A quantity takeoff is a construction estimation of materials and labor needed to complete a project. It is developed during pre-construction and involves estimators reviewing drawings and specifications to measure quantities of materials. A quantity takeoff fulfills important functions for cost estimation by detailing materials needed and providing total material costs. It can be prepared manually or digitally using estimating software, with digital takeoffs providing benefits like reduced errors and faster adjustments.

1. Quantity Take-off

2. What is Quantity Take-off
• Quantity take-offs (QTO) is an in-depth construction estimation of
materials and labor required to complete a construction project.
• Developed during the pre-construction phase. These measurements are
used to format a bid on the scope of construction. Estimators
review drawings, specifications, and models to find these quantities.
Preparing a quantity takeoff required a high degree of skill, as well as
good judgment and critical thinking skills. The term “takeoff” refers to
this process of “taking off” all of the materials for a project from a design
drawing or blueprint.
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3. SIGNIFICANCE
Quantity takeoffs fulfill an important function for construction projects of
nearly any size. Quantity takeoffs are an integral part of the cost estimation
process. The information from a quantity takeoff is incorporated into a final
detailed estimate, along with things like labor costs, office overhead costs,
subcontractor costs, and equipment rentals. Given that material costs
represent a sizeable portion of total construction costs, the quantity takeoff
must be accurate and up-to-date.
• Quantity takeoffs are generally performed early on during the bidding
process.

4. Significance
• During the estimation process, an estimator may have to make frequent
adjustments to there quantity takeoff. This may be due to design changes,
additional engineering requirements, or changes in what the client wants.
• The quantity takeoff is often a living document that undergoes many
changes until a design is decided upon and a bid is secured.

5. Components of a Quantity take-off
• The first part of a quantity takeoff involves putting together a list of all of
the materials required for a project. This will include all raw materials,
like lumber, concrete, asphalt, and steel. In addition to raw materials, the
quantity takeoff will include any prefabrication in construction that are
necessary for the project.
• Example: materials like lumber, the quantity takeoff would include
what specific type of lumber the job requires, the length and width of the
lumber, and may include the total weight of the required lumber for
shipping considerations.

6. Quantity takeoffs fulfill two basic functions in a construction
cost estimate
• First, they detail what materials need to be purchased to complete a
project. Second, they provide a total material cost for a project, which is
then incorporated into a detailed cost estimate.
• Determining the price of materials can be accomplished in a number of
ways. For large projects, the estimator would seek a bid from a material
supplier. For other projects, estimators may use a personal database of
material costs, or draw information from a third-party construction costs
database.

7.  Subcontractors may routinely prepare quantity takeoffs that include the
same materials. If the cost of those materials is known and stable, the
subcontractor can simply plug in their known prices into their quantity
takeoff.
Once prices for each material have been determined, the estimator will
then produce a total material cost estimate. Most often, the person
preparing the quantity takeoff will markup the total material costs. How
much or little of a markup occurs will depend on a number of factors,
and can be a key determinant of whether a bid is accepted or rejected. A
markup for material costs is necessary for most projects to ensure a
project remains profitable for the contractor.

8. Types of Quantity Takeoffs
Quantity takeoffs are prepared by a wide range of people and organizations
within the construction industry, and each quantity takeoff can be unique.
Each individual or organization may find a method of preparation for their
quantity takeoffs that they prefer and may format their final quantity takeoff
cost analysis in different ways. Despite the unique nature of each quantity
takeoff and the various ways they are approached, there are two broad types
of quantity takeoffs.
(1) Manual Quantity Takeoff (2) Digital Quantity Takeoff

9. Manual Quantity Takeoff
• A manual quantity takeoff is simply a takeoff that is completed without the
assistance of digital takeoff software.
• An estimator would examine physical drawings or blueprints and
painstakingly create a list of materials. Many people still complete
quantity takeoffs manually, but do so with the assistance of computer
software that information is entered into by hand. Although still aided by a
computer, the process is still largely manual. If done by hand, the
estimator must make complex calculations. If done with a computer,
software such as Excel can be used to perform certain calculations.

10. Digital Quantity Takeoff
• Digital quantity takeoffs are completed using a construction cost
estimation program that contains digital takeoff capability. As you could
assume, there are many benefits of using construction estimating software
to run your calculations.
• the basic process of creating a digital quantity takeoff is roughly the same.
First, a blueprint is uploaded or scanned into the program. From there, the
program analyzes the blueprint or drawings and generates a list of all of
the required materials. At this point, the estimator can make any
adjustments to the material requirements that they see.

11.  Any complex calculations required for assigning quantities to materials are
embedded into the program, making this process vastly easier than a manual
quantity takeoff. From there, the estimator can apply prices to each material.
 Some software has the capability, price information can be drawn from a
database of current prices populated by the contractor. Alternatively, some
takeoff software can draw cost data from online construction cost
databases such as RS Means. Once prices are applied to each material, the
estimator can dynamically adjust the price to account for material cost
increases.

12. Benefits of Digital take-offs
• Digital takeoffs help reduce errors associated with quantity takeoffs.
• digital takeoffs take much less time to produce.
• Quantity takeoffs don’t just save time when creating a takeoff, but they also
save time when a quantity takeoff has to be adjusted. This happens
frequently during projects. Digital takeoff software allows for a rapid
turnaround time if adjustments are necessary.
• Digital quantity takeoffs require less specialization to complete than a
manual takeoff.

13. References
1. Book Fundamentals of Construction estimating.
2. https://proest.com/what-is-a-quantity-takeoff-in-construction/
3. https://www.quora.com/What-is-quantity-takeoff.