Concrete and masonry are two of the most measurement-heavy trades on any commercial or residential job. Small errors in volume, block count, or rebar tonnage add up quickly because the materials are heavy, expensive, and hard to return. For U.S. contractors, a careful concrete quantity takeoff and masonry takeoff is often the difference between a profitable bid and a painful one.
This guide walks through what goes into each takeoff, the details that are easy to miss, and when it makes sense to use a concrete estimating service.
What a Concrete Takeoff Includes
Concrete is typically priced by the cubic yard, but a complete estimate goes well beyond one volume number. A thorough takeoff covers:
- Footings and foundations: continuous footings, spread footings, grade beams, piers, and foundation walls.
- Slabs: slab on grade, elevated slabs, topping slabs, and thickened edges, with thickness taken from the sections and details rather than assumed.
- Vertical elements: columns, walls, shear walls, and retaining walls.
- Reinforcement: rebar by size and length, welded wire mesh, and any post-tensioning shown in the structural drawings.
- Formwork: contact area for forms, plus shoring and reshoring on elevated work.
- Accessories and finishing: vapor barrier, embeds, anchor bolts, joints, curing, sealers, and the finish type specified.
Convert volumes carefully. Dimensions are usually in feet and inches while concrete is ordered in cubic yards, and a unit slip here is one of the most common sources of error.
What a Masonry Takeoff Includes
Masonry takeoffs are counted and measured by wall area, then converted into units. Typical items are:
- Block or brick units: calculated from net wall area after deducting openings, with the unit size from the spec.
- Mortar and grout: based on wall area, block size, and which cells are grouted.
- Reinforcement: vertical and horizontal rebar, joint reinforcement, and ties.
- Lintels and bond beams: often shown on elevations or details rather than the main plan.
- Accessories: flashing, weeps, control joints, insulation, and sealants.
Block coursing, brick bond pattern, and veneer versus structural wall all change the material count, so read the wall types and details before you start measuring.
Common Mistakes in Concrete and Masonry Estimating
- Using plan dimensions only. Thickness, depth, and haunches are often in sections and details on different sheets.
- Ignoring waste and overage. Concrete needs an allowance for spillage and uneven subgrade, and masonry units break and get cut. State your waste assumptions clearly.
- Missing rebar. Reinforcement is easy to undercount because it appears in schedules, notes, and typical details.
- Forgetting openings. Doors, windows, and louvers must be deducted from masonry area, but lintels and jamb details must be added back.
- Overlooking addenda. A revised structural sheet can change a footing size and your whole quantity.
Local Conditions Matter
Concrete mix design, rebar pricing, and labor productivity vary by region, weather, and site access. Cold-weather protection, pumping, and winter heating can change cost significantly in some parts of the country. A takeoff gives you the quantities, but your pricing should reflect your local suppliers and crews.
When to Use a Concrete or Masonry Estimating Service
Outsourcing makes the most sense when you have several bids due at once, when a project includes complex structural drawings, or when you do not have an estimator who specializes in these trades. A service team that measures concrete and masonry every day can usually return a detailed, organized takeoff faster than an in-house generalist, and you stay in control of final pricing.
Learn more about our concrete estimation and masonry estimation services, or read our guide to construction takeoffs for the basics.
FAQs
How is concrete quantity calculated?
Multiply length, width, and thickness to get volume, then convert to cubic yards. Add an allowance for waste based on your own practice and the conditions on site.
What do I need to send for a concrete takeoff?
Structural and architectural drawings, the specifications, any geotechnical information that affects footings, and your bid due date.
Do you handle both residential and commercial projects?
Share your plans and we will review the scope and confirm what we can deliver and by when.
Get a Concrete or Masonry Takeoff
Send us your plans and we will reply with a quote and expected turnaround. See our estimating fees to plan ahead.