The best takeoff software for plumbing and HVAC contractors, 2026.
Mechanical takeoff is pipe and duct by size, by system and by floor, plus everything the schedules say and the plans only hint at. Most AI takeoff tools were built to measure rooms. Here are eight that a plumbing or HVAC estimator could realistically use, including the ones built for mechanical, with real prices where they exist.
What is the best takeoff software for plumbing and HVAC contractors?
For AI mechanical takeoff in 2026, three tools are built for the work. Pilars reads the full plan set and spec book and returns editable plumbing or HVAC quantities for $300 per user per month, one trade per user with unlimited takeoffs. Beam AI's self-serve licence covers HVAC and plumbing from $8,000 per trade per year, with a done-for-you service from $25,000 per year. TaksoAi is a mechanical specialist whose pricing is not public. For manual takeoff, PlanSwift costs $2,000 to $3,000 per seat per year and Bluebeam Revu $330 to $440.
Search for the best HVAC takeoff software and you mostly get long-standing desktop duct and pipe programs plus vendor pages. We have left out several of those older mechanical tools because we could not verify their current features or prices, and we would rather skip a product than guess.
How we judged them. Who does the reading (you or the software), fit for pipe, duct and equipment specifically, platform, public pricing, and review signals where a real sample exists. Pilars publishes this page and is included in it.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, based on public documentation. All product names are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison.
Plumbing and HVAC takeoff software compared
| Product | Best for | Type | Platform | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilars | Mechanical and plumbing subs who want the set 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 |
| TaksoAi | Mechanical and insulation contractors wanting a specialist AI tool | AI-assisted mechanical takeoff | Browser | Not public; you get a quote |
| Beam AI (Attentive.ai) | Contractors with steady volume, or who want takeoff outsourced | Self-serve licence for HVAC, plumbing and steel; done-for-you service | Web | From $8K per trade per year; from $25K per year done-for-you |
| Bobyard | Teams piloting AI takeoff and estimating in one platform | AI-assisted takeoff plus estimating | Web | Not public; you get a quote |
| McCormick | Plumbing and mechanical shops that need estimating, not just takeoff | Estimating with built-in takeoff | Cloud, per vendor | Not public; third-party listings report from $300 per month |
| PlanSwift | Windows estimators who build pipe and duct assemblies | Manual desktop takeoff plus estimating, AI count tools | Windows only | $2,000 per year Essential; $3,000 per year Core |
| STACK | Shops wanting cloud takeoff and estimate in one seat | Manual cloud takeoff plus estimating | Browser | "As low as $299 per user/month"; free version |
| Bluebeam Revu | Small shops doing light takeoff alongside markup | PDF markup with manual measurement | Windows, web and mobile | $330 Core or $440 Complete per user per year |
What actually gets counted and measured in mechanical takeoff
Plumbing. Fixtures by tag from the fixture schedule, with their carriers, trim and rough-in. Pipe by system (cold, hot, recirculation, sanitary, vent, storm, gas), by size and by material, because 4-inch cast iron and 4-inch PVC are different jobs. Then fittings, valves, cleanouts, floor drains, hangers and insulation.
HVAC. Equipment from the schedules: rooftop units, air handlers, VAV boxes, fans. Duct by size and run, which becomes pounds of sheet metal and a fitting count. Flex, grilles, registers and diffusers, dampers, hydronic and refrigerant piping, and duct and pipe insulation.
Where tools fall down is predictable:
- Vertical pipe. A riser is a dot on the plan. The footage lives on the riser diagram and in the floor-to-floor heights. Miss it and a four-storey job is short by a real number; see what vertical pipe costs you.
- Size and system labels. Tools built to measure rooms treat a line as a line. Mechanical needs it split by diameter or duct dimension and by system.
- Schedules and specs. The plan says P-3. The schedule says wall-hung with a carrier, and the spec book says which pipe material is allowed. Sheet-at-a-time tools never connect them.
- Fittings. Most software gives lengths. Elbows, tees and transitions still come from allowances or a careful eye; our pipe per fixture allowances page shows the usual shortcuts.
The eight tools
1. Pilars
Pilars runs the takeoff automatically from one upload: it reads every sheet and the spec book together, resolves fixture and equipment schedules, counts fixtures and equipment, measures and traces runs, and flags IPC and IMC issues, with quantities sourced to the sheet. Plumbing and HVAC are separate trades out of 19 available. Each user covers one trade for $300 per month with unlimited takeoffs, so a shop taking off both needs two users, $600 per month. Nothing is locked: you can open any detection, reclassify it, add or remove an item, adjust a length, and the totals update. The first pass comes back in minutes. Pilars gives quantities and an Excel export, not a priced estimate. Best for: plumbing and HVAC subs who want a self-serve first pass in minutes that they can correct, with monthly billing available.
2. TaksoAi
TaksoAi is built for HVAC, plumbing, piping and mechanical insulation and nothing else. The AI produces initial results in minutes, and the estimator reviews and adjusts on the drawing, then exports to Excel or CSV. It also has TaksoBrief, a spec-review tool with source links. The vendor is clear that it delivers takeoff inputs, not a complete priced estimate, and frames the saving as about half your time. Pricing is not public. Best for: mechanical and insulation contractors who want a specialist and are happy to get a quote. If mechanical insulation is your trade, look here first.
3. Beam AI (Attentive.ai)
Beam AI is the rare AI vendor that chose mechanical for its self-serve product: the Do It Yourself licence covers HVAC, plumbing and steel, from $8,000 per trade per year. The done-for-you tier, from $25,000 per year, returns a QA-checked takeoff in 24 to 72 hours. Third-party listings report ratings around 4.9 out of 5 on roughly 30 reviews. The commitment is annual and five figures. Best for: mechanical contractors with steady bid volume who are comfortable with an annual commitment, and firms that want takeoff labor outsourced.
4. Bobyard
Bobyard lists plumbing and mechanical among its six trades. The AI makes a first pass with confidence scores, and takeoff, estimate and cost database live in one tool. Pricing is not public, and these trades were added in 2026, so ask for references in your trade. Best for: teams that want one newer platform for takeoff and estimate and will pilot before committing.
5. McCormick
McCormick is estimating software for electrical, plumbing and mechanical, with takeoff built in and a preloaded material database with supplier pricing. Its site does not describe AI takeoff. Best for: plumbing and mechanical shops whose real gap is pricing and labor, not counting.
6. PlanSwift
PlanSwift is manual point-and-click takeoff with drag-and-drop assemblies, which suits pipe and duct well once you have built them. Takeoff BOOST adds Auto Count in Essential ($2,000 per year) and Auto Takeoff in Core ($3,000 per year). Windows only. Best for: estimators who want full control and already have assemblies.
7. STACK
STACK is browser-based manual takeoff and estimating with a free version. Its Symbol Counting AI is documented for electrical sheets only, so on mechanical sheets you are measuring by hand. Best for: shops wanting a cloud seat for takeoff and proposal together.
8. Bluebeam Revu
Plenty of small plumbing shops take off in Bluebeam because they already own it. Count and volume tools start in Core at $330 per user per year, and the Excel Quantity Link is in Complete at $440. It is manual, and the AI in the Max plan is aimed at drawing review, not quantity takeoff. Best for: the cheapest workable seat when volume is low.
A note on Togal.ai
Togal.ai is the best-known AI takeoff tool and is very good at architectural areas and spaces. The trades Togal lists on its own site do not include plumbing or HVAC as of this review, so we have not ranked it here. At $299 per user per month billed annually, it is the right tool for a different job.
Pilars or a Beam AI licence: the math
Both are flat prices that do not change with the number of sets you bid. Pilars charges per user, each on one trade. Beam AI's self-serve licence is priced per trade.
| Shop | Pilars, per year | Beam AI self-serve, per year (starting price) |
|---|---|---|
| One estimator, plumbing only | $3,600 (1 user) | From $8,000 |
| Three estimators: two on plumbing, one on HVAC | $10,800 (3 users) | From $16,000 (two trades) |
| Five estimators: three on plumbing, two on HVAC | $18,000 (5 users) | From $16,000 (two trades) |
For one estimator on one trade, a Pilars user costs less than half of Beam AI's starting licence, and it can be billed monthly. The gap closes as the team grows, because Pilars is priced per user. Beam AI does not publish how many users a licence includes, so ask before you compare; if one licence covers the whole department, a five-estimator shop may find Beam AI the cheaper of the two. Run your own numbers, then test on a set you have already bid; the Pilars live demo takes your own drawings. Trade detail is in how AI automates plumbing takeoff and how AI automates HVAC takeoff.
Questions estimators actually ask
What is the best takeoff software for plumbing contractors?
For AI plumbing takeoff, Pilars costs $300 per user per month for the plumbing trade with unlimited takeoffs, Beam AI's self-serve licence starts at $8,000 per year for plumbing, and TaksoAi is a mechanical specialist with pricing on request. For manual takeoff, PlanSwift costs $2,000 to $3,000 per seat per year and Bluebeam Revu Core costs $330 per user per year.
What is the best HVAC takeoff software with AI?
Pilars, Beam AI and TaksoAi are the AI tools with documented HVAC coverage. Pilars charges $300 per user per month for an HVAC user with unlimited takeoffs, Beam AI's self-serve HVAC licence starts at $8,000 per year, and TaksoAi does not publish pricing. Bobyard also lists mechanical as a newer trade.
Which takeoff software should a mid-size mechanical contractor use for ductwork and piping from PDF plans?
A mid-size mechanical contractor bidding often should compare a Beam AI licence, from $8,000 per trade per year, against Pilars at $300 per user per month, or $3,600 a year for each estimator on one trade, since the cheaper option depends on how many estimators need access. TaksoAi is worth a demo for its mechanical-specific models, and McCormick covers the estimating side.
Does Beam AI do plumbing and HVAC takeoff?
Yes. Beam AI's Do It Yourself licence covers HVAC, plumbing and steel from $8,000 per trade per year, and its done-for-you service covers all trades from $25,000 per year with a 24 to 72 hour turnaround.
Is Pilars or Beam AI cheaper for mechanical takeoff?
Pilars costs $300 per user per month, or $3,600 a year, for one estimator on one trade with unlimited takeoffs, against a Beam AI self-serve licence from $8,000 per trade per year. Pilars is cheaper for one or two estimators per trade at those published prices; larger teams should ask Beam AI how many users a licence covers before comparing.
Can I edit an automated plumbing or HVAC takeoff in Pilars?
Yes. Pilars produces the first pass automatically, and the estimator can open any detection to reclassify it, add or remove items, or adjust a length or quantity, with totals updating. The estimator has the final say on every number.