Mechanical takeoff software reads the mechanical drawings for an HVAC and plumbing contractor: duct by the pound or the foot with the fittings, pipe by size and material with the joints, equipment from the schedule, and the insulation and hangers that a hand takeoff forgets, each carrying a labor unit. The contractor buying it should check the assembly library covers its materials and that labor units are editable. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cited below, puts the median annual wage for cost estimators at $78,740 in May 2025; the free template on this site prices the returned takeoff at the company's rate and markup.
Duct and pipe with the fittings
Runs measured off the plan with the fittings counted by type and size, and the hangers and insulation carried by the assembly; software that scales the drawing and sums the runs is where the estimator hours go.
Equipment from the schedule, at the supplier's quote
Air handlers, pumps, boilers and units from the equipment schedule, priced at the supplier's quote with the resale markup on their own line; the template on this site takes them within the material total.
Labor units the company owns
A foot of duct at floor level and the same foot at forty feet are not the same labor unit; software that lets the company set units by height and access prices the hard building right, and Pro records the estimate against the outcome.
Questions people ask about mechanical takeoff software
Is there free mechanical estimating software?
The estimate template on this site prices a job from your own takeoff, rate, overhead and markup, free and with no account, and prints the estimate. Markupbird Pro adds the rate tables, the estimates kept against customers and jobs, and the wins recorded against the markup.
What markup should the estimate carry?
Whatever covers the overhead share and leaves the profit the company needs, chosen with the margin in front of you; the template prints the margin the total carries at any markup you try.
What does mechanical takeoff software count?
Ductwork by the pound or the foot, piping by the foot and size, fittings, hangers, equipment by the schedule and insulation by the area, each carrying a labor unit.