How to do a countertop takeoff from architectural drawings
Four passes to take off countertops from architectural drawings: find runs, read depth per run, subtract breaks, convert to pieces with SF and finished edge.
Guides
Fabrication guides.
Direct answers to the questions estimators ask — takeoff, slabs, seams, backsplash, nesting, and accuracy.
How many slabs do I need for a countertop job?
Estimate slab count from usable yield, not gross SF. Jumbo quartz often yields ~40–45 SF nested; many shops add ~15% planning factor.
Where should countertop seams go?
Best seam location is behind the sink. Never seam at a cooktop. Prefer fewer seams, but seam rather than force a piece that will not cut from an available slab.
How do you quote backsplash square footage?
Quote backsplash as its own line item: continuous strip per wall, length minus tall units, unbroken behind the range. Use drawn → specified → unspecified resolution.
What is slab nesting?
Slab nesting arranges countertop pieces on stone slabs to minimize slab count, accounting for kerf, L blanks, grain, and seam rules. Good multi-unit nesting can save 15–20%.
How accurate is automated countertop takeoff?
Validation scorecard: anonymized production projects, real deltas, published misses. Most dimensioned types within ~0.5% on SF and finished edge.
Get started
Upload a layout PDF and see takeoff and nesting on your own plans.