Commercial roofing takeoff and estimating, edge to drain
Momo reads the roof plan and details, verifies scale, measures roof areas and perimeters, counts drains, curbs and penetrations, and builds the priced estimate with squares, insulation boards and flashing from visible formulas.
- Counts · Lengths · Areas
- Membrane, insulation, edge metal and penetrations
- 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 roofing takeoff in DrawScale include?
A full commercial roofing takeoff in DrawScale measures every roof area and perimeter and counts every penetration. Momo fills roof areas on the roof plan by assembly, such as a TPO membrane over polyiso insulation. It traces perimeter edge metal, parapet flashing and expansion joints as lengths, and counts roof drains, overflow drains, curbs and pipe penetrations. Your formulas turn area into squares, insulation boards per layer and tapered insulation, and parapet length into flashing area. Pitch factors on sloped roofs are labeled assumptions. Everything carries into the priced estimate with its source sheet.
New to the process? Read the construction takeoff guide or see how Momo runs a full takeoff and estimate.
Sheets Momo reads
- A-501 roof plan
- A-502 roof details
- A-201 to A-202 exterior elevations
- M-301 mechanical roof plan
- P-204 roof drainage plan
- S-203 roof framing plan
Typical CSI sections
- 07 22 00 Roof and Deck Insulation
- 07 54 23 Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) Roofing
- 07 62 00 Sheet Metal Flashing and Trim
- 07 71 00 Roof Specialties
- 07 72 00 Roof Accessories
- 22 14 26 Facility Storm Drains
The full takeoff
What Momo takes off for roofing 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof area by assembly | Area | A-501 | Squares = SF ÷ 100; membrane SF; sloped areas × pitch factor |
| Insulation layers and tapered insulation | Area | A-501, A-502 | Boards per layer = SF ÷ board SF; tapered areas by crickets |
| Perimeter edge metal and coping | Length | A-501, A-502 | Edge metal and coping LF, pieces by stock length |
| Parapet and wall flashing | Length | A-501, A-201 to A-202 | Flashing SF = LF × flashing height |
| Roof drains, overflows and scuppers | Count | A-501, P-204 | Drains by type with flashing kits |
| Curbs and pipe penetrations | Count | A-501, M-301 | Curb flashing and pipe boots by size |
Field of roof
- Membrane by assembly
- Insulation by layer
- Cover board
- Tapered insulation and crickets
Edges and flashing
- Perimeter edge metal
- Coping
- Parapet and wall flashing
- Expansion joints
Penetrations and accessories
- Roof drains and overflows
- Scuppers and downspouts
- Equipment curbs
- Pipe penetrations
- Roof hatches
Every number shows its work
Worked example: Main low-slope roof
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.
60-mil TPO, mechanically attached, over two layers of 2.0" polyiso
A-501 Roof Plan at 1/8" = 1'-0", scale verified from the dimensioned grid
| Line | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Roof area filled | Area of roof outline on A-501 | 18,600 SF |
| Roofing squares | 18,600 SF ÷ 100 | 186 SQ |
| Polyiso boards per layer | 18,600 SF ÷ 32 SF (4' × 8'), rounded up | 582 EA |
| Polyiso boards, two layers | 582 × 2 | 1,164 EA |
| Perimeter edge metal | Traced roof perimeter | 572 LF |
| Membrane with waste and laps | 18,600 SF × 1.10 (labeled assumption)Assumption · confirm | 20,460 SF |
Meet Momo
How Momo runs a roofing takeoff
Roof areas, edges and penetrations, read across the sheets they live on.
- 01
Fills roof areas by assembly
Each roof area is filled and tagged with its assembly, so membrane, insulation and cover board quantities follow from one measurement.
Assembly on every area - 02
Traces edges and flashing
Perimeter edge, coping, parapet and expansion joints are traced as lengths and priced by profile.
Edges measured, not assumed - 03
Reads the other trades' roof sheets
Momo counts curbs, drains and penetrations from the mechanical and plumbing roof plans, not just the architectural roof plan.
Cross-sheet counts - 04
Builds the priced estimate
Squares, boards and flashing flow into the estimate through visible formulas. Pitch factors, waste and rates are labeled assumptions.
Every rate labeled
What Momo checks for
Where roofing takeoffs go wrong
The roof area is the easy part. The money is in the edges, details and penetrations.
Penetrations on other trades' sheets
Curbs are on the mechanical roof plan, drains on the plumbing plan and vents on neither. A roofing takeoff that reads only A-501 misses them.
Sloped areas measured flat
A plan view shows horizontal area. Without a pitch factor, a 6:12 mansard or canopy is short on material.
Details that change the edge
The roof details call for a different coping at the stair tower and a raised curb at the hatch. Those lengths hide in details, not on the plan.
Tapered insulation as a guess
Crickets and tapered systems are priced as an allowance with no link to the roof areas they cover.
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 groups quantities into activities such as tear-off where scoped, insulation, membrane by roof area, flashing and edge metal. 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.
Coming from another takeoff tool?
If you take off today in Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff 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
Roofing takeoff and estimating FAQ
Direct answers for roofing contractors.
Yes. Squares come from a visible formula: measured roof area divided by 100. Sloped areas are multiplied by a pitch factor that is labeled as an assumption you confirm.
Yes. Momo reads the mechanical and plumbing roof plans alongside the architectural roof plan, and the coverage report shows which sheets it searched.
Insulation boards per layer are the roof area divided by the board size, rounded up, times the number of layers. Board size, layers and waste are labeled assumptions.
DrawScale measures any roof area on the plan and applies a pitch factor for sloped areas. It is built for commercial projects, where low-slope roofs with sloped canopies and mansards are common.
No. Everything Momo produces is a proposal that counts for nothing until you review and commit it.
You get committed quantities linked to their sheets, a priced estimate worksheet, a bid-stage schedule and an Excel or CSV export with audit columns. The export contains committed quantities only.
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.
Concrete takeoff and estimating
Slabs, footings, walls and piers turned into cubic yards, forms and reinforcing through visible formulas.
HVAC takeoff and estimating
Ductwork by size, air devices, equipment and hydronic piping, with weight and insulation from formulas.
Send Momo your next roofing bid set
Bring a roof plan you have already bid. We will run the full takeoff and estimate with you so you can check every square and edge against numbers you trust.