Framing takeoffs for multifamily and light commercial

What's covered

Framing-Only takeoff: framing lumber (plates, studs, blocking, floor and roof framing where it's framed on site), sheathing, headers and beams, and structural hardware. You get an Excel workbook, a numbered wall list split into sheeted and unsheeted walls, and a wall-number PDF so you can see exactly which wall each line belongs to.

Full Material takeoff: everything above plus every other building material, foundation to shingles: concrete and rebar, windows and doors, roofing, siding and trim, soffit and fascia, insulation, drywall, gutters, decks and porches. Materials only, no labor or equipment.

On both, every line shows the plan sheet, detail or schedule it came from, the dimension or count used, and a High, Med or Low confidence flag. Anything the plans don't answer goes on a questions list instead of being guessed. More on that in what's included in a material takeoff.

How multifamily and commercial are priced

Pricing goes by finished square footage. Buildings up to 5,000 sq ft use the same flat tiers as houses: Framing-Only $150 / $225 / $300 and Full Material $500 / $650 / $800. Jobs over 5,000 sq ft, and multifamily and commercial buildings that size, are quoted from the plans: from $500 per building for Framing-Only and from $1,200 for Full Material. There's no separate commercial price list.

Why a quote rather than a flat rate on big jobs: unit-type repetition can make a large set fast or slow. Ten identical units are not ten times the work. Twelve unique units, varying plate heights and a podium transition can be more than the square footage suggests. I look at the set first and send a fixed price before you pay anything.

What I need from your plans

• The full architectural and structural set as PDF, one revision, the same one your bids are based on. Vector PDFs beat scans.
• Floor plans for every level and unit type, with a unit matrix or schedule showing how many of each type are on each floor.
• Wall sections and wall types: stud size and spacing, plate heights by level, fire-rated and shear wall types, and which walls are sheeted.
• Structural sheets: foundation, framing plans, header and beam schedules, shear wall and hold-down schedules, and structural notes.
• Truss or floor-system layouts if they exist, or tell me if trusses, I-joists or panels are by others.
• A spec sheet or finish schedule for a Full Material takeoff: siding, roofing, insulation, windows and doors, drywall and trim. "Unknown" is fine, and those lines get a Low flag.

DWG, RVT and other CAD/BIM files aren't accepted. Please export to PDF. You can send files by share link, by email, or ask for a private upload folder on the order form.

Common multifamily and commercial details I watch for

Bigger wood buildings have details that change the count and are easy to miss on a quick pass:

• Fire-rated and party walls between units, often with different stud layouts or double walls
• Shear walls and hold-downs from the shear wall schedule, which change sheathing and hardware lines
• Stacked plate heights that differ by floor, and tall walls at stairs and corridors
• Corridor and balcony framing, and exterior stairs and landings
• Podium or slab transitions, where wood framing starts above a non-wood level (only the wood and other building materials above are counted)

Where the plans conflict, for example an architectural wall type that doesn't match the structural schedule, it goes on the questions list with both references.

What it's useful for

• Pricing lumber and sheathing packages from several suppliers on one list
• Checking a supplier's or panel package quote against your own numbers
• Splitting wall LF by sheeted and unsheeted for pricing
• Getting the questions about the plans in front of the architect or engineer early

The takeoff is advisory. It isn't engineering or plan review, and you verify quantities with your supplier before ordering.

Questions

Do you do framing takeoffs for multifamily and commercial buildings?

Yes: duplexes, townhomes, apartment buildings, hotels and other wood-framed or wood-containing light commercial buildings, anywhere in the US. Industrial projects and buildings with no wood aren't offered.

How much is a multifamily framing takeoff?

Buildings up to 5,000 sq ft use the house tiers ($150 / $225 / $300 Framing-Only). Larger multifamily and commercial jobs are quoted from the plans, from $500 per building for Framing-Only and from $1,200 for Full Material.

What plans do you need?

The full architectural and structural PDF set at one revision, every level and unit type, a unit schedule, wall types and sections, structural framing and header schedules, and truss layouts if you have them.

How long does a large job take?

Turnaround for jobs over 5,000 sq ft is quoted with the price, after I've seen the plans.

Second Look Bids does residential and light commercial takeoffs and bid reviews, materials only, anywhere in the US. Advisory only; not engineering or plan review.