Net vs. gross measurement, and schedules vs. labels.
Gross measurement ignores openings; net deducts them. Which you use depends on the trade, the measurement standard and how the work is priced. Similarly, counting from schedules vs. from labels on the plans gives different answers when the two disagree.
Send one plan set. See what the AI extracts and what it flags for review. No obligation.
- Openings and deductions
- Measurement standards
- Schedules vs. labels
Net vs. gross.
NetNet measurement
- Deducts openings
- Matches material actually installed
- Requires opening sizes
GrossGross measurement
- Ignores openings (or small ones)
- Faster
- Covers cutting waste around openings
Schedules vs. direct labels.
Schedule-basedSchedule-based
- Count from door, fixture, equipment schedules
- Fast
- Misses plan-only items
DirectDirect labels
- Count tags on plans
- Captures what's drawn
- Misses schedule-only items
Best practice: count both and reconcile. RenderDraw keeps the source sheet on every proposed count so your estimator can reconcile plan tags against schedules, and low-confidence items come up for review first.
From plan set to reviewed quantities.
AI-powered, human-approved. Each stage records what ran, what changed and who approved it.
Send one plan set
Upload the plan set, legends and schedules, the spec sections for your scope and any addenda. Add an addendum if you have one.
AI proposes quantities
Counts, lengths and areas come back with the source sheet and location attached to every row.
Estimator review
Low-confidence items surface first. Your estimator accepts, corrects or rejects each one.
Map to your assemblies
Approved quantities map to your items, assemblies and estimating assumptions.
Price reviewed rows
Labor units, material pricing and supplier quotes apply only to rows that passed review.
Hand off with evidence
Approved quantities move on to pricing and visual CPQ with the evidence trail still attached.
Supported files and tasks depend on your trade and implementation. Confirm them in the free sample run.
What we checked (November 2026)
- Painting (PCA P10):
- Small openings are not deducted.
- Deduct openings that run floor to ceiling and exceed 5 ft wide, and any opening of 100 sq ft or more.
- Items narrower than 1 ft are measured as 1 sq ft per linear foot.
- UK practice (RICS NRM2): NRM2 sets out detailed measurement rules for bills of quantities, including when voids are deducted. Each work section has its own thresholds, so check the section that covers your trade.
- Rule of thumb: net and gross are both correct if they match how your production rates and waste factors were built. Mixing a net measurement with a gross-based rate double-counts waste.
The AI drafts. Your estimator decides.
Speed is easy to promise. Defensible numbers are the job, so RenderDraw keeps the estimator in control of every quantity that gets priced.
- Source on every row. Each quantity keeps its source sheet, location and reviewer decision.
- Lowest confidence first. The review queue shows the drawing tile with the detection highlighted and the extracted value.
- Uncertain items flagged, not hidden. Anything the AI can't confirm goes to the estimator rather than being guessed.
- Nothing priced before approval. Rows move on to pricing only after they are accepted.
Questions estimators ask
Should I deduct openings?
Depends on the trade and standard; many deduct only openings over a threshold size.
What is gross area?
Area measured without deducting openings.
Schedule or plan count?
Both, reconciled.
Does RenderDraw deduct openings?
Openings are identified so your rules can apply net or gross.
See what the AI reads on your own drawings.
Send one representative trade plan set. RenderDraw reviews it and follows up with what the AI extracted and what it flagged for review. Your files remain private while the request is assessed, and there is no obligation.
- Upload the plan set, legends and schedules, the spec sections for your scope and any addenda.
- RenderDraw reviews the set and the scope you want tested.
- We follow up with extracted quantities, flagged items and next steps.
Related tools and guides
Keep reading on renderdraw.com
Sources and further reading
Vendor pages, standards and references checked for this page. Product features and prices change; confirm current details with each vendor.
- PCA Industry Standards (P10 measurement of surface area) — Painting deduction and minimum width rules
- RICS: NRM 2 Detailed measurement for building works — Measurement rules for bills of quantities
Last reviewed November 2026.