Our pre-takeoff drawing audit catches scope gaps, specification conflicts, and measurement ambiguities before we quantify a single line item. From comprehensive mechanical ductwork and plumbing piping to electrical conduit and CSI Divisions 02–33, we provide bid-ready itemized takeoffs within 24–48 hours.
Our takeoffs are delivered 100% bid-ready, structured by CSI MasterFormat divisions and formatted for seamless import into your estimating workflow.
Detailed visual markups generated in Bluebeam Revu and PlanSwift. Every run, pipe size, duct gauge, and fixture count is color-coded by trade for fast visual audit and field verification.
Excel spreadsheets itemized by CSI division, drawing sheet number, floor level, and zone. Formulas are unlocked and ready for your internal labor rates and markup multipliers.
Optional trade labor hours calibrated against NECA, MCAA, PHCC, and local RSMeans City Cost Indexes (CCI) to reflect regional wage scales and union/open-shop crew productivity.
A formal clarification log highlighting missing details, plan-to-spec conflicts, uncoordinated trades, and recommended RFI questions to protect your bid from change order exposure.
Verify subcontractor quotes, detect uncoordinated scope overlaps, and conduct comprehensive bid leveling.
Explore GC Estimating Solutions →Eliminate estimating bottlenecks during busy bid weeks. Turnkey mechanical, electrical, and plumbing material counts.
Explore Subcontractor Solutions →Before any measurement begins, we verify the drawing set against a 28-point checklist: all sheet numbers present and matching the index, all plan sheets at the correct scale, all sections and details referenced on plans exist, all schedules (door, finish, mechanical, panel) are populated. Missing schedules are the #1 delay cause (30% of projects). We issue a Drawing Completeness Report within 4 hours of receipt listing every missing item.
We cross-reference every specification section against the corresponding plan details. Common conflicts found: spec calls for 5/8" fire-rated drywall, drawing schedule shows 1/2" (spec overrides — 15% cost impact). Spec requires 5,000 PSI concrete, drawing notes 4,000 PSI (spec overrides — 12% cost impact). Spec lists a manufacturer that drawing details conflict with (product substitution needed — 5-10% cost impact). Each conflict is documented with the recommended resolution before takeoff begins.
We identify every takeoff where the drawing dimensions don't support a clear quantity. Examples: a dimension string on a structural plan that doesn't add up (±2% typical discrepancy), a wall section where the insulation thickness is called out differently on two sheets, a roof plan where the slope doesn't match the corresponding detail. These are flagged as Measurement Clarifications and issued before the takeoff proceeds — preventing the estimator from making an assumption that creates a 5-figure gap at bid time.
Defaulting to 10% waste across all materials overestimates some divisions and underestimates others. Here's what our project-specific waste analysis looks like for a 200,000 sq ft office building.
4,850 CY at 4% = 194 CY waste vs. default 10% = 485 CY. Defaulted waste would have added 291 CY ($34,000) of unnecessary concrete cost. Our 4% is based on: mat foundation with simple geometry (low formwork waste), ready-mix delivery in full truck batches (minimizes short-load premiums), and no architectural concrete requiring over-order for color matching.
48,000 sq ft at 12% = 5,760 sq ft waste vs. default 10% = 4,800 sq ft. Our higher-than-default waste reflects: 14 ft floor-to-floor height generating more cutoff waste than standard 10 ft, irregular perimeter wall geometry (35% more corners than a rectangular floor plate), and multiple ceiling height transitions requiring more complex board layouts. The default 10% would have underestimated drywall by 960 sq ft ($8,600).
285 tons at 3% = 8.6 tons vs. default 10% = 28.5 tons. Fabrication waste on engineered steel is minimal because members are ordered to length. Our 3% covers cutting waste from beam-to-column connections, coping, and bolt holes. The default 10% would have overestimated steel cost by $15,400 — a significant margin error on a bid.
22,000 sq ft at 18% = 3,960 sq ft vs. default 10% = 2,200 sq ft. Higher waste because the specified carpet tile pattern requires matching at seams (pattern repeat adds 8-12% waste vs. random installation), room dimensions (15 ft - 20 ft) don't align with 2 ft - 2 ft tile modules (creating 5-8% edge waste), and multiple corridors and alcoves increase boundary cutoff. Default would have undercounted by 1,760 sq ft ($22,000).
Pre-priced building system assemblies based on historical data — $/sq ft for a 4" concrete slab on grade, $/sq ft for standard VAV HVAC, $/sq ft for brick veneer. Used for: concept estimates, feasibility studies, early design-phase budgets. Speed: 8-15 hours for a 100,000 sq ft building, 150-300 line items. Good for bond capacity planning and early owner decisions but not for hard bid — the ±20% range is too wide for final GMP pricing.
Material and labor per individual line item — every conduit fitting, every drywall sheet, every cubic yard measured from drawings. Used for: hard bids, GMP development, subcontractor bid packages. Time: 30-55 hours for a 100,000 sq ft office, 800-1,200 line items. Provides bid-day flexibility: when a material price changes at 4 PM on bid day, only the affected line item needs adjustment. Accuracy depends on document completeness, measurement, scope and current pricing. Model level of development alone does not establish estimating accuracy.
The single biggest source of avoidable change orders is sequential bid packages where later packages don't account for design changes incorporated in earlier ones. When a structural steel package is bid at 90% CD and a MEP package is bid 6 months later at 100% CD, the column locations may have shifted slightly — but the steel package was priced to the earlier locations. Our revision delta tracking compares the drawing set used for each bid package against the current drawings and quantifies every difference: added/delated items, dimension changes, material spec changes. For a 250,000 sq ft hospital with 8 bid packages over 18 months, we've seen revision deltas of 4-8% of total project cost — the contractor's margin if they don't systematically track changes between packages.
A completed-project accuracy claim needs a defined comparison, dated inputs and documented results. The public evidence here is a coordinated excerpt of 90 MEP lines, checked against the saved workbook quantities and source references.
Inspect Division 22, 23 and 26 quantities. Recorded precision does not establish that every quantity in a project is complete or that future procurement or installation costs will match a bid.
Keep the item description, measurement unit, drawing reference and workbook source cell with each quantity. In the public sample, open a row to see the source reference, saved allowance factor and adjusted quantity. Different measurement units are never combined into one quantity total.
Keep the base measurement separate from the allowance and adjusted quantity. Confirm whether the saved factor is a multiplier or a percentage before applying it. Allowances depend on material, layout and procurement method; there is no universal rate for every MEP item.
Review the contract document order of precedence and request clarification. Record the conflicting references and the estimating assumption explicitly. There is no universal rule that specifications always override drawings or that one percentage threshold makes a conflict immaterial.
A takeoff records measured quantities and units from the issued drawings. A priced estimate adds the agreed material prices, labor assumptions and project costs. Confirm whether your quote includes all three trades, drawing markups, alternates and a pricing summary. The public sample shows selected quantities, not a complete priced bid.
Send the current mechanical, electrical and plumbing drawings, specifications and addenda, together with the project location, bid deadline and trades you need. Identify owner-supplied equipment and any exclusions. The quote should confirm the fee, deliverables and delivery date before work starts.
List missing schedules, unreadable scales and unresolved scope before measurements are finalized. Separate measured work from allowances and exclusions. For an addendum, identify the changed sheets and revision date, then confirm the additional fee and delivery schedule rather than treating an incomplete set as a fixed, complete bid.
No. Quantities follow the supplied design and specifications. Code edition, jurisdiction, engineering approval, supplier pricing and contractor productivity need project-specific confirmation. An estimate supports your bid review; it does not certify the installation or guarantee a bid outcome.
Inspect source quantities and drawing previews or request a scoped quote.
Send us your drawing set and we'll run our Drawing Quality Audit at no cost — checking for completeness gaps, spec conflicts, and measurement ambiguities. You'll receive a Drawing Quality Report within 24 hours identifying every issue that could affect your quantity accuracy.
Upload Drawings for Free Quality AuditOr email fandkestimations@gmail.com with your drawing set
Review the deliverable
Inspect 90 selected lines and 6 cropped drawings in our coordinated MEP sample. This excerpt demonstrates the published quantity format; it does not substantiate every specialty service or a complete project price.
Reconcile fixtures and equipment against plumbing schedules. Keep domestic water, sanitary waste and vent quantities separate by material and size; identify fittings, valves and connection boundaries. Pipe sizing and medical-gas design require the issued design and qualified review.
Plumbing estimating scope19 selected source lines available in the sample.
Reconcile HVAC equipment tags, air outlets and ductwork against the mechanical schedules. Keep duct length, area or weight units distinct. Confirm whether hydronic or refrigerant piping, insulation, supports, controls and testing are included in the quoted scope.
Mechanical / HVAC estimating scope32 selected source lines available in the sample.
Reconcile lighting and device counts against schedules. Distinguish conduit route length from conductor length, with conductor count and specified sizes recorded separately. Confirm feeds, disconnects and controls interfaces; fire alarm and low voltage require their own scope confirmation.
Electrical estimating scope39 selected source lines available in the sample.
Confirm the drawing issue and addenda, measurement units, base quantities versus allowances, trade responsibility for equipment connections, and assumptions for missing information. A priced estimate also needs dated supplier pricing, labor basis, taxes, freight and exclusions agreed for your project.
Drawing-based coordination flags scope interfaces. BIM clash detection, engineering design, specialty process systems and code certification require a separately confirmed scope and supporting documents.
Send plans for a scoped quote