It’s no secret being accurate and efficient in your trade business is key to winning more work and making more profit on your jobs, especially if you need to deliver multiple quotes and juggle a bunch of different projects all at once. Things can get tricky fast, and you’ve already got enough on your plate.
Lifestyle Tradie partner, Buildxact, has put together this useful guide to show how you can do accurate takeoffs in a fraction of the time. The payoff? Fewer late nights, less stress, and more time to focus on your business.
Read on to learn how takeoff methods compare or check out Buildxact’s all-in-one software solution to get started with more simplified and efficient job estimation.
Manual versus digital
Let’s start by looking at each of the two main takeoff methods: manual and digital. It won’t surprise you that digital takeoffs have many advantages compared with doing them manually. Although both methods get you to the finish line in terms of having the quantities, it’s the amount of manual work and time required that ultimately sets them apart.
Other benefits of digital takeoff software like Buildxact, include:
- More accuracy
- Less time spent
- Takeoffs are saved and stored for later reference
- You can send the takeoff drawings to anyone you like.
Takeoff examples
When new uses of digital takeoff software begin, they’re coming from a place where a takeoff for them means:
- Measuring by hand
- Using a scale rule and highlighter
- Using a piece of paper and pen, or excel spreadsheet
- Frustration!
For these new users, doing something like a roof area takeoff often involves:
- Measuring two or more dimensions
- Doing the maths
- Adding the pitch factor; and
- Double (and triple) checking to make sure no errors are made.
At Buildxact, when we show new users how to do roof calculations, for example, the process is simple:
- Select the pitch
- Highlight the roof
…and that’s it!
What does the future look like?
Just as manual takeoffs become a thing of the past, digital takeoffs are quickly being adopted by small builders and tradies throughout the world. It’s easy to see why.
The takeoff process for each might be similar, but why make something harder than it needs to be? Time consuming tasks can be automated digitally to help streamline the takeoff process. That’s where Buildxact enters the equation.
Fast and accurate digital takeoffs
Whether you’re still doing takeoffs manually or using a software that doesn’t do what you need it to, Buildxact can help complete takeoffs up to 80 per cent faster with flawless accuracy. Simply upload your plans into the easy-to-use software and start measuring to get faster, more accurate takeoffs.
Learn more about Buildxact by signing up to a free 14-day trial, book a demo or get in touch with the customer support team to see if Buildxact is a good fit for your business.
