Most pricing mistakes do not come from the rates. They come from reading the drawings wrongly, missing a detail on a section, or measuring off a plan that has since been superseded. The drawings are the source of truth for your take-off, so the better you read them, the tighter your price.
This guide walks through the main drawing types, how scales and symbols work, and a practical order for pricing a job so you do not double count or leave gaps. It is aimed at builders who price their own work as well as anyone learning to produce a take-off.
Know your drawing types
A construction set is made up of several drawing types, and each answers a different question. Pricing well means moving between them rather than relying on any single sheet.
- Location and site plans show the building in its plot, levels and drainage runs.
- Floor plans show the layout, room sizes and the position of walls, doors and openings.
- Elevations show each face of the building, including heights, windows and external finishes.
- Sections cut through the building to show how it is built up, floor to roof.
- Details zoom in on junctions such as eaves, thresholds and damp proofing.
Scales, dimensions and symbols
Always price to the figured dimensions where they are given, because printed sheets can be reduced or stretched and scaling off them introduces error. Use the stated scale, such as 1:100 for plans or 1:5 for details, only as a sense check.
Reading symbols and hatching
Drawings use a shared language of symbols and hatching to show materials and components. Brickwork, blockwork, insulation, concrete and timber each have their own hatch pattern, and door swings, window types and levels are shown with standard marks.
The legend or key on the drawing tells you what each symbol means on that particular project. Read it first, because practices vary slightly between design offices.
A logical order for the take-off
Pricing in a consistent order stops you skipping work. A good habit is to follow the way the building goes up, from the ground to the roof, then deal with finishes and services.
Work element by element. Measure the substructure, then the frame and external walls, then the roof, then internal finishes, then services. Tick each drawing off as you go and keep a running list of queries so the design team can answer them before you commit a price.
Cross-checking and recording assumptions
Never price from one drawing in isolation. A wall length on the plan must agree with the elevation and the section, and a finish noted in the specification must match what the drawings show. Where they conflict, raise it rather than guessing.
Write down every assumption as you measure. If a foundation depth is not shown, record what you have allowed and flag it as a provisional sum so the client understands the risk. Clear notes turn a take-off into something you can defend later, and they make it far easier to price variations fairly. All figures should be treated as indicative and are quoted ex VAT.