Fig. 1

For this example, click and type in the information as needed.

Bid Item is the breakdown in which you would typically store all takeoffs pertaining to your base bid. It is also the place where you could manage any separate or breakout pricing (e.g. Tenant Fit Out).

Fig. 2

We’re all aware of the importance of document management. By clicking on the button, you’re opening up the Breakdown Definition window in which all project specific drawings can be stored. By simply highlighting the first available line and typing in the drawing name and even the description as it might appear in the title block of your blueprint, you effectively capture the drawing title information allowing you to allocate takeoff accordingly.

Fig. 3

The button represents another important breakdown to include in your takeoff. It affords you the flexibility in allocating labor and materials to different areas of the job. For example, labor for all pipe and fittings In Slab might be factored differently than labor for pipe and fittings in a Riser Shaft. Using the Area breakdown, you can very easily adjust and account for your labor for both areas quickly and efficiently.

Fig. 4

can be synonymous with floors or levels. While you can certainly break your job up into phases, it is very common to also break it down by floor. This is where you would create the different levels of the project as they relate to storeys or floors. Clearly, the higher you need to build, the more of an impact you can expect on your field labor factoring.

Fig. 5

One of the most commonly used breakdowns is . Being able to take off similar pipe and fittings and allocating those materials to different systems will help with ordering materials. For example, often piping materials and joining methods are similar for both Storm and Sanitary systems. It becomes very apparent very quickly that being able to separate these material quantities by system can be a very important project management tool.

Fig. 6

When using Piping and Instrumentation diagrams for takeoff, many times certain process piping systems will have a line number attached to them. One system, for example, may carry on onto several different diagrams, and to effectively track them, a number is assigned. Using , you can track all the information on your P & IDs, helping to eliminate any inherent risk of losing track or even forgetting a pipe line or system.

Fig. 7

You can use the breakdown to help you keep track of just that. Typically found in more industrial settings, spool pieces are normally used for joining pipeline systems or to handle thermal expansion. The installation of these sometimes very large and heavy pieces can carry some unique labor attributes and therefore have more risk associated with them.

Fig. 8

It becomes more apparent as you begin to apply breakdowns to the various areas of takeoff how much functionality you can create on the back end of your estimate. The flexibility you create by following these steps will provide your project management team with invaluable progress-tracking tools and report functions.