Rectangular duct
Galvanized duct by width, height and gauge with seams, reinforcement and joint type
LBS / LFRun length times perimeter, gauge applied from SMACNA tables
Division 23 · Sheet Metal
Duct takeoffs delivered in pounds, fittings and shop hours
Sheet metal shops price by the pound and by the fitting, so a takeoff in linear feet alone will not do. We trace every supply, return, exhaust and outside air run on your mechanical drawings, sort ductwork by shape, size and gauge, apply SMACNA pressure class to find reinforcement and seam requirements, and deliver pounds, fitting counts, liner and insulation square footage and hanger quantities your shop can price.
SMACNA pressure classPounds and fitting countsSpiral and rectangular shop labor
4.9/5 from 180+ contractors
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- 4.9 Trustpilot
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From upload to bid day
- 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
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
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
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.
Most estimates delivered in 24–48 hours
Bluebeam Revu
PlanSwift
Trimble Accubid
Autodesk Takeoff
Microsoft Excel
Scope of takeoff
Duct quantities we measure
Every run is color-coded on the plans by system and shape, then summarized by size, gauge and pressure class.
Scroll through all 12 line items
Overview
How a duct takeoff becomes a fabrication list
A duct takeoff measures the air path: trunk lines, branches, drops and transitions, taken from the mechanical plans in linear feet for every size change.
For rectangular duct, each section is converted to pounds using the width, height, gauge and a seam allowance, with gauge set by SMACNA pressure class and longest side dimension.
Fittings do not behave like straight runs. Elbows, tees, wyes, transitions, offsets and take-offs carry more metal and much more shop labor, so we count them individually by type and size. Spiral and round duct are taken off in linear feet by diameter with fitting counts, while oval and stainless or grease exhaust use separate rates for welding and testing.
Finally, the estimate adds what rides on the duct: internal liner, external wrap, access doors, volume and fire dampers, turning vanes, flexible connections and the trapeze or strap hangers that hold it all up. The output is a fabrication-ready summary rather than a general duct allowance.
Estimate types
What type of duct takeoff can you get?
Match the estimate to where your project is. Every option is priced as a flat fee before work begins.
| Estimate type | Accuracy | Turnaround | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
Sheet metal takeoff by pounds Rectangular duct converted to pounds by gauge with fitting counts, ready for a shop to price coil, fabrication and delivery. | Quantities only | 24 hours | Sheet metal fabricators |
Installed duct estimate Fabricated and field-installed ductwork including liner, hangers, dampers, sealing and labor adjusted for ceiling height and congestion. | ±5% | 36 hours | Mechanical contractors |
Spiral duct and fittings package Round and oval duct by diameter with factory fitting schedule and clamp or flange connections, for exposed and industrial systems. | ±5% | 24 hours | Exposed duct and industrial work |
Kitchen and grease exhaust estimate Welded grease duct, clearance enclosures, fire wrap, access doors and exhaust fan connections priced to code requirements. | ±6% | 24-48 hours | Restaurant and food service contractors |
Why LEEDS
Why contractors switch to LEEDS
An estimating desk that behaves like an extension of your team, not a software subscription.
Estimators who have laid out duct in a shop
And know a 12 by 12 elbow takes more labor than six feet of straight run.
Gauge selected by SMACNA pressure class and longest dimension
not by one default for every size.
Fittings counted individually with their size and type
since fittings drive fabrication hours.
Pounds, square feet and linear feet reported
Together so the shop can use whichever pricing basis it prefers.
Liner, wrap and insulation areas calculated
From actual duct surface instead of a fixed percent.
Dampers, access doors and vanes pulled from
Schedules and drawings, with fire-rated assemblies listed separately.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
.xlsx
Estimate workbook
Quantities, unit costs, labor hours and totals organized by CSI division, with subtotals, markups and a bid summary tab.
.pdf
Marked-up plans
Color-coded takeoff drawings showing exactly where every measured quantity came from.
.xlsx
Material procurement list
Consolidated material quantities with waste factors applied, ready to send to suppliers for quotes.
.xlsx
Labor hours by task
Crew-based labor hours and productivity rates so you can check the schedule against the estimate.
.pdf
Assumptions and exclusions log
Every clarification, allowance and exclusion documented so your proposal scope is defensible.
.pdf
Bid summary sheet
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 Subcontractors Design-Build Firms Construction Managers
Reviews
What contractors say after their first bid with us
What general contractors, subcontractors and developers say after bidding with our numbers.
“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
FAQ
Duct Takeoff FAQs
Do you deliver duct quantities in pounds or linear feet?
Both. Rectangular duct is listed by size and gauge in linear feet and converted to pounds with seam and joint allowances. Round and oval ductwork is listed by diameter or axis in linear feet, with fitting counts, so a shop can price whichever way it normally estimates.
How do you choose duct gauge?
Gauge comes from the specification or SMACNA tables based on pressure class and the longest side. If the drawings state only a general class, we apply the standard schedule and flag where higher pressure sections, like fan discharge runs, need heavier metal.
Do you count fittings individually?
Yes. Elbows, tees, transitions, offsets, boots and take-offs are counted by type and size, because they carry more material and labor than straight sections. A fitting schedule lets the shop assign its own fabrication minutes for each type.
Can you handle spiral and flat oval duct?
We measure spiral and flat oval by diameter or major and minor axis, count the factory fittings and add couplings, sealing and hangers. Production rates for spiral differ from rectangular, so labor lines are kept separate in the workbook.
Is duct liner and insulation included?
Lined sections are measured by internal surface area and externally wrapped sections by outside surface. Thickness, density and adhesive or pin requirements follow the specification, and each is listed so insulation subcontractors can quote it.
What is the turnaround on a duct takeoff?
Most commercial duct takeoffs are delivered in 24 to 36 hours. Large hospitals, laboratories and industrial sets with many fittings can take 48 hours, and we confirm the delivery date once we see the mechanical sheets.
Related
Related estimating services
Most projects need more than one trade. Bundle them into a single upload and we price the whole scope together.
Ready for a duct takeoff quote?
Upload your plans and get a fixed quote within 2 business hours. Most estimates are delivered in 24–48 hours.