PlanSwift is the fastest and easiest takeoff software available.
1) Point & Click
A Powerful Estimating App for the Mac. The Mac version of Construction Cost Estimator was designed to make estimating fast and easy. $39.99 'Thanks for leading me out of the stone age.' — Hugh Everding, Mobelwerx Kitchen & Bath 'By far the best estimating app on the market. Easy to use, clean, and professional appearance.'
Takeoff and Estimate in seconds, if it’s colored it’s counted. Quick Look
2) Drag & Drop
Square Takeoff is designed to allow contractors to complete a residential or commercial online takeoff and estimate on any desktop or mobile device for any. Construction Online Takeoff™ and Estimating Software designed for Construction Companies to assist in the bidding of construction projects.
Then Square Takeoff™ is the solution for you. Square Takeoff is designed to allow siding contractors to upload digital blueprints and complete an online takeoff™ 3x faster than simply doing it by hand. Helping save a ton of time and money. Get started today and let your business takeoff. No Credit Card Required.
Big-picture insight at a glance. Our advanced construction estimating software does it all for GCs of all sizes, automatically generating detailed cost estimates, digital takeoffs and complete bid day analysis for subcontractor comparisons.
Drag and Drop material and labor assemblies onto your takeoff. Quick Look
3) Print or Export
Sharing your estimate is easy, and PlanSwift is fully Excel compatible. Quick Look
Point & Click
Just Point & Click and your takeoff is done. Takeoff simple or complex areas, items, lengths, volumes, perimeters in seconds, if it’s colored it’s counted.
Drag & Drop Parts / Assemblies
Drag & Drop pre-configured Assemblies (materials, waste and labor costs) onto your takeoff items and PlanSwift instantly calculates all your costs and expenses.
This Drag & Drop feature will greatly increase the accuracy of and reduce the time it takes to Estimate a job.
Print or Export Takeoffs / Estimates
Internal Calculations
PlanSwift instantly calculates material, waste, labor, etc. You no longer have to wonder if you have done the calculations for a specific area or not. It’s done as you create it.
Material Calculations
Export your Takeoff / Estimate to Excel or use the built in Reports. Either way you know the entire job has been calculated and is ready to go.
Labor Calculations
Labor is calculated right along with the materials. Labor hours and cost is often guessed. Not anymore.
We downloaded the trial and were immediately blown away. It is perfect for takeoffs which is what we need it for. It has saved us time and money and is dead on accurate. The tutorial and customer support is awesome. Great product and we will be using it for a long time to come.
PlanSwift for Trades
PlanSwift is easily customized for you and your specific trade. Simply create assemblies of commonly used materials, waste and even labor. Then drag those assemblies onto the takeoff items for instant and accurate estimates of all your costs!
General Contractors
Takeoff in a fraction of the time with PlanSwift software click, drop, and estimate functionality.
Manage projects large and small with accurate and timely calculations.
Easily adjust cost projections, simply change product cost and recalculate!
Bid more jobs, manage more efficiently and grow your business with PlanSwift takeoff and estimating software.
Fast and Accurate Drywall Takeoff
Simply point and click to measure walls, ceilings and partitions.
Calculate your square footage and surface areas quickly with our area and linear tools.
PlanSwift automatically calculates materials and labor for a perfect estimate, every time.
You’ll make more accurate estimates much quicker, saving time and money!
More on Estimating Software for Drywall
Electrical Takeoff Made Easy With PlanSwift
Measures lengths for conduits, wiring and cables quickly and accurately
Adds total number of switches and receptacles with ease.
Automatically calculates materials and costs
Export into estimate in a snap, saves time, money and effort
More about Electrical Estimating Software
Save Time on Flooring Takeoff and Estimating
One Click area select for tile,carpet , hardwood or laminate floor areas.
Speedy perimeter measurement for nail strip and baseboard needs.
Measure, count, calculate, print or export your estimate with our easy takeoff software.
Estimate more accurately in less time. Bid and win more jobs.
More on Estimating Software for Flooring
Fast and Accurate Framing Estimates
Measure joists, rafters, studs, headers, etc.
Count posts, connectors and more.
Calculate labor, waste and equipment hours.
Print or export your estimate with our easy takeoff software.
Estimate more accurately in less time. Bid and win more jobs.
More on Estimating Software for Framing
Mechanical HVAC Takeoff in a Snap
Quickly trace linear takeoff for A/C supply lines.
Instantly derive volume of rooms for heating and cooling.
Generate precise material lists for HVAC assembly and instantly calculate cost.
Do faster takeoff estimates that are mistake free!
Learn more about HVAC estimating software
Landscaping Takeoff and Estimating Software
Easily measures square footage, volumes and linear dimensions, even if the “linear” is curved.
Get instant, accurate area dimensions for sod, mulch, gravel and other products with a Single Click.
Get an accurate professional estimate with a point, drag and click.
Faster, more accurate estimates save you time and help your bottom line!
More on Estimating Software for Landscapers
Painting Takeoff & Estimating in Minutes
Single click area select tool instantly measures every wall and ceiling surface – straight or curved.
Simply drop pre-built custom assemblies onto the takeoff for instant estimating.
Everything is counted and calculated including paint, primer, labor and materials for the job.
Spend less time estimating, bid more jobs and maximize earnings!
More on Estimating Software for Painting
Fast, Easy and Accurate Takeoff for Plumbers
Swiftly measure linear feet for CPVC, drain and supply piping.
Get accurate instant takeoff counts for fixtures and fittings with point and click ease.
PlanSwift calculates everything for a precise estimate every time.
Save time, avoid costly errors and maximize profits with PlanSwift
More on Estimating Software for Plumbing
PlanSwift makes takeoffs easier, faster and more accurate no matter what your trade or job is. Rest assured, with PlanSwift all of your needs are covered.
Here are a few trades that aren’t listed to the left. We will be adding more trades pages in the near future. So, check back often.
The fact that it costs about a third of the other company’s product helped my decision to purchase PlanSwift, but I have to tell you that the TUTORIAL is what won me over. Excellent customer support and a better price. What more can I say? It’s a great product, with a great foundation that can be built upon to grow and become better and better for years to come.
Performing accurate cost estimating is critical to the success of your construction business. Estimate too high and you win fewer jobs, too low and your profits disappear. That’s why it’s so important to get it right the first time.
Estimating by hand is time-consuming, so at some point, you may consider using software to bid more jobs in less time. Although software can be a big investment, not every tool has to break the bank.
In this guide, we highlight five free and open source estimating and takeoff products to try if you’re considering this type of solution for your construction business. We chose products that offer a stand-alone free or open source version, meet our definition for construction estimating software, and rank highly in search. (Learn more about how we chose featured products here.)
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Free construction estimating and takeoff software
Open source construction estimating and takeoff software
Free construction estimating and takeoff software
In most cases (but not all), free construction estimating and takeoff software options earn revenue by offering a basic free version to entice users to download, with premium features available for a price.
As a result, you should note that the free version of the products listed below may not have all the features you need.
Easy-Pro Builders Estimator
N/A No reviews yet
Easy-Pro Builder Estimator is a free program based on Apache software (Source)
Overview: This is a 100% free tool that is based entirely on the Apache OpenOffice spreadsheet program Calc. It has two dozen worksheets that report back to a summary page in order to provide updated estimates.
Easy-Pro Builders Estimator was created by a construction manager who wanted to serve smaller construction firms looking for an accurate and simple program that was free.
The software also comes with a 20-page manual so you can get up to speed on how the program works and you’re not simply left in the dark to figure it out yourself.
Some features include:
Adjustable taxation rates depending on which country you are in
Client unbilled reporting
Printable project reports
Compatible with Windows, Linux
24 trade worksheets available
Estimator 2.0
5.0/5 1 review
Estimator 2.0 is available for free download and comes with a tutorial (Source)
Overview: Estimator 2.0 is aimed at architects, builders, engineers, and construction companies that want to create detailed estimates for residential and commercial buildings. Estimator 2.0 allows users to prepare tenders, a cost abstract, purchase orders, and other documents needed for a proper estimation.
The free program lets you create an estimation and then print it out, ideal for those who are pressed for time and want to quickly make an estimation without having to spend a lot of money on premier software.
Estimator lets construction companies create estimates for a host of construction projects, including concrete structures, earth work, masonry, plastering, and more.
Some features include:
Estimating Takeoff Software For Mac
An extensive tutorial for new users
Quickly generate an estimate and then print it out
Prepares tenders, cost abstracts, and purchase orders
Compatibility with Windows
STACK Takeoff & Estimating Software
4.46/5 950+ reviews
STACK offers free construction estimating software and the option to upgrade to a paid version (Source)
Overview: STACK offers free construction software aimed at firms looking to streamline the bid process and accurately estimate materials, equipment, and labor. The software also provides access to an “extensive library of prebuilt, industry-specific material libraries,” according to its website. It generates an estimate based on your input of how much of each material will be needed and what labor, equipment, and overhead will be involved.
The software is cloud-based and therefore can be accessed from anywhere there is an internet connection. It is also compatible with all types of platforms, from smartphones to desktop computers.
STACK also includes training with the software for free. A full-featured version is available for purchase.
Some features include:
Ability to upload digital plans
Takeoff tools that provide shortcuts for measurements, making it quicker to produce a takeoff
Prebuilt reports to provide insights to inform your estimates
Cloud-based
Free training
Open source construction estimating and takeoff software
Open source construction estimating and takeoff platforms are also free, but they have an additional wrinkle: the original source code is available. There are some benefits and drawbacks to this you should be aware of.
The benefits are that in addition to being free, you will be able to customize and adapt the software to fit your individual business.
The drawback comes up if you don’t have the know-how to mess with original source code. Lack of technical ability could become a problem if the software needs improvement down the road to fit your firm.
2-plan Team Software
Construction Takeoff Software For Mac
4.50/5 5 reviews
2-plan Team is entirely free and open source software with some capabilities helpful to estimators (Source)
Overview: 2-plan Team is a project management platform geared toward construction firms, and among its three PM tools is an open-source desktop system that can be used for multiple projects and teams. It is mostly meant for managing the entirety of a construction project as opposed to just estimating and takeoff, but there are tools available for that purpose as well.
The source code for 2-plan Team has been published at SourceForge, where you can download it for free. It can be installed on any LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL-4 or higher, PHP-5.1) server, and it may work on some Windows servers.
Some features include:
Manage virtual teams with shared online workspaces
View the status of multiple projects at the same time with the Project Dashboard
Tracks time on mobile devices
Ability to share estimates and budgets with clients, partners, teams, and staff
Ability to manage teams via mobile devices
ESTIMATE
N/A No reviews yet
ESTIMATE is free and open source software, meaning you can customize it for your business (Source)
Overview: ESTIMATE is a cloud-based, open-source option that has been released under GNU Affero General Public License. It’s a community-support project, which means the source code is freely available to anyone who wants to customize it for their own construction firm—ideal for construction managers with a little coding know-how.
ESTIMATE aims to be a simple and fast tool that can be adapted to any firm’s size.
Some features include:
Ability to archive projects and documents for reference
Can have up to 200 users
Can create reports in PDF, complete with tables and charts
A centralized database for backup
Why you must also consider paid solutions
Free and open source estimating software is a great stepping stone for many small construction firms—especially those using software for the first time. But as job volume increases, paid software often becomes the better choice.
Why? Higher job volume and company growth means more people, processes, and training are necessary to estimate and complete projects. Paid software offers more “out-of-the-box” functionality than free software, as well as training, support, and integration with other critical applications, such as accounting and construction management software.
Fortunately, there are affordable estimating and takeoff products that also offer free trials. With a free trial, you can try before you buy and avoid purchasing a product your team won’t like.
You’ll get more functionality
When you opt for free and open source platforms, you get what you pay for a lot of the time. There are a lot of special features that can really take your business to the next level—like customized reports and detailed time tracking—that you may not get with a free option. So while you may save a few bucks on software, you’re spending a lot more in lost savings and opportunities.
The software will be more usable
Free and open source platforms can also be a lot more challenging for an organization to use. You’ll have to do your own troubleshooting and maintenance, and you may have a hard time just learning the software with no help.
To help ensure your software search is sufficiently thorough, download this list of top-rated paid software systems and their offerings:
3 Best Construction Estimating and Takeoff Systems Backed by User Reviews
Download this guide to see top construction estimating and takeoff systems based on real user reviews.
How we chose featured products
For the purposes of this article, we classified a product as free if it offers a free, stand-alone version of the software, and it is not just a trial version of the software that requires you to purchase it after a period of time.
The products that met the above criteria were then evaluated against our construction estimating software definition: Construction estimating software helps estimators calculate material and labor costs for a job and then produce a detailed, professional bid proposal from those estimates. Specialized estimating tools are often used to handle trade-specific requirements, such as electrical, HVAC, plumbing, or earthworks/excavating estimating.
We determined the most popular products to feature by choosing those highest ranked in Google search results for “free construction estimating software” during the week of Aug. 5, 2019.