# TakeOn

> TakeOn is web-based PDF takeoff and estimating software for electrical and low-voltage contractors. Estimators upload drawings, count devices, measure conduit, wire and cable runs, and turn the takeoff into a priced bid and proposal — in a browser, on Mac, Windows, or Linux, with real-time multi-user collaboration. TakeOn is made by a small team in Idaho, USA. TakeOn is sold per user, billed monthly or annually, with one plan that includes every feature and a lower per-user rate for larger teams. TakeOn is new, and teams joining now get founding customer pricing: well under half the list price, locked in for as long as they stay subscribed. Anyone can sign up and start a free trial with no credit card.

Key facts:

- TakeOn runs entirely in the browser. There is nothing to install.
- Takeoff items are built from templates with custom properties (type, voltage, circuit, mounting…). Annotations that share a template but differ in property values roll up as separate groups, so the bill of materials breaks down by any property.
- TakeOn supports two trades: electrical and low voltage. At signup a workspace picks Electrical, Low voltage, or Both, and is seeded with that trade's starter templates, kits (assemblies) and parts. The low-voltage starter pack covers data outlets, wireless access points, CCTV cameras, speakers, access control doors, CATV outlets, and cable runs with a service loop and slack percentage. Starter parts come unpriced; each contractor prices them from their own catalog. A workspace owner can add the other trade's pack later from Settings.
- A linear template can carry a maximum run length; a run over it gets a warning badge on the plan and is counted on its row in the takeoff panel (a warning only; nothing is blocked). The low-voltage cable-run template is set to 295 ft (the 90 m horizontal-cabling limit), counting the run plus its service loop and slack.
- TakeOn reads panel schedules, luminaire schedules, and one-line diagrams off the drawings into editable tables, and can create takeoff counts from them.
- The Quick Wheel (hold Q while drawing a Linear run) counts a box or fitting on the point being placed, or measures a stretch of the run such as the part in slab; tallies sum into the takeoff totals.
- "Route to…" auto-routes a conduit run to a panel, around keep-out zones, across match lines and between floors.
- Drawing sets can be versioned (base set, addenda); takeoff follows a sheet to its newer version and a Diff overlay shows what changed.
- The estimating side prices the takeoff: a Bid Summary (material, labor, burden, overhead, profit, tax), a material catalog with CSV/Excel/ProEst import, assemblies, alternates, change orders, and branded proposal PDFs.
- AI features: Find Similar (symbol matching), chat with a specification book (answers cite pages), automatic sheet numbering/naming/scaling, note OCR.
- TakeOn has an MCP connector (`https://app.takeonbid.com/api/mcp`): users can connect Claude or any MCP client to their workspace, read-only by default, revocable. With editing allowed, the assistant can create a project, import plans from a download link, place counts from schedules, price the bid, generate the proposal and carry takeoff onto an addendum; every takeoff change lands in the page history. Setup, permissions, example prompts and limits: https://www.takeonbid.com/mcp/
- TakeOn does not train models on customer plans. Projects export to PDF, CSV, and Excel.

## Product

- [Home](https://www.takeonbid.com/): what TakeOn is and who it is for
- [Features](https://www.takeonbid.com/features/): every capability, in twelve sections
- [MCP connector docs](https://www.takeonbid.com/mcp/): connect Claude, Claude Code or another MCP client to TakeOn; read-only vs Allow editing, what is never exposed, revoking, example prompts, limits, troubleshooting
- [Start a free trial](https://app.takeonbid.com/signup): self-serve signup, no credit card
- [Schedule a demo](https://www.takeonbid.com/demo/): a guided walkthrough
- [Free takeoff in 24 hours](https://www.takeonbid.com/free-takeoff/): upload an electrical plan set (PDFs or a link) and get the takeoff back within 24 hours, free; one set per company
- [About](https://www.takeonbid.com/about/): who builds TakeOn and why

## Comparisons

- [All comparisons](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/): the hub, one honest summary per tool
- [TakeOn vs Bluebeam](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/bluebeam/): PDF markup standard with measurement tools vs takeoff-first templates and a priced bid, in a browser
- [TakeOn vs BuzzBID](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/buzzbid/): Windows takeoff and estimating for wall and ceiling trades vs browser-based electrical and LV
- [TakeOn vs On-Screen Takeoff](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/oncenter/): Windows desktop takeoff plus Quick Bid vs takeoff and the priced bid in one browser app
- [TakeOn vs PlanSwift](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/planswift/): Windows-only desktop assemblies vs browser templates, kits and a priced bid
- [TakeOn vs Quick Bid](https://www.takeonbid.com/vs/quickbid/): Windows estimating that prices OST takeoffs vs takeoff and the priced bid in one browser app

## Free tools

Free calculators that run in the browser, with no signup; nothing typed into them is saved or sent.

- [Free tools](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/): the index
- [Labor burden calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/labor-burden-calculator/): Work out your labor burden %, fully burdened hourly rate and billable rate from wage, payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits and time off.
- [Markup and margin calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/markup-margin-calculator/): Convert a markup on cost to a margin on the sell price, or a margin to a markup, and get the sell price and gross profit from a cost.
- [Wire ampacity calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/wire-ampacity-calculator/): Get a conductor's allowable ampacity from NEC Table 310.16, derated for ambient and conductor count and capped at the 75 °C or 60 °C termination rating.
- [Wire size calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/wire-size-calculator/): Find the smallest wire for a load from NEC Table 310.16, with the 125% continuous-load factor, 240.4(D) breaker limits and an optional voltage-drop limit.
- [Voltage drop calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/voltage-drop-calculator/): Get a run's voltage drop in volts and percent from the NEC Chapter 9 Table 8 resistance, single- or three-phase, or the longest run that stays within a target drop.
- [Ground wire size calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/ground-wire-size-calculator/): Size the equipment grounding conductor from NEC Table 250.122, and upsize it in proportion when the phase conductors were upsized for voltage drop (250.122(B)).
- [Motor circuit calculator: wire, breaker and ground size](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/motor-wire-size-calculator/): Size a single motor's branch circuit from NEC Article 430: full-load current, the conductor at 125%, the largest breaker or fuse, the ground wire and the overload.
- [Transformer amps calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/transformer-amps-calculator/): Get a transformer's primary and secondary full-load amps from its kVA, phase and voltages, with a table for the standard kVA ratings.
- [Ohm's law calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/ohms-law-calculator/): Enter any two of voltage, current, resistance and power to get the other two, with the formula used, for DC and resistive circuits.
- [Conduit support spacing calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/conduit-support-spacing-calculator/): Get the NEC maximum distance between conduit supports and from a box for EMT, IMC, RMC, PVC, RTRC, ENT, FMC, LFMC and LFNC, and the minimum strap count for a run.
- [Conduit fill calculator](https://www.takeonbid.com/tools/conduit-fill-calculator/): Mix wire types and sizes, grounds included, and get the smallest conduit that fits plus the fill % in every trade size, from NEC Chapter 9.

## Blog (Field Notes)

- [How long can a Cat6 run be? The 295 ft limit in a takeoff](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/cat6-run-length-limit-295-feet/): A Cat6 horizontal run is limited to 90 m (295 ft) of permanent link, 100 m (328 ft) with patch cords. Check it at takeoff, with service loop and slack included.
- [Electrical takeoff services: what you get and what to check](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/electrical-takeoff-services/): An electrical takeoff service counts and measures your drawings and sends back quantities to price, ideally with marked-up sheets so you can check every count.
- [What is a low-voltage takeoff? Devices, cable, and steps](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/what-is-a-low-voltage-takeoff/): A low-voltage takeoff counts every data, Wi-Fi, camera, audio, access control and TV device on the drawings and measures the cable runs that feed them.
- [Switching from On-Screen Takeoff: what to expect](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/switching-from-on-screen-takeoff/): Switching from On-Screen Takeoff means rebuilding conditions as templates and running new bids in the new tool. TakeOn does takeoff and pricing in a browser.
- [How to count boxes and fittings along a conduit run](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/count-fittings-along-a-conduit-run/): In TakeOn, hold Q while drawing a conduit run and flick to a slice: the point you place also counts a box or fitting, or starts measuring an in-slab stretch.
- [How to price an electrical change order from a takeoff](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/price-a-change-order-from-a-takeoff/): Price an electrical change order by taking off added and deleted scope separately, costing both at current prices, then adding the markup your contract allows.
- [What are assemblies in electrical estimating?](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/what-are-assemblies-electrical-estimating/): An assembly in electrical estimating is a kit: one counted item that stands for every part and the labor behind it. Count the device once and the kit is priced.
- [Bluebeam alternative for Mac: electrical takeoff in a browser](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/bluebeam-alternative-for-mac/): Bluebeam Revu is Windows software. For electrical takeoff on a Mac with no Windows VM, use a browser-based tool: TakeOn runs in Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
- [Addenda and drawing revisions: update a takeoff, don't redo it](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/addenda-and-drawing-revisions-takeoff/): In TakeOn, upload an addendum as a new version: the Combined set shows each sheet at its newest issue, takeoff moves forward, and a Diff view colours changes.
- [What is labor burden? Adding it to an electrical estimate](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/what-is-labor-burden/): Labor burden is what an hour of labor costs the employer beyond the wage: payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance, benefits. Add it as a percent of base labor.
- [Conduit homeruns on a PDF plan: measure them without tracing](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/auto-route-conduit-homeruns/): To measure conduit homeruns in TakeOn, mark panels as Landmarks and pick Route to… on a run. It routes to the panel around keep-out zones and totals the length.
- [How to run an electrical bid with your own AI assistant](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/run-an-electrical-bid-with-your-ai-assistant/): Connect your AI assistant to TakeOn and let it start the bid, count from schedules, price it and build the proposal, then check every change in TakeOn.
- [How to count symbols on a PDF plan automatically](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/count-symbols-on-pdf-plans/): To count symbols on a PDF plan automatically, box one example and let image matching find the rest. TakeOn's Find Similar proposes matches; you accept them.
- [Markup vs margin in an electrical bid: formulas and a table](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/markup-vs-margin-electrical-bid/): Markup is profit as a percent of cost; margin is profit as a percent of the sell price. A 20% markup gives a 16.7% margin, and a 20% margin takes a 25% markup.
- [How to connect Claude to your electrical takeoff with MCP](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/connect-claude-to-your-takeoff-mcp/): TakeOn has an MCP connector: add it to Claude or any MCP client, approve the workspaces it can read, and ask about your takeoff, bid, specs and sheets.
- [Panel schedule to takeoff: turn PDF schedules into counts](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/panel-schedule-to-takeoff/): To turn a panel or luminaire schedule on a PDF into a takeoff, capture the table as data, map its columns to a count template, and review the counts it creates.
- [What is an electrical takeoff? Definition, steps, errors](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/what-is-an-electrical-takeoff/): An electrical takeoff is the count and measurement of every electrical item on a drawing set, producing the quantities an estimator prices to build a bid.
- [From PDF to BOM in 15 minutes: a takeoff walkthrough](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/pdf-to-bom-walkthrough/): To turn a PDF electrical plan into a bill of materials in TakeOn: check the scale, define count and linear templates, click and measure, export grouped totals.
- [Template properties: how a contractor saved 40% of estimating time](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/template-properties-deep-dive/): TakeOn template properties are custom fields on a takeoff item — type, voltage, circuit — with value lists and conditional fields. The takeoff groups by them.
- [Why we built a web-based takeoff tool when Bluebeam already exists](https://www.takeonbid.com/blog/why-we-built-takeon/): TakeOn is browser-based electrical takeoff software, built because Bluebeam, PlanSwift and On-Screen Takeoff are Windows-only and hand counts to a spreadsheet.

## Optional

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- Contact: contact@takeonbid.com