Square & Level / Guides / What a takeoff costs

How much does a construction takeoff cost?

If you are thinking about outsourcing your takeoffs, the first question is what it will cost. The honest answer is that it depends on how the service prices its work, the size of the project and how many trades you need. Here is how pricing usually works, and how to pick the option that fits how often you bid.

The four ways estimating services charge

Most outsourced estimating services use one of four pricing models. Knowing which one you are looking at makes quotes much easier to compare.

Pricing model	How it works	Best for
Hourly	You pay for the estimator's time. The final price is not known until the work is done.	Unusual scopes where the work is hard to predict
Per trade	A flat price for one trade's quantities, such as drywall or electrical.	Subcontractors who bid one trade
Per project	A flat price for a full estimate, usually based on project size and type.	General contractors and builders
Monthly plan	A set number of takeoffs each month for one price.	Contractors who bid every week

Hourly pricing is the hardest to budget, because you only find out the cost at the end. A fixed price agreed before work starts removes that risk, which is why we quote every job at a fixed price within 2 hours.

What changes the price

Number of trades. One trade is a takeoff. Every division priced is a full estimate, which takes much longer.
Project size and type. A 3,000 square foot remodel and a 40,000 square foot medical office are very different jobs.
Quantities only, or priced. Quantities alone cost less than quantities with material, labor and markup applied.
Quality of the drawings. Clear, complete plan sets are faster to take off than partial or hand-drawn sets.
Turnaround. Rush delivery usually costs more because the work has to jump the line.

Our pricing, for comparison

Service	Price
Single-trade takeoff	$99
Full estimate, residential or remodel	$249
Full estimate, custom home or commercial	$499
Starter plan, 4 takeoffs a month	$299/mo
Bid Desk plan, 8 takeoffs a month	$549/mo
Bid Desk Plus, 16 takeoffs a month	$995/mo

Large or complex projects are quoted. Unused takeoffs on a monthly plan roll over to the next month, and your first estimate is 50% off (up to $150).

Is outsourcing cheaper than doing it yourself?

Add up the hours you or your estimator spend on a typical takeoff, then multiply by what that time is worth. Include the bids you never send because nobody had time to count them. For most small and mid-size contractors, paying a fixed price per takeoff costs less than the time it replaces, and it lets you bid more jobs without adding staff.

How to choose

If you bid a few jobs a month, pay per takeoff. If you bid every week, a monthly plan lowers the cost of each takeoff and keeps your pipeline full. Either way, ask for a fixed price before work starts, an editable spreadsheet and marked-up plans so you can check every count.

Need a takeoff this week? Send your plans and get a fixed quote in 2 hours. Single-trade takeoffs are $99, full estimates $249–$499, and monthly plans start at $299 for 4 takeoffs.