Simpro Takeoffs FAQs

In order to view content or perform actions referred to in this article you need to have the appropriate permissions enabled in your security group. Go to System > Setup > Security Groups and access your security group to update your permissions. The relevant security group tab and specific permissions for this article can be found here:

How to Create Employees

Simpro Takeoffs' licences must be purchased and assigned to each employee who is using Takeoffs. Once a takeoff is created and finalised, a pdf version of that takeoff is attached to the relevant quote or job. If employees have relevant security group access to view attachments in quotes and jobs, they can view the PDF copy regardless of whether they have Simpro Takeoffs licence.

A wide range of symbols are available in Simpro Takeoffs for different industries. Additionally, you can upload your own symbols, as required.

The formatting requirements for symbols are:

• The file type must be .SVG
• The size must be 16x16 pixels.
• The symbol background should be transparent, not white.
• The symbols must be in either white or black colour. You can fill the white lines and shapes using the colour selector, however, the black lines and shapes retain black colour only.
• A single .ZIP file can contain multiple .SVG files. When you upload a .ZIP file, all .SVG files included in it are added.

Learn more in Add Symbols.

If you are planning to use length-based, area-based or volume-based materials in Takeoffs, catalogue and pre-build items need to be set up specifically to ensure the estimated quantities are calculated correctly. Catalogue items and pre-builds must be set up in the following way:

• Length-based materials must be set up in a single metre or foot. For example, a length of cable in your catalogue should have an Estimated Time, Trade Price, Nett Price and Sell Price suitable for one metre if you are using metric measurements, or one foot if you use imperial. Note that you can use Minimum Pack Quantities if the minimum length you order a catalogue item is greater than one metre / foot. Learn more in Catalogue Item Quantities and Pricing.
• Area-based materials must be set up in a single square metre or foot. For example, an area of tiles in your catalogue should have an Estimated Time, Trade Price, Nett Price and Sell Price suitable for one square metre of tiles if you are using metric measurements, or one square foot of tiles if you use imperial.
• Volume-based materials must be set up in a single cubic metre or foot. For example, a volume of insulation in your catalogue should have an Estimated Time, Trade Price, Nett Price and Sell Price suitable for one cubic metre of insulation if you are using metric measurements, or one square foot of insulation if you use imperial.

While adding materials to Takeoffs you can also set up default item types, colours, symbols and styles for each material. Click Save Items while setting the item details when adding materials, to retain them for future use.

When you build a takeoff:

1. Click ADD ITEM > Pre-Build / Catalogue / One-off Item / Take Off Templates.
2. Search for the material.
3. Change the Type to Length.
4. Select a Thickness, Colour and Pattern, as required.
5. Enter the Set default drop value as the distance that the length-based item needs to drop-down and back up.
   • For example, if you are installing some lighting cable that is being run through the walls and you need to install switches three metres down the wall, the drop value is six metres.
6. Once you have set the drop value, select the item and click ADD ITEMS.
7. Click on the plan where you need to place the line. By default, every point you click will have a drop point automatically added.
8. Click FINISH LINE to stop drawing the line.

If only some of the points that you clicked to draw the line require the drop points:

1. Click to expand your Length items.
2. Click to expand the specific length-based item
3. Click x next to a Drop to remove it from the plan.
4. If you remove an incorrect drop point and want to re-add it, hold the Alt key on your keyboard and click the point on the plan to re-add it.

If the length of certain drop points need to be changed, expand the length-based item and click the measurement of the Drop point to adjust it.

While building a takeoff you can use the visibility tool to hide all Count, Length, Area, Volume or Drawn items that are added to the takeoff. Alternatively, expand the Count, Length, Area, Volume or Drawn menu and use the individual visibility tool to hide specific items.

Once the items are hidden, click Download to export a copy of the takeoff without the hidden items.

You can use the pencil tool to freely draw or create lines to represent the walls of the space in your plan. You can adjust the Thickness, Colour and Pattern of lines, as required.

You can use the point snapping tool along with the pencil tool to ensure that the ends of your line are joined. Similarly, you can use the angle snapping tool with the pencil tool to ensure that your lines are drawn at consistent angles. This is handy if you want to draw rectangular rooms.

You can use the ruler tool to draw ruler guides on your plan. Rulers can be used to ensure that the length of the lines are consistent with the actual measurements of the building you are drawing up.

If you are struggling to draw a specific shape or want to use an external symbol to represent doors, windows or other fixtures, you can use the picture tool to insert an image from your local files.

Simpro Takeoffs does not multiply labour time based on the quantity of an item added to it. For catalogue items, it adds the Estimated Time for a single unit of the item, regardless of how many are added. For pre-build items, it adds the Labour Time for a single unit of the item, regardless of the item quantity added.

Takeoffs provides the option to modify the Time and Fit time multiplier for each item added. You can modify the Time and Fit time multiplier while building your Takeoff from the Summary tab. Alternatively, you can update the Time and Fit time multiplier just prior to updating the quote or job.

The Quantity of items added to a takeoff is displayed next to the Time for installation of a single unit. This makes it easier to manually calculate the Time, if you want to multiply the Time by the Quantity of the items added.

You can also manually update times from the quote or job once it is updated from Simpro Takeoffs.