Digital takeoff · All divisions
Construction takeoff services that give your estimators clean, auditable quantities
Counting and measuring consumes most of the hours in any bid, and it is the part that is easiest to hand off. Our takeoff team opens your plan set, calibrates every sheet to its stated scale, and measures each division on color-coded layers. You receive quantities, assemblies and sheet references without a single price attached, so your own estimators can apply the rates, markups and sub quotes they already trust.
- 5.0 Google
- 4.9 Trustpilot
- 4.9 Clutch
quantity agreement on spot-check audits against client re-measures
24–48 hours
Typical turnaround
02 · 03 · 04 · 05
CSI divisions
XLSX · PDF
You receive
Scope of takeoff
Quantities we measure across the set
Each category is taken off on its own layer, with net quantity, waste and sheet reference shown on every line.
Site clearing and earthwork
Demolition limits, stripping, building pad cut and fill, trench excavation and backfill
Civil grading plan contours and spot elevations
Concrete and reinforcing
Footings, walls, slabs, columns and beams with formwork surface and rebar tonnage
Foundation plans, sections and structural schedules
Masonry and veneer
CMU, brick and stone by wall type, with grout fill, ties, lintels and control joints
Wall sections and elevation areas less openings
Structural and misc. metals
Steel members by shape and weight, joists, deck, stairs and railings
Framing plans and member schedules
Framing and carpentry
Studs, plates, joists, rafters, sheathing, blocking and trusses by count
Wall-type assemblies and framing plans
Roofing and waterproofing
Membranes, shingles, flashings, insulation boards, sealants and below-grade systems
Roof plans, slopes and detail sheets
Openings
Doors, frames, hardware sets, windows, storefront and glazing by mark
Door, window and hardware schedules
Interior finishes
Gypsum, ceilings, flooring, base, tile, paint and wall coverings by room
Room finish schedule and floor plans
Plumbing and mechanical
Pipe by size and material, fixtures, equipment and ductwork by gauge
Plumbing and mechanical plans and risers
Electrical and low voltage
Conduit, wire, devices, fixtures, panels and pathway counts
Power, lighting and technology plans
Assemblies and dependent items
Fasteners, blocking, backing, adhesives and accessories generated from the primary measurement
Assembly formulas applied per wall, floor and roof type
Sheet reference and revision log
Drawing number, detail callout and addendum delta for every quantity row
Logged during measurement and updated at each addendum
Estimate types
What type of construction takeoff services can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
- 01
Full-set takeoff
Every division measured from the complete drawing set, delivered as quantity sheets and marked-up plans for your own pricing.
Best for GCs bidding multiple jobs in the same week
PrecisionWithin 2-3% of re-measureTurnaround24-48 hours - 02
Single-division takeoff
One division or trade package, such as finishes or envelope, measured to the level a subcontractor bid requires.
Best for Subs and GCs with partial in-house coverage
PrecisionWithin 2% of re-measureTurnaround12-24 hours - 03
Addendum revision takeoff
Updates an existing takeoff when an addendum or bulletin changes the drawings, with a delta report of every quantity that moved.
Best for Bid-week changes under deadline
PrecisionMatches original basisTurnaroundSame day - 04
Takeoff with unit pricing
The same measured quantities with localized unit costs applied as an optional extra, giving a priced reference to compare against your own numbers.
Best for Quick budget checks before committing estimator time
PrecisionTypically +/-8% at unit-cost levelTurnaround48-72 hours - 05
Overnight rush takeoff
Compressed delivery for bid-day deadlines, with scope and sheet coverage confirmed before measuring begins.
Best for Late-arriving invitations to bid
PrecisionWithin 3-4% of re-measureTurnaroundOvernight
Overview
What a takeoff-only deliverable actually contains
A construction takeoff is the measured inventory of a project: every square foot of wall, cubic yard of concrete, linear foot of pipe and each door, fixture and device counted from the drawings. Our takeoff service stops at that inventory. There are no unit costs, labor rates or markups, which means the file drops into whichever estimating system or spreadsheet your company already runs. Typical sets run from 40 to 400 sheets, and we scope the measured divisions with you before work starts so nothing is double counted or left uncovered.
Each sheet is calibrated against a known dimension before measuring, and every quantity sits on a named layer with its own color, so a reviewer can toggle drywall off and see only the ceilings. Items are built as assemblies, for example a 6-inch stud wall carries studs, plates, two layers of gypsum, insulation and fasteners, so one measured length produces every dependent quantity. Waste is shown separately from net. The result is a quantity file a second estimator can audit in an hour instead of rebuilding in a day, which is where most of the saved time comes from.
Every row of the quantity sheet cites its drawing sheet and detail number. When an addendum arrives, the affected rows are revised and flagged, and the change summary tells you exactly which quantities moved, by how much and why, instead of leaving you to re-check an entire set. Reviewers can filter the workbook by division, sheet or layer, and the marked-up PDF mirrors the same structure, so a quantity and its drawing evidence are never more than one click apart.
Process
How our estimating process works
Four steps from upload to a bid-ready estimate, with a senior estimator signing off before anything leaves our desk.
- 1
Step 1
Upload plans and scope
Send your drawings, specifications and bid invitation through the secure upload form. We confirm scope, deadline and a fixed price within two business hours.
- 2
Step 2
Digital quantity takeoff
Estimators measure every item from calibrated plans in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, color-coding each layer so quantities can be traced back to the drawing.
- 3
Step 3
Pricing and labor
Quantities are priced with location-adjusted material costs, crew productivity rates and equipment, then marked up to your overhead and profit targets.
- 4
Step 4
Senior review and delivery
A second estimator audits quantities and pricing, documents assumptions and exclusions, and delivers your Excel workbook, PDF summary and marked-up plans.
98%
takeoff accuracy on awarded projects
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
Every sheet is calibrated against a stated, dimension before a single line is drawn, and scale errors are reported instead of silently absorbed.
Quantities are built as assemblies so one wall length produces studs, board, insulation and fasteners with consistent waste factors.
Color-coded layers let your reviewer toggle, any system on or off and verify coverage against the plans in minutes.
Every quantity row carries a sheet number and detail callout, so questions are answered by opening the drawing, not by calling us.
The takeoff is delivered without pricing, keeping your rates, subcontractor relationships and margin strategy entirely in-house.
Addendum updates arrive with a delta report, showing which quantities changed, so bid-week revisions never force a full re-check.
Deliverables
What's included in your estimate package
Every deliverable is formatted so it can go straight into a proposal, a purchase order or an owner report.
Estimate workbookXLSX
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
Marked-up plansPDF
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
Material procurement listXLSX
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
Labor hours by taskXLSX
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
Assumptions and exclusions logPDF
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
Bid summary sheetPDF
A proposal-ready one-page summary with overhead, profit, bonds and contingency applied.
Clients
Who relies on our estimates
From single-trade subs to national developers, every client gets the same measured-twice standard.
General Contractors
Bid more work without adding estimating headcount. We deliver division-by-division numbers you can level against sub quotes.
Subcontractors
Trade-specific takeoffs with labor hours and material lists, ready to drop into your proposal.
Design-Build Firms
Conceptual through GMP pricing that moves as fast as your design iterations.
Construction Managers
Independent cost checks, change-order pricing and schedule-of-values support.
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
“We were turning down bids because our two in-house estimators were buried. LEEDS gave us division-by-division numbers in 48 hours that leveled cleanly against our sub quotes. We bid 40% more work last quarter and our hit rate went up, not down.”
Marcus Whitfield
Chief Estimator, Whitfield Commercial Builders · Charlotte, NC
“Washington energy code and seismic detailing were reflected in the pricing without us having to explain anything. That is rare for an out-of-state estimator.”
Kim Nakamura
Co-founder, Pacific Build Collective · Seattle, WA
“Duct takeoff by gauge and size, equipment schedules, hangers, insulation. They understand sheet metal. Turnaround was 36 hours on a 90,000 square foot clinic.”
Tom Beaulieu
President, Beaulieu Mechanical · Minneapolis, MN
Nationwide coverage
Local pricing in every US market
We adjust labor, material and equipment to the project zip code and account for the code, climate and logistics that drive cost in each region.
Union labor markets, dense urban logistics and strict code review priced in.
CTMEMANHNJNYPA+2Weather-dependent schedules and regional material supply reflected in every line.
ILINIAKSMIMNMO+5Fast-growth metros where subcontractor capacity, not material, drives price.
ALARDEFLGAKYLA+9Seismic detailing, energy codes and the highest labor rates in the country.
AKAZCACOHIIDMT+6FAQ
Construction Takeoff Services FAQs
What is the difference between a takeoff and an estimate?
A takeoff is the measured list of quantities from the drawings: areas, lengths, volumes and counts. An estimate applies cost to those quantities, adds labor, equipment, overhead and profit. Our takeoff service stops at the quantities, which lets your team price them using your own rates and subcontractor relationships.
Which software do you use for digital takeoff?
We measure in Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff and STACK, then export to Excel. If your estimators already work in one of those tools, we can deliver the native project file so you can open the measurements, adjust a layer and continue where we left off. Output files remain editable throughout.
How do you handle drawings that are not to scale?
Every sheet is calibrated against a labeled dimension, such as a grid-to-grid distance or a dimensioned wall, before measuring. If a sheet is plotted at a different scale than stated, we flag it in the log, measure from dimensions instead, and note the assumption on the affected rows.
Can you take off only part of the project?
Yes. Many clients send us only the divisions they cannot cover internally, such as finishes, envelope or MEP. We confirm the exact sheets and divisions before starting, agree on the output format, and deliver quantities that match your estimate structure. That keeps your estimating team focused on pricing and strategy.
How are addenda handled?
Send the addendum and we revise only the affected sheets, then issue an updated workbook with a change report listing each quantity that moved, the old value, the new value and the drawing revision responsible. Same-day turnaround is standard for most addenda during bid week. Every revision is dated and numbered.
Do you include waste and overage factors?
Net quantities and waste are shown in separate columns so you can see both. We apply industry-standard waste factors by material, such as 5% for drywall and 10% for tile, and you can override any factor to match your own purchasing practice. Defaults follow common industry practice by material.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Blog
Insights from the estimating desk
Practical guidance on bidding, takeoffs and protecting margin.
Ready for a construction takeoff services quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.