Questions and Answers

Construction Questions

What do you recommend for a small contractor needing to perform takeoffs?

I have a program called Fast Takeoffs for $500 that is an easy to use digitizing program for calculating blueprint areas, lengths, counts, add, subtract, display on screen, reports, export to excel, etc. It is free with a digitizer. I have several used 36x48 digitizers in excellent condition for $1200. I can sell you a new Digitizer 36x48 for $2020. They are both identical. For a stand/pedestal I sell used manual stand for $400 or a new one for $750. Shipping on the digitizer is $120 and $130 for the stand.

Can you start and stop digitizing using the buttons on the cursor or stylus?

With the latest version of the software you can start and stop digitizing using the buttons on the cursor and delete points.
Press the 0 button to digitize points
Press the 1 button to delete the last point digitized
Press the 2 button to start digitizing a new area or length
Press the 3 button to stop digitizing a new area or length.

Can you copy a single takeoff value into a excel cell?

You can copy just one takeoff result into your excel spreadsheet. In your excell spreadsheet, click the cell you want the takeoff result, go to the Fast Takeoffs results tablet, click the cell with the result (eg the area), then click the Excel 1 cell button, it will pop it into the excel results. Repeat for other values.

We will be digitizing roofs for commercial buildings, what do we need?

I have a program Fast Takeoffs that performs takeoffs including areas, lengths, counts. Your can input roof pitch, display digitized areas, print reports, and exports results to excel. It is free with the digitizer sale. I can sell you a used digitizer and software for $1385?

What do you recommend for cut and fill calculations?

The siteworx is an excellent tool for calculating cut and fill volumes, I frequently sell a copy with the GTCO rollup 3 digitizer. Vertigraph does have a 30 day demo that I can send you on a cd

I need to calculate takeoffs for the roofing industry?

For calculating takeoffs from blueprints, I suggest a copy of our Fast TakeOffs and a digitizing tablet. Fast Takeoff costs $500 a copy but is included free with a digitizing tablet. The cost of digitizers is dependent on size. A new 36x48 is $2020, used $1200. There are also 44x60 sized digitizers, 30x36 and 24x36. You also might want to consider a rollup digitizer, $1940 for a 36x48.