Window takeoff calculator.
Pick the window type and size. Get the operating hardware — locks, balances, operators, screens — plus the full install material list — flashing tape, sill pans, foam, shims, sealant, casing — and download it as a proper Excel takeoff template with live formulas.
| Mark | Window type | Qty | Width (in) | Height (in) | Perim. (ft) |
|---|
| Material | Qty | Unit | How it’s figured |
|---|
How the math works
Each window type carries a fixed operating-hardware kit per unit; the calculator multiplies that kit by your quantities and totals it across the schedule. Install materials come off each window’s perimeter P = 2×(W+H)/12 ft and glass area SF = W×H/144. Every factor is visible in the Excel download as a live matrix so you can audit or adjust it.
| Window type | Per-window operating hardware |
|---|---|
| Single-hung | Sash lock ×1 (×2 if width > 36″) · balances ×2 · tilt latches ×2 · weatherstrip set ×1 · half screen ×1 |
| Double-hung | Sash locks ×2 · balances ×4 · sash lifts ×2 · tilt latches ×4 · weatherstrip set ×1 · full screen ×1 |
| Casement | Operator (crank) ×1 · hinge set ×1 · multipoint lock + handle ×1 · snubbers ×2 · screen ×1 |
| Awning | Operator ×1 · hinges ×2 · cam locks ×2 · screen ×1 |
| Horizontal slider | Sash rollers ×4 · latch ×1 · pile weatherstrip set ×1 · screen ×1 |
| Fixed / picture | No operating hardware · glazing stops set ×1 · setting blocks ×4 |
| Egress casement | Heavy-duty operator ×1 · egress hinge set ×1 · multipoint lock ×1 · screen ×1 |
- Flashing tape — perimeter + 3 ft per window, summed and bought in 75′ rolls.
- Sill pan — one per window.
- Low-expansion foam — one can per two windows (rounded up on the total).
- Shims — 8 per window, sold in packs of 12 (rounded up on the total).
- Backer rod — one LF per LF of perimeter.
- Exterior sealant — total perimeter ÷ 25 ft per tube, rounded up.
- Interior casing — perimeter × (1 + waste %).
- Drip cap (head flashing) — sum of window widths, in feet.
- Installation screws — one box per 15 windows, rounded up.
The width > 36″ second-sash-lock rule on single-hung windows is size-dependent, so in the Excel download it’s applied per row by value rather than as a single factor — the note flags it.
This is the easy 20%. The other 80% is on your drawings.
A schedule-based calculator counts the hardware for the window types you already know. What it can’t do is read your window schedule, elevations and flashing details off the drawings — the mulled units, the egress callout in a bedroom, the head/jamb/sill detail that changes the flashing entirely, the tempered-glazing notes hiding in the schedule. That’s the part of a window bid that leaks money — and it’s exactly what Pilars AI takeoff does from your actual plans: it reads the schedule, matches every mark to its type and size, and returns hardware and install materials by unit. $100 per trade, per plan.
Questions estimators actually ask
How does the calculator figure operating hardware?
Each window type carries a fixed hardware kit per unit — a double-hung gets 2 sash locks, 4 balances, 2 lifts, 4 tilt latches, a weatherstrip set and a screen; a casement gets an operator, a hinge set, a multipoint lock and handle, snubbers and a screen. The calculator multiplies each type’s kit by your quantities and totals it. Single-hung windows wider than 36″ pick up a second sash lock.
What install materials does it calculate per window?
From each window’s perimeter and glass area: flashing tape (perimeter + 3 ft, in 75′ rolls), a sill pan per window, low-expansion foam (one can per two windows), shims (eight per window in packs of 12), backer rod, exterior sealant (perimeter ÷ 25 ft per tube), interior casing with a waste factor, drip cap off the head widths, and a box of installation screws per 15 windows.
Can I download the window takeoff as an Excel file?
Yes — one click exports a real .xlsx workbook with a Window Schedule sheet and a Hardware & Materials sheet. The hardware sheet carries a visible factor matrix (hardware item × window type) with live SUMIF formulas, so you can change quantities or sizes inside Excel and everything recalculates. There’s a blank reusable template too.
Does it handle replacement inserts as well as new construction?
Yes — choose new construction (nail fin) or replacement insert. On replacement work, flashing tape and sill pans are usually omitted, so the page notes that, but the quantities are still shown so you can keep or drop them per detail.
Is this as accurate as a real plan takeoff?
It’s a fast estimating tool built on standard hardware kits and install factors. It doesn’t read your window schedule, elevations or flashing details — that’s what Pilars does from your actual drawings for $100 per trade.
Let Pilars take off your whole set.
Upload your plans. Pilars reads the window schedule, matches every mark to its type and size, catches egress and tempered callouts, and returns the full window hardware and install takeoff. $100 per trade.