Takeoff and estimating across every division you carry
Momo reads the whole bid set, verifies scale on every sheet, and takes off concrete, framing, doors, finishes and specialties. It builds the priced estimate and a bid-stage schedule, with every number labeled and nothing counted until you commit it.
- Counts · Lengths · Areas
- Across the divisions you self-perform or check
- 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 general contractor takeoff in DrawScale include?
A full general contractor takeoff in DrawScale covers the divisions you self-perform and the ones you need to check against subcontractor bids. Momo indexes the whole set, confirms sheet numbers, and separates plans, schedules, details and addenda. It measures slab and paving areas, partition lengths by type, and flooring, base and ceiling areas by finish. It counts doors, toilet accessories and specialties from the plans and schedules. Every quantity carries into a priced estimate by CSI division, and Momo records what it searched and what it skipped so a missing scope never looks like a zero.
New to the process? Read the construction takeoff guide or see how Momo runs a full takeoff and estimate.
Sheets Momo reads
- G-001 cover and sheet index
- C-101 site and paving plans
- S-101 foundation plan
- A-101 to A-104 floor plans
- A-121 reflected ceiling plans
- A-601 room finish and door schedules
Typical CSI sections
- 03 30 00 Cast-in-Place Concrete
- 06 10 00 Rough Carpentry
- 08 11 13 Hollow Metal Doors and Frames
- 09 21 16 Gypsum Board Assemblies
- 09 65 19 Resilient Tile Flooring
- 10 28 13 Toilet Accessories
The full takeoff
What Momo takes off for general 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab on grade and site paving | Area | S-101, C-101 | SF by thickness; CY = SF × thickness ÷ 27 |
| Interior partitions by type | Length | A-101 to A-104 | Wall SF = LF × height × faces; board, studs and track |
| Flooring and base by finish | Area | A-101 to A-104, A-601 | Floor SF by finish tag; base LF from room perimeter less openings |
| Ceilings by type | Area | A-121 | ACT and gypsum ceiling SF by type and height |
| Doors, frames and hardware sets | Count | A-101 to A-104, A-601 | Doors by type and size, hardware by set |
| Toilet accessories and specialties | Count | A-401, A-601 | Grab bars, dispensers, partitions and signage by type |
Structure and site
- Slab on grade and footings
- Site paving and curbs
- Sidewalks
- Masonry walls
Interiors
- Partitions by type
- Flooring and base by finish
- Ceilings by type
- Paint and wall finishes
Openings and specialties
- Doors, frames and hardware
- Toilet partitions and accessories
- Signage
- Fire extinguisher cabinets
Every number shows its work
Worked example: Level 1 flooring and base
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.
LVT-1 luxury vinyl tile with 4" rubber base (RB-1), per finish schedule
A-101 Level 1 Floor Plan at 1/8" = 1'-0" and A-601 Room Finish Schedule
| Line | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| LVT-1 rooms filled | Sum of room areas tagged LVT-1 | 3,420 SF |
| Waste factor | Labeled assumptionAssumption · confirm | 1.05 |
| LVT-1 to order | 3,420 SF × 1.05 | 3,591 SF |
| Room perimeter | Sum of LVT-1 room perimeters | 1,284 LF |
| Door openings | 38 doors × 3 ft | 114 LF |
| RB-1 rubber base | 1,284 LF − 114 LF | 1,170 LF |
Meet Momo
How Momo runs a GC takeoff
The whole set, every division you carry, and a record of what was covered.
- 01
Reads and indexes the whole set
Momo confirms sheet numbers and titles and separates plans, schedules, details and addenda before it measures anything.
Whole-set index - 02
Verifies scale on every sheet
Each sheet gets a scale with recorded evidence. Changing one flags every dependent quantity for re-check.
Scale with evidence - 03
Prices by division
Quantities flow into the estimate worksheet by CSI division through visible formulas, and every rate is a labeled assumption.
Every rate labeled - 04
Reports coverage
Momo records what it searched, what it skipped and why, so scope gaps show up before bid day instead of after award.
Gaps made visible
What Momo checks for
Where GC takeoffs go wrong
The risk is rarely one bad count. It is the scope nobody measured.
Scope that falls between trades
Blocking, fire-rated caulking, corner guards and access panels end up in nobody's number because each subcontractor assumed someone else had it.
Addenda that change sheets you already measured
ADD-03 reissues A-102 with a revised partition layout. Quantities from the old sheet stay in the estimate unless someone catches it.
Mixed scales across a large set
Site plans at 1" = 20', floor plans at 1/8" = 1'-0" and enlarged plans at 1/4" = 1'-0" all live in one set. One wrong scale throws off a whole division.
Numbers you can't trace back
When a chief estimator asks where a quantity came from, a spreadsheet cell with a typed number has no answer.
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 across divisions into activities such as foundations, slab, framing, board, finishes and specialties. Each duration is installed quantity divided by a labeled production rate you confirm, leveled to your crews, with a critical path and P50 and P80 finish dates. It is a bid-stage view, not a project management schedule.
Coming from another takeoff tool?
If you take off today in Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, STACK 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
General Contractor takeoff and estimating FAQ
Direct answers for general contractors.
Yes. One DrawScale project holds takeoff items across every division you carry, and the estimate worksheet groups them by CSI division. Momo works through the relevant sheets for each item.
Momo reads addenda as part of the set and separates them from the original sheets. When a revised sheet changes, quantities measured on the old one are flagged rather than silently kept or rewritten.
Yes. Taking off a trade yourself gives you a sourced quantity to compare against a subcontractor's number. Every line links back to the sheet and geometry, so a gap is easy to point to.
Yes, a bid-stage schedule. Durations come from installed quantity divided by a labeled production rate you confirm, with crew leveling, a critical path and P50 and P80 dates. It does not track progress or field updates.
No. Momo's work is a proposal that counts for nothing in quantities, totals or exports until an estimator reviews and commits it.
The Excel or CSV export contains committed quantities only, with audit columns for sheet, scale and formula. Blocked rows are named before export, so nothing leaves DrawScale silently wrong.
Takeoff and estimating for related trades
See every trade DrawScale coversConcrete takeoff and estimating
Slabs, footings, walls and piers turned into cubic yards, forms and reinforcing through visible formulas.
Drywall takeoff and estimating
Partitions by type turned into board, studs, track, screws and tape, plus gypsum ceilings and soffits.
Doors, Frames and Hardware takeoff and estimating
Doors and frames by type from the schedule, hardware rolled up by set, and storefront by length.
Send Momo your next bid set
Bring a set you have already bid. We will run the full takeoff and estimate with you, so you can check every division against numbers you trust.