Stone estimating and takeoff, from drawings or the field.
Stone and countertop fabricators price by square footage, edge profile, cutouts and backsplash. On commercial jobs those come from interior elevations, and on residential jobs from field measurements. Here's the takeoff, a worked example you can check, what common fabrication software costs, and the silica rules that belong in your overhead.
Send one plan set. See what the AI extracts and what it flags for review. No obligation.
- Sq ft, edges, cutouts
- Worked example
- Software pricing
- Silica compliance
The quantities behind a stone quote.
| Quantity | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Countertop area | sq ft by material | Plans, interior elevations, millwork shop drawings |
| Finished edge | LF by profile | Elevations and details |
| Backsplash | sq ft or LF by height | Elevations |
| Cutouts | Each by type (sink, cooktop, faucet holes) | Plans, fixture schedules |
| Vanities, sills, thresholds | Each or LF | Plans, finish schedule |
An L-shaped kitchen
Depth: 25.5 in = 2.125 ft
Run 1 (along wall): 10'-0" x 2.125 = 21.25 sf
Run 2 (from the corner): (8'-0" - 2.125) x 2.125 = 12.48 sf (don't count the corner twice)
Island: 4'-0" x 7'-0" = 28.00 sf
Total countertop = 61.7 sf
Finished edge (eased or profile):
Run 1 front 7.875 lf + Run 2 front 5.875 lf + 1 exposed end 2.125 lf = 15.9 lf
Island perimeter 2 x (4 + 7) = 22.0 lf
Backsplash 4" along 18 lf of wall = 6.0 sf
Cutouts: 1 undermount sink, 1 cooktop, 3 faucet holes
Slab yield depends on slab size, seams, vein matching and nesting, so price material by slabs, not just square feet. That's where fabrication software comes in.
What fabricators use
| Tool | What it does | Published price (Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Moraware CounterGo | Draw and quote countertops, automatic pricing, estimated slab count, layout on slab | $100/month per user |
| Moraware Systemize | Job tracking, templating, fabrication and install scheduling | $120/month per user, 3-user minimum; users after 5 are $50/month |
| Moraware Inventory | Slab and sink inventory, POs, slab labels | $50/month per user (requires Systemize) |
RenderDraw doesn't do slab layout or nesting. It works upstream of these tools, proposing countertop areas, edges and cutouts from commercial drawings for estimator review, while MeasurePro captures existing rooms on site.
A cost you have to carry
OSHA and NIOSH's 2026 hazard alert on countertop work is direct about the risk. Engineered stone can be up to 95% crystalline silica, quartzite 95% or more, and granite 10–50%. Marble and limestone are under 5%. Fabricators must comply with OSHA's respirable crystalline silica standards: 29 CFR 1910.1053 in the shop and 1926.1153 on construction sites. Requirements include:
- A PEL of 50 µg/m³ (8-hour time-weighted average) and an action level of 25 µg/m³.
- Exposure assessment, a written exposure control plan, housekeeping, training and recordkeeping.
- Engineering controls first: wet methods, local exhaust ventilation, and remote-controlled wet saws, waterjets and CNC.
- Respirators where controls can't reach the PEL, and medical surveillance under the standard's triggers.
In 2022, about a quarter of OSHA breathing-zone samples in stone slab workplaces exceeded the PEL. For estimating, that means wet-method equipment, LEV, monitoring, respirator programs and medical exams are real overhead, and field finishing costs more than shop work. The alert recommends doing as much work as possible in the shop.
Where stone quotes go wrong
- Counting corners twice on L- and U-shaped runs.
- Seams: their location and count depend on slab size and layout, so confirm them before quoting a single price per square foot.
- Overhangs and supports: bar tops and islands over the manufacturer's unsupported limit need brackets or steel.
- Commercial vanities: check the elevations for multiple bowl cutouts and ADA knee clearance.
From plan set to reviewed quantities.
AI-powered, human-approved. Each stage records what ran, what changed and who approved it.
Start with your bid package
Drawings, specs and addenda together: the plan set, legends and schedules, the spec sections for your scope and any addenda.
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
Reviewed quantities move on to your estimate, catalog or quote workflow with the source trail still attached.
Supported files and tasks depend on your trade and implementation. Confirm them in the free sample run.
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.
What is stone fabrication estimating software?
Software that helps countertop and stone fabricators measure, price and quote jobs: area, edges, cutouts, slabs and labor. Moraware CounterGo, for example, is $100 a month per user (November 2026).
How do I calculate countertop square footage?
Length times depth for each run, without counting the corner twice on L- or U-shapes, plus islands and backsplash. For example, a 10 ft and 8 ft L at 25.5 in deep is about 33.7 sf.
Can RenderDraw do countertop takeoffs from plans?
Yes. It proposes countertop areas, edge lengths and cutouts from plans and elevations, with the source attached for review.
Does it do slab layout or nesting?
No. RenderDraw produces quantities. Slab layout and nesting stay in your fabrication tools.
What OSHA rules apply to countertop fabrication?
The respirable crystalline silica standards (29 CFR 1910.1053 for shops, 1926.1153 for construction), with a PEL of 50 µg/m³ and an action level of 25 µg/m³.
Can we measure on site?
Yes. MeasurePro, on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, captures rooms and exports PDF, CSV, JSON or USDZ.
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.
Where these numbers come from
We checked this guide against the standards, manufacturer documents and industry references below (last reviewed November 2026). Figures marked as rules of thumb are typical ranges, not requirements; your project documents, local code and your own cost history govern.