About Portravo
Portravo is a construction takeoff and estimating tool that turns a plan-set PDF into a priced, line-by-line bid for small general contractors and trade subcontractors across the U.S. who don't have a full-time estimator.
A useful estimate lets you trace every number back to the quantity, the rate and the assumption behind it. That is the whole idea.
What Portravo does
Plan-set takeoff
Upload a plan-set PDF up to 50MB and Portravo reads the sheets, pulling quantities and mapping them to assemblies. Each line comes back with a confidence value, so you know where to look first.
Line-by-line verify screen
Nothing prices itself. You confirm, edit or reject every extracted line, with the low-confidence ones flagged, and only confirmed lines move on to pricing.
Material and labor pricing
Confirmed materials use local Home Depot listings where available, or dated Portravo benchmark estimates with regional adjustments labeled as indexed. Each line shows its basis and date. Labor uses your own rate card, and you set overhead and margin before export.
Excel and PDF exports
The Excel export is the full itemized bill of materials plus labor, with source and date columns. The PDF is the clean version you hand to the customer. Re-exporting a priced project never costs another credit.
Free supplier quote audit
Send a supplier quote as a PDF, no account needed, and get it back marked against the benchmark within one business day. It is a second look at the line items, not a price guarantee.
Construction markup calculator
A free calculator that shows the difference between markup and margin. It runs in the browser and nothing is submitted.
See it on real numbers in the material estimate example or try the markup calculator.
What makes Portravo different
Priced per bid, not per seat
Portravo costs $75 per takeoff, with monthly plans at $199, $399 and $699. There are no seats and no annual contract, so the whole crew can open the same estimate. Seat-based takeoff tools such as PlanSwift and STACK are built around a licensed estimator working every day, which is the right buy if that is your job.
A person confirms every quantity
Portravo will not price a line until someone has confirmed or edited it. Automated plan-recognition tools such as Togal.AI are aimed at high-volume commercial takeoff; Portravo is aimed at one bid at a time, with the check built into the workflow instead of left to the end.
Basis and date on every priced line
Every material line shows its source and date: a local store listing, a dated Portravo benchmark, or a regional index labeled as indexed. You can see which numbers need supplier confirmation before you commit to a bid.
You only pay for a takeoff that worked
A failed extraction is not charged, and re-running a project you already paid for is free. Pay-as-you-go credits never expire, so a slow month costs nothing.
Clear about what it does not cover
U.S. contractors can set up a market with their ZIP. Local material coverage varies by location and product. Where a suitable reference estimate exists, it is labeled; otherwise the line needs supplier pricing. The residential and light-commercial catalog includes supported mechanical and HVAC material assemblies. HVAC equipment such as furnaces and condensers is counted for review but needs a supplier quote.
Who uses Portravo
- General contractors and owner-operators across the U.S. bidding residential and light-commercial work without an estimator on staff
- Small subcontractors in framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, concrete and roofing who bid a few jobs a month
- Contractors working across markets who need local pricing where available and clear labels on indexed estimates
- Contractors who need a customer-facing proposal that shows where each price came from and how old it is
- Anyone who wants a second look at a supplier quote before signing it (the free quote audit)
Not a fit: full-time estimators who need a seat-based tool, guaranteed local supplier pricing in every market, or priced HVAC equipment.
The team behind Portravo
Portravo was founded by John Arndt. John runs Soxoa, a software and automation studio, and builds tools for owner-operated businesses that can't justify enterprise software or a specialist on staff.
Portravo started in July 2026 after a conversation with a friend who manages construction projects: the slow, error-prone part of a small bid was not the math, it was counting quantities off the plan set and pricing them line by line at night. So the product does that part and leaves the judgment with the contractor.
Portravo is founder-led. John leads product and engineering, builds with AI development tools, and reads support email himself. There is no sales team and no account managers.
Find John at johnarndt.net and on LinkedIn, and find Soxoa on LinkedIn.
How Portravo works
Getting started
- Sign up with email. No card is needed.
- Set up your company, enter your U.S. ZIP for your market, and review your labor rate card.
- A sample duplex project loads so you can walk the whole flow before using a real plan set. Ready for your own? Upload the plans, pick the trades and pay per trade.
- Upload your plan-set PDF, confirm each line on the verify screen, set overhead and margin, and export Excel and PDF.
Talking to us
Email hello@portravo.com for product questions, support, billing or feedback. You work with John directly, and he replies within one business day. There are no sales calls or demos required.
Turnaround
A plan-set takeoff usually comes back in a few minutes, then the review is yours. A free quote audit comes back within one business day. Billing runs through Stripe and shows as Soxoa LLC on your statement. Read the privacy policy for how uploaded plans and estimates are handled.
Key facts
| Company Name | Portravo (a product of Soxoa LLC) |
|---|---|
| Type | Construction takeoff and estimating software (web app) |
| Founded | 2026 |
| Founder | John Arndt |
| Markets | United States; local material coverage varies |
| Website | portravo.com |
| Core Offering | Plan-set PDF in, reviewed takeoff and priced bill of materials out, with Excel and customer PDF exports |
| Pricing | $75 per takeoff (one trade on one project), $149 for the whole job (every trade on one project; counts as 3 takeoffs on a plan), or Starter at $199/month (5 takeoffs), Pro at $399/month (15) and Trade at $699/month (30). Unused plan takeoffs roll over one month. Your first takeoff has a 14-day money-back guarantee. |
| Contract Terms | No annual contract and no seats. Monthly plans cancel anytime; pay-as-you-go credits never expire. |
| Services | Plan takeoff, line-by-line verification, local and benchmark material pricing, rate-card labor pricing, Excel/PDF export, free supplier quote audit, markup calculator |
| Communication | Email hello@portravo.com, answered by the founder within one business day |
| Notable Clients | None disclosed publicly |
| Customers Served | Early-stage, launched in 2026; not yet publicly disclosed |
| Projects Delivered | Not yet publicly disclosed |
| Competitors | PlanSwift, STACK, Togal.AI, RSMeans (cost data) |
| Social | johnarndt.net and John Arndt on LinkedIn (founder), Soxoa on LinkedIn |
Frequently asked questions
How much does Portravo cost?
$75 per takeoff, where one takeoff is one trade on one project, and $149 for the whole job, every trade on one project (3 takeoffs from a plan). Plans are $199 a month for 5 takeoffs, $399 for 15 and $699 for 30, with extra takeoffs at $35, $25 and $20. Your first takeoff has a 14-day money-back guarantee, unused plan takeoffs roll over one month, there are no seats, and plans cancel anytime.
Are material prices supplier quotes?
No. Local store listings, dated Portravo benchmarks, and indexed estimates provide a pricing basis, not a reserved supplier offer. Each material line carries its source and as-of date. Confirm current pricing and availability with your supplier before committing.
Do I have to check every line?
Yes. Nothing prices until a person confirms or edits the line. Each line shows a confidence value, so the shaky ones get checked first.
Does Portravo handle HVAC or mechanical takeoff?
Yes. Pick HVAC / mechanical on the upload page; it shows whether it runs automatically today (labelled Assisted) or is done by our team by hand. Supported output includes registers, return grilles, ventilation items, thermostats and equipment counts from the plans. Review the returned scope and confirm ductwork quantities before bidding. Confirmed lines with supported assemblies use local material listings or labeled reference estimates where available. Lines without a suitable pricing basis remain unpriced. HVAC equipment such as furnaces and condensers is listed but not priced; obtain a supplier quote.
What happens to the plans I upload?
Plans are stored privately and processed by service providers to produce your estimate. We do not use your plans to train our own models; AI providers handle data under their terms and configured settings. When project deletion succeeds, the project record is removed from your account, but storage cleanup can fail and related processing files may remain. Email hello@portravo.com for help. Applicable earlier commitments and legal rights remain unchanged.
Who do I talk to if something is wrong?
John Arndt, who built and runs Portravo. Email hello@portravo.com and expect a reply within one business day.
When should I use PlanSwift or STACK instead?
If you are a full-time estimator who wants on-screen measurement, a deep library you tune yourself, or several people working one plan set, a seat-based tool will serve you better. Portravo fits one priced bid at a time.
More plain answers on the questions page.
Start with the sample duplex
Walk the sample project end to end before you use a real plan set. No card needed.