Mechanical takeoff that
reads the schedule.
The RTU schedule, the AHU schedule, the diffuser schedule, the pipe spec — a mechanical bid is buried in tables, and the duct is priced by the pound. Pilars reads the tables, takes off the duct and pipe, and pulls the equipment, so you're not flipping sheets for an afternoon.
Duct by the pound, equipment off the schedule
Sheet metal gets bid on weight — pounds and square footage by gauge — and the equipment count lives in schedules that don't match up to the floor plan without work. Pilars takes off ductwork and pipe, reads the RTU, AHU and terminal-unit schedules, counts diffusers, VAVs and fittings, and ties the equipment back to where it sits on the plan. SMACNA-style weight logic instead of a flat per-foot guess.
The spec decides the system — so it reads the spec
Whether a line is Type L copper or carbon steel, welded or grooved, insulated to what thickness — that's a spec call, and it changes both material and labor. Pilars reads the spec book with the drawings, applies the right system, flags IMC scope, and hands back confidence-scored quantities sourced to the sheet. You review the low-confidence items and price; the counting and the sheet-flipping is done.
- Ductwork by gauge with weight and SF
- Pipe by material, size and joining method
- RTUs, AHUs, VAVs, diffusers off the schedules
- Spec-driven system and IMC scope flagged
Questions estimators actually ask
Does it weigh ductwork or just measure length?
It takes off duct by size and gauge and gives you weight and square footage, which is how sheet metal actually gets bid — not a single per-foot number.
Can it pull equipment from the RTU and AHU schedules?
Yes. It reads the mechanical schedules and matches equipment to its location on the plan, so you're not reconciling a diffuser schedule against the reflected ceiling by hand.
Does it know the difference between copper and steel, welded vs grooved?
It reads the spec to apply the right system, because that decision drives both material and labor. Drawing-only takeoffs miss it.
Will this work for a mechanical sub that does both HVAC and piping?
Yes — duct, hydronic and plumbing piping, and equipment all come off the same set. Mechanical scope that spans systems is exactly where it saves the most time.
What's the cost?
$100 per trade, per plan, no per-seat fees, unlimited projects.