Lumber Estimating Servicesfor Bids and Purchase Orders
We turn your framing plans into a lumber list a yard can quote: dimensional stock by size and length, engineered wood, sheathing, and hardware. Pricing is available if you need it.
Reviews from contractors and subcontractors who send us their bid estimates, takeoffs, and shop drawings.
Trustpilot
Review summary: Bart needed shop drawings on a tight schedule. The team discussed the project the same day, delivered drawings within a week, and completed minor revisions the following day. He praised their understanding of the scope, quick responses and progress updates.
Review summary: Ludin appreciated the professional team, their patience and guidance, and recommended BidAccurate for takeoff and shop drawing projects.
GCs, framing and carpentry subs, and lumberyards across the US use our lumber estimating services when they need a material list that holds up at the order desk. We read the architectural and structural drawings and list every piece by nominal size, length, grade, and treatment.
Dimensional lumber rolls up to board feet and MBF. Panels come out as sheet counts, and engineered members are listed by product and length. The waste factor we used is written on the list, so you can change it before you place an order. If you want an installed number, we can add labor and delivery.
Studs, plates, and joists by size, length, and grade
Treated and fire-retardant lumber called out separately
LVL, LSL, PSL, glulam, I-joists, and rim board
Plywood and OSB by thickness and sheet count
Board foot and MBF totals for pricing
Connector and fastener counts for the hardware quote
What goes on a lumber list depends on who's buying. A framer, a GC, and a lumberyard each want a different cut of the same drawings. We confirm whose package it is, then work from the plans, schedules, and specs. Skip any category that isn't yours.
Dimensional Lumber and Framing Members
Every sawn piece is listed by nominal size and length. Species, grade, and treatment go on the line too, wherever the drawings or specs call them out.
Studs, plates, joists, rafters, and blocking by nominal size and length
Headers, beams, posts, and columns by size and grade
Nailers, furring, sleepers, and backing
Pressure-treated, fire-retardant-treated, and appearance-grade lumber when specified
Engineered Wood Products
Engineered wood is priced by product and often comes from a different supplier than commodity lumber. It gets its own section so you can send it out for a separate quote.
I-joists, rim board, floor trusses, roof trusses, and wood-web members
LVL, LSL, PSL, structural composite lumber, and built-up engineered members
Glulam beams and columns by size, length, appearance, treatment, and location
Cross-laminated timber or other mass-timber panels when included in the agreed package
Panels, Sheathing, and Decking
We count panels in sheets by thickness and rating, then split them by where they go: walls, floors, or roof.
Plywood, OSB, structural sheathing, subfloor, roof deck, and underlayment
Sill sealer, membranes, adhesives, sealants, fire blocking, and draft-stopping materials
Truss accessories, bridging, squash blocks, web stiffeners, hangers, and bearing hardware
Labor, Equipment, and Scope Boundaries
Want an installed price? We add labor, delivery, and equipment to the material list and mark anything that belongs to another trade.
Installation labor when you want an installed number
Delivery, freight, unloading, and forklift time
Waste factors, sales tax, overhead, and profit as agreed
Truss design, engineering, insulation, and finishes marked as included, excluded, or allowance
Measurement and Reporting Units
Lumber sells by the board foot and MBF, panels by the sheet, hardware by the piece. The reports use the same units.
Board feet (BF) and thousand board feet (MBF) for dimensional lumber
Sheets and square feet (SF) for plywood, OSB, and subfloor
Piece counts and lengths for engineered beams, I-joists, and trusses
Each (EA) for connectors and accessories, plus labor hours if priced
Need a Lumber List for a Bid or Order?
Send the plans, specs, addenda, and your date. Add supplier quotes and your waste basis if you have them. We'll review the set and confirm how we'd structure the list.
A lumber list has to work for two people: the yard that prices it and the crew that builds from it. That takes sizes, lengths, grades, and treatments on every line, with engineered products kept in their own section.
01
Drawings Read for the Order
We go through framing layouts, wall types, sections, and schedules looking for one thing: every piece that has to be bought.
02
Pricing Attributes Stay Visible
Size, length, species, grade, and treatment all change what you pay per MBF. So each one stays on the line.
03
Engineered Wood Stays Distinct
I-joists, LVL, glulam, and trusses are listed by product. They never get folded into the dimensional lumber totals.
04
Panels and Hardware Included
Sheathing, subfloor, hangers, straps, and fasteners are listed against the assemblies they go into.
05
Sorted Your Way
Sort the list by building, level, product, supplier, or delivery phase, in Excel or PDF.
06
Updates After Addenda
When the drawings change, we compare the two sets and update the affected lines on the list.
Our Lumber Takeoff and Estimating Process
How your drawings turn into a lumber list, and a priced one if you want it.
1
Send the Drawings
Plans, framing layouts, schedules, details, specs, and addenda. Tell us the job location, your bid or order date, and which supplier quotes you already have.
2
Confirm What's on the List
Sawn lumber only, or engineered wood, panels, and hardware too? We also settle the waste basis, whether labor is priced, and how you want the list sorted.
3
Count and Tally
We count members and hardware, measure continuous pieces in LF, and work out sheet counts per assembly. Then the whole list gets sorted by size, grade, and treatment.
4
Apply Pricing
For a priced list, we apply your supplier prices, freight, and taxes. Labor goes in only if you asked for it.
5
Check the List
We compare the list against sections, schedules, and addenda and note any conflicts or assumptions.
6
Deliver
You get the material list, the cost estimate if you ordered one, and marked-up plans, in Excel or PDF.
Ready to send a lumber package?
Tell us whether you need a material list only, a priced list, or material plus installation labor.
We provide accurate construction estimating and quantity takeoff solutions for commercial, residential, industrial, healthcare, education, hospitality, and public-sector projects.
Commercial Construction
Residential Construction
Industrial Construction
Hospitality
Government and Public Sector
Healthcare
Education
Retail Construction
Lumber package outputs
Lists for Quoting and Ordering
Send the list to your lumberyard, truss supplier, or engineered wood distributor for quotes. Compare suppliers side by side, recheck coverage after an addendum, or pull the quantities into your estimating system. The list is for bidding and buying. It doesn't replace truss design, engineering, or field verification.
Lumber Quantity Takeoff
All lumber, engineered wood, panel, and hardware quantities, grouped by product, floor, or area.
Supplier-Ready Lumber List
Size, length, grade, treatment, and piece count on each line, with BF and MBF totals your yard can price.
Labor and Cost Estimate
Material at your supplier prices plus freight and taxes. Installation labor is added when requested.
Marked Plans and Scope Log
Color-coded drawings and a written log of waste assumptions, alternates, exclusions, and open questions.
Related Construction Services
When the job needs more than a material list, these services pick up the rest.
The architectural and structural drawings, framing plans, schedules, details, specs, and addenda, with the job location and your bid or order date. If you want the list priced, send your lumberyard, truss, engineered wood, panel, and hardware quotes. Add your waste factor and cost codes, and labor rates if installation is part of the job.
What goes into a lumber takeoff?
Dimensional lumber by size, length, grade, and treatment. Engineered wood such as I-joists, rim board, LVL, LSL, PSL, and glulam, plus trusses and mass timber when they're in the package. Plywood, OSB, and subfloor by the sheet. Connectors, anchors, and fasteners. What ends up on your list depends on the drawings and on who's supplying what.
What's the difference between a lumber takeoff and a lumber estimate?
The takeoff is the material list: pieces, sheets, and hardware with their quantities. The estimate prices that list with supplier prices, freight and delivery, waste, and taxes. If you ask, it can also carry installation labor, equipment, overhead, and profit.
How are lumber quantities measured?
Dimensional lumber is listed by piece count and length, then rolled up to board feet (BF) and thousand board feet (MBF). Panels go by the sheet and SF. Engineered members are listed by product and length, and hardware by the piece (EA). We can group the list by product, size, grade, treatment, building, or floor.
What file formats do I get with a lumber estimate?
An Excel workbook, PDF reports, a supplier-ready lumber list, a short scope and assumptions note, and color-coded PDF markups. If your yard or your team works from a set format, send it and we'll match it.
Can you update a lumber list after an addendum?
Yes. Send the revised drawings and tell us what changed. We'll compare the sets and update the affected lumber, engineered products, panels, and hardware. The time it takes depends on how much changed.
Can you use our lumberyard pricing?
Yes. Send your yard quotes for dimensional lumber, engineered wood, trusses, panels, and hardware, along with freight and delivery charges. Include crew rates and markups if you want installation priced. We list every price we used so you can check it against the quote.
How long does a lumber estimate take?
That depends on project size, how many products and member types are involved, how complete the drawings are, and how you want the list broken down. Supplier package requirements and addenda affect it too. We review the drawings first and then confirm a date.
Let's Discuss Your Next Project
Partner with experienced construction professionals to deliver your project on time along with in budget.