“On screen take off” is the modern method of measuring quantities directly from digital plans rather than printing and manually scaling drawings. For residential contractors, builders, and specialty trades, it replaces rulers, highlighters, and guesswork with pixel-accurate measurements, live cost data, and instant updates. CountBricks brings this concept to life by pairing on screen take off with real-time voice commands, AI-driven pricing, and automated quote generation—turning what used to be hours of office work into minutes.
Margins in residential work are tight and homeowners demand fixed prices fast. Traditional takeoffs introduce risk at three critical points:
• Missed items that erode profit
• Slow turnaround that loses bids
• Manual data re-entry that breeds errors
CountBricks eliminates each pain point. While you walk through the plans, our AI listens, captures dimensions, assigns labor codes, and pulls current material costs from suppliers connected to CountBricks.com/pricing. The result is a defendable estimate ready to send before your competition opens Excel.
Voice-Driven Measurement
Say “external walls” and trace once. CountBricks records the length, applies wall build-ups from your library, and adds framing, insulation, board, and finish labor automatically.
AI Material Matching
Our algorithm suggests SKU-level products from your preferred merchants. Prices stream in live, meaning your quote reflects today’s market—no more margin-killing fluctuations.
Instant Quote Documents
When the takeoff is complete, click “Generate Quote” and CountBricks populates your branded template with scope notes, inclusions, exclusions, and payment schedules. Edit in real time, then share as a web link or PDF.
Integrated Scheduling
Each quantified task automatically appears on a Gantt schedule in CountBricks.com/services so you can visualise labour demand and cash flow the moment the quote is accepted.
1. Upload the PDF or IFC plan to your project dashboard.
2. Set one accurate scale line—CountBricks locks every page to that unit.
3. Speak or type an assembly name, for example “internal stud walls.”
4. Trace the relevant lines; CountBricks multiplies lengths by board heights or stud centres as defined in your template.
5. Review the auto-generated material list; swap items or suppliers if required.
6. Hit “Create Estimate” to view costs, mark-ups, taxes, and target margin.
7. Click “Generate Quote” to receive a polished document ready for client signature.
• Create assembly templates for your top ten house types—semi, detached, loft conversion, extension, basement dig, and so on.
• Use colour-coded layers (framing, MEP, finishes) to keep takeoffs tidy and export discipline-specific reports for subcontractors.
• Turn on supplier auto-refresh so timber and insulation prices update before you press “send.”
• Link CountBricks tasks to your field app so your site team sees quantities and specs on phones.
• Set contingency percentages by category (5 % on materials, 10 % on prelims) so your risk buffer is consistent.
Imagine you quote two extensions per week at an average value of £80,000. Traditional takeoff and estimating might take four hours per project. That’s 416 hours per year—over ten full workweeks. If your charge-out rate is £45 per hour, manual workflows cost nearly £19,000 annually. CountBricks users report an average on screen take off time of 45 minutes, cutting the cost to £3,900 and freeing seven weeks for billable site work. Add the typical 7 % increase in won bids due to faster turnaround and most contractors see payback within the first month.
• Forgetting waste factors: every assembly in CountBricks includes editable waste percentages.
• Double-counting shared walls: overlay detection flags lines traced twice and prompts a review.
• Using obsolete prices: live merchant feeds refresh nightly; custom alerts warn if any SKU rises more than 3 %.
• Ignoring labour efficiencies: productivity rates auto-adjust when you change crew size or site hours, keeping schedules realistic.
Residential developers juggling multiple house types can clone and batch-edit takeoffs. CountBricks replicates measurement layers to new plots, recalculates totals, and creates lot-specific quotes with a single command. Whether you are pricing three bespoke self-builds or a 40-unit scheme, the core workflow remains identical—upload, trace, talk, quote.
Ready to remove the drudge work from estimating? Book a live demo at CountBricks.com/consultation or start a free trial straight from your dashboard. Discover how on screen take off backed by AI, real-time costs, and voice control can transform your residential construction business today.
A Midlands carpentry and general‐build firm recently used CountBricks for a three-plot timber-frame infill. The director uploaded architect PDFs, performed an on screen take off in 50 minutes, and generated supplier-specific material schedules. By switching to CountBricks-suggested engineered joists, he shaved 6 % off framing costs. The estimate—sent the same afternoon—won the contract.
• Voice-tagging each floor plate allowed the estimator to walk the plan while CountBricks calculated areas in real time.
• Assembly templates applied pre-loaded waste factors, eliminating manual “fudge” allowances.
• Automated quote documents included payment triggers linked to milestone quantities, accelerating cash flow discussions.
• Speed sells: the client commented that CountBricks’ next-day quote instilled confidence in the contractor’s professionalism.
• Data accuracy drives margin: live material prices prevented under-quoting during a month of rapid timber inflation.
• Repeatability scales profit: once the first plot was measured, cloning the takeoff to the remaining units took five minutes per house.
CountBricks is built for residential construction pros who value both craft and commercial savvy. Whether you specialise in extensions, loft conversions, or turnkey developments, our on screen take off engine pairs speed with precision. Book your personalised walkthrough today at CountBricks.com/consultation and see how easy accurate estimating can be.
