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MTO Experts
Our Process

Our construction takeoff process: from plans to bid-ready in six steps.

No new software to learn, no estimators to hire. Our construction takeoff services and quantity takeoff process is simple — send your plans and receive a verified, bid-ready estimate every time.

Start Your EstimateWalk the Process

6 steps

From submission to delivery

24–48 hr

Standard turnaround

±2%

QC accuracy target

0

Software required from you

Delivery timelines

Based on project scope — confirmed when you submit plans

24–48 hrs

Single trade scope

One CSI division, clear plan set, standard residential or light commercial

2–3 days

Multi-trade scope

2–4 CSI divisions, commercial or multi-family project

3–5 days

Full project estimate

All divisions, large commercial or public project

12–24 hrs

Rush delivery

Expedited service — available on request, scope-dependent

Step 01

Submit Plans

Send your drawings — any format, any stage.

Getting started takes less than five minutes. Email your plan set along with your scope of work and bid deadline. No portal to create, no account to set up. If you have questions about what to include, call or email us first — we'll point you in the right direction.

Typical submission time

< 5 min

Email plans + scope + deadline. That's it.

Accepted file formats

  • PDF plan sets (most common)
  • Revit exports (.rvt, .ifc)
  • CAD files (.dwg, .dxf)
  • Bluebeam packages (.bpkg)
  • Scanned drawings (clear resolution)

What to include with your plans

  • Scope of work or CSI divisions needed
  • Bid due date and preferred delivery time
  • Any addenda or spec sections relevant to your scope
  • Notes on phasing or alternates if applicable

Step 02

Scope Review & Confirmation

We confirm scope, timeline, and cost before we start.

Before a single measurement is taken, we review your plan set and confirm the scope in writing. You'll receive a reply with the confirmed delivery window, any clarifying questions about plan conflicts or scope ambiguities, and a project cost. No surprises — everything is agreed on before work begins.

Confirmation turnaround

Same day

Scope, timeline, and cost confirmed before we touch the plans.

What gets confirmed

  • Delivery window locked in writing
  • CSI divisions and trade scope confirmed
  • Plan conflicts or missing sheets flagged upfront
  • Project cost agreed before we begin

What we watch for in your plans

  • Incomplete or superseded sheet revisions
  • Conflicting dimensions between architectural and structural
  • Specs calling out alternates or substitutions
  • Phased scope requiring split deliverables

Step 03

Digital Quantity Takeoff

Every line item measured digitally, division by division.

Your estimator opens the plan set in Bluebeam Revu or PlanSwift and measures every quantity to scale — no guessing, no rule-of-thumb areas, no extrapolation from sample bays. Counts, linear footage, square footage, cubic yards — each measured against the actual drawing geometry.

Accuracy target

±2%

Digitally measured, scale-calibrated, QC reviewed.

How we measure

  • Plans calibrated to scale before any measurement begins
  • Areas, perimeters, lengths, counts — each measured per spec
  • Quantities logged by location, level, and scope phase
  • Plan markups retained and available on request

Division-by-division structure

  • Each CSI division broken out separately
  • Line items named consistently with spec section language
  • Subtotals by division for easy bid assembly
  • Alternates and allowances called out explicitly

Step 04

Local Cost Pricing

Quantities priced to your zip code — not a national average.

Once quantities are measured, they're priced against our live cost database keyed to your project's zip code. Labor rates, material costs, and equipment factors reflect your specific market — not a broad regional index. The result is a unit-cost estimate that you can defend line by line to an owner or sub.

Pricing coverage

50 States

Live zip-code rates. Updated continuously.

How zip-code pricing works

  • Project zip code entered before any pricing is applied
  • Labor rates sourced from regional wage data
  • Material costs pulled from current market pricing
  • Union vs. open-shop labor accounted for by location

What the pricing reflects

  • Current material costs — not outdated RS Means averages
  • Local subcontractor labor rates for your market
  • Equipment and crew productivity factors by region
  • Sales tax and local material escalation where applicable

Step 05

QC Review

A second estimator checks every number before delivery.

Before your estimate leaves our desk, a second estimator independently reviews the quantities for measurement errors, scope gaps, and unit cost consistency. Any ambiguities found during QC are noted in writing inside the deliverable — so you know exactly where judgment calls were made.

Review standard

2-estimator

Independent second review on every deliverable.

What QC checks

  • Measurement totals cross-checked against plan geometry
  • Unit costs verified against live database for the project zip
  • Division subtotals reconciled against overall project scope
  • Spec conflicts and plan ambiguities documented

What you receive from QC

  • Clean deliverable with QC sign-off notation
  • Written notes on any flagged ambiguities or assumptions
  • Revision request process if you find a discrepancy
  • Free revision within 48 hours of delivery if an error is found

Step 06

Bid-Ready Delivery

Organized, formatted, and ready to drop into your proposal.

Your estimate is delivered as an organized Excel workbook and PDF export, structured by CSI division with line-item quantities, unit costs, and subtotals. The format is designed to slot directly into your bid proposal — or we can match your existing template if you send it with your plans.

Standard delivery

Excel + PDF

CSI-formatted, subtotaled, ready to bid.

Deliverable contents

  • Excel workbook: quantities, unit costs, extensions, subtotals
  • PDF export: formatted for owner or GC submission
  • Division summary tab for high-level scope review
  • Alternates and allowances on separate line items

Format options

  • Standard MTO Experts CSI-format workbook
  • Your existing bid template (send with plans)
  • Quantity-only (no pricing) on request
  • Combined takeoff + estimate or separate deliverables
The deliverable

What lands in your inbox.

Every estimate is structured the same way — organized, labeled, and ready to use without reformatting.

MTO-2024-0312 · Rev 01

Estimate — 3-Story Office Building

QC VERIFIED
SummaryDiv 03Div 06Div 09Div 22–26
DescriptionQtyUnitTotal
Footings — 3,000 PSI conc.22.6CY$3,842
Slab on grade — 5″ thick4,180SF$14,630
Rebar — #5 @ 12″ OC EW2.84Tons$4,118
Elevated slab — 8″ PT6,240SF$37,440
Formwork — walls & columns1,420SFCA$7,100
Div 03 — Concrete subtotal$67,130

  • Excel Workbook (.xlsx)

    CSI-organized tabs, live formulas, division subtotals, and a summary sheet. Edit quantities or swap unit costs directly.

    • Editable
    • Formulas included
    • Division tabs

  • PDF Export

    Print-ready formatted estimate for owner submissions, GC proposals, or your project file.

    • Print-ready
    • Formatted
    • Signable

  • Post-delivery support

    Questions after delivery? We're available to walk through numbers, clarify line items, or process revisions.

    • Same-day response
    • Free revisions
    • On errors
Before you submit

Common questions about the process.

Answers to what contractors ask most before sending their first set of plans.

Ask a Question

Send what you have. Incomplete plans are common at the early bid stage. We'll flag any missing information in our scope review and confirm what quantities can be measured reliably from the available drawings.

Yes — quantity-only takeoffs are available. Many subcontractors prefer raw quantities so they can apply their own unit costs. Just specify "quantities only" when you submit.

If the revision is due to a measurement error on our part, it's free and turned around within 48 hours. If the revision is due to scope changes or plan addenda, we'll requote the additional work.

Yes. We work on custom homes, production builds, multi-family, commercial office, retail, industrial, and public projects. Project size is not a barrier — no minimum scope.

Email plans directly to contact@mtoexperts.com or submit through our contact form. Include your scope, CSI divisions needed, and bid due date. We confirm receipt and scope within a few hours.

Yes. Send your template with your first project submission and we'll format all future deliverables to match your columns, division structure, and naming conventions.

Get Started

Submit your plans. Put accurate numbers behind your next bid.

24–48hMax turnaround±2%Accuracy target16+CSI divisionsAll 50States covered

Send a set of drawings today and receive a bid-ready estimate — accurate, local, and on time. No subscription. No retainer. Just results.

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