Takeoff software
for small shops.
When you're a small shop, the enemy isn't features — it's overhead. Enterprise platforms with implementation fees and per-seat licenses are built for somebody else. Here's what a small contractor should actually care about.
What small shops actually need
Three things: low and predictable cost, no setup project, and takeoff that doesn't eat the one or two people you have. A small commercial sub bidding ten jobs a month is more capacity-constrained than a big firm, not less — there's no bench to absorb a busy week. The trap is buying either a toy that can't handle real commercial sets or an enterprise suite that costs more in seats and setup than it saves. You want the middle: real capability, no overhead.
Where Pilars fits
Pilars is automated takeoff with no per-seat licenses, no implementation fee, and nothing to install — $100 per trade, per plan, unlimited projects. For a two- or three-estimator shop that means the whole team can use it without a per-head bill, and the takeoff that used to cap your bid volume stops doing that. It handles real commercial sets — specs, code, multiple trades — so you're not choosing between a toy and an enterprise platform.
- No per-seat fees — the whole small team uses it
- No implementation project or training fee
- Browser-based, runs on a Mac, nothing to install
- Handles real commercial sets, not just simple jobs
Questions estimators actually ask
Is Pilars overkill for a small contractor?
No — small commercial shops are often the most capacity-constrained, since there's no bench. No per-seat fees and no setup project mean the overhead that makes enterprise tools wrong for small shops isn't there.
What's the cheapest way to start?
Run it on a real set you're bidding to see the value first, then it's $100 per trade, per plan with unlimited projects. There's no per-seat or implementation cost.
Do I need an IT person to set it up?
No — it runs in the browser, nothing to install or maintain, no server or license to manage.
Will it handle commercial work or just small jobs?
It's built for commercial — specs, code, multiple trades — so it scales with you rather than capping you at simple projects.