Electrical takeoff from your plan PDF

What it reads off the drawings

• The electrical plan sheets, symbol by symbol.
• The symbol legend. If the set has no electrical legend, it reads the electrical rows of a general symbols legend, often on the cover sheet.
• Panel and fixture schedules, when the plans print them.
• Other sheets for reference only. They are never counted.

What you get back

A list of lines. Each line has the item, the quantity and unit, the count on each sheet, and where on the sheet it was found. A Check these list comes with it: where the readings disagreed, what was not found on the plans, and what a price assumes.

Confirm a line and it is priced, with local material prices where your area has them and the source and date on each price. Add your own labor rates, then export Excel for you and a clean PDF for the customer.

• Receptacleseach

  Duplex, GFCI, special-purpose (range, dryer), ceiling, double duplex, floor boxes

• Switches and controlseach

  Single-pole, three-way, four-way, dimmers, wireless switches, occupancy sensors

• Lights and fanseach

  Recessed, ceiling, wall, pendant, strip and exterior lights, chandeliers, ceiling fans, exhaust fans

• Life safety and low voltageeach

  Smoke, CO and combination detectors, exit and emergency lights, data, TV and phone outlets, doorbells

• Serviceeach

  Panels and junction boxes

Real output from the public sample

These lines are copied from the electrical takeoff Portravo ran on American Farmhouse by Jay Osborne, a public house plan shared under CC BY-SA 3.0. It is not a customer's plan. 6 of its 10 lines are shown.

What you check

There is no published accuracy figure for electrical takeoff yet. Every line comes to you open for review, and nothing is priced until you confirm it.

• Open each line and look at the marks on the drawing. Where two readings disagreed, the line is on the Check these list with both numbers.
• Read the assumptions on each priced line. When the plans do not state a rating, like 15A or tamper-resistant, the line says the price assumes it.
• Check the sheets the run read only for reference, and anything on the list as not found.

What it does not do

• It does not measure wire or conduit runs. It counts devices and fixtures. A priced device carries its box, plate and a wire allowance per device.
• The panel, circuits and service are not priced unless a line lists them. Grounding and bonding are not taken off.
• Some counted items have no safe price match, like the ceiling fans, smoke detectors and special-purpose outlets in the sample. They stay unpriced until you price them.