Visibility in this ranking can be paid for. Payment moves a vendor's position within the
shortlist; it never adds a vendor, and it never changes a word of the review. The largest vendors in construction estimating software
cannot hold places 1 to 3. Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands in a category,
wherever the category has them; the established names follow from place 4 in their ranked order. How it works: placement disclosure ·
editorial process.
The 12 tools, reviewed
#1 STACK
Cloud takeoff and estimating for contractors · United States · stackct.com
takeoff estimating cloud
STACK is the one tool on this list that covers the whole path from plan upload to a priced proposal while telling you roughly what it costs. The Takeoff and Estimate product has a free version, which lets a small shop test measurement on a real set before paying anything.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Takeoff and Estimate is listed as low as $299 per user per month. Free plan: free plan.
- Best for: Specialty and general contractors
- Strengths: AI takeoff; Integrated estimating; Custom items and assemblies.
Where it falls short
Pricing on the page is a floor ('as low as'), so the real figure depends on the build-your-price configuration. The field and project modules are a second purchase and are not what you are buying STACK for.
Wrong for
Anyone who wants a one-time license installed on a single PC; PlanSwift fits better.
Visit STACK →
#2 PlanSwift
Takeoff and estimating in one tool · United States · planswift.com
takeoff AI annual
PlanSwift answers the questions a buyer has in a trial: you get every feature, including the AI tools, for 14 days with no card on file, and the annual price is a stated figure per seat.
- Pricing: Per seat / year. Essential is $2,000 per year for one seat and Core is $3,000 per year. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Trade contractors wanting installed software
- Strengths: Takeoff BOOST AI suite; Auto Takeoff; Auto Count.
Where it falls short
The best AI function, Auto Takeoff, is held back for the $3,000 Core plan, so the entry price understates what most users end up buying. Pricing is per seat per year, which gets expensive for teams.
Wrong for
Contractors who want unlimited reviewers and subcontractors to open takeoffs in a browser; Togal.AI or Kreo suits them better.
Visit PlanSwift →
#3 Togal.AI
AI-first takeoff built for estimators · United States · togal.ai
AI takeoff cloud
Togal.AI is the clearest example of the AI-first approach: it detects areas from drawings, lets you ask questions of the plans in a chat feature, and compares drawing sets to quantify changes.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Growth is $299 per user per month billed yearly, with unlimited automated takeoffs; Business is custom for teams of four or more. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Estimators who want automatic takeoff
- Strengths: Automated detection and measurement; Togal.CHAT plan questions; Drawing set comparison.
Where it falls short
The 98 percent accuracy figure is the vendor's own and applies to floor plans, not to every drawing type. There is no free trial listed, only a demo booking.
Wrong for
A contractor whose main work is pricing from supplier quotes and labor units; McCormick or STACK suits better.
Visit Togal.AI →
#4 Bluebeam Revu
PDF markup and measurement for construction · United States · bluebeam.com
PDF markup measurement
Bluebeam Revu is where many estimators already do their measuring, because architects, engineers and owners send PDFs. The Core tier adds measurements for perimeters, counts, angles and volume, and drawing overlay, and the Complete tier adds a Quantity Link to Excel, which sends takeoff measurements to a spreadsheet. All plans include Bluebeam University courses and phone support.
- Pricing: Per user / year. Four annual tiers per user: Basics $260, Core $330, Complete $440 and Max $590 as an introductory price; all include technical support and training. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Teams already working in PDF
- Strengths: Perimeter, count, angle and volume measurements; Overlay and compare drawings; Quantity Link with Microsoft Excel.
Where it falls short
Revu has no built-in cost database or proposal writer, so the estimate lives in Excel. The useful measurement and Excel features start at the $330 and $440 tiers.
Wrong for
A bidder who wants the takeoff, cost database and proposal in one product.
Visit Bluebeam Revu →
#5 Procore Estimating
Takeoff and estimating inside Procore · United States · procore.com
takeoff suite preconstruction
Procore Estimating extracts quantities from 2D or 3D models, uses AI to detect floor plan areas and auto-count repeated symbols, and lets you adjust material prices, labor units and margins into a customer-facing proposal. Its argument is continuity: the estimate, bid, contract and financials sit in one platform, with unlimited users on an annual contract.
- Pricing: Quote only. Quote-based annual contract with unlimited users, data and 24/7 support; no published price. Free plan: none.
- Best for: General contractors already on Procore
- Strengths: 2D and 3D takeoff; AI floor plan area detection; Auto-count of repeated symbols.
Where it falls short
There is no published price or free trial, and the page leads to a demo and a quote. Its estimating is a means to the rest of Procore, so pure estimators get little from the surrounding tools.
Wrong for
A subcontractor or trade shop that wants an inexpensive, standalone takeoff tool with published pricing.
Visit Procore Estimating →
#6 Kreo
AI takeoff and estimating platform · United Kingdom · kreo.net
AI takeoff cloud
Kreo is a good fit for firms that want AI takeoff and a spreadsheet-like estimate in the same browser tool. The Essential plan covers PDF, CAD and image files with area, length, volume and count measurements, live-linked estimates, a shared cost database and Excel import and export, and guests who only view and comment are free.
- Pricing: Per user / month. Essential $100, Pro $175 and Business $250 per user per month billed annually (Business includes 5 seats); Enterprise is custom; 7-day free trial. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Estimators and quantity surveyors
- Strengths: 2D and 3D takeoff views; Auto symbol counting; AI takeoff of rooms, walls, doors and windows.
Where it falls short
Key features including the AI tools, API access and cost-database import are spread across the three tiers, so the cheap tier is not the full product. The Business plan is billed at $15,000 every 12 months.
Wrong for
A contractor who wants a single desktop license bought once.
Visit Kreo →
#7 ConstructConnect Takeoff (On-Screen Takeoff)
Scalable takeoff plus bid-lead services · United States · constructconnect.com
takeoff bid leads AI
ConstructConnect covers a lot of ground. It lists On-Screen Takeoff as scalable takeoff with AI, PlanSwift for point-and-click takeoff and estimating, Quick Bid for turning takeoffs into bids, QuoteSoft for mechanical and piping estimating, and SmartBid for sending invitations and managing subs.
- Pricing: Quote only. Takeoff pricing is shown after a contact form; the page lists a Takeoff BOOST AI preview you can try free. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Subcontractors who also need leads
- Strengths: On-Screen Takeoff; Takeoff BOOST AI preview; Takeoff as a Service.
Where it falls short
Takeoff prices are behind a form, and the pricing page foregrounds bid-lead plans per market and seat. The overlap between On-Screen Takeoff and PlanSwift, both owned by the same company, makes the product choice confusing.
Wrong for
A contractor with no interest in bid leads or a bundle; PlanSwift or STACK is cleaner.
Visit ConstructConnect Takeoff (On-Screen Takeoff) →
#8 RIB CostX
2D and BIM takeoff for cost consultants · Germany · rib-software.com
BIM takeoff quantity surveying
RIB CostX suits cost consultants and estimators who get drawings and models from design teams that revise constantly. It measures PDF, scan and CAD drawings plus BIM files, and keeps estimate workbooks live-linked to the drawings and its cost database.
- Pricing: Quote only. Custom price on request through RIB; no published list price. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Quantity surveyors and cost planners
- Strengths: 2D drawing takeoff; 3D/BIM takeoff; Live-linked estimating workbooks.
Where it falls short
Pricing is by custom quote. The subcontractor comparison function is not available in the USA. The feature set is broad, and a small trade contractor will not use most of it.
Wrong for
A small painting or flooring contractor who needs fast area takeoff and a one-page proposal.
Visit RIB CostX →
#9 McCormick Estimating
Trade estimating for MEP contractors · United States · mccormicksys.com
electrical plumbing mechanical
McCormick is a trade-specific tool, which is an advantage if you price pipe, fittings, conduit or equipment from labor-unit tables. The electrical product references NECA labor units and generates bid proposals and material lists from takeoff, the plumbing product has built-in PDF takeoff, and the mechanical database covers boiler systems, fire suppression and sprinklers, with MCAA or PHCC units as options.
- Pricing: Quote only. No price shown on the pages reviewed; contact for a demo and quote. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Electrical, plumbing and mechanical shops
- Strengths: Electrical estimating; Plumbing estimating; Mechanical estimating.
Where it falls short
No pricing is published on the pages reviewed, and the demo request is the first step. It is for specific trades, so general contractors, painters or flooring installers get little from it.
Wrong for
A general contractor or carpentry firm that bids many trades from one plan set.
Visit McCormick Estimating →
#10 JobTread
Estimating plus job management · United States · jobtread.com
remodeling job costing CRM
JobTread suits a builder or remodeler for whom the estimate is the start of the job. The estimate flows into contracts, customer portals, budgets, change orders and job costing, and the pricing page says every feature is included with no setup fees, plus free implementation, training and support.
- Pricing: Flat monthly + per user. $199 per month plus $20 per month per internal user (tiered breaks after 10 users). Free plan: none.
- Best for: Home builders and remodelers
- Strengths: Estimating; Takeoff; Cost catalog.
Where it falls short
Takeoff is a feature of a wider system, so a heavy commercial estimating shop would outgrow it. The $199 base plus per-user fees rises as the team grows.
Wrong for
A commercial subcontractor who only wants plan measurement.
Visit JobTread →
#11 Clear Estimates
Quick remodeling estimates and proposals · United States · clearestimates.com
remodeling proposals low cost
Clear Estimates targets remodelers who want a priced proposal out the same day. The Standard plan has unlimited estimates and customers, a database of more than 13,000 line items updated quarterly, 400-plus templates, built-in e-signature and payable invoices. The Pro plan adds AI image and plan uploads, integration with Buildertrend and CRMs via Zapier, and extra users at $9 per month.
- Pricing: Flat monthly. Standard $79 per month ($59 annual), Pro $99 annual ($119 monthly), Franchise from $199; 30-day free trial, no contract. Free plan: free trial.
- Best for: Small remodelers and handymen
- Strengths: 13,000+ line item database; 400+ preloaded templates; Unlimited AI estimates.
Where it falls short
It does not do deep plan-based takeoff for commercial work; the plan upload is an AI feature of the Pro plan. The pricing database is generic regional data, not your supplier prices.
Wrong for
A commercial or civil estimator who measures large plan sets.
Visit Clear Estimates →
#12 Houzz Pro
All-in-one software for design and build pros · United States · pro.houzz.com
remodeling CRM design
Houzz Pro is a bundle: 3D floor plans, takeoffs, estimates, proposals, bid management, selections, a CRM, project management, invoicing and marketing, with a QuickBooks integration. For an interior designer or a remodeler who sells to homeowners, the estimate sits next to the mood board and client dashboard.
- Pricing: Subscription. Subscription with a demo-led sales process; the main page lists no price. Free plan: none.
- Best for: Design-build and remodeling firms
- Strengths: Takeoffs; Estimates and proposals; Bid management.
Where it falls short
Takeoff and estimating are two items in a very wide product, and the main page lists no price.
Wrong for
A commercial estimator or specialty subcontractor.
Visit Houzz Pro →
Questions and answers
What is the best construction estimating software in 2026?
STACK ranks first of 12, best for specialty and general contractors. PlanSwift is second (trade contractors wanting installed software) and Togal.AI third (estimators who want automatic takeoff). Places 1 to 3 go to challengers, vendors outside the best-known brands, wherever the category has them.
What is the difference between takeoff software and estimating software?
Takeoff software measures the drawings: lengths, areas, volumes and counts. Estimating software applies costs to those quantities and produces the bid with markup, labor and subcontractor lines. Many products do both, such as STACK, PlanSwift and Kreo.
Does AI takeoff replace the estimator?
No. AI features in Togal.AI, Kreo, PlanSwift and STACK produce a first pass of rooms, walls and symbol counts that a person must review. They save the repetitive clicking, and they work best on clean floor plans.
How much does construction estimating software cost?
Published prices range widely.
Can I estimate in Excel instead of buying software?
You can, and many small shops do, but the weak point is measuring, not the arithmetic. Typing quantities from a printed plan or a PDF viewer invites missed items and no trail when drawings change.
Which tool is best for residential remodelers?
Remodelers usually need estimates, proposals and job costing together, so JobTread and Houzz Pro, which fold estimating and takeoff into a wider job platform, fit better than pure takeoff tools.
What should an electrical or mechanical contractor choose?
Trade-specific estimating tools generally beat general takeoff tools here because they carry labor-unit tables and assemblies. McCormick Systems offers separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical estimating with NECA, MCAA or PHCC units, and ConstructConnect sells QuoteSoft for mechanical and piping.
Do I need BIM takeoff?
Only if your clients issue models. Quantity surveyors and cost consultants working from 3D files should look at RIB CostX, which supports 2D and BIM takeoff, tracks revisions and calculates embodied carbon. Kreo also lists 3D takeoff views.
Can subcontractors and clients view takeoffs without paying for a seat?
Some vendors allow it. Kreo says guests who only view and comment are free on all plans, Togal.AI includes unlimited external collaboration with users outside your account, and JobTread gives free external users portal access.
How long does it take to learn estimating software?
A competent estimator can complete a simple takeoff within a day or two in most tools, since the measuring workflow is similar. The long part is building your cost database, assemblies and templates, which takes weeks.
Is it safe to move my estimating history to a new product?
It is feasible if you plan for it. Export finished estimates and cost items to Excel, keep annotated PDFs of the plans as evidence of quantities, and ask the new vendor to import your price lists.
