A takeoff is only as good as the measurements behind it. Most estimating errors come from the site visit, not the maths. A consistent system for measuring, recording and checking turns a rushed visit into a reliable estimate, and it makes your quotes faster to write.
Bring the right kit
- A 8 m tape and a 30 m tape or measuring wheel
- A laser distance meter for rooms and heights
- A level and an angle finder for pitches and falls
- A moisture meter for floors and walls, if you do finishing work
- A phone for photos of every elevation, junction and problem area
- Squared paper, a clipboard, or a sketch app
Sketch first, then measure
Draw a rough plan before you measure anything. Then measure in a consistent direction, clockwise around a room or left to right along an elevation, writing each dimension on the sketch as you go. This is how you avoid missing a wall or measuring one twice. Mark north, the position of doors and windows, and anything fixed that you have to work around.
Break shapes down
Split complex areas into rectangles, triangles and circles. Label each one (A, B, C) and keep the sub-areas. If one dimension turns out to be wrong later, you only need to fix one piece, and the client can see how you got the total.
Measure what you'll build, not what's there
A patio quote needs the finished size, including edging. A floor quote needs the area to the walls, not around the furniture. A fence quote needs the line, the gates and the level changes. Think about the finished job while you measure, and ask the client to confirm the extent while you're both standing there.
Heights, levels and falls
Many quotes go wrong on heights. Measure ceiling heights in more than one place, especially in older houses. For outdoor work, take spot levels at the corners and along edges, so you know how much fall there is and how much digging or fill the job needs. A laser level or a water level is worth having for any groundwork quote.
Check square
Measure both diagonals of rectangular areas. If they differ, the space isn't square, and that affects tile layouts, flooring waste and framing. The diagonal calculator tells you what the diagonal should be.
Note the things that cost money
- Access: can a truck get close? Is there a pump route? How wide is the side gate?
- Levels and falls
- What needs removing first, and where it goes
- Services in the way: pipes, cables, drains, gas
- Where materials and waste will be stored
- Parking, working hours, and neighbours
- Anything the client wants that isn't obvious from the plan
Photos
Take more photos than you think you need: a wide shot of each area, then close-ups of anything unusual. Photograph your tape against key dimensions. Back at the office, photos answer the questions you forgot to ask, and they're good evidence if a dispute comes up about what was there before.
Working from drawings
When pricing from plans, take dimensions from the figures written on the drawing rather than scaling it with a ruler. Drawings get resized when they're printed and copied. If you must scale, check the scale against a known dimension first. Note the drawing revision you priced from, and say so in your quote.
Turn measurements into a takeoff
Back at the van, enter the numbers into the calculators while they're fresh, and add each result to the same job. Each calculator keeps your inputs, so you can come back and change them if the client changes their mind. The quote is half written before you've left the driveway.
Measuring tips
- Measure twice, and get a second person to read the tape on long runs.
- Write units next to every number. "12" means very different things in feet and metres.
- Round up, not down, when in doubt.
- Use the feet and inches calculator for tape arithmetic, and the area calculator for odd shapes.
This guide is general information for estimating. It is not engineering, legal or tax advice. Check the NCC, Australian Standards and your building surveyor or certifier for your project.