Trade Estimating
Building materials take-offs ready for the merchant
We turn your drawings into accurate, quantified material schedules so you can order the right amounts and stop paying for waste.
In short
A building materials take-off lists every material a job needs in the right quantities, with sensible waste allowances, ready to price and order.
We measure off your drawings and produce a structured schedule by trade and element that your merchant can quote against directly.
You get a quantified, branded material schedule that cuts over-ordering, shortfalls and waste on site.
Who it's for
Builders, self-builders and contractors who want accurate material quantities to order from and price against.
A material take-off is the schedule of everything a job needs, in the quantities you will actually order. It is the difference between guessing and ordering with confidence: too little and the job stops while you wait, too much and you have paid for waste sitting in the yard. We measure off your drawings and turn them into a clean, quantified list by trade and element so you can buy what the job needs and no more.
The value is in the quantities and the waste allowances. Bricks and blocks per thousand, concrete by the cubic metre, timber by length and section, plasterboard by the sheet, insulation by the area: each material has its own unit and its own sensible waste percentage, and getting those right is what saves money. We apply realistic allowances based on the work, so you are not short on site and not over-ordering to be safe.
A good schedule also makes buying competitive. When the quantities are clear and structured, you can send the same list to two or three merchants and compare like for like, rather than ringing round with rough numbers. We set the schedule out so it drops straight into a merchant quote, and we flag any items that need a specification decision before they can be priced, so the order is right first time.
What the estimate includes
What drives the cost
The numbers that move the price on a building materials job, and the detail we measure to get them right.
Quantities and waste allowances
The accuracy of the quantities and the waste percentage on each material decide how much you order. Realistic allowances stop both shortfalls and over-ordering.
Specification and material choice
The exact products specified, the brick, the insulation type, the board, change the schedule and the price, so the take-off has to follow the specification.
Drawing detail
The more complete the drawings, the tighter the take-off. Vague or missing detail means assumptions, which we flag so they can be confirmed before ordering.
Cutting and complexity
Complex shapes, lots of openings and tricky setting out increase cutting waste, so the allowances reflect the actual job rather than a flat percentage.
Merchant pricing and quantity
A clear, structured schedule lets you get competing merchant quotes and bulk pricing, which is easier when the quantities are accurate and like for like.
Common pitfalls we help you avoid
- Ordering off rough numbers and paying for waste left over in the yard.
- Under-ordering and stopping the job while you wait for more.
- Using a flat waste percentage when the job has heavy cutting.
- Quantifying without the specification, so the wrong products get priced.
- A disorganised list that merchants cannot quote against cleanly.
How it works
Send us the drawings
Upload your drawings and tell us the specification and which trades or elements you want the take-off to cover.
We measure and quantify
We measure off the drawings, convert to ordering units, apply sensible waste allowances and build a structured schedule.
You get a branded schedule
We return a quantified material schedule under your own name, ready to send to your merchant for a price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a job that needs pricing?
Upload your drawings and we'll come back with a professional, branded estimate, a fixed fee and a turnaround time.
Upload Your Drawings