3 Tips for Achieving Hyper-Accurate Takeoffs

Do the math - inaccurate takeoffs cost money. Plus, if you under-order, you risk both angering your customer and paying rush handling fees. And if you over-order, you can be stuck with inventory you can’t use. Either way, it’s an expensive mistake.

Tip 1: Construction takeoffs demand you measure better

You would never measure once and cut twice in your work product, so why do it when you’re estimating a job? There are several tools on the market that make measuring simpler and more accurate. Moasure, Bosch, Leica and more are available to help you up your accuracy game.

Moasure

With a Moasure measuring device, you can easily capture even complex irregular shapes just by walking around the site. The device syncs the measurements to your mobile device. It can also sync to ArcSite, where you can import precise measurements from the device right into ArcSite to build your estimate, proposals, and, yes, takeoffs.

Bosch Laser Measuring

Bosch Laser Measuring Devices connect to your mobile device via Bluetooth, ensuring accurate measurements over a variety of terrain and conditions. When Bosch Laser Measuring Devices connect to ArcSite, your measurements are directly imported into your estimate and takeoff.

Leica DISTRO

Leica DISTRO devices work much the same as Bosch, in that the device communicates with apps via Bluetooth. You walk the perimeter, and Leica DISTRO measures the distance for you, importing it into ArcSite for exceptionally accurate takeoffs.

Tip 2: Knowing your stuff to improve takeoff list accuracy

It’s not enough to know what kinds of inventory you work with. You need to know it all, down to the cost of every nail, and so does every one of your estimators. All it takes is for one person to be off by a little to land you in trouble later on in the job. 

Chances are you have a printout of your pricing per unit that you and your reps take out in the field. But who likes to copy the information over manually, or multiple times during an estimate? ArcSite lets you input your products once (from one of many pre-built libraries or a custom one), and then automatically imports your products into your drawings, estimates, and takeoffs. This process eliminates manual entry and dramatically reduces the chance for expensive errors.

Tip 3: Get a little (or a lot of) help with your takeoff lists

Unsurprisingly, the ideal state for increasing takeoff list accuracy is not having to worry about it at all. 

We’ve mentioned ArcSite’s capabilities when it comes to generating takeoff lists, but we wrap the whole estimating, proposals and materials calculations up with a bow. There are several advantages for using ArcSite for construction takeoffs:

• Import directly to ArcSite from your laser measuring device - Just sit back and watch as the drawing populates the takeoff list with accurate counts and pricing.
• Eliminate mathematical errors - We’re only human, but one mistake shouldn’t cost you money. Let ArcSite do the math for you.
• After each quote, you'll have a list of materials ready at the tap of a button - Speed up lead time by ordering materials as soon as your customers sign the contract.

ArcSite offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for users of all levels to create takeoffs with precision and efficiency.

You shouldn’t have to be a human calculator to generate a hyper-accurate takeoff. Leveraging technology is just one way to ensure that your business doesn’t fall prey to inaccurate ordering. Keep every penny in your pocket by tightening your takeoffs.