How-To Guides
How to Do a Construction Takeoff
Build a construction takeoff from a calibrated plan using reviewable AI suggestions and manual count, length, path, area, and rectangle tools.
See it in BuildVision AI
Manual takeoff tools
Select, pan, count, measure lines and polylines, draw areas and rectangles, erase, calibrate, extract legends, comment, undo, and redo.
- V/H/C/L/P/A/R/E/K/M/N shortcuts
- Geometry, legend, and comment tools
- Undo, redo, and shortcut help
What you'll accomplish
Produce named, categorized, reviewable quantities on a plan.
Steps
- Open a plan and fit the page in the canvas.
- Calibrate the page against a known real-world distance before using measured quantities.
- Run AI takeoff or choose the appropriate manual tool from the command bar.
- Review geometry on the plan and use Inspector to replace generic labels such as Count, Length, or Area.
- Check item groups and document totals before export.
What to expect
- Select supports click, additive Shift selection, and an empty-space marquee.
- Polyline and Area complete with Enter or double-click once enough points exist; Escape backs out a draft.
- Pan/zoom is viewport state and does not change stored geometry or quantities.