Switched my mind on digital takeoff tools after a bad Monday

I always thought manual takeoffs were fine and digital stuff was just extra cost. Last week I had to measure a 40-unit apartment complex and it took me almost 8 hours with a scale and paper. My buddy showed me his software did the same job in 45 minutes with auto-count features. That kind of time difference is hard to ignore when you have deadlines breathing down your neck. Has anyone else found a specific digital tool that actually cuts their estimating time in half?

2 comments

2 Comments

wade55824d ago

Have you tried PlanSwift or Bluebeam yet? I switched to Bluebeam about a year ago and it cut my time on multi-unit jobs by at least 60% once I got the hang of the count and measure tools. The trick for me was setting up custom symbols for common stuff like windows and doors so I could batch count them instead of clicking each one. Just be ready for a few days of slow learning while you figure out the interface.

ivan_perez24d ago

Custom symbols thing is key. I spent a weekend setting mine up for all the standard stuff and it paid off fast.