Blog
Estimating notes, written for the people who count.
Practical articles on takeoffs and quoting: for yard estimators, counter staff, the managers who check their work, and the builders who bid from the result. A new article most weeks. No industry news, no press releases.
- Yard sales5 min read
How to quote a house package faster: the count is the slow part, and seven ways to shorten it
Pricing is quick; the count is slow. Seven process changes that help a yard quote a house package faster, with an example of where a day goes before and after.
Read the article - Buying guide6 min read
Lumber yard quoting software: what it should do, what to ask, and what to avoid
What lumber yard quoting software should do: match takeoff lines to your catalog, pack stock lengths, price at your margin, and send a quote you can re-price.
Read the article - Estimating method6 min read
Material takeoff from PDF plan sets: what works, what breaks, and how to check the numbers
Where a material takeoff from PDF drawings goes right and wrong: vector versus scanned sheets, dimensions versus scaling, notes that override, and what to ask.
Read the article - Buying guide5 min read
How much does a framing takeoff cost? Your estimator's hours, a takeoff service, or software per takeoff
Three ways to pay for a framing takeoff: your own estimator's hours, a service, or software per takeoff, with the arithmetic and the costs people forget.
Read the article - Buying guide6 min read
Lumber takeoff service cost: what services charge, what is left out, and what you should get for the money
What a lumber takeoff service costs per sheet, per square foot, per hour or per takeoff, what is left out, and a labeled example on one 2,000 sq ft house.
Read the article - Buying guide6 min read
Lumber takeoff software: what it should do, and what to check before you buy
A buying guide to lumber takeoff software for yards and builders: what it should do, a trial checklist, the pricing models, and what no software does.
Read the article - Using LumberSet5 min read
How a developer uses LumberSet to budget lumber across projects
How a developer uses LumberSet to budget lumber across lots and buildings: a budget estimate per plan set early, RFQs to yards, change orders and exports.
Read the article - Using LumberSet6 min read
How a framer uses LumberSet to check and order the right package, with the arithmetic shown
How a framing contractor uses a LumberSet takeoff to check the package a GC or yard proposes, order by stock length, and settle count disputes with the sheet.
Read the article - Using LumberSet6 min read
How a general contractor uses LumberSet to price a bid from a lumber takeoff
How a general contractor uses LumberSet to price a bid: upload the drawings, get a reviewed lumber takeoff, budget it, send an RFQ to yards and compare.
Read the article - Using LumberSet6 min read
How a lumber yard owner uses LumberSet: set up once, quote every plan set
A step-by-step guide for a lumber yard owner: set estimating standards and a catalog once, invite the team, and quote every plan set, with the costs stated.
Read the article - Using LumberSet6 min read
How a sales manager or inside sales team at a lumber yard uses LumberSet day to day
What Thursday afternoon looks like for inside sales at a lumber yard using LumberSet: upload the drawings, check the takeoff, price it and send the quote.
Read the article - Bidding4 min read
What a lumber takeoff should tell a general contractor before the bid goes out
What a GC should be able to read off a lumber takeoff before committing a price: units, sources, assumptions, hardware, what it leaves out, and quotes.
Read the article - Order quantities4 min read
Stock length packing: why a takeoff in linear feet costs your yard margin
Linear feet do not tell a yard what to ship. How packing a cut list into stock lengths works, with a header example that takes six 12-footers or eleven 8s.
Read the article - Estimating method5 min read
How to count studs the way a framer builds: corners, intersections and openings
A yard estimator's method for counting wall studs: the layout formula, what corners and partition tees add, how openings are framed, and waste done once.
Read the article
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