Guides · 8 guides
Measure quantities, assemble material lists and price residential bids.
How to read a residential plan set, run a quantity takeoff from it and turn the counts into a material list and a bid. Each guide shows the measurement, the waste allowance and the check against the drawing.
12 min A roofing estimator turns a roof into a scope you can price: measured squares, a pitch factor, a stated waste rate and a line for every edge, layer and penetration. Here is the method, a worked hip roof example and the mistakes that sink bids.
12 min Paint estimating software earns its place when every gallon traces to a measured surface, a coat count and a spread rate from the data sheet. Work one bedroom by hand in 8 lines, then hold any app to the same rows, with prep, access and lead-safe work kept separate.
12 min A lumber takeoff lists every framing piece by size, length, count and wall. Count in a fixed order, convert to stock lengths and add one stated allowance. Worked example: a 20 x 12 ft addition needs 80 studs, 14 plate sticks and 17 sheathing panels.
11 min Read a plan sheet like an estimator: identify the revision, calibrate the scale twice, pick the right view and tie every quantity to its sheet. Worked example: one revised opening takes 1,920 sq ft of board down to a 65 sheet order.
12 min Drywall estimating software is only as good as the wall runs it records: length, height, faces, layers and board type. Work a fictional basement from runs to 46 sheets of 4x12, compare sheet sizes, then use the same checks on any tool's export.
13 min A plumbing estimate is counting and measuring: fixtures, connections, supply and DWV runs, fittings. Work a two bathroom rough-in by hand, then hold any software to the same rows: fixture tags, hot and cold apart, vertical runs, sticks and coils, and a written scope boundary.
13 min Roofing estimating software turns planes, pitch, edges and penetrations into a shingle, underlayment and metal order. Here is the math behind every line, a worked 2,000 sq ft gable at 3.5 in 12, and five checks to run before you trust any tool's total.
11 min Before you trust AI takeoff software, run it on a plan you already counted. Score misses, extras and length drift per item, then convert each error into material. Worked example: 6 ft of wall drift leaves you 3 sheets of board short.