E S TI MATI NG

QUANTI TY
S URV E Y I NG
Q UA NTI TY
TAKEOFF
TEODORO A. AMATOSA, Jr., D. Eng.
Professorial Lecturer
teody.amatosajr@nwssu.edu.ph

Department of Civil Engineering

Northwest Samar State University
Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

Q U A NTITY
TA K EO FF
Quantity take-off (QTO) is an in-
depth construction estimation of
materials and labor required to
complete a construction project. It is
performed by General Contractors,
Subcontractors, Cost Consultants,
and Quantity Surveyors during the
pre-construction phase. These
measurements are used to format a
bid on the scope of construction.
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

SIGN IFIC AN C E
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

OWNER PERSPECTIVE:
•

•
QU A N TI TY •
TA K E -OFF:
WH Y ? CONTRACTOR
PERSPECTIVE:
•
•
•
•
•
•
COMPONENTS
 CO MP O NE NT S

LIST OF ALL OF THE MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR A PROJECT

• This will include all raw materials, like lumber, concrete, asphalt, and steel. In addition to raw materials, the
quantity takeoff will include any prefabrication in construction that are necessary for the project.

TOTAL MATERIAL COST FOR A PROJECT

• This is incorporated into a detailed cost estimate. Determining the price of materials can be accomplished
in a number of ways. For large projects, the estimator would seek a bid from a material supplier. For other
projects, estimators may use a personal database of material costs, or draw information from a third-party
construction costs database.
• Once prices for each material have been determined, the estimator will then produce a total material cost
estimate. Most often, the person preparing the quantity takeoff will markup the total material costs. How
much or little of a markup occurs will depend on a number of factors, and can be a key determinant of
whether a bid is accepted or rejected. A markup for material costs is necessary for most projects to ensure
a project remains profitable for the contractor.
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

MANUAL
MATE RI AL
TA K E O FFS
estimator taking physical plans or
blueprints and carefully detailing
every material type and quantity
specified on the construction
drawings

TY P ES OF DI G I TA L
QU A N T I TY MATE RI AL
TAKEOFFS
TA K E OFF superior to manual methods for large
and complex projects because of their
TE C H N I QU speed and thoroughness

ES
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

BUI LDI NG
I NFO RMATIO N
MO DE L I NG
TECHNOLOGY AND ( BI M)

TOOLS FOR
QUANTITY
TA K E O F F S
These tools help to solve the age-old problem of CO MP UTE R -
low productivity and excessive waste A I DE D DE S I GN
( CAD)
SOLVING
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

PROBLEM 1.
A contractor is excavating the above
trench. He is supposed to dig the trench 5
ft deep x 3 ft wide. The soil was tested to
have an approximate swell factor of 15%
and a shrinkage factor of 12%. The
contractor is placing a 8” water pipe in the
trench and then backfilling with the soil that Quantity take-off (QTO) is an in-
was removed. The above dimensions are depth construction estimation of
on centerline. Does the contractor have materials and labor required to
enough soil to backfill the trench, or will complete a construction project. It is
he/she have to need more? If he needs performed by General Contractors,
more soil, how much does he/she need to Subcontractors, Cost Consultants,
bring in. Answer in LCY. and Quantity Surveyors during the
pre-construction phase. These
measurements are used to format a
bid on the scope of construction.
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

Trench = 42𝑓𝑡 + 17𝑓𝑡 + 20𝑓𝑡 + 24𝑓𝑡 + 63𝑓𝑡 + 41𝑓𝑡 = 207 𝑓𝑡

= 5𝑓𝑡 𝑥 3𝑓𝑡 𝑥 207𝑓𝑡 = 3105 𝑓𝑡 3

= (3105 𝑓𝑡 3 )(1 − 0.12) = (3105 𝑓𝑡3)(0.88) = 2732.4 𝑓𝑡 3

8 2

= 3105 𝑓𝑡 3 − 𝜋 12
207𝑓𝑡
4
= 3105 𝑓𝑡 3 − 72.25 𝑓𝑡 3 = 3032.75 𝑓𝑡 3 > 2732.4 𝑓𝑡 3
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

3032.75 𝑓𝑡 3 − 2732.4 𝑓𝑡 3 = 300.35 𝑓𝑡 3

(So the KTR needs to bring in more soil)

300.35
BCF = = 341 𝐵𝐶𝐹
0.88
𝐿𝐶𝐹 = 𝐵𝐶𝐹 𝑋 1 + 𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 = 341.31 1 + 0.15 = 392.50 𝐿𝐶𝐹
392.50
Volume borrowed = 27 = 14.5 𝐿𝐶𝑌
Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

PROBLEM 2.
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

𝑓𝑡 2 𝑚2

48𝑖𝑛 𝑥 72𝑖𝑛 32𝑖𝑛 𝑥 48𝑖𝑛

8𝑓𝑡 𝑥 14𝑓𝑡 − − = 77.33𝑓𝑡 2
144 144

8𝑖𝑛+0.5) ( 2.25+0.5
144
= 0.1623𝑓𝑡 2
 Q UA NT I T Y TA K E O FF

77.33 𝑓𝑡 2
2
= 476.5 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠
0.1623 𝑓𝑡

476.5 2 𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑠 = 952.9 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠

952.9 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠 1 + 0.03 = 982 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑠

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PROBLEM 3.
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= 35𝑓𝑡/𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑥 8 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠 = 280 𝑓𝑡

= 4.303 𝑙𝑏𝑠/𝑓𝑡

= (4.303 𝑙𝑏𝑠/𝑓𝑡 )(280𝑓𝑡) = 1,205 𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑜𝑓 #10 𝑟𝑒𝑏𝑎𝑟

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= 35/5 + 1 = 8 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠

= 𝜋(2𝑓𝑡) = 6.283 𝑓𝑡
= (6.283 𝑓𝑡)(8) = 50.3𝑓𝑡
= 0.668𝑙𝑏𝑠/𝑓𝑡
= (0.668𝑙𝑏𝑠/𝑓𝑡)(50.3𝑓𝑡) = 33.6𝑙𝑏𝑠

= 1205𝑙𝑏𝑠 + 33.6𝑙𝑏𝑠 = 1238.6𝑙𝑏𝑠

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S HE E T

DIMENSION PART
ITEM ITEM UNIT QUANTITY TOTAL
Length Width Height Subtraction Addition

-
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THA NK S FO R
LI STENING