Electrical takeoff and estimating, done end to end
Momo reads your E-sheets, verifies scale on each one, counts every device and fixture, traces conduit and homeruns, and builds the priced estimate. Every number shows the sheet, scale and formula behind it, and nothing counts until you commit it.
- Counts · Lengths · Areas
- Devices, fixtures, raceway and wire
- Every line sourced
- Sheet, scale and formula on each quantity
- $0 until committed
- Momo's work stays a proposal until you review it
What does a full electrical takeoff in DrawScale include?
A full electrical takeoff in DrawScale covers every count, length and area on the electrical sheets, carried into a priced estimate. Momo reads the symbol legend on E-001, then counts receptacles, switches, data outlets and fire alarm devices on the power and systems plans, and counts light fixtures by type tag on the lighting plans. It reads panelboard schedules for gear, traces homeruns and feeders as lengths, and applies your conductor and slack formulas to turn conduit length into wire length. Each quantity lands in the estimate with its source sheet and formula. Every unit rate and production rate is a labeled assumption for you to confirm.
New to the process? Read the construction takeoff guide or see how Momo runs a full takeoff and estimate.
Sheets Momo reads
- E-001 symbols and abbreviations
- E1.1 site electrical
- E2.1 to E2.4 power plans
- E3.1 to E3.4 lighting plans
- E4.1 systems and fire alarm
- E5.1 one-line and riser
- E6.1 panel schedules
- E7.1 light fixture schedule
Typical CSI sections
- 26 05 19 Low-Voltage Conductors and Cables
- 26 05 33 Raceways and Boxes
- 26 24 16 Panelboards
- 26 27 26 Wiring Devices
- 26 51 19 LED Interior Lighting
- 28 46 21 Fire Alarm
The full takeoff
What Momo takes off for electrical contractors
Every item is measured on the sheet as a count, a length or an area. Formulas then turn that measurement into the quantities you price. The sheets listed are typical; Momo reports the exact sheets it used for every quantity.
| Takeoff item | Measured as | Typical sheets | Outputs and formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplex, GFCI and dedicated receptacles | Count | E2.1 to E2.4 | Device, box, mud ring and cover plate per count; labor units per device |
| Switches (single-pole, 3-way, dimmer) and occupancy sensors | Count | E3.1 to E3.4 | Device, box and plate per count; sensors tallied by type |
| Light fixtures by type tag (A1, B2, EX) | Count | E3.1 to E3.4, E7.1 | Fixture count per schedule type, with whips and supports per fixture |
| Homeruns and branch conduit | Length | E2.1 to E3.4 | EMT LF by size; wire LF = conduit LF × conductors × slack factor |
| Feeders | Length | E5.1, E2.1 | Conduit and conductor LF by feeder size, plus terminations |
| Panelboards, transformers and disconnects | Count | E5.1, E6.1 | Gear by rating from the schedules, with circuit counts per panel |
| Fire alarm devices | Count | E4.1 | Horn/strobes, smoke detectors and pull stations by type |
Devices and fixtures
- Duplex and GFCI receptacles
- Switches, dimmers and occupancy sensors
- Light fixtures by schedule type
- Exit signs and emergency units
- Data and telecom outlets
- Fire alarm devices
Distribution
- Panelboards and switchboards
- Transformers
- Disconnects and motor starters
- Junction and pull boxes
- Equipment connections
Raceway and wire
- Homeruns by circuit
- Branch conduit (EMT, MC, flex)
- Feeders by size
- Cable tray
- Underground duct bank
Every number shows its work
Worked example: Level 2 receptacle homeruns
This is an illustrative example of how a DrawScale quantity is built. Each line shows its formula, and anything that depends on a rate, factor or spacing is marked as an assumption for you to confirm.
20A, 120V receptacle circuits in 3/4" EMT, 2 #12 + 1 #12 ground per circuit
E2.2 Level 2 Power Plan at 1/8" = 1'-0", scale verified from the dimensioned grid
| Line | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Duplex receptacles counted | Count of legend symbol on E2.2 | 148 EA |
| Homeruns traced to panel L2A | Sum of traced homerun lengths | 1,640 LF 3/4" EMT |
| Conductors per homerun | 2 #12 + 1 #12 ground | 3 conductors |
| Slack and termination factor | Labeled assumptionAssumption · confirm | 1.10 |
| #12 THHN wire | 1,640 LF × 3 × 1.10 | 5,412 LF |
| Device assemblies | 148 × (box + mud ring + device + plate) | 148 sets |
Meet Momo
How Momo runs an electrical takeoff
The same steps a senior electrical estimator follows, with the work shown at each one.
- 01
Reads the legend and the whole E-set
Momo indexes every sheet, confirms sheet numbers and titles, and reads the symbol legend and fixture schedule before it counts anything.
Legend-driven counts - 02
Sets and verifies scale on every sheet
Momo records the scale for each sheet and the evidence it used. If you change a scale, every quantity measured on that sheet is flagged for re-check.
Scale with evidence - 03
Counts devices, traces conduit and wire
Devices and fixtures are counted by type. Homeruns and feeders are traced as lengths, and your formulas turn conduit LF into conductor LF.
Counts and lengths - 04
Builds the priced estimate
Quantities flow into the estimate worksheet through visible formulas. Material prices, labor units and production rates appear as labeled assumptions.
Every rate labeled
What Momo checks for
Where electrical takeoffs go wrong
The misses that cost electrical estimators money are rarely the obvious ones.
Symbols hidden in crowded plans
Reflected ceiling and power plans stack fixtures, devices, diffusers and sprinkler heads on top of each other. A device that sits behind a leader line or another trade's symbol gets skipped.
Legends that don't match the plans
The legend on E-001 shows one symbol while the plans use a variant with a subscript or a different tag. Counts drift between sheets and nobody notices until the job is bought.
Wrong scale on an enlarged plan
An enlarged electrical room at 1/4" = 1'-0" sits next to a floor plan at 1/8". Measure both at one scale and the feeder lengths are off by a factor of two.
Homeruns that cross sheets
A homerun leaves the floor on E2.3 and lands on a panel shown on E2.1. Without tracing it across the match line, the length is guessed or missed.
From quantities to a bid
The priced estimate, schedule and export
Committed quantities flow into the estimate worksheet through visible formulas, and every unit rate, waste factor and production rate is labeled as an assumption to confirm. Nothing Momo proposed counts toward a total until you review and commit it.
Bid-stage schedule
The bid-stage schedule turns installed quantities into activities such as rough-in by floor, pull wire, set gear, trim devices and set fixtures. Each duration is the installed quantity divided by a labeled production rate that you confirm, then leveled to your crew sizes. You get a critical path and P50 and P80 finish dates.
Coming from another takeoff tool?
If you take off today in Bluebeam Revu, Accubid, ConEst or a spreadsheet, DrawScale opens the same PDF plan sets in the browser with nothing to install. Manual count, linear and area tools always work, and changing a sheet’s scale flags every quantity that depends on it.
What you hand your chief estimator
- A ledger of committed quantities, each linked to its sheet, scale and traced geometry
- A priced estimate worksheet with visible formulas and every rate labeled as an assumption to confirm
- A bid-stage schedule built from installed quantity divided by a labeled production rate
- An Excel or CSV export with audit columns that contains committed quantities only
Electrical takeoff and estimating FAQ
Direct answers for electrical contractors.
Yes. Momo counts devices and fixtures, traces homeruns and feeders as lengths, reads panel and fixture schedules, and carries every quantity into a priced estimate. Symbol counting is one step inside that job.
Wire length comes from a visible formula: traced conduit length times the number of conductors times a slack factor. The conductor count and slack factor are labeled assumptions you confirm or change, and the result updates wherever it is used.
Momo counts from the legend and reports symbols it found on the plans that the legend does not explain. Those show up in the coverage report for you to classify, so an unmatched symbol never becomes a silent zero.
No. Everything Momo produces is a proposal that counts for nothing until you review and commit it. You can accept, adjust or reject each item, and anything you draw or edit yourself is never overwritten by a later run.
Yes, as Excel or CSV. The export contains committed quantities only and includes audit columns for sheet, scale and formula, so the numbers can go into the spreadsheet or estimating system you already price in.
You change it, and every quantity measured on that sheet is flagged for re-check at once. DrawScale never silently rewrites a committed quantity after a scale change.
Takeoff and estimating for related trades
See every trade DrawScale coversGeneral Contractor takeoff and estimating
Concrete, framing, doors, finishes and specialties across the set, with a priced estimate and bid-stage schedule.
HVAC takeoff and estimating
Ductwork by size, air devices, equipment and hydronic piping, with weight and insulation from formulas.
Plumbing takeoff and estimating
Fixtures, drains and piping by system and size, with hangers, insulation and fittings from visible formulas.
Send Momo your next electrical bid set
Bring an E-set you have already bid. We will run the full takeoff and estimate with you, and you can check every count and homerun against numbers you trust.