Takeoff
A takeoff is the measured quantity list extracted from plans or a site visit: square feet of drywall, linear feet of base, counts of doors, devices, and fixtures. It is the bridge between what the job is and what the job costs, because quantities times unit costs is the estimate.
Most bad estimates are bad takeoffs. A rate that is 10% off moves a line 10%; a forgotten room moves the whole job. Quantity discipline beats rate perfection.
What makes a takeoff trustworthy?
Traceability and review. Every quantity should point back to a plan sheet or a measurement, and extracted quantities should land in the estimate as unconfirmed until a human reviews them. Automation can draft the takeoff; judgment confirms it. That is the human-in-the-loop discipline a defensible estimate keeps.
Price your next job from the same cost data these figures come from, adjusted for where the job is. You set your markup and approve every line before you bid.
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