People use the words takeoff and estimate interchangeably. They are different deliverables, and confusing them is one of the more common causes of a scope gap or a pricing surprise on a bid.
A quantity takeoff measures. It does not price.
A quantity takeoff is a list of what the drawings and specifications require, measured in the units each item is bought or installed in: square feet of board, linear feet of wall, cubic yards of concrete, a count of doors. Each line should point back to the sheet or specification section it came from, and the scope assumptions behind it should be written down.
A takeoff carries no unit costs, no labor and no markup. It is the right deliverable when you already have the pricing, from your own cost database or subcontractor quotes, and need the quantities fast.
An estimate prices the quantities.
An estimate starts from those quantities and adds the pricing basis: material, labor, equipment and any subcontracted work. A good estimate also lists what is not in it. That means the allowances, qualifications and exclusions that you can carry into a proposal.
There are several kinds of estimate, depending on how much of the design exists. A conceptual or budget estimate is built from a narrative or early drawings and relies on stated assumptions. A detailed estimate is built from construction documents. Neither is a bid unless the scope, the pricing and the commitments behind them are.
Choosing between them
- Choose a quantity takeoff when you have your own pricing and need measured quantities.
- Choose a trade estimate when you want quantities and pricing for one scope, such as drywall or concrete.
- Choose a conceptual estimate when the design is still developing and you need a budget to make decisions.
- Choose a bid-leveling review when you already have proposals and need to compare them scope by scope.
What to send, and what to expect back
Whichever deliverable you choose, send the drawings, specifications and addenda, the project location, the trades or scope you want covered, and your due date. Ask what the pricing basis will be: your rates, a pricing input for the project location, or an applicable wage determination on public work.
Then ask what you will receive: quantities with plan references, a written basis of estimate, allowances and exclusions listed separately. Those items let you check the work and explain it to the person who signs the proposal.