDFs include embedded scale metadata. Easy Takeoffs reads it automatically so you can start measuring immediately. Manual calibration available when metadata is missing.
Any device, any location
Runs in any browser on Windows, Mac, iPad, or Android. Pull up your takeoff at the jobsite, the plan room, or your truck. No software to install, no IT department needed.
Completely free
No credit card, no trial expiration, no per-seat fees. Every measurement tool is available from the moment you sign up. PlanSwift charges $1,749/year. We charge nothing.
General Contractors Calculator
Quick estimate for common general contractors calculations. For precise quantities, measure directly from your plans.
General Contractor Bid Calculator
Roll up sub bids with overhead and profit to build your total bid
Get exact quantities with free takeoff software. Start your free takeoff →
General Contractors Waste Factors
Industry-standard waste percentages for common general contractors materials. Apply these to your measured quantities for accurate ordering.
Typical Waste Factors
Over-excavation, uneven subgrade, and form bulging add 3 to 7 percent above net calculated volume. Pump truck priming wastes another 0.25 to 0.5 cubic yards per pour.
Cutoffs from standard lengths, warped or split boards, and layout changes drive waste to 8 to 12 percent. Complex roof framing with hips and valleys pushes toward 15 percent.
4x8 sheets cut against irregular wall heights and gable ends waste 5 to 10 percent. Fewer cuts waste less; always order to the nearest full sheet.
Standard 4x8 or 4x12 sheets create unavoidable cutoffs at wall heights, window openings, and inside corners. Plan 10 to 15 percent waste for typical residential layouts.
Starter courses, hip and ridge caps, and valley cuts push waste to 12 to 17 percent for gable roofs and 15 to 20 percent for complex hip roofs.
Roller nap absorption, tray waste, touch-up reserves, and color changes between rooms account for 5 to 15 percent beyond calculated gallon coverage.
Miter cuts at corners, miscuts, and matching grain patterns on stain-grade trim waste 8 to 12 percent of total linear footage ordered.
Why General Contractors Contractors Need Better Takeoffs
Sub bids you cannot independently verify
A mechanical sub hands you a lump sum of $47,000. Is it competitive? You have no idea because you did not measure the duct runs, count the diffusers, or calculate the equipment connections. Without independent quantities, you are negotiating blind. A scope gap between the plumbing and HVAC subs cost one contractor $25,000 on a single airport project because nobody verified who was responsible for the underground electrical to the guard shack. A free digital takeoff tool lets you spot-check any scope in minutes, not hours.
Paying for software that sits idle most weeks
Most GCs do not measure plans every day. Bid season comes in waves. PlanSwift at $1,749 a year and Procore at $12,000 or more per year are expensive licenses to maintain when the software sits untouched for weeks at a time. Small to mid-size firms with fewer than 10 employees cannot justify the cost, so they default to paper prints and a scale wheel. Easy Takeoffs is free, so it costs nothing when you are not bidding.
Nights-and-weekends estimating
During the day, you are running active jobs. Estimating happens after hours because there is no one else to do it. A kitchen remodel takeoff takes 4 to 6 hours by hand. At a 1-in-6 win rate, most of that time produces zero revenue. Faster digital takeoffs mean you can bid more jobs in the same after-hours window, improving your bid-hit ratio without adding unbillable hours to your week.
One bad estimate erases a year of profit
Average GC net margins run 1.4 to 2.4 percent on commercial work and around 9 percent on residential. A 5 percent takeoff error on a $300,000 home is $15,000, more than half of your expected $27,000 profit. One contractor reported that a single scope gap "brought the company pretty much back to even" for the entire year. Accurate takeoffs are not a nice-to-have. They are the difference between making money and working for free.
Common General Contractors Takeoff Mistakes
Trusting sub quantities without verification
You receive five sub bids for concrete. Three are within 10 percent of each other, so you pick the lowest and move on. But nobody checked whether the lowest bidder excluded the loading dock apron that shows up on sheet C-3. The $8,000 gap lands on your desk as a change order after the contract is signed. Run your own takeoff on the critical scopes. You do not need to measure every bolt, but 15 minutes with the area tool on the site plan would have caught the missing apron before you committed to a number.
Missing scope between trades
The HVAC sub assumes the electrical sub handles equipment connections. The electrical sub assumes it is in the HVAC package. Neither bid includes the 200-amp disconnect, conduit run, and wiring. The $4,200 cost falls to you because the GC owns the gaps. On one airport project, an underground electrical run to a guard shack was excluded by every sub, costing the GC $25,000. Before finalizing, overlay every sub scope on the plans. Color-code each trade group in Easy Takeoffs and look for areas on the drawing that have no measurements from any sub. Those blank spots are your scope gaps.
Ignoring general conditions in the estimate
You total the sub bids, add your markup, and submit. But you forgot to price the dumpsters ($500 to $800 per pull), porta-johns ($175 per month), temp power ($1,200 setup), site fencing, and your superintendent time for the duration of the project. General conditions typically run 5 to 10 percent of project cost on commercial work. Build a general conditions checklist and price it as a line item, not a mental note. Missing $15,000 in general conditions on a $200,000 job cuts your margin from 10 percent to 2.5 percent.
Using one waste factor for all materials
Applying a flat 10 percent across the board sounds reasonable until you realize framing lumber wastes at 10 percent, but roofing on a complex hip roof wastes at 20 percent and concrete flatwork wastes at only 5 percent. A flat rate either over-orders cheap materials and under-orders expensive ones, or vice versa. Apply trade-specific waste factors from the table on this page. A few percentage points difference on a $150,000 material order is thousands of dollars in either direction.
Bidding without a second set of eyes
You finished the estimate at 11 PM, triple-checked the math, and submitted. The next morning you realize you used the wrong scale on the second-floor plan, which inflated every measurement by 20 percent. Your bid is now $40,000 too high on a $200,000 job. You will not win it, and you burned 8 hours of unbillable time. Digital takeoffs create an auditable record. When a second person reviews your project in Easy Takeoffs, they can see every measurement, every scale setting, and every group. Mistakes surface before the bid goes out, not after.
General Contractors Takeoff Pro Tips
Group measurements by CSI division
Create measurement groups that match the CSI MasterFormat divisions your estimating spreadsheet already uses: Division 3 Concrete, Division 6 Wood and Plastics, Division 7 Thermal and Moisture Protection, Division 9 Finishes. When you export to CSV, the data drops directly into the right rows without manual sorting. This also makes it easy to compare your quantities against sub bids organized by division. For residential work where CSI divisions feel like overkill, group by trade name instead: Concrete, Framing, Drywall, Paint, Flooring, Roofing. The point is consistency across projects so you build a library of unit costs over time. Color-code each group in Easy Takeoffs and you can visually scan the plan to confirm every area is covered by at least one measurement group. Blank spots on the drawing mean blank spots in the estimate.
Measure self-performed work first, then verify subs
Start your takeoff with the scopes your crews will handle: demolition, framing, drywall, doors, trim, painting, cleanup. These are the numbers you buy materials against, so they need full accuracy with proper waste factors. Spend the real time here. For subcontracted scopes, you do not need a line-by-line takeoff. Spot-check the big-ticket quantities. If the concrete sub says 142 cubic yards, spend 5 minutes tracing the footings and slab on the foundation plan to see if 142 is in the right ballpark. If your quick check says 160, call the sub and ask what they excluded. This two-tier approach, detailed for self-perform and verification for subs, lets a small GC produce a solid estimate in hours instead of days without skipping the diligence that prevents scope gaps.
Check the scale on every sheet independently
Architectural floor plans are usually 1/4" = 1'-0". But the site plan might be 1" = 20', structural details at 3/4" = 1'-0", and enlarged bathroom plans at 1/2" = 1'-0". If you set the scale on the first sheet and assume it carries through, every measurement on a differently scaled sheet will be wrong by the ratio of the scales. Easy Takeoffs auto-detects scale from PDF metadata when available, but always verify by measuring a known dimension like a door width (typically 3'-0" for interior, 3'-0" for exterior). If the tool reads 2'-8" when the door schedule says 3'-0", your scale is off. On large commercial plan sets with 50 or more sheets, architects occasionally print sheets at a different scale than what the title block says. Trust the measurement, not the label.
Build a bid-day template with reusable groups
Bid day for commercial work is chaotic. Sub numbers come in at the last minute, you are plugging and comparing while the clock ticks. If you have already measured the major scopes and organized them into named groups, you can swap sub numbers into your spreadsheet without remeasuring anything. Create a project template in Easy Takeoffs with your standard trade groups already set up: sitework, concrete, steel, framing, exterior, roofing, MEP, finishes. Upload plans, measure into those groups, and your CSV export is ready to receive sub pricing. On bid day, you are comparing numbers, not taking measurements. Save your completed takeoff projects as a reference library. When a similar project comes in, you can estimate from historical quantities and adjust for scale, which is faster than starting from scratch.
Always measure the site plan separately
GCs often focus on the building and overlook the site work: grading, paving, curbing, sidewalks, landscaping, utilities, storm drainage, and erosion control. On a commercial project, site work can be 15 to 25 percent of the total cost. Missing the parking lot repaving on a tenant improvement bid is a five-figure mistake. Open the civil sheets (C series) in Easy Takeoffs and measure site areas and linear runs as their own group. Paving area, curb linear footage, sidewalk area, utility trench lengths, and retention pond volume all need their own measurements. Compare these against the site sub bid the same way you verify building trades. For residential new construction, site work is simpler but still critical: driveway area, foundation excavation perimeter, backfill volume, and grading limits. A 20-foot driveway extension the homeowner requests mid-project is a $3,000 to $5,000 change order if you catch it, and a $3,000 to $5,000 loss if you do not.
General Contractors Takeoff Questions
Yes. Easy Takeoffs is completely free with no credit card, no trial countdown, and no feature gating. You get area, linear, polyline, and count measurements, automatic scale detection, multi-page PDF support, color-coded measurement groups, editable labels, annotations, and export to PDF and CSV. There is no "starter" tier that locks features behind a paywall. PlanSwift charges $1,749 per year, STACK starts at $2,599 per year, and Bluebeam runs $260 to $440 per year. Easy Takeoffs covers the core takeoff workflow that these tools charge for, and it costs nothing. The tool is browser-based, so there is nothing to download or install. Sign up, upload a plan, and start measuring.
A general contractor takeoff is the process of measuring quantities from construction drawings to estimate costs for self-performed work and to verify subcontractor bids. Unlike a plumber who only measures pipe runs or an electrician who only counts devices, a GC reviews every sheet in the plan set: architectural, structural, civil, and MEP. The takeoff serves three purposes: measuring detailed quantities for work your own crews will perform (framing, drywall, doors, trim, painting), spot-checking sub quantities to make sure bids are reasonable, and verifying that between all subs and your own scope, 100 percent of the project is accounted for with no gaps. A missed scope between two subs becomes a change order the GC absorbs.
Upload the same plans your subs are bidding from. Set the scale on the relevant sheet, then measure the scope in question: area for flooring and painting, linear for piping and duct runs, count for fixtures and devices. Compare your numbers against the sub bid quantities line by line. If the concrete sub says 142 cubic yards and your quick trace of the footings and slab shows 160, call the sub and ask what was excluded. You do not need to measure every bolt. The goal is catching the big discrepancies: missing rooms, excluded site work, or quantities that are off by more than 10 percent. A 15-minute spot check can save you a five-figure scope gap.
Yes. Easy Takeoffs has area (polygon and rectangle), linear, polyline, and count tools that cover every trade measurement type. Measure concrete slab areas, wall framing lengths, fixture counts, duct run distances, and excavation volumes from the same interface. Create color-coded measurement groups for each trade so your concrete measurements, framing measurements, and MEP measurements each have their own color on the plan and their own section in the CSV export. This is the core advantage for GCs: one tool handles the multi-trade reality of general contracting instead of needing separate software for each scope.
Digital takeoffs from calibrated PDF plans are more accurate than scaling off paper prints. Paper prints distort when they run through plotters, get folded, or absorb moisture. A 1 percent stretch across a 30-inch print throws off every measurement by 3.6 inches, which compounds across a full floor plan. Digital PDFs maintain exact proportions, and once you calibrate the scale using a known dimension or the embedded metadata, every measurement derives from that calibration mathematically. The accuracy ceiling is the resolution of the PDF and the quality of the original CAD drawing, not the software. Easy Takeoffs uses the same measurement math as tools costing $1,700 or more per year.
A takeoff measures quantities from the plans: 1,200 square feet of slab, 340 linear feet of footing, 86 doors. An estimate prices those quantities: 1,200 square feet of slab at $8 per square foot equals $9,600 plus waste and labor. The takeoff is the measurement step. The estimate is the pricing step. Most GCs do the takeoff in a measurement tool like Easy Takeoffs, export the quantities to CSV, then price them in a separate estimating spreadsheet or software like Sage, ProEst, or Excel. Getting the takeoff quantities right is the foundation. If the quantities are wrong, the pricing is wrong no matter how good your unit costs are.
It depends on the project scope and how much work you self-perform. A kitchen remodel takeoff with detailed measurements for demolition, framing, drywall, cabinets, countertops, flooring, plumbing fixtures, and electrical devices takes 4 to 6 hours by hand with paper prints and a scale ruler. Digital takeoff tools cut that by 50 to 70 percent because you trace on screen instead of scaling and recording manually. For a full custom home with 15 to 20 sub scopes plus self-performed work, expect 2 to 4 days total for a complete manual takeoff. The same project takes 1 to 2 days with digital tools. The time savings compound on larger commercial projects where plan sets run 50 to 200 sheets.
A scope gap is work that falls between two subcontractor bids, assigned to nobody. The HVAC sub assumes the electrician handles equipment connections. The electrician assumes it is in the HVAC package. Neither bid includes the disconnect, conduit, and wiring. The GC discovers the gap during construction and absorbs the cost as an unbudgeted change order. One contractor reported a scope gap on an airport project that cost $25,000 for underground electrical to a guard shack. To avoid scope gaps, create a measurement group for each sub scope in Easy Takeoffs and color-code them on the plans. When you zoom out and see areas with no color, those are potential gaps that need to be assigned to a sub or priced as self-performed work.
Yes. Upload a PDF with any number of pages, from a 5-page residential remodel to a 200-page commercial plan set. Navigate between sheets using the page selector. Each page can have its own scale, so your 1/4" architectural plans, 1" = 20' site plans, and 3/4" structural details all coexist in one project. Measurements, groups, and labels persist across all pages. You can measure the foundation on the structural sheet, the floor area on the architectural sheet, and the site paving on the civil sheet, all grouped by trade and exported together.
Waste factors vary by material and trade. Concrete flatwork runs 5 percent for subgrade irregularities and spillage. Framing lumber runs 10 percent for cutoffs and defective boards, rising to 15 percent for complex roof framing. Drywall wastes 12 percent from sheet cutoffs at openings and wall heights. Roofing shingles waste 15 percent for a standard gable, 20 percent for complex hips and valleys. Paint wastes 10 percent for roller absorption, tray waste, and touch-up. Trim and baseboard waste 10 percent for miter cuts and miscuts. Never apply a flat waste factor across all materials. The difference between 5 percent on concrete and 20 percent on a hip roof is thousands of dollars on the material order.
Yes. Easy Takeoffs exports to CSV, which opens directly in Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet application. The export includes group names, measurement types, dimensions, and calculated values. If you organize your measurements into groups by trade or CSI division, the CSV drops directly into the corresponding rows of your estimating template. You can also export an annotated PDF that shows every measurement overlaid on the drawing, which serves as a visual record of what you measured and is useful when reviewing bids with your team.
The takeoff gives you quantities. Pricing happens in a separate step where you apply unit costs (material cost per unit plus labor cost per unit) to each quantity. For self-performed work, you know your crew rates and material suppliers, so you apply your own numbers. For subcontracted work, the sub provides a lump sum or unit price bid. The GC assembles all self-performed costs and sub bids, adds general conditions (dumpsters, porta-johns, temp power, supervision), applies overhead (typically 10 to 15 percent), and adds profit margin (typically 10 to 20 percent for residential). The takeoff is the foundation: if quantities are off by 10 percent, the entire bid is off by 10 percent regardless of how accurate your unit costs are.
Easy Takeoffs is the only genuinely free takeoff tool with no trial limits, no feature restrictions, and no credit card required. Most general contractor estimating software charges annual subscriptions (PlanSwift at $1,749, STACK at $2,599, Bluebeam at $260 to $440) or offers limited free trials (Buildee at 7 days, PlanSwift at 14 days). Some tools market a "free" tier but gate critical features like CSV export or multi-page support behind paid plans. Easy Takeoffs includes every measurement tool, unlimited projects, unlimited pages, measurement groups, annotations, and both PDF and CSV export at no cost. It runs in your browser on any device, so there is no software to install and no IT overhead.
Yes. Easy Takeoffs is a web application that runs in any modern browser: Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge on macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, Linux, iPadOS, and Android. There is nothing to download or install. Measure from your desktop in the office, review quantities on your iPad at the plan room, or pull up the project on your phone at the jobsite. All your projects, measurements, and exports are saved to your account and accessible from any device. PlanSwift is Windows-only. On-Screen Takeoff requires desktop installation. Easy Takeoffs works everywhere.
Start Your Free Construction Takeoff Today
Upload your first PDF plan set, set the scale, and pull accurate quantities before lunch. No credit card. No commitment. No per seat fees.