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For small contractors & estimators

Construction takeoff.
Built for your next bid.

Measure areas, count symbols and mark up PDF plans in your browser. Review detected spaces and runs, then export quantities to Excel for pricing. You keep control of the takeoff.

Start a free takeoff Explore the demo

Free during early access · No credit card · No install

Windows & Mac Your drawings stay on your device by default
TraceBuild Lite drawing overview with four reviewed office areas and live quantity totals.
Review the plan
Real Lite screens · Reviewed areas include doorway openings.Explore the workflow
Auto-detect rooms & runs Revision-stable Excel export Runs in your browser Wall accuracy you can reproduce
A clear path from PDF to Excel

Your next takeoff, in three clear steps.

TRACEBUILD Lite is browser-based construction takeoff software for measuring areas, lengths and counts on PDF plans. It gives you quantities to review and export. You add the pricing.

  1. Open & calibrate

    Open your plan and set its scale from a known dimension. Check the scale before measuring.

    Get the scale right

  2. Measure & review

    Measure by hand or review detected spaces and runs. Refine boundaries, including doorway openings.

    See a real takeoff

  3. Export & price

    Export reviewed quantities to Excel or CSV. Apply your material rates, labor, overhead and profit.

    Build your worksheet
Included in Lite today

Less retyping. More time to review the job.

Keep your measurements, plan notes and takeoff quantities together. Start with the tools you need for the next job, then take the quantities into your own pricing workflow.

Markup & measure

Set the scale, measure areas and lengths, count symbols and place notes on the drawing. Keep the question beside the detail.

Explore the markup tools

Review the takeoff

Use Detect Spaces and Detect Runs for a first pass. Review the proposed rooms and runs, refine what needs attention and keep the measurements you need.

See what Lite includes

Take it into Excel

Export quantity totals by space and type. Stable export keys help your pricing formulas keep matching when a drawing revision changes the takeoff.

See the export workflow
Four reviewed office areas extending through door openings, with room quantities and a takeoff total displayed in TraceBuild Lite.
Reviewed office areas · Doorway openings included.View takeoff full size
Construction takeoff · Included in Lite

From room outlines to quantities you can check.

Review the proposed spaces, refine the boundaries and keep the areas you need. Adjust an outline through a door opening and the quantity updates with it.

  • Review on the plan. See each room beside its measured area.
  • Keep the call. Correct boundaries before you use the quantities.
  • Take it into Excel. Export quantities for your pricing workflow.
Try a takeoff in Lite
Takeoff by trade

What to measure and count for your trade.

Each trade page lists what an estimator takes off, in which units, and how TRACEBUILD handles each step. The plumbing, flooring, painting and concrete pages walk through a takeoff on a real public-domain plan set, with the exported workbook to download.

Start with a worked example: plumbing takeoff software & fixture counts flooring takeoff software & room areas

Plumbing takeoffFixtures by mark, pipe by size Electrical takeoffDevices, fixtures, conduit HVAC takeoffDuct, equipment, piping Flooring takeoffArea by room, base by LF Painting takeoffWall and ceiling area Drywall takeoffWall LF and area by type Concrete takeoffSlabs, footings, volume Masonry takeoffCMU and brick wall area Steel takeoffMembers, pieces, deck Roofing takeoffRoof area, pitch, edges Sitework takeoffPaving, curb, utilities All tradesEvery trade on one page

New to takeoff? Start with how to do a construction takeoff, check your sheets against the drawing scale chart, and record quantities in the free takeoff template (Excel).

The difference · Coming in TRACEBUILD Pro

Your estimate is written on your machine.

The TRACEBUILD Pro Windows app, coming soon, bundles a capable AI model that runs entirely on your computer through a local engine. Your priced takeoff becomes a client-ready narrative. No account, no upload, no internet required. The dollar figures stay authoritative; the AI writes the scope, assumptions and review around them, and you keep the call.

  • 100% private. Client drawings never leave your machine, a real data-privacy guarantee, not a policy.
  • Works anywhere. Jobsite trailer, plane, or a spotty connection: it runs fully offline, out of the box.
  • Grounded in your numbers. Executive summary, scope by system, inclusions & exclusions, assumptions, value-engineering ideas and possibly-missing scope.
Every tool, in one place

The complete PDF markup toolkit. Then everything else.

A full, professional PDF markup, measurement and document toolkit is the foundation of TRACEBUILD, the tools professionals use every day, in a fast, modern interface. Estimating, collaboration and AI are layered on top as added value. Markup, measurement and construction takeoff ship free in Lite while in early access; AI takeoff, estimating and collaboration unlock with the coming Pro app.

PDF markup · Included in Lite

Put the question on the drawing.

Cloud the detail, point to the issue and add a clear note. Keep the context of an RFI or review comment right on the sheet your team is reading.

Explore the markup toolkit
A red revision cloud, leader arrow and boxed note reading RFI 01: Confirm door 1A05 hardware on a construction plan in TraceBuild Lite.
TRACEBUILD Lite · Revision cloud, arrow and RFI note.View markup full size
Markup & symbols
Snap-to-geometryLock onto the drawing's vectors
251-glyph symbol libraryCAD symbols across 16 trades
Dynamic stamps & sequencesLive author / date fields, auto-numbering
Measurement & takeoff
Full measurement suiteLength, area, volume, angle, radius, count
Wall area, slope & cutoutsPerimeter x height, rise:run, deductions
Calibrate & scale presetsSet once, stored in the PDF
Quantity takeoff rollupBy space & system, export to CSV / Excel
Detect Spaces & RunsAuto-find rooms, trace runs classed by trade
Takeoff QA panelAudit calibration, geometry & duplicates
Documents & production
Sets & slip-sheetsNavigable drawing sets, revisions
OCR & unified searchText, image & symbol, across every sheet
DXF importCAD files open as measurable, pre-scaled sheets
Compare & overlaySpot revisions between sheets
Headers, footers & BatesContinuous numbering across a set
In-app printPlotter & paper sizes, preview
Multi-format savePDF, editable PDF, PNG, JPEG
22 fonts19 subset-embedded, plus the 3 standard PDF fonts
Batch processing PROFlatten, OCR, Bates, redact at scale
Forms & security
AcroForm formsCreate & fill fields, import FDF / XFDF
Layers (OCG)View & toggle
True redactionContent removed, not just hidden
Password protect PROAES-256 encryption & permissions
Digital signatures PROCryptographic PKI signing
Collaboration & sharing
Cloud share linksFirst-party, expiring, password-optional
Live sessions PROReal-time collaboration, code + PIN
Office & CAD pluginsSend to TRACEBUILD from Word & Excel; Revit & AutoCAD coming soon
Punch list & issuesLocated pins, photos, punch report
3D viewer & 3D-PDFView GLB / STL; 3D PDF export in Pro
Estimating & AI PRO
Bid markup engineOverhead, profit, contingency, bond
Proposal & MTO exportsBranded PDF & multi-tab Excel
AI symbol detectCount recurring symbols on a sheet
Scope-risk scanFlags AS NEEDED, BY OTHERS & partial-scope language
RFI exportFindings become a numbered RFI letter PDF
Compare revisionsAddendum diff with auto-clouded changes
Ask AI over your takeoffPrivate, on-device chat about the plan
Why switch

Everything you expect. Then more.

Complete

Everything you expect

The full markup, measurement, page-editing, forms, redaction and set-management toolkit professional teams rely on every day, in a fast, modern interface.

Beyond

Plus an estimator PRO

A complete takeoff and estimating platform: cost database, labor hours, ancillary auto-explosion and bid markups, feeding a one-click AI basis of estimate.

Private

Respects your data PRO

The AI runs on your machine. No cloud round-trip, no account required, no client drawings leaving your control. Fast, offline, and yours.

Switching

Switching from Bluebeam Revu 20?

Revu 20 support ended July 31, 2026. On December 31, 2026, Revu 20 loses access to Studio Sessions, Studio Projects and API integrations. Most installed perpetual copies keep running after that; some license types are deactivated. See what stops working, what keeps working, and your options.

Revu 20 end of supportThe dates, a checklist and your options Compare Bluebeam alternativesWhat an alternative must cover Takeoff on a MacNo Windows, Parallels or Boot Camp On-Screen Takeoff alternativesPrices, platforms, trade-offs

TRACEBUILD Lite works on Windows and Mac in any modern browser. Weighing the cost first? See free and low-cost takeoff software, compared, what takeoff software costs, and PlanSwift vs TRACEBUILD.

A practical place to start

Bring a plan.
We’ll bring the walkthrough.

Use a real drawing, inspect the quantities and take the worksheet with you. These resources show the work behind the result.

Worked example

Follow a takeoff on a real plan

From the scale check to reviewed quantities, with a worksheet you can inspect.

Follow the walkthrough Free Excel download

Give your quantities a home

Start with a takeoff template for quantities, units and your own pricing.

Get the Excel template Field reference

Start with the right scale

Check imperial and metric drawing scales before a measurement becomes a quantity.

Use the drawing scale guide
Evidence you can inspect.

Our published benchmark measures wall detection, with downloadable test material and stated limits.

Read the benchmark
Pricing

Lite gives you the quantities, free. Pro adds the pricing and the AI.

TRACEBUILD Lite runs in any browser and is free while in early access, then $4.99/user/month. AI Auto-Takeoff, live sessions, digital signatures, estimating and the on-device AI estimator are Pro exclusives on the Windows desktop app.

TRACEBUILD Lite · Browser
Free while in early access
  • Full markup toolkit: text, notes, clouds, callouts, shapes, stamps & ink
  • Text-aware highlight, underline & strikeout
  • Measure length, area, perimeter, volume, angle, radius & count
  • Construction takeoff: quantities roll up live by space & type, export to CSV/Excel
  • Revision-stable Excel/CSV export: per-trade tabs with stable keys your pricing formulas keep matching after an addendum
  • One-click Detect Spaces & Runs: a review-ready takeoff head start: auto room areas and wall/pipe runs pre-classed by trade, for you to refine
  • Takeoff QA panel: audit calibration, geometry & duplicates
  • Calibrate to any scale with snap-to-geometry precision · DXF import
  • 251-glyph CAD symbol library across 16 trades
  • Drawing sets, slip-sheets & bookmarks
  • Page editing: insert, delete, rotate, crop & combine
  • OCR plus unified text, visual & symbol search
  • True redaction
  • Multi-format save: PDF, PNG, JPEG · 22 fonts (19 subset-embedded)
  • Auto-save, crash recovery, Tool Chests & custom profiles
  • Runs in any modern browser on Windows or Mac · no install, no download

$4.99/user/month after early access. AI Auto-Takeoff, live sessions, digital signatures, estimating & AI unlock with Pro.

Coming soon
TRACEBUILD Pro · Windows
$19.99 / user / month
  • Everything in Lite, plus the full Windows desktop app
  • Priced takeoff: budgetary cost ranges & labor on top of your Lite quantities
  • Cost database & assemblies (material, labor, equipment)
  • Labor hours by craft & ancillary auto-explosion
  • Bid markup engine: overhead, profit, contingency, tax & bond
  • AI Auto-Takeoff: detect rooms, trace runs & count symbols in one click
  • Private on-device AI estimator: a full basis of estimate, 100% offline
  • Ask AI: chat with your takeoff & plan, on-device
  • Scope-risk scan & RFI export: flag AS NEEDED / BY OTHERS language, send the questions
  • Compare revisions: addendum diff with auto-clouded changes
  • Digital signatures & certification (PKI)
  • AES-256 password protection & permissions
  • Live collaboration sessions (code + PIN)
  • Proposal & MTO exports: branded PDF + multi-tab Excel
  • Batch processing at scale & priority support
Before your first takeoff

Clear answers.
No guesswork.

What Lite does today, where your drawings go and how the quantities fit into your bid.

Meet TRACEBUILD Ask a product question
What is construction takeoff software?

Construction takeoff software measures material quantities from plans, such as floor area, wall length and fixture counts. TRACEBUILD Lite combines PDF measurement, markup and reviewed quantity takeoff in a browser. Estimating comes next: you apply costs, labor and markups to those quantities. Compare takeoff and estimating.

Is TRACEBUILD Lite free?

TRACEBUILD Lite is free during early access, with no credit card required to start. After early access, the listed price is $4.99 per user per month. TRACEBUILD Pro for Windows is coming soon at $19.99 per user per month. Compare Lite and Pro.

Does it work on a Mac or Windows computer?

TRACEBUILD Lite runs in a modern browser, including Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on Windows or macOS. There is no desktop installation for Lite. The coming TRACEBUILD Pro desktop app is for Windows 10 and Windows 11. See takeoff on a Mac.

Can I export takeoff quantities to Excel?

Yes. TRACEBUILD Lite exports takeoff quantities to Excel and CSV. Quantities roll up by space and type, and stable export keys help your pricing formulas keep matching across drawing revisions. You add your own material rates, labor, overhead and profit in your pricing workflow. See the Excel export guide.

Are my construction drawings uploaded?

By default, markup, measurement and takeoff process your drawings on your own device. Those actions do not require uploading the drawing. If you choose a cloud sharing feature, that feature uploads the content you share. Read the privacy details.

Do I need to review an automatic takeoff?

Yes. Detected spaces and runs are a first pass for you to review. Check the drawing scale, room boundaries, openings and classifications before accepting quantities or using them in a bid. The published accuracy benchmark covers wall detection only. Read the benchmark and its limits.

Get started

Your next bid starts
with a better takeoff.

Create a free early-access account and open it right in your browser. No credit card required. Early-access members keep their account when paid plans launch. The Pro Windows app is coming soon.

Create free account Windows Pro, coming soon
Version 3.323 · Lite in any browser (free while in early access) · Pro for Windows 10 / 11 coming soon