Best residential takeoff software.
We build takeoff software for commercial plan sets, so this is an unusual page for us to write: most home builders and remodelers are better served by somebody else. Here are the eight tools worth knowing in 2026, what they cost, and the narrower set of residential jobs where Pilars does earn a place.
Best residential takeoff software in 2026: the short answer
The best residential takeoff software in 2026 is usually a residential estimating suite, not a commercial takeoff tool. Third-party listings report Buildxact from $199 per month with unlimited users; Houzz Pro includes takeoffs at $199 per month; Handoff starts at $119 per month, with AI plan takeoff only on its $719 tier; Clear Estimates starts at $59 per month; and Klorra AI is listed at $299 per bid. Pilars, at $300 per user per month for one trade with unlimited takeoffs, fits residential work only when there is a full plan set to read, such as multifamily or a large custom home.
A remodeler rarely has a drawing set at all. A home builder has one, but needs a priced estimate, a proposal the client can sign and a schedule, with measuring as one step along the way. Commercial takeoff tools, ours included, stop at quantities. Residential suites carry on to the signature.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, based on public documentation as of Nov 2026 except where marked as third-party. Buildxact, Houzz Pro, Handoff, Clear Estimates, Klorra AI, PlanSwift and Square Takeoff are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison.
Takeoff software for home builders and remodelers compared
| Product | Best for | Type | Platform | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildxact | Small home builders who want takeoff, estimate and job management together | Residential estimating plus takeoff, with Blu AI | Browser | Third-party listings report $199, $399 or $599 per month |
| Houzz Pro | Builders, remodelers and designers who want one business suite | Takeoff inside a CRM, estimating and project suite | Browser and mobile | Pro $199 per month; Teams from $399 per month |
| Handoff | Remodelers who estimate from a scope description or a site walk | AI estimating; plan takeoff on top tier | Web and mobile | $119, $239 or $719 per month, annual billing |
| Klorra AI | Custom home builders who want a whole bid back from a plan upload | Plan-to-bid service | Web | Listed at $299 per bid or $329 per month |
| Clear Estimates | Remodelers who need fast priced estimates, no plan measuring | Remodeling estimating (not a takeoff tool) | Browser | $59 to $79 per month; Pro $99 to $119 |
| PlanSwift | Residential subs on Windows who measure by hand with assemblies | Manual desktop takeoff plus estimating, AI tools | Windows only | $2,000 or $3,000 per seat per year |
| Square Takeoff | Small contractors who want plain cloud takeoff, month to month | Manual cloud takeoff | Cloud | Third-party listings report $249 per month or $1,699 per year |
| Pilars | Multifamily, mixed-use and large custom homes with a full plan set | Automated AI takeoff; you review and edit | Browser | $300 per user per month; one trade per user, unlimited takeoffs |
How these were judged. Tools were compared on who does the reading (you or the software), fit for residential work as opposed to commercial, platform, whether a real price is published, and review and listing signals. Disclosure: Pilars publishes this page, is included in it, and is ranked last here because it is the least residential tool on the list.
The eight tools, and who each one suits
1. Buildxact
Buildxact is built for residential builders and remodelers: on-screen takeoff, estimating, quoting and job management in one browser product, with supplier pricing integrations and a set of AI assistants called Blu. Third-party listings report Foundation at $199 per month, Pro at $399 and Master at $599, unlimited users on each, with the Blu Takeoff Assistant as a paid add-on below the top plan. Confirm with Buildxact before budgeting. Best for: small home builders who want one system from plan to purchase order.
2. Houzz Pro
Houzz Pro treats takeoff as one feature of a full business suite: CRM, estimates, proposals and project management. The Pro plan is $199 per month for one user and includes Takeoffs; Teams starts at $399 per month for five users, and the 30-day trial converts to an annual subscription. Houzz's own help pages say the AI takeoff supports only simplified floor plans and elevations, so not every plan qualifies. Best for: residential pros who want leads, estimates and takeoff under one login.
3. Handoff
Handoff turns a typed or spoken scope into a priced estimate and proposal, which is how most remodels actually get bid. Flex is $119 per month for two users and Pro is $239 for five, on annual billing. AI plan takeoff exists only on the Scale tier at $719 per month, and only for residential plans up to 7,000 square feet. Best for: remodelers and small GCs who estimate from a conversation, not a drawing.
4. Klorra AI
Klorra AI is aimed at custom home builders: upload the plan and a full bid comes back in about four hours. Public listings show $299 per bid or $329 per month. We have not tested its output, so ask for a sample on a house you have already built. Best for: custom builders who bid a handful of homes a year and want the whole bid, not only quantities.
5. Clear Estimates
Clear Estimates is not takeoff software. It is a remodeling estimator with a localised parts library updated quarterly, proposals, e-signature and invoices. Standard is $79 per month, or $59 on annual billing; Pro is $119 or $99 and adds AI estimating from photos and plans. There is a 30-day free trial. Best for: remodelers who want a good-looking priced estimate quickly and never measure from plans.
6. PlanSwift
PlanSwift is the traditional answer for residential and light-commercial subs: trace the plan on screen and let assemblies turn a wall into studs, plates, sheathing and labor. It is $2,000 per seat per year for Essential and $3,000 for Core, which adds the full Takeoff BOOST AI, and it runs on Windows only. Best for: residential and light-commercial subs working house plans on a Windows PC.
7. Square Takeoff
Square Takeoff is straightforward cloud takeoff with basic estimating. Third-party listings report $249 per month, $599 per quarter or $1,699 per year, all features in every plan, with a 14-day trial; confirm on the vendor's page. Best for: small residential and light-commercial contractors who want to measure plans without a long contract.
8. Pilars
Pilars reads a full plan set and its spec book in minutes and returns confidence-scored quantities for any of 19 trades, sourced to the sheet. The first pass is automatic and everything in it is editable: open a detection, reclassify a wall type, add or remove a device, adjust a boundary or a quantity, and the totals update. It costs $300 per user per month, billed monthly or annually; each user covers one trade with unlimited takeoffs, which is more than most of the residential suites above. Best for: residential builders whose projects look like commercial ones on paper.
When Pilars fits a residential builder, and when it does not
Pilars fits when
- You build multifamily, townhome blocks or mixed-use, with a real architectural, structural and MEP set
- You build large custom homes that come with schedules and a spec book
- You want independent quantities for framing, drywall, electrical or plumbing to check sub bids against
- You run enough sets through one trade that a flat monthly price with unlimited takeoffs beats paying per bid
Pilars does not fit when
- You are a remodeler pricing from a site walk, photos or a sketch. There is no plan set to read
- You need the proposal, client signature, supplier pricing or job schedule in the same tool. Pilars stops at a takeoff summary and an Excel export
- The whole house is on a few sheets and measuring it takes less time than reviewing a report
A custom builder doing ten houses a year gives a fair comparison. Three trades through Pilars is three users, $900 a month or $10,800 a year, for quantities only; a single trade is $3,600. Buildxact at the reported $199 per month is about $2,400 and includes estimating and job management that Pilars does not. At ten houses a year Buildxact is the better buy by a wide margin. Pilars starts to make sense at multifamily volume, where the sets are large and the takeoffs keep coming. We say more about the fit on our home builder and remodeler pages.
How to choose residential takeoff software
- Start with what you bid from. No drawings: Handoff or Clear Estimates. House plans: Buildxact, Houzz Pro, PlanSwift or Square Takeoff. Full multi-discipline sets: Pilars.
- Decide where the estimate lives. If you want quantities to flow into a proposal without retyping, choose a suite. If you price in your own spreadsheet, a takeoff tool is enough.
- Read the AI small print. Handoff caps AI takeoff at 7,000 square feet on its top tier. Houzz limits it to simplified plans. Buildxact's takeoff assistant is reported as an add-on.
If you do have a full set and want to see what an automated read looks like, run it through the live demo. For what takeoff tools cost across the market, see how much takeoff software costs.
Questions estimators actually ask
What is the best residential takeoff software in 2026?
For most home builders the best residential takeoff software is Buildxact or Houzz Pro, because both connect takeoff to estimates and proposals; Houzz Pro is $199 per month and third-party listings report Buildxact from $199 per month. Residential subs who measure by hand on Windows often choose PlanSwift at $2,000 to $3,000 per seat per year.
What is the best takeoff software for home builders?
Buildxact is the strongest fit for small home builders who want takeoff, estimating and job management in one browser tool. Klorra AI, listed at $299 per bid, suits custom home builders who want a complete bid back from a plan upload, and Pilars suits builders with multifamily or large custom plan sets.
What is the best takeoff software for remodelers?
Remodelers usually do not need plan takeoff at all. Handoff (from $119 per month) builds an estimate from a described scope, and Clear Estimates (from $59 per month on annual billing) prices remodels from a localised parts library.
Is Pilars a good choice for residential construction?
Pilars is built for commercial plan sets, so it suits residential work only when there is a full drawing set and spec book, such as multifamily, mixed-use or a large custom home. Pilars is not the right tool for a remodeler pricing from a site walk or for a builder who needs proposals and job management.
What's the best takeoff software for a custom home builder doing 10 houses a year?
Buildxact is usually the better buy at a reported $199 per month, roughly $2,400 a year including estimating and job management. Pilars for three trades would be three users at $300 each per month, $10,800 a year for quantities only, which is hard to justify at ten houses. Klorra AI at $299 per bid would be about $2,990.
Which residential tools include AI takeoff from plans?
Handoff includes AI plan takeoff only on its Scale tier at $719 per month, for residential plans up to 7,000 square feet. Houzz Pro's AI takeoff works on simplified floor plans and elevations, and third-party listings report Buildxact's Blu Takeoff Assistant as an add-on below its top plan.