In short:
Takeoff. It’s the first real step in every job. It’s where the bid is made or broken. Yet no two estimators do it the same way. Your method might just say more about your personality than you think.
Which type are you?
You have one gear: precision. You zoom in on the plans with a laser focus that could burn through a PDF. Every count is exact. Every measurement is down to the fraction of an inch. Nothing gets by you.
Your team can trust your numbers, always. You’re the go-to person for complex plans. Just don’t expect a lot of small talk while you’re in the zone.
If a line exists, you trace it. If there’s a door on the plan, it’s counted, categorized, color-coded, and cross-referenced. Your finished takeoffs look like works of art, clean enough to hang in a museum.
Your work is beautiful and thorough. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is your takeoff. That attention to detail is great until the bid is due tomorrow.
You trust your gut, and it’s usually right. You eyeball dimensions and use your past experience to fill in the gaps. If the team needs a takeoff done quickly, you’re the one they go to.
Your confidence is solid. You can knock out a preliminary bid faster than anyone. But that "good enough" number can sometimes lead to some tough phone calls later on.
Your favorite phrase is, "This is how we did it on the last job." You’ve got a library of old bids and use them like templates. If it worked then, it’ll work now, right?
This approach is practical and saves time upfront. But when the specs change (and they always do), relying on old numbers can kill your margin before the first shovel hits the ground.
You won’t click a single button without getting a second opinion. You love team input and are great at keeping everyone in the loop. "Hey, can you take a look at this?" is your mantra.
Teamwork is good. Collaboration is key. Humility is a solid trait. But waiting for three other people to sign off on a door count can slow the whole bid process down.
You’re the one who won't stop talking about AI and new technology. You’re always looking for a better, faster way to do things. You have trial accounts on every new software platform and are the first to try any tool that promises to save a few minutes.
You’re pushing the company forward. You find ways to cut busy work and help the team win. Sometimes your experiments fail, but your wins? They’re big.
You question everything. You count the outlets, then recount them. Then you check the specs one more time just to be sure. You see potential problems everywhere.
Your bids are usually rock-solid because you’ve thought of every possible issue and have run the numbers a few times. But all that second-guessing burns a lot of time and can lead to analysis paralysis.
You’ve seen it all. You do your takeoff with one eye on the plans and the other on the new estimator. You’re always ready to explain why something is done a certain way.
You’re a walking library of estimating knowledge. Your patience builds a strong team. The only downside is that teaching takes time, which can put you behind schedule.
Which takeoff style are you? Take this 7-question quiz and see what your method is. Plus, you'll get a few pro tips based on your results to help you cut repetitive tasks, win more bids, and get back to the parts of the job you enjoy.
Your approach to takeoffs affects more than just counting time. It impacts:
No matter your takeoff style, one thing is true: every estimator brings something valuable to the table. The good news? The right tools let you lean into your strengths and let technology handle the grunt work.
At ConstructConnect, we built our takeoff solutions to adapt to you. Whether you’re a Perfectionist who needs every detail right or an Innovator ready to try AI takeoffs, our tools help you work faster and more accurately. No matter what your trade is, you get to focus on what you do best: winning the job.
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