Construction symbol takeoff — key terms

Symbol takeoff

Symbol takeoff is the process of counting every instance of each device symbol on a construction plan set — receptacles, fixtures, sprinkler heads and the like — to build a bid.

Defensible count

A defensible count is a symbol count a person has reviewed and can stand behind in a bid, rather than an unverified estimate. SimplyCount shows unverified counts as a floor (≥).

On-prem takeoff

On-prem takeoff means the software runs on your own machine, with your drawings stored locally and never uploaded. It's one of SimplyCount's two deployment modes — the other is a hosted cloud option — so you can pick on-prem when your security posture calls for it.

P&ID

A P&ID (piping and instrumentation diagram) shows process piping, valves and instruments. SimplyCount can count symbols on P&IDs as well as blueprints.

Self-learning detection

Self-learning detection lets you teach the tool a symbol once from your own legend, after which it counts that symbol on every future job.

SimplyCount

SimplyCount is a deployment-flexible AI symbol-takeoff tool for electrical and construction estimators — run it on-prem/offline or in the cloud. It finds and marks every symbol on a plan set and exports the count to Excel, CSV and PDF.