Quantity take-off software: from the drawing to a measurement sheet you can check
Quantity take-off software should save the estimator the slow part of the job — scaling dimensions off a drawing line by line — without hiding where any number came from. CivilOS does it two ways. A PDF, scan or photograph is read by AI into measurement rows, each with the number, length, breadth and height it used, as a draft you check. A DWG or DXF is measured exactly from its own geometry with no AI at all: doors, windows and fittings are counted from their blocks, wall lines are paired into walls of a stated thickness, and areas come from the outlines.
The rows land in a measurement sheet that follows the IS 1200 modes of measurement, with the deduction rules checked, and go to an IS-code BOQ priced on CPWD DSR 2023 in one click. It runs in the browser on a Free plan with nothing to install.
What you can do
| Feature | What it does | Export / status |
|---|---|---|
| PDF and image drawings | AI reads the drawing into rows: item, number, length, breadth, height, unit — every figure shown | Excel |
| DWG and DXF drawings | Measured from geometry with no AI: block counts, wall lengths by thickness, areas from outlines | Excel |
| Measurement sheet | IS 1200 modes per item; deductions checked against the standard and flagged when they disagree | Excel · PDF |
| Drawing vault | A drawing is stored once; take-off, BBS and rates each read it at most once, and a second request returns the first answer | — |
| Bar bending schedule | Steel rows from the same drawing, to IS 2502 and SP 34 | Excel |
| To the BOQ | Rows become BOQ items priced on CPWD DSR 2023 or your State schedule | Excel · PDF |
Why two methods and not one
A vision model estimating a length off a raster is the best that can be done with a picture, and it is a draft. A CAD file is not a picture: its lines have exact coordinates, and measuring them with arithmetic is both free and more accurate than any model. So CivilOS uses AI where the drawing is an image and never where the drawing is geometry. The page says which method produced each result, so nobody prices an AI reading as if it were a measurement.
The three refusals
The CAD measuring refuses three things on purpose. It does not invent heights a plan does not have. It does not bill walls it cannot verify: when the paired line spacings scatter across a dozen values, the layer holds more than walls, and the tool says so and gives the plain drawn length instead of 142 km of imaginary masonry. And it measures the drawing, not the file: strays far outside the sheet are left out, so a building is not swamped by a line someone drew a kilometre away.
How to start
- Open Quantity Survey & BBS from the sidebar.
- Upload the drawing — PDF, image, DWG or DXF. It goes into the drawing vault once.
- Choose the method: measure from the CAD file (free, no AI) or read the drawing with AI.
- Check the rows — every dimension is shown; correct what is wrong and add heights.
- Send to BOQ to price on CPWD DSR 2023, or export the measurement sheet to Excel.
What CivilOS does not do
- No heights from a plan. Heights and thicknesses not on the drawing are yours to enter.
- An AI reading is a draft. It can misread a dimension; every row shows its figures so you can check it.
- No 3D model take-off from IFC here — model quantities come from Indo-Revit and BIM Studio.
- No structural design. Member sizes and reinforcement come from the designer's drawings.
- No official standing. The measurement is a preparation document for a qualified engineer to verify.
Where a browser tool fits
Desktop take-off suites earn their licence in large estimating departments: on-screen take-off across hundreds of sheets, assemblies, integration with an ERP and a cost database built over years.
The contractor pricing a tender this week, the consultant preparing an estimate from a PDF set, the site engineer checking a quantity from the DWG on a tablet — for them a browser tool that measures the CAD file exactly, reads a PDF as a checkable draft and prices it on the DSR in one place is the faster tool.
Open Quantity Survey free → upload a drawing and see its quantitiesFrequently asked questions
What is quantity take-off software?
Software that measures the quantities of work — concrete, brickwork, plaster, flooring, doors and windows, steel — from the drawings, and writes them as measurement rows (number × length × breadth × height) that an estimator prices into a bill of quantities. CivilOS does this from a PDF, an image, a DWG or a DXF.
Is the take-off done by AI?
Only where it has to be. A PDF, scan or photograph is a picture, so an AI model reads it into draft rows with the dimensions it used, for you to check. A DWG or DXF carries real geometry, so it is measured exactly by arithmetic, with no AI: blocks are counted, wall lines are paired into walls of a stated thickness, and areas are computed from the outlines.
Is it free?
Yes, to start. Create a free account (no card) and the Free plan opens every module, including Quantity Survey, with a monthly allowance; prints carry the CivilOS letterhead. Pro, Max and Enterprise Seats plans add more hours and generations and put your own letterhead on every print. The Training Corner, Knowledge Library and Feedback are free without limit.
How accurate is it?
A CAD file is measured to its own geometry; on a real 100-bed hospital DWG the tool counted 266 doors, 310 windows and 23 sanitary fittings exactly from the blocks and found the 230, 115 and 345 mm walls. An AI reading of a picture is a draft that can misread a dimension, which is why every row keeps the figures it was computed from and the engineer checks it before it is priced.
Does it give heights?
No, deliberately. A plan has no heights; the tool reports lengths, areas and counts and leaves heights and thicknesses that are not on the drawing to the engineer. Inventing the third dimension is what makes a take-off dangerous.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?
No installation: CivilOS opens in an ordinary browser on a laptop, tablet or phone and can be installed as an app from the sidebar. A free account is needed to open the engineering modules; it takes a minute and asks for no card.
Draft for checking. Every safety-critical output of CivilOS is a preparation document. Drawings, quantities, rates, programmes and inspections must be verified, and the result signed off, by a licensed professional before they are issued, tendered, built or paid against.