Takeoff services send a spreadsheet and a marked-up PDF, usually in a day or two. Setout delivers a takeoff you can check line by line on the sheets, the building in 3D with build-ups, and a buying order, for the whole team.
At a glance
| Compared | outsourced takeoff services | Setout |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverable | Spreadsheet and marked PDF | Takeoff traced to each sheet, 3D building, buying order |
| Checking a number | Find it on the markup | Tap it: it opens on its sheet and schedule |
| Open questions | Usually assumed | Withheld and asked, never zero |
| Used on site | Rarely | On the phone, by the super |
outsourced takeoff services
Outsourced takeoff services is per-project takeoff and estimating services, onshore and offshore. Published pricing: About $400–$900 per mid-size commercial takeoff and $900–$2,500+ for large ones (a 2026 survey of service pricing).
Setout
- Priced per building, quoted from your drawing set, with your whole team included
- Your approved PDF set. No BIM or Revit model needed
- People who read drawings check every pass
- Every quantity opens on the sheet it came from
- The whole building in 3D on phone and web, with an exploded build-up for every wall and floor type
- Block with grout and rebar, steel by size and weight, concrete, doors from the schedule
- A buying order by floor and stage
- Anything the drawings leave open is withheld and asked, never shown as zero
Which fits you
A service is fine for a quick bid number. Setout is for the building you're actually going to build.
Sources, checked October 3, 2026: Bidferra, structural steel takeoff service costs (2026). Pricing and features change; tell us if something here is out of date and we'll fix it.