Guides
How much does a countertop takeoff cost?
An outsourced countertop takeoff costs $600-900 per project at a flat-rate service such as AimBolt, or the hours logged at an hourly firm such as Advance Estimating, which publishes USD 12 per hour. Freelance budgets we saw ran from a few dollars to about $30 an hour, and an in-house takeoff costs your estimator’s loaded hourly rate times the active hours. Software such as Counterly is priced on the shop’s volume. Every option also costs your estimator’s time to check the result before the bid.
What do the different pricing models cost?
Published by Counterly. Prices are from each provider’s own website or from job posts we saw, checked October 26, 2026 unless stated; confirm current terms before relying on them.
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| Pricing model | Published example | What you get | Add to the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat rate per project | AimBolt: $600 Basic Scope, $900 Estimator’s Package | Countertop quantities and marked-up plans; the $900 tier adds slab yield, a seam summary and clarifications | Rush fees; your review time |
| Monthly plan | AimBolt Bid Desk: $4,500 a month for 8 takeoffs, about $563 each if all 8 are used | 2-day turnaround with addenda included | Unused takeoffs; jobs beyond 8 |
| Hourly service | Advance Estimating: USD 12 per hour; I Takeoff Pro: hourly, rate not published | Quantities with Excel and marked-up or color-coded drawings | Hours you only learn once the job is quoted or done |
| Freelancer | Posted budgets from a few dollars to about $30 an hour; Fiverr listings start around $10-50 | Varies by person | Vetting, briefing and availability risk |
| In-house estimator | Loaded hourly rate times active hours | Your format and your scope rules | Software the estimator uses |
| Software | Counterly: tailored to shop volume. For reference, SlabWise, a separate company’s shop quoting and nesting platform, lists $99, $299 and $799 a month (checked October 26, 2026), and Moraware lists CounterGo, a drawing and quoting tool, at $100 per user per month (checked October 16, 2026) | Counterly: first-pass takeoff, slab nesting estimate and priced quote | Your estimator’s review time |
What drives the price of a countertop takeoff?
- Distinct layouts. A building with many repeated apartments costs less per unit than a set of custom kitchens of the same total area.
- Drawing quality. Clear vector sheets take less work than scans, sketches or sets with missing dimensions.
- Deliverables. Slab yield, seam positions, waste factors and a clarifications list cost more at a service, or take more of your estimator’s time.
- Turnaround. Rush service costs extra at most providers.
- Revisions and addenda. Some providers include them; others charge for a new takeoff.
What does a takeoff cost per month at different bid volumes?
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| Takeoffs a month | Basic Scope ($600) | Estimator’s Package ($900) | Bid Desk ($4,500 for 8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | $2,400 | $3,600 | $4,500 |
| 8 | $4,800 | $7,200 | $4,500 |
| 15 | $9,000 | $13,500 | Covers 8; ask AimBolt about the rest |
Per-project pricing scales with every bid, including the ones you lose. That is cheap in a slow month and expensive in a busy one. Run the same arithmetic on your own monthly bid count and win rate.
How do you compare an hourly rate with a per-project price?
What costs do takeoff quotes leave out?
- Checking the result. AimBolt’s terms make the client responsible for checking the takeoff, and software output needs the same review.
- Waiting. One to three business days in a provider’s queue can mean a bid goes out after a faster competitor’s.
- Revisions. An addendum that needs a new takeoff is a new charge unless the provider includes it.
- Pricing and slabs. Quantities-only services leave the slab count and the price to your estimator.
- Setup. Software needs a price list and some estimator training before the first bid.
How do you work out the cost of an in-house takeoff?
Where does Counterly fit?
Counterly is software your estimator runs: upload plans, review a first-pass takeoff with a slab nesting estimate, and price the quote from your price list. Compare it with a service on output, turnaround and price model.
Counterly's pricing is tailored to your shop's volume. Contact us to discuss your job mix and get pricing for your shop. Book a demo to discuss your job mix.
Frequently asked questions
Should I outsource countertop takeoffs or use software?
Work out the cost per bid of each at your own monthly volume, then weigh turnaround. Outsourcing costs nothing in a slow month but takes one to three business days per takeoff; software takes minutes plus your estimator’s review. See the comparison of outsourced takeoff services and Counterly.
How much does AimBolt charge for a countertop takeoff?
AimBolt publishes $600 per project for Basic Scope, $900 for the Estimator’s Package, and $4,500 a month for Bid Desk, which covers 8 takeoffs (checked October 26, 2026).
Is there a free countertop takeoff?
Some services offer free trial work: Advance Estimating offers its first work up to 6 hours free (checked October 26, 2026). Your estimator’s own time is never free, so count it in any comparison.
Is it cheaper to outsource takeoffs or do them in-house?
It depends on volume. Outsourcing costs nothing in a month with no bids; an in-house estimator costs the same whether or not plans arrive, but turns bids around on your schedule. Work out cost per bid at your own monthly volume.
What does takeoff software cost?
It varies by product. Exayard, a multi-trade AI takeoff tool, lists $99 and $249 per user a month, and SlabWise, a shop quoting and nesting platform, lists $99, $299 and $799 a month (checked October 26, 2026). Moraware lists its CounterGo drawing and quoting tool at $100 per user per month (checked October 16, 2026). Counterly’s pricing is tailored to the shop’s volume; contact Counterly for pricing.
Do revisions cost extra?
Depends on the provider. AimBolt fixes its own mistakes at no charge and includes addenda on Bid Desk; elsewhere, ask before you order. With software, your estimator uploads the revised drawings and reviews the affected results.
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