Construction take off programs are software packages that help general contractors reduce time, increase profit, and manage their estimates more efficiently. They produce detailed plans and specifications and deliver construction take off reports that are used by clients to create construction documents, design software, and renderings. Construction take off programs vary in their features and capabilities. Some are very simple while others can generate high-end renderings of buildings from computer-aided designs. Both types of construction take off programs are used during the design phase. These programs provide general contractors with a whole host of benefits: Increased time savings for site planning, estimating, and estimating software; project management tools; a suite of government contract management tools; user-friendly productivity tools; CAD/CAM integration tools; comprehensive quality control functions; engineering analysis methods, and more.
Construction Takeoff Programs: What They Are
A construction takeoff program is a computer program or suite of programs that allows contractors to create estimates quickly by inputting material quantities into the system. This is especially useful for estimating projects with multiple phases. The calculations in the takeoff program tell users how much each phase should cost based on materials used. Takeoff programs can also help general contractors determine how much their profit will be on a particular job.
Construction Takeoff Programs: What They Do
Construction takeoff programs save contractors and subcontractors time, money, and headaches by providing them with the information they need to manage their projects during the design phase. These programs generate detailed takeoff reports that include materials used, labor costs, material costs, and design notes. These reports are then used to develop construction drawings and documents for framing buildings or other structures. Users can also use construction takeoff programs to generate complete construction estimates for jobs that have already been designed.
The Benefits of Construction Takeoff Programs
There are many benefits associated with construction takeoff systems, including: saving you time in completing your estimates; saving you money by avoiding mistakes; and allowing you to keep track of every estimate you’ve created. Some other benefits are:
Saving You Time
Construction takeoff programs and software saves you time in a number of ways. For example, with a program like MaxRev you can input your own standard costs and material lists. This way, you don’t have to type in material lists every time you start a new estimate. Another way is by providing you with an accurate system for tracking previous estimates and updating the information to use on future estimates. Having everything stored electronically means you’ll spend less time sorting through paperwork looking for things than if you were using traditional methods of estimating and creating reports. If your office has employees, then having a construction takeoff program will allow them to track hours worked on each project without needing direct supervision from the project manager at all times.
Savings of Time and Money
Another benefit is the ability to save you time by managing previous estimates and project notes. A construction takeoff program will allow you to estimate your costs for a job you’ve already done, which means it only needs to be submitted once. This type of software also has systems in place that automatically update all previous estimates so they can all be compared and updated so they are consistent with each other. This way all new drawings, documents and estimates have the most current information available to them even if it is not always entered manually by an estimator or project manager.
Avoiding Mistakes
Another benefit is the ability to avoid any mistakes or bad estimates by making sure that all of your previous estimates are consistent when creating a new estimate. For example, if you’re using an estimating program like MaxRev, it is easy to make sure that all materials and costs are updated when moving from one estimate to the next. This means you’re able to spend your time completing estimates instead of updating older ones.
The biggest benefit of having a construction takeoff system is the ability to accurately track materials used and labor hours worked on each project.
Construction Takeoff Programs: What They Are Not
Construction takeoff programs are not the same thing as construction estimating software. Construction takeoff programs provide complete takeoff reports, while construction estimating systems provide estimates with limited capabilities. A takeoff program can generate all of the information you need to produce a detailed estimate, including the quantities of materials you’ll need, but it cannot perform calculations or produce other project management tools.
Conclusion
Construction takeoff programs are extremely useful for contractors who need to estimate all of their projects ahead of time and provide estimates to clients. By streamlining your estimating process and tracking costs, you’ll spend less time on site and achieve greater project profitability. Gone are the days of wasted time reading through stacks of documents searching for information. Now you can spend all of your time on site constructing buildings instead.