What are eTakeoff users saying about the software?

eTakeoff Review

Pros

The product is super easy to use. Really user friendly. It has really helped me to learn how to perform good takeoffs.

Cons

They might make the dimensioning a little easier to use, but overall a really good experience.

eTakeOff Makes Doing Estimates a Breeze

eTakeoff is an incredibly powerful and versatile piece of software. I am an estimator for The Mercury Group a full service electrical, security and tele data contractor Connecticut. eTakeoff has made us more efficient with my time, more effective with my efforts, and more competitive with my bids.We starting using the software in January 2016 and have since noticed a dramatic increase in both productivity and my profitability / conversion rate. In only four months we doubled our previous bid-output and decreased our margins of error below 2%. We didn’t add a new estimator. We didn’t start working sixteen hour days. We started using eTakeoff and embraced an era of change. eTakeoff helped us hone in on pin-point precision for my bottom line so we can win jobs. Period. We have all been faced with the choice of “quality” or “quantity.” This software doesn’t force you to choose — it enables you to take a set of plans and turn it into your trade-specific dollars and cents in a fraction of the time it would normally take. eTakeoff puts the tools you need right at your fingertips — accessible with just a click of a mouse button. eTakeoff is vastly superior to other programs. The key to winning bids in this economy is competitive pricing that is both accurate and aggressive. eTakeoff affords you all the customization of your own personal “in-house” software without the trappings of a clunky interface and poorly implemented back-of-house functionality. Setting up the Quantity Worksheet, the Excel Spreadsheet integration, and your “bread ‘n butter” traces can take a little time but it is worth it; the more you learn about the program the easier it will be to put together your estimates. If you’re a novice-user I recommend watching the online videos and taking the web tutorials right on the eTakeoff website or opting for the Customer Support subscription. The most phenomenal aspect of my experience with the eTakeoff has been my interaction with the team. Their website, forums, and phone-support are friendly, helpful, and very accommodating. They know that we rely on their software to bring home the bacon and I always feel like a valued customer. I have participated in many a discussion both via phone call and the forums regarding changes to the software, new features, and implementation. The eTakeoff team keeps an open dialogue and encourages feedback so they can keep the software updated to the ever-changing needs of their clients.

Pros

Very easy to use, great training at no charge and unlimited. Can be integrated with our Sage 100 Contractor CRM and Sage Estimator.

Cons

None

Easy to learn, easy to use on-screen takeoff software

Overall Etakeoff has allowed us to streamline our estimating process and provide more standardization across the estimating department

Pros

A major pro to this software is how user friendly it is. Once installed, you can download plans and being doing basic takeoff in a matter of minutes. The program is easily customizable and standards can be created and shared company wide to standardize the takeoff process. With the Bridge software option, ETakeoff can be linked directly to Sage estimating, making takeoff & estimating integrated and seamless. The user friendliness and ability to integrate/pull up a takeoff on multiple devices allows for quick and easy review of an estimators work. The user friendliness allows individuals to be efficient in no time, even with no prior on-screen takeoff experience.

Cons

One improvement that could be made is the ability to more easily copy a measurement and repeat it. Etakeoff is good at this when copying an entire measurement, but not as user friendly when it comes to copying a portion of a measurement (i.e. one window instead of all windows on an exterior elevation). Setting up the integration with Bridge is a somewhat time consuming process, but well worth it once you have it completed. There are a few features that are different from other on-screen takeoff software that take some time getting used to if you are used to utilizing other on-screen takeoff programs

Etakeoff Digital measure table

This is a good program for what it does , it has a set of template traces , wich you can use to get measures from existing PDF drawing sets , maybe to fit your company standard you will need to go thru a hard self taught about to to do custom formulas ,

Pros

you can use the template traces to do standard measures and continue the math on paper or you can go deep in formulas and do what you want , with the drawing scale tools this will be like a digital measurement table.

Cons

the part of the formulas is a little complex , so if you are planning to further rely on etakeoff to get all your measurement set maybe that will require that you consider some time for understanding how that works and to get your team trained.

eTakeoff Advantage

The key to winning bids in this economy is competitive pricing that is both accurate and aggressive. eTakeoff affords you all the customization of your own personal "in-house" software without the trappings of a clunky interface and poorly implemented back-of-house functionality. The most phenomenal aspect of my experience with the eTakeoff has been my interaction with the team. Their website, forums, and phone-support are friendly, helpful, and very accommodating. They know that we rely on their software to bring home the bacon and I always feel like a valued customer. I have participated in many a discussion both via phone call and the forums regarding changes to the software, new features, and implementation. The eTakeoff team keeps an open dialogue and encourages feedback so they can keep the software updated to the ever-changing needs of their clients.

Pros

eTakeoff is an incredibly powerful and versatile piece of software. I am an estimator for Barrett Roofing, a Union roofing contractor in the tri-state area and eTakeoff has made me more efficient with my time, more effective with my efforts, and more competitive with my bids. I starting using the software in August of 2012 and have since noticed a dramatic increase in both my productivity AND my profitability / conversion rate. In only four months we DOUBLED our previous bid-output and decreased our margins of error below 2%. We didn't add a new estimator. We didn't start working sixteen hour days. We started using eTakeoff and embraced an era of change. eTakeoff puts the tools you need right at your fingertips -- accessible with just a click of a mouse button. I have extensively used AutoBid SM / Mech / Plb, QuickPen, Estimation, On-Screen, and a few "in-house" bidding programs but eTakeoff is VASTLY SUPERIOR.

Cons

very few -- if any. The software isn't always "intuitive" at first but they quickly make up for that with functionality, versatility, and support. I recommend taking the tutorials and watching the online videos.

Flexible, powerful, accurate and great integration to Excell and Sage Estimating

Accurate takeoff quantities with a visual audit trail.

Pros

The power of doing accurate takeoff with a number of alternatives to do everything. The graphic nature to be able to see visually what you have taken off and the ability to dynamically tie each takeoff to line items in your estimate through their bridge product

Cons

There really is no much I do not like about this product. But I would have to say I wish it allowed better sorting capabilities in the measurement list and gave us more power there.

Doesn't go everything but does enough

In general etakeoff is a great product and they have worked with the end users to refine the program. as a flooring company it has been great as most of our measurements are one dimensional, as a tile wall is a tile wall and not a multi-component feature. as a measurement doesn't represent a wall with framing, wall board insulation and stabilizers. The advanced program doesn't break out measurements in this fashion but may be available in the premier. It has given me some glitches in the past but customer service will try to resolve.

Pros

Very simple to pick up and use with basic computer knowledge.

Cons

you can't change extensions or create new ones unless you have the premier version. its the only thing really lacking from the advanced version but not work the upgrade for this one function.

Fairly Complicated

I switched to LandOne as soon as it came out and haven't looked back.

Pros

Once you get the hang of it, I guess it's kind of easy to use?

Cons

Too much going on. I don't need 1,000 different ways to do something when 5 is plenty.

There are Better Takeoff Softwares

Overall I don't think this software is better than other solutions out there.

Pros

The software has some nice functionality like it can count similar looking objects for you automatically.

Cons

It is not user friendly or intuitive. Training is involved and the "nice functions" don't always work as advertised.

Not Like its Advertised

Not my preffered takeoff software.

Pros

The software has some pretty nifty features to help quickly count/recognize things.

Cons

Often times the nifty features wouldn't work and you'd end up counting things by hand anyway. There's weird rules about which directions you click around things to add/subtract areas. Not very intuitive.

I am the estimator for Excellence in Stone, Inc. Our company fabricates and installs Tile, Stone, Terracotta, and Solid Surfaces in South Florida. We specialize in high end residential and commercial projects up to $ 7 million dollars. With this much money at stake we needed an estimating software that would allow me to service our diverse and very demanding customers. Before purchasing eTakeoff 4 years ago, I researched most of the estimating software suppliers and decided on eTakeoff because of their accuracy, support system, and flexibility in customizing the program to our unique use. Because our jobs are so intricate, often including up to 50 different materials on a single job. We cover so many different types of installation ranging from mosaics to cladding large Stone Slabs on walls and ceilings; so I needed a software that would allow me to tailor each unique project to calculate an ever-changing type of data. As soon as I tried eTakeoff I realized that this was the software for us. It was easy to use (I have never needed formal training, since their menus are self explanatory) and their built in features that allow you to write custom subroutines are so flexible that I fell in love with the product after a week into the trial. The implementation was a snap, i was up and running immediately, but it is their support team that I am the most impressed with; it is like having your own personal estimating team to back you up. Over the years, I have asked for special features to be added to eTakeoff and I have yet to be disappointed. I can now estimate 3 times as many projects as I did before, and in today's competitive market it has translated into a constant stream of work for our company in a construction industry that has been suffering for the past 5 years.

Doesn't go everything but does enough

In general etakeoff is a great product and they have worked with the end users to refine the program. as a flooring company it has been great as most of our measurements are one dimensional, as a tile wall is a tile wall and not a multi-component feature. as a measurement doesn't represent a wall with framing, wall board insulation and stabilizers. The advanced program doesn't break out measurements in this fashion but may be available in the premier. It has given me some glitches in the past but customer service will try to resolve.

Pros

Very simple to pick up and use with basic computer knowledge.

Cons

You can't change extensions or create new ones unless you have the premier version. its the only thing really lacking from the advanced version but not work the upgrade for this one function.

I am a Senior estimator for a general contractor in south western PA. I first learned about eTakeoff from McGraw Hill and signed up for the free 30 day trial. Having used other on screen takeoff programs, I found eTakeoff to be very user friendly and after about a week of using the program and some initial support from eTakeoff's support team, we decided to buy the software package. Since we do a large amount of design build projects we often only recieve a basic footprint of the building with no scale attached. eTakeoff makes it very easy to set custom scales, all I need is a dimension and I can quickly and accurately takeoff the concrete, asphalt paving, sitework, and building area using the custom scale setting. I found that once I had built my customized traces that I most commonly use, I am able to quickly do my takeoffs and copy the quantities from the measurement list to my excel pricing sheet. This saves a lot of time by not having to type things twice. I also have found their support staff to be very user friendly with timely response. I have recomended this product to some of my sub contractors as well. Since most of our drawings are now in PDF format it saves them time and money in printing cost when I email them drawings for a project to bid. So if you are looking for ways to cut your estimating time and save money also, then I would highly recommend this product.

Our epoxy flooring company purchased eTakeoff due to an increased need to work with digital drawings. While some of the other products reviewed had similar features, we liked eTakeoff's simplicity. We have only had the system for about a month, but have found it easy to use, even just by fumbling around to figure it out. eTakeoff also has a great deal of training tools and short, easy-to-view videos of how features work. The customer service people were great. They checked back to see if we liked using it during the free trial, but I never felt any pressure to buy it. The benefits of this system include being able to take off a project in a much shorter time than the old-fashioned hard copy drawings with scaled ruler, pen & paper. If you can click and drag a mouse, you can use eTakeoff! The system allows you to highlight the areas already measured, so you can be sure you haven't missed anything. The system also allows you to save drawings and specifications to each project's folder, so you know exactly what information was used to create each bid. You can also print the drawings after you complete the measurements to send with the bid so your customers can also see what was measured. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of projects when we have superintendents telling us we have other areas to do that were not included with the original price.

Review of eTakeoff Premier

I contacted three major companies that advertised as electronic takeoff software companies, did trial versions, spoke with their technical people to see what they were capable of, asked about assemblies and other things and chose eTakeoff because it was the most comprehensive, powerful and the programmers were not telling me how to estimate. It is what I call a blank sheet program like Excel or AutoCAD lots of great tools with no one to say how to use it. I developed a lumber takeoff system and then a concrete & rebar system both of which use very complicated assemblies. Support for the software has been phenomenal. Many of my suggestions have become a part of the software. The ease and accuracy with which I am able to do takeoffs has made it one of the best investments in my career.

Pros

Powerful Assembly capabilities Dynamic interface with Excel Unlimited Computer Displays Unlimited Windows/Plan Pages open at one time Single Data Base Very Quick Project Backups

Cons

Each level of eTakeoff is increasingly more powerful and increasingly more difficult to learn. Some would view the Premier version capabilities as too difficult to learn and therefore a "Con". I do not see it that way.

Etakeoff A lot of Bang for the buck

We are general contractors and take off several catagories of work with this program. Its flexability allows us to adapt the program to what ever type of work we are bidding, but if you are a contractor that does one type of work, like building Applebees, or Aldi stores, or Mcdonalds you will absolutly love this product beacuse you can set the program up with the units/items specific to those places and fly thru the take offs. I would strongly recommend this program

Pros

User- friendly interface, the lighting quick rate at which the drawings load, the intuitive zoom and Scroll drawing manipulation. Feature rich Easy implementation Constant updates, great support, and a partnership between user and programmers unlike any I have ever experienced. Competetive price

Cons

Etakeoff is not idiot proof. To effectively use the program, at least the premier version, you should have a good background in Excel and understand the rules for algebraic iteration, because the manner that formulas are set up in Etakeoff are very similar (but not identical to) the way they get set up in an Excel worksheet.

A great product that will make you better at takeoff.

Pros

eTakeoff is a great asset for our company. It's designed by people who truly understand what we need in an estimating software. The software makes sense. Upgrades only enhance features without ever feeling "NEW" or "CORRECTIVE".

Cons

I don't have anything that I dislike about eTakeoff.

Very good time saver.

Pros

- The better part of the program is it allows you to create, change or edit any existing template. - Now the program allows you to add as many shortcut keys as you need.

Cons

- A PDF document loses quality whenever a sheet is added to an existing project. - The program doesn't allow to execute the undo command after finishing the measurement, it only allows you to edit manually the measurement. - The program doesn't work with dwg (cad) format.

Easy to Use

Pros

I like the ability to measure a dimension on a drawing even though that dimension isn't called out on the sheet.

Cons

Sometimes, it can be difficult to import drawings if they aren't in the correct folder on your computer.

Easy to use, great for reviewing plans and specs.

Pros

User friendly and great way to get into digital takeoffs.

Cons

A little time consuming to set up initially. Your materials and labor need to be added in separately. Assemblies are helpful

eTakeoff is a valuable tool.

Pros

I like the way the entire products functions and the product support. Any problem that I have had has always been answered.

Cons

I sometimes have problems establishing new projects

I've been using "eTakeoff" for four years , and I recommend it.

Pros

eTakeoff is simple to use , and lets me execute take-off's efficiently.

Cons

Its pricey to purchase. The fee to purchase is high , and I cant justify spending that amount.

Not Worth the Price at this Time

Can't recommend this product, especially considering the cost per license seat.

Pros

The only pro is that it's compatible with Sage Estimating, but other than that, I am not impressed with any features on this software.

Cons

It is not user friendly or intuitive to use. I would recommend Planswift or On-Screen Takeoff, or virtually any other on-screen software. Their support is absolutely terrible.

Great for takeoff, but not intuitive

Great option for the budget minded.

Pros

Color coding takeoff for further review and discussion has been fantastic, with the ability to track and review quantities with other team members is very useful. Overall eTakeoff does the job, just not as quite as well as the more expensive options.

Cons

Somewhat clunky to get going in. Without training it's not possible to work quickly or efficiently. Training is a must.

eTakeoff was our First experience

Pros

Easy to use and accurate. It help us to bid severals projects without having to print the plans. We like the free trial.

Cons

The price is kind of high or at least you can have more options for starters