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Tried estimating a 1,400 sq ft addition with pen and paper vs a takeoff app, and the app paid for itself in one bid
I had a small addition job in Salem back in March and decided to run it both ways just to see if the software was worth paying for. Paper version took me about 5 hours spread over two nights, and I still missed 3 outlets and shorted the insulation by 14 rolls. The takeoff app had the same job measured in under 40 minutes and flagged two walls where my scale was off by a foot. What really got me was the waste factor math. I always round up by feel, and the app just showed me my numbers were off by around 8 percent on framing lumber, which on a $22k materials list is real money. The software is $129 per quarter, so one fix on one bid covered it for a few cycles. Curious if anyone else has run a side by side test like this, and how close did your hand takeoff come out?
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fisher.adam28d ago
The waste factor piece is the part most guys skip over. Your 8 percent miss on framing lumber sounds bad but honestly a lot of hand takeoffs land 5 to 10 percent off once you check them, so that lines up.
One thing though, the app catching your scale being off by a foot on two walls is less about the app being smart and more about you not having to hold the whole plan in your head at once. Paper works fine if you're slow and careful, but nobody bids slow and careful when there's a deadline.
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