The Quantity Takeoff Accuracy Checklist We Run on Every Bid

Accuracy in a takeoff is not a single act of measurement. It is a sequence of checks, each designed to catch a different class of error.

We start with drawing control: sheet index, revision clouds, and addenda are reconciled before a single quantity is measured. A takeoff built on superseded drawings is precise and wrong.

The second pass is scope boundary. Every item is assigned to a CSI division, and anything that does not belong to a division is flagged as an open question rather than quietly absorbed.

Finally, quantities are cross-checked against independent measures — area-per-floor, linear feet of wall, and unit counts — so a mis-keyed dimension shows up as an outlier instead of a line item.