Solid Takeoff vs Excel spreadsheets
In short
Excel is where your estimate lives, but it can't measure a drawing — you're reading a scale rule and typing numbers, which is slow and error-prone. Solid Takeoff measures directly on the PDF and exports a CSV you drop straight into your spreadsheet. Keep Excel for pricing; measure in Solid Takeoff.
Plenty of estimators still 'do takeoff in Excel' — meaning they measure a printed plan by hand, or eyeball the PDF, and type quantities into a spreadsheet. Excel is brilliant at maths, but it has no idea what's on your drawing.
The result is slow, hard to check, and easy to fat-finger. Solid Takeoff does the measuring — on the PDF, to scale — then hands Excel a clean set of numbers.
| Solid Takeoff | Excel / spreadsheets | |
|---|---|---|
| Measures the drawing | Yes — on the PDF, to scale | No — you measure by hand |
| Accuracy | Calibrated, live values | Depends on your scale rule & typing |
| Auditability | Every mark visible on an annotated PDF | Just numbers in cells |
| Waste % | Per condition, automatic | Manual formulas |
| Export to your estimate | CSV → Excel | n/a (already in Excel) |
| Cost | Free, or Pro ~$29/user/mo | Excel licence |
Let each tool do what it's good at
You don't have to abandon your spreadsheet. Do the take-off in Solid Takeoff — set scale, measure lengths, areas and counts, group them into conditions with waste — then export a CSV and paste it into your existing Excel estimate.
You get the speed and accuracy of on-screen measurement, and keep all your pricing logic, rates and formulas exactly where they are.
Fewer errors, easy to check
Hand measurement leaves no trail: a wrong number in a cell looks exactly like a right one. In Solid Takeoff every measurement is drawn on the plan, so an annotated PDF shows precisely what was measured — invaluable when a price is queried or handed to a colleague.
The verdict
Excel is the right place to price a job — but the wrong place to measure one. Measure on the PDF in Solid Takeoff (free), export to CSV, and keep Excel for what it's best at.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do takeoff in Excel?
You can record quantities in Excel, but Excel can't measure a drawing — you'd measure by hand and type the numbers in. A takeoff tool measures on the PDF to scale and exports the numbers to Excel for you.
Does Solid Takeoff replace my estimating spreadsheet?
No — it complements it. Measure in Solid Takeoff, export a CSV, and paste into your existing Excel estimate with all your rates and formulas intact.
What does it export?
A quantities CSV (lengths, areas, counts and perimeters per condition) that opens in Excel, plus an annotated PDF of the take-off.
Is it free?
Yes — measuring and CSV export are on the free plan (exports carry a small watermark until you upgrade to Pro).
Try it on your own plan — free
Open a PDF and measure in your browser. No card, no install, no CAD. Free plan forever.
Comparison based on publicly available information at the time of writing; competitor features and pricing change — check each vendor for current details. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used here for identification and comparison only.