The best takeoff software for drywall and painting contractors, 2026.
Interiors is the trade AI takeoff learned first, so drywall and painting estimators have more good options than anyone. That makes the choice harder, not easier. Nine tools, what each one is really good at, where a competitor beats ours, and what you will pay.
What is the best drywall and painting takeoff software?
For an estimator who takes off interiors every day, Togal.ai is the best drywall and painting takeoff software in 2026: it measures and labels areas on architectural plans very well and costs $299 per user per month, billed annually. Pilars is the best fit if you would rather review a takeoff than drive one: it reads the plan set and spec book and returns editable wall, ceiling and paint quantities for $300 per user per month, one trade per user with unlimited takeoffs. On-Screen Takeoff remains the manual standard for interior subs, now with AI tools; its pricing is not public.
Pilars publishes this page and is included in it. We put Togal.ai first on purpose: it is strong in this trade, and a roundup that pretended otherwise would not be worth reading.
How we judged them. Who does the reading (you or the software), fit for partitions, ceilings and finishes specifically, platform, public pricing, and review signals where a real sample exists.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, based on public documentation. All product names are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison.
Drywall and painting takeoff software compared
| Product | Best for | Type | Platform | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Togal.ai | Daily interiors estimators who live in architectural floor plans | AI-assisted takeoff | Browser | $299 per user per month, billed yearly |
| Pilars | Subs who want the set, schedules and specs read for them and an editable first pass | Fully automated AI takeoff, editable results | Browser | $300 per user per month; one trade per user, unlimited takeoffs |
| On-Screen Takeoff | Commercial drywall, ceiling and paint subs with an established workflow | Manual desktop takeoff with AI tools; pairs with Quick Bid | Windows desktop | Not public; you get a quote |
| ConstructConnect Takeoff | Interior trades who want that family of tools in a browser or on a Mac | AI-assisted cloud takeoff | Browser | Not public; you get a quote |
| Beam AI (Attentive.ai) | Contractors who want interior takeoff done for them | Done-for-you takeoff service | Web | From $25K per year (done-for-you) |
| Kreo | Small teams wanting AI room and wall takeoff with an estimate attached | AI-assisted takeoff plus estimating | Browser | Pro (with AI) $175 per user per month, annual billing |
| STACK | Shops wanting takeoff, estimate and proposal in one cloud seat | Manual cloud takeoff plus estimating, AI assist | Browser | "As low as $299 per user/month"; free version |
| PlanSwift | Windows estimators with wall assemblies already built | Manual desktop takeoff plus estimating, AI tools | Windows only | $2,000 per year Essential; $3,000 per year Core |
| Bluebeam Revu | Painters and small drywall shops doing light takeoff | PDF markup with manual measurement | Windows, web and mobile | $260 to $590 per user per year |
What drywall and painting takeoff really measures
Drywall. The plan gives you linear feet of partition. The money is in everything attached to that line: the wall type from the partition schedule (stud gauge and spacing, layers each side, rated or not, insulation), and the height, which is to the deck for one type and six inches above ceiling for the next. Length times height by type becomes board, studs, track, mud, tape and screws. Then come ceilings, soffits and bulkheads, shaft wall, corner bead, control joints and the finish level the spec calls for.
Painting. Wall area net of openings, by finish code from the room finish schedule. Doors and frames by the each, trim and base by the foot, and the number of coats and the product from the spec. Gallons fall out of area and spread rate only once the areas are split correctly.
Where software falls down in this trade:
- Floor area is not wall area. Room detection is quick, but a painter is paid on wall square footage, which needs perimeter and the right height.
- Wall types. Two lines that look identical on the plan can be different assemblies. If the tool does not read the type tag, you are sorting partitions by hand afterwards.
- Heights and elevations. Nothing on a floor plan says a wall runs to deck. Sections, the partition schedule and reflected ceiling plans do.
- The finish schedule. PT-1 in one room and PT-3 with an epoxy coating in the next only shows up if the schedule is read alongside the plan.
- Finish level. Level 4 versus Level 5 is in the spec, not the drawings, and it changes the labor.
The nine tools
1. Togal.ai
Togal.ai is genuinely strong on architectural areas. It detects, measures and labels spaces on a floor plan quickly, lists painting, drywall, framing and flooring among its trades, and one flat seat covers unlimited automated takeoffs. Third-party listings report a G2 rating of 4.8 out of 5 from about 60 reviews. The costs: it is per seat with annual billing, it is takeoff only, and G2 reviewers mention cleaning up AI results by hand. Best for: estimators who take off interiors daily, and shops that cover drywall and painting from one seat, where it is the better buy than Pilars.
2. Pilars
Pilars runs the first pass for you. It reads every sheet and the spec book together, resolves schedules and cross-sheet references, then measures lengths and areas and counts openings, with each quantity sourced to its sheet. Nothing is locked: open any detection, reclassify a wall type, adjust a boundary or a quantity, and the totals update. The first pass takes minutes with no tracing. Drywall and painting are separate trades among the 19 available. Each user covers one trade for $300 per month with unlimited takeoffs, so an estimator who needs both is two users, $600 per month. Our only published accuracy test is on electrical, not interiors: a duplex receptacle count where Pilars scored 97.5% and Togal 84% on one power plan (benchmark). We have no published wall-area comparison, so test it on your own set. Best for: drywall or painting subs who want the wall types, heights and finish schedule read for them, and who would rather check a first pass than trace one.
3. On-Screen Takeoff
On-Screen Takeoff has been the interiors standard for decades. Its patented multi-condition takeoff lets you draw a wall once and take off several conditions together. Takeoff BOOST, added in 2026, brings auto count and wall-type detection. It pairs with Quick Bid for estimating. ConstructConnect cites a G2 rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 148 reviews. Pricing is not public. Best for: commercial drywall and ceiling subs with estimators already trained on it. See PlanSwift vs On-Screen Takeoff.
4. ConstructConnect Takeoff
This is the newer browser product from the same company, which the vendor says is built for interior trades such as drywall, ceilings, painting and flooring. It runs on Mac or Windows and includes Auto Takeoff for linear, area and count. No price is published. Best for: interiors estimators who want the ConstructConnect approach without a Windows install.
5. Beam AI (Attentive.ai)
Beam AI's done-for-you service covers all trades, interiors included, and returns a QA-checked takeoff in 24 to 72 hours, from $25,000 per year. Its self-serve licence covers HVAC, plumbing and steel only, so drywall and painting contractors would be buying the service. Best for: larger subs who want takeoff labor outsourced and can plan around the turnaround.
6. Kreo
Kreo's AI takeoff finds rooms, walls, doors and windows and links them to a live estimate. AI starts on Pro at $175 per user per month, annual billing. Capterra reviewers say it works best on clean vector drawings. Best for: small teams that want takeoff and estimate together at a published price.
7. STACK
STACK Assist automates interior and exterior wall takeoffs, room areas and door and window counts, though Floor Plan AI is a paid add-on with an unpublished price. Best for: shops that want proposal output from the same tool.
8. PlanSwift
PlanSwift's drag-and-drop assemblies turn a wall line into studs, board and labor. It is Windows only; $2,000 per year for Essential, $3,000 for Core with AI Auto Takeoff. Best for: residential and light-commercial drywall estimators who have built their assemblies.
9. Bluebeam Revu
Basics ($260) measures length and area only; perimeter and count need Core ($330), and Dynamic Fill is in Complete ($440). Best for: painters pricing a few small jobs from PDFs they already mark up.
Togal.ai or Pilars: the honest math
| Shop | Togal.ai Growth | Pilars |
|---|---|---|
| One estimator, one trade | $3,588 per year | $3,600 per year (1 user) |
| One estimator covering drywall and painting | $3,588 per year | $7,200 per year (2 users) |
| Three estimators, one trade | $10,764 per year | $10,800 per year (3 users) |
| Five estimators, one trade | $17,940 per year | $18,000 per year (5 users) |
On one trade the two cost the same to within a few dollars, and neither bill changes with the number of bids. Togal.ai is the cheaper of the two for a shop that estimates both drywall and painting, because a Togal seat is not sold per trade. Pilars can be billed monthly, where Togal.ai bills annually. So price does not settle it. What does is how you want to work: a Togal seat buys a tool you still operate sheet by sheet, while Pilars hands you a first pass to review and correct, with the schedules and specs already read. Pilars has a live demo that takes your drawings, and the detailed comparison is in Pilars vs Togal.
Questions estimators actually ask
What is the best drywall takeoff software?
Togal.ai is the strongest AI tool for daily drywall takeoff on architectural plans at $299 per user per month billed annually. On-Screen Takeoff is the long-standing manual standard for commercial drywall subs, with pricing on request. Pilars is the fully automated option at $300 per user per month for the drywall trade, with unlimited takeoffs and editable results.
What is the best painting takeoff software?
For painting contractors, Togal.ai measures room and wall areas quickly for $299 per user per month billed annually, and Pilars reads the plan set and spec book together for $300 per user per month for the painting trade, with unlimited takeoffs. Painters with only occasional plan work can manage with Bluebeam Revu Core at $330 per user per year.
I am a one-man drywall estimator doing six bids a month. Which takeoff software is worth paying for?
For a solo drywall estimator bidding six sets a month, a Togal.ai seat at $3,588 per year and a Pilars user at $300 per month, or $3,600 per year with unlimited takeoffs, cost almost the same. Togal.ai suits an estimator who wants to drive the takeoff on architectural plans, and Pilars suits one who would rather review an automated first pass that has already read the schedules and specs.
Is there drywall estimating software with AI that reads wall types?
On-Screen Takeoff's Takeoff BOOST lists wall-type detection, and Pilars reads the plan set and spec book together and lets the estimator reclassify any wall type afterwards. Togal.ai, Kreo and STACK Assist detect walls and rooms; check on your own drawings how each handles type tags.
Can Beam AI do drywall or painting takeoff?
Beam AI's done-for-you service covers all trades, including drywall and painting, from $25,000 per year with a 24 to 72 hour turnaround. Beam AI's self-serve licence covers only HVAC, plumbing and steel.
Can I correct the quantities in an automated Pilars takeoff?
Yes. Pilars runs the first pass automatically, and the estimator can open any detection, reclassify a wall type, adjust a boundary or change a quantity, with totals updating. The estimator has the final say on every number.