OpenTakeoff

OpenTakeoff is a construction takeoff tool for measuring quantities from building plans, built for construction professionals and developers. It is best for people who want a free, local-first workflow or agent-assisted measurement proposals. Its broad exports and open-source model are appealing, but people must approve agent work and one area-measurement feature is temporarily gated.

Overview

The browser app opens PDF and image plans, as well as ZIP plan sets, without an account or plan upload. By default, it processes and stores plans, measurements, annotations, materials, and project settings on the device in browser storage. That makes it a sensible option for users who prefer local handling, but optional Google Drive, Microsoft 365, configured AI-provider, and scanned-schedule integrations change the data flow. The scanned-schedule service can send a selected image to Google Gemini.

OpenTakeoff measures in two dimensions and reports square feet, square yards, linear feet, and each. Waste-adjusted order quantities, supporting-material lists, and roll-goods cuts extend its usefulness beyond basic drawing measurements. Exports include CSV, Excel, JSON, PDF, and DXF, with marked PDFs among the outputs.

Key features

The browser canvas supports working directly with plans, while the MCP server connects to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other stdio MCP clients. It runs through npx -y opentakeoff-mcp, giving developers a way to bring AI agents into a takeoff workflow. The important safeguard is also a limit: agent measurements remain proposals until a person approves them in the browser canvas, so this is not a hands-off automation tool.

One-Click Area is temporarily gated while its flood engine is re-validated. The default MCP build also does not register room-detection verbs. Those constraints matter to users who want direct area automation or agent-led room detection; the core plan-measurement and export workflow remains the stronger fit.

Drawing OCR is supported. The project is Apache-2.0 licensed, and users can fork it to run their own instance on their own URL. The privacy policy cautions that no storage or transmission method is risk-free and does not state a security certification or compliance standard, so organizations with formal assurance requirements should assess that fit before adopting it.

Pricing

OpenTakeoff has one plan: Free — free. It is open-source under Apache-2.0 and requires no account. There is no free trial because the product is free. That removes a subscription commitment and account setup, while the trade-off is that there are no paid tiers described for expanded capabilities or support.

Platforms

OpenTakeoff is available on the web and supports API, Linux, macOS, Windows, and self-hosted use. Its browser workspace suits people who want to start with plan files locally; self-hosting and the API broaden the options for developers who want to run or integrate the project themselves.

Who it's for

This is a good match for construction professionals who need 2D quantities, material calculations, and portable exports without paying for a plan. Developers and AI users may value the MCP server and the ability to self-host or fork the Apache-2.0 project. It is a weaker choice for teams that require fully automated agent measurements, built-in room-detection verbs in the default MCP build, or a stated security certification.

Pros and cons

• Pros: The free, no-account browser workflow processes plans locally, which avoids requiring plan uploads for ordinary use.
• Pros: Quantity calculations, material outputs, roll-goods cuts, and CSV, Excel, JSON, PDF, and DXF exports support work beyond simple area measurement.
• Pros: MCP support and self-hosting give developers options for agent-assisted workflows and deployment on their own URL.
• Cons: Agent measurements require human approval, limiting the appeal for users seeking end-to-end automation.
• Cons: One-Click Area is temporarily gated, and room-detection verbs are absent from the default MCP build.
• Cons: Optional cloud and AI integrations can move selected data beyond the local browser workspace, and no security certification or compliance standard is stated.

Alternatives

Construction Takeoff Software is the broader category directory for comparing takeoff tools.

Choose TakeCost if a monthly allowance of one new takeoff file with full area, length, and count tools suits your workflow and you want a free trial. Its free plan also includes unlimited proposals and revisions.

usBIM.platform may suit teams seeking a broader cloud application set, with a free basic configuration that includes 10 GB of cloud storage; subscriptions add applications.

Bidwright is another free option across desktop and self-hosted platforms, with AI disabled in its single-user desktop app until you add your own key.

Consider Vertigraph Products if you want a cloud takeoff plan with a free tier capped at two projects per month, two users, 1 GB of storage, and three saves per page, or a Pro plan priced at $16.66 a month.

MeasureSquare offers a paid mobile retail plan at $54 a month for one user, aimed at in-store sales and on-site consultations.

STACK is worth considering when a free plan capped at one active project per month, 300 plan pages, 50 measurements per project, and one viewer seat fits the work.

eTakeoff is a Windows alternative with a free viewer and paid Advanced and Premier plans.

The EDGE is another option for readers who want a paid product and prefer to request a demo.

Verdict

OpenTakeoff is a strong choice for construction professionals and developers who want free plan measurement, local browser processing, varied exports, or a self-hostable MCP workflow. Its combination of material-oriented outputs and agent proposals is useful without requiring an account. Look elsewhere if you need automatic agent approval, room detection in the default MCP build, or an ungated One-Click Area workflow.