Countfire Software

Countfire Review

Only using it for a short while now but a vast improvement in speed and accuracy when counting drawings

Pros

Accuracy of count

Cons

Nothing

Quick Takeoff Solution

We are now able to significantly process a lot more drawings than when we were manually counting drawings. This has increased productivity significantly

Pros

Its a lot faster than manually counting drawings, the ability to be able to check the outputs to ensure everything is correct, gives you the confidence that it is 100%

Cons

The cost of the solution is quite high considering its simplicity

excellence

Pros

Increase the speed of work. Save up my time.

Cons

Manual counting. Not catching all the symbol in the drawing.

Speeds up work

Doesn't foster a full familiarity with a project and attention to detail.

Pros

It has a lot of potential in speeding up estimating process

Cons

Less time means less interaction with individual jobs.

Countfire - Pros and cond

Excellent, the online support is fantastic, as is the software. There have been some containment drawings that I simply could not have lifted off with Pen and paper, but Countfire has made it possible and easy to review. If in doubt do the trial on a big job and see how you get on!

Pros

Whats not to like? Not much. Its a fantastic tool for estimators, the more you use it the faster you get and the more confidence you gain.

Automatic counts - Brilliant
Manual Counts - When you cant use automatic counts this is still super fast compared to pen and paper
Measurements - Brilliant
Splits and multiples - essential and very helpfull



I have been using it for a year now and would recommend it to anyone involved in estimating or any other form of take offs.

Cons

Every now and again you get a bad drawing where all the symbols are slightly different and its a pain. Just use manual count and safe yourself a lot of frustration!

The cost is pretty high (but worth it in time saved) If I was self employed it could be out of price range.

Countfire Review

Well worth the effort to try out. I would really allocate this to only one or two persons in an office and let them develop the skills necessary to be productive and create accurate take offs. I enjoy using it and continue to be surprised how well the end result evolves. Practice makes perfect, it can only get better.

Pros

As a Lighting Engineer with some knowledge of construction software and the difficulties one can experience in quickly getting up to speed with new programs, I was pleasantly surprised to find that even without reading any tutorials, I was able to navigate and complete a number of projects on my desk over a 24hr period.

The guys at Countfire patiently watched me and offered advice how to improve my takeoff but I just kept going and only when I got into some bother did I read their suggestions.

What this means is that a novice with some practical experience of popular programs such as Microsoft Paint etc. will quickly get a handle on the basics of this take off program.

As with most things today..easy to learn..to master, takes time.

Cons

Nothing to do with the software but it does pick up some inconsistencies amongst Architects and Drafts-persons, some who clearly do not anticipate a computer checking their work. Some very sloppy drawings out there.

I check the drawings now prior to uploading so that I have an idea of where I need to look closely. Again, it's not an issue with Countfire.

Landhurst Electrical Countfire Review

Pros

This software has enabled us to dramatically reduce the time spent completing takeoffs and populating excel sheets.

Cons

We honestly cannot fault this software as of yet.

Great so far

So far, it is early days, I have found everything very straightforward. I spent time working through a lot of the help screens before I attempted my first take off, but still encountered a problem selecting some symbols. I couldn't find the answer myself so used the chat option. Within minutes I was chatting to someone who could help straight away with advice and even videos to show me how to deal with my problem. Looking forward to learning more as I progress.

Pros

Love the common sense feel to this software.
Very quick to do a take off.
Every problem I have encountered so far has had a solution.
Support and help screens are excellent.

Cons

I actually haven't found anything I don't like so far, but I have only been using it for a short time. I think it is just a case of getting your head around what the software needs from you to do its thing.

Countfire Review

We have been using the system now for around 6 weeks, during this time the Countfire people were very helpful in getting us set up correctly, as we are now more used to the software were seeing benefits of time saving and having easy access to neat and tidy take offs as apposed to trawling through the estimators files looking at unclear scribbles, also we no longer have to print off large amounts of A0 / A1 paper at tender stage saving cost and the environment.

Pros

Speed, Accuracy, environmental benefits, and easy to follow hints and tips.

Cons

Sometimes the information we are provided with by our customers is not in the correct format for Countfire to work at its full potential, this is not a fault of Countfire but a problem with the information we are working with

Good time saver

Pros

time saved for manual counting
links to excel easy

Cons

no curve or circle line measurements can be done but straight line measuring only

Countfire has changed he way I work

The time that I save now completing take off's using Countfire has freed me up to spend more time on other duties that are incorporated in my role. I'm also having more time to generate costs within the deadlines and increasing the amount of tenders completed.

Pros

Dramatic reduction in completing take off's
Add and omit exercise are painless and easy.
Time and saving on drawing production.

Cons

None...........................................

Extremely Happy with this software

We are extremely happy with our overall experience using Countfire. The customer service has been amazing and we receive lots of support when needed. The time saved using this software has made a great impact on our company.

Pros

This software is very user friendly and time saving! With efficient ways of checking the marked up drawing, we have been able to reduce the amount of mistakes, and therefore costs to the company.
If any issues occur when using the software, you can use the help section on the software and request help from a member of the Countfire Team, who reply back extremely quickly!

Cons

Almost all of my experiences with this software is positive.
However, after the initial training, it does take a couple of times to fully familiarize yourself with all parts of the software.

Countfire First Class

It will save me shed loads in paying my estimator. Also allows me to get better understanding of job from the outset.

Pros

It does exactly as it says on the tin. I’m not a estimator yet I easily used the software and won a contract!!

Cons

Biggest pain was that I couldn’t download Drgs directly to software. Had to drag from computer.

One of the most intuitive and accurate take-off software currently on the market

Saves us a lot of time dealing with large take-offs.

Pros

Simple interface, easy to pick-up. Great friendly support team, always ready to give a hand. Excel sheet with count information created by the software saves a lot time.

Cons

Price is on the high side. App can start to struggle when dealing with massive PDFs with lots of symbols.

I've never experienced technical support that countfire. Simply the best

Saves me tons of time and for someone that works 80+ hours a week, my time is very valuable.

Pros

The ease of use. It is very easy to use once I learned the shortcuts and best practices from Countfire. Was up and running withing a few days 100% and it is saving me so much time. I did the a job the other day that was normally a 4 hour job and it took me 30 minutes by using Countfire and that 3.5 hours is very valuable to me.

Cons

The only thing I'd like and it is really only for hotels, but to be able to find a certain room and count them and multiply out already in the excel sheet, but I use the counts for the rooms and easily adjust the excel spreadsheet in less than a minute, so it really isn't an issue.

Revolutionary takeoff experience.

Reduction in time in the estimation process (magnitudes).

Pros

- clear cut user interface with everything hotkeyed, and the hotkeys labeled in plain sight
- PHENOMENAL customer service and support (I requested and had a feature built and deployed overnight, etc., etc., etc.)
- Documentation from another planet (over 25,000 words of concise walk through material
- Redundancy (the way projects are delivered after being processed eliminates worry and most potential for error)
- Data manipulation (the data spit-out from a project comes post-pivot table, saving us a step in formatting to get our numbers straight)
the list goes on and on - simply amazing!!

Will and the boys are a phenomenal team, awake at preposterous hours of the morning solving issues that could wait, etc. just amazing!

Very good had excellent support from start to finish

Overall very good system. If on the manual measure/count you could have preset symbols for bends, tees etc for containment and if there was a data base for different containment types and sizes so that you could select rather than manually create. Maybe kits of some sort.

Pros

Ease of use, Being able to measure linear lengths, Counting symbols on mass, the spreadsheets that are processed are easy to read and adjust to suit.

Cons

Having to manually count when symbols are of a poor quality. If the wrong symbols were hi-lighted on the check sheets for the symbols would make the evaluation easier

Great piece of Software which gives you piece of mind

Please see previous page regards Pro's and Con's of Countfire.

Pros

Being able to carryout your Take Offs and easily being able to review your work with "Toggle On / Off", along with being presented with a well detailed and populated Excel Spreadsheet of said Take Offs on completion / Project processed.

Cons

The Management Side of the Projects requires a Folder Format, instead of just listing the Projects in Number / Alphabetical order.

Very helpful piece of software to quickly take off drawings. Excellent support.

Quicker takeoffs means more time can be spent doing deeper more profitable work.

Pros

Intuitive to use. Accurate. Excellent customer support. Works on Chrome so can be easily worked on from multiple locations, on the road, in the office.

Easy to use programme reducing the time taken taking off quantities.

Time Saving

Pros

Ease of use being able to breakdown the drawings into areas to suit the Tender Analysis Breakdown detailing disciplines & areas

Cons