PBG Precon

Module 02

AI construction takeoff software

Measure lengths, areas and counts directly on the drawing with automatic scale detection, or let the system derive quantities from the sheet's own schedules and notes — with every number tied back to what it was measured from.

Automatic scale detection, not manual calibration

Every takeoff tool starts with the same chore: calibrate the sheet. PBG Precon tries to do it for you with an if-then sequence. First it reads the sheet's scale note — 1/4" = 1'-0", 1/8" = 1'-0", 1:50 — and applies it. If there is no usable note, it looks for a graphic scale bar on the sheet and derives the scale from it. If neither is present, it asks you to calibrate against a known dimension and tells you so plainly.

The scale that ends up on the page carries its method, source and confidence, and that provenance travels with every quantity and into the estimate. You always know whether a number came from a printed scale note, a scale bar, or your own calibration.

Measure on the drawing

  • Linear

    Trim, baseboard, crown, wall centerlines, gutters, footing runs, curb — polyline measurement with running totals.

  • Area

    Flooring, drywall, roofing, paving, insulation — rectangle and polygon areas with unit conversion.

  • Count

    Fixtures, outlets, doors, windows, cabinets, columns — counted with visible markers on the sheet.

  • Grouping

    Quantities are organized by room, area and trade so subtotals roll up the way an estimate needs them.

AI takeoff assist

A drawing set carries more quantity information in its text than most people extract. Door and window schedules, finish schedules, fixture schedules, room names and general notes all describe countable, measurable scope.

AI takeoff reads that positioned sheet text and proposes structured quantities — counts, lengths and areas — each with the evidence it was derived from. You review every proposed line and accept or discard it. Nothing enters your takeoff without a human accepting it, and nothing is accepted without evidence attached.

Visual verification is the point

The reason takeoff software gets distrusted is that quantities arrive as a number with no way to check them. Here, every measured quantity stays drawn on the sheet, and every derived quantity keeps its citation. A reviewer can see exactly what was counted, what was missed, and what was assumed — which is what makes the number defensible when it becomes a budget line.

Frequently asked

Can it read a CAD file directly?
A PDF does not carry true CAD coordinates, so scale is established from the sheet itself — the printed scale note, the graphic scale bar, or your calibration against a known dimension.
What if the sheet was printed at the wrong size?
That is exactly why scale provenance is tracked. A scale-note-based value on a rescaled print will disagree with a known dimension; calibrating once against a dimension you trust corrects the page.
Do quantities flow into the estimate?
Yes — accepted quantities, their units and their scale basis are passed into estimating so pricing is built on measured scope, not retyped numbers.

See it on your own drawing set

Create an account, upload a set, and run review, takeoff and scope on a project you are pricing now.