Quantity takeoff
Measured quantities organized by the agreed trade and system. Your team supplies or confirms pricing, production rates and final markups. Specify any drawing markups and workbook format you need.
Review quantity takeoff scope →Commercial Quantity Takeoff Services
Drawing-based material quantities for commercial MEP, structural, envelope and finish packages. Receive an itemized workbook and agreed drawing markups, then apply your own supplier quotes and crew rates or request a separately scoped priced estimate.
Project-based estimating fees. Confirm scope, fee and delivery after document review.
Send your bid documents
Request a quantity takeoff
Tell us the project location, trade scope and whether you need quantities only or a priced estimate. Add your bid deadline if you have one.
Useful documents for a scope review
- Current architectural, structural or MEP drawing set for the requested trades
- Relevant schedules, specifications and the drawing issue register
- Required trade list, output format, alternates and revisions
Upload the available set, or include a shared drawings link in your message. Note missing documents and any items you want excluded.
What happens next?
We review the available documents and clarify the requested package. The proposal establishes deliverables, fee, revision scope and delivery milestones before estimating work starts.
Review estimating fees and scope questions or call (317) 751-5969.
Choose a trade-specific quantity takeoff
For an MEP package, review plumbing, HVAC, ductwork, mechanical piping or electrical estimating. Building-trade packages have their own scope and measurement requirements:
Plan-to-Spreadsheet Transparency
Quantifying Every System Component from Drawings & Specs
A reliable bid begins with meticulous physical measurement. At JLG Estimating, our commercial quantity takeoff services convert complex architectural and mechanical drawing sets into clean, categorized, and verifiable material counts.
Many commercial contractors have established supplier buying multipliers and dedicated field labor rates, but lack the preconstruction bandwidth to complete tedious on-screen takeoffs before critical bid deadlines. We handle the heavy lifting of measuring linear pipe lengths, duct poundage, valve counts, and equipment schedules—giving your chief estimator audit-ready quantities to price.
Quantity Takeoff vs. Complete Bid Estimating
Quantity Takeoff (MTO): Extraction and itemization of physical units (linear feet, counts, square feet, poundage).
Complete Bid Estimate: Applying unit labor production rates, regional wage adjustments, vendor supply pricing, equipment staging, indirects, and profit markups.
Learn about our 13-step estimating methodology or review our illustrative deliverable architecture.
Comprehensive Measurement Scope
Trade-Specific MEP Quantity Takeoffs
Every commercial trade requires distinct units of measure and fabrication logic. We tailor takeoffs to your exact mechanical discipline.
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Plumbing Takeoffs
Granular quantification across potable water, sanitary DWV, storm drainage, and gas systems.
- ✓ Pipe footages categorized by diameter & material
- ✓ Inline fittings (tees, ells, reducers, wyes, couplings)
- ✓ Valves (ball, gate, check, PRVs, backflow)
- ✓ Fixture counts (water closets, lavs, urinals, carriers)
- ✓ Underground vs. above-grade classification
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HVAC & Ductwork Takeoffs
Sheet metal surface area and weight calculations using the material, thickness and construction basis stated in the supplied specifications.
- ✓ Rectangular & spiral ductwork weight (lbs) by gauge
- ✓ Transitions, elbows, offsets, and take-offs
- ✓ Fire, smoke, and volume dampers
- ✓ Air distribution devices (diffusers, grilles, registers)
- ✓ Acoustic liner and external duct wrap (sq. ft.)
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Mechanical Piping Takeoffs
Hydronic cooling, heating, steam, and central plant mechanical piping system itemization.
- ✓ Schedule 40/80 steel, copper, and stainless pipe
- ✓ Joint classification: welded, grooved, threaded
- ✓ Balancing valves, strainers, triple-duty valves
- ✓ Chiller, boiler, and cooling tower header tie-ins
- ✓ Pipe insulation and jacketing linear footages
Deliverables & Accuracy
What You Receive in a JLG Quantity Takeoff
Depending on the agreed scope, a takeoff package can organize quantities for contractor review, supplier pricing, or transfer into a bid workbook.
1. Structured Excel Bill of Materials (BOM)
We deliver organized, editable Excel workbooks with transparent formulas and trade separation. Columns are structured to facilitate immediate vendor quote distribution:
- Line-by-Line Item Descriptions: Clear industry terminology matching project specifications.
- Dimensional Classifications: Nominal pipe diameters, duct dimensions (W x H or Ø), and wall thicknesses.
- Quantities & Units of Measure: Categorized by Linear Feet (LF), Each (EA), Square Feet (SF), or Pounds (LBS).
- System Groupings: Separated by system floor, riser, mechanical room, or building phase for project staging.
2. High-Resolution Color-Coded Plan Markups
You never have to guess what was measured. We furnish flattened, high-resolution PDF drawings with color-coded markups representing every line item in the spreadsheet:
- Distinct System Layers: Domestic cold (blue), hot (red), recirc (magenta), waste (green), vent (orange).
- Callout Tags & Legends: Visual tags referencing equipment designations matching mechanical schedules.
- Audit-Ready Transparency: Quick visual verification for your project manager or general contractor review meetings.
- Addenda Comparison Overlays: Visual change tracking between drawing revisions and bulletin issues.
Need an Audit-Ready Takeoff for an Upcoming Bid?
Send us your drawings and specification sheets. We will review the scope and discuss delivery milestones in relation to your bid deadline.
Quality Assurance
How We Verify Measurement Integrity
Errors in takeoff quantities directly impact profitability. Here is how our preconstruction specialists protect your numbers.
01
Architectural Scale Calibration
We check drawing scales against known dimension strings and review enlarged details independently. Missing dimensions or inconsistent scales are recorded for clarification before measurement.
02
Cross-Discipline Plan Overlay
We cross-reference MEP plan sheets with architectural elevations, reflected ceiling plans (RCP), and structural slab layouts to account for riser drops and chases.
03
Specification Alignment
We review Division 20–23 project specs to ensure proper pipe wall ratings, valve specifications, joint connection criteria, and insulation types are isolated in the takeoff.
04
Scope Coverage Check
Prior to release, quantities undergo an internal peer audit checking system continuity from source headers and equipment stubs to final terminal devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial Quantity Takeoffs FAQ
Answers to common questions from commercial subcontractors and GCs regarding our takeoff process and deliverables.
A quantity takeoff (or Material Takeoff / MTO) focuses strictly on extracting and measuring raw physical quantities from project plans—such as linear feet of pipe, pounds of sheet metal, fixture counts, and valve schedules. A full bid estimate takes those quantities and applies unit material pricing, local labor installation rates, equipment rentals, subcontractor quotes, general conditions, markups, and bid-day profit margins.
Deliverables include organized, unformatted or formula-driven Microsoft Excel workbooks organized by trade and CSI division, accompanied by high-resolution, color-coded PDF drawing markups showing every measured run, count, and equipment callout for transparent verification.
Yes. We structure our Excel Bill of Materials (BOM) with clean line-item descriptions, trade codes, size dimensions, and standard unit measurements (LF, EA, LBS, SF) so your team can easily copy or map values into your internal proprietary pricing systems.
When addenda or revised drawing bulletins (ASI, PR, CCD) are issued, we perform an overlay comparison against original drawings to isolate scope deltas. We provide an itemized addendum summary highlighting added, deleted, or resized items so you can adjust your bid without re-measuring the entire project.
We require clean PDF architectural plans, structural drawings (for slab and framing penetrations), mechanical/plumbing/electrical plan sheets, riser diagrams, equipment schedules, and project specifications (Divisions 20, 21, 22, 23, and 26).
We serve both. Trade subcontractors utilize our takeoffs to drive their direct material procurement and labor bids. General contractors and construction managers use our independent quantity takeoffs for budget validation, scope gap reconciliation, and trade bid vetting.
Preconstruction Support
Ready to Accelerate Your Estimating Capacity?
Get plan-measured quantities to support your bid sheet. Send project documents to request a fee proposal.
Measurement Calibration
Plan Calibration, Addenda Overlays & Deliverables Architecture
Precision quantity takeoffs form the foundation of successful subcontractor bidding and project buyout. Here is how our calibration and deliverable workflows operate.
Vector Calibration & Addenda Overlays
- ✓Bluebeam Precision Calibration: Every PDF drawing sheet is calibrated against verified dimension strings, column grids, or door openings to eliminate PDF vector scaling distortion.
- ✓Batch Addenda Comparison: When revision bulletins are issued during bidding, we run Bluebeam Document Compare and Overlay workflows to pinpoint added, removed, or relocated scope immediately.
- ✓Downstream Buyout Alignment: Quantities are formatted with standard 6-digit CSI cost codes for rapid import into Trimble AutoBid, FastPIPE, PlanSwift, or enterprise ERP systems.
- ✓Multi-Discipline Coordination: We review architectural backgrounds, structural framing, and MEP sheets simultaneously to verify spatial clearances and riser drops.
Deliverable Package Architecture
Delivered in unlocked Microsoft Excel workbooks and color-coded Bluebeam Revu markups. Review our Estimating Methodology and Sample Deliverables Guide:
- Tab 1 — Executive Bill of Quantities (BOQ): Trade summary rollups with line-item quantity totals.
- Tab 2 — Trade Line-Item Detail: Granular linear footages, piece counts, and metal poundage organized by cost code.
- Tab 3 — Equipment & Fixture Schedules: Schedule-tag matched counts with capacities and model numbers.
- Tab 4 — Addenda Revision Log: Detailed tracking of drawing bulletin revisions and quantity deltas.
- Color-Coded Bluebeam PDF Drawings: Multi-layer vector plan markups providing visual audit trails for your team.
- Scope Clarifications Letter: Written assumptions and boundary notes protecting your bid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions regarding our commercial mep quantity takeoff services.
Choose your estimating scope
Quantity Takeoff or Priced Estimate?
The right package depends on who will price the quantities and prepare the final bid. Confirm the included work in your project proposal.
Define the quantity takeoff you need
- Name the requested trades, systems, floors and phases rather than assuming an all-trade package.
- Choose quantities only when your team will supply material prices, labor rates and the final bid calculation.
- Confirm output units, cost codes, drawing references and any marked-up PDF deliverables before work starts.
Need to review the output first? See the takeoff workbook fields and deliverables and estimating methodology, then send your project details.