Takeoff automation for the drawings behind every steel bid.
Whether you are estimating from design drawings or reconciling against shop drawings after award, the work is the same: count members, measure lengths, roll up weights and count connections. RenderDraw proposes those quantities from the PDF and keeps the source on every row.
Send one plan set. See what the AI extracts and what it flags for review. No obligation.
- Design or shop drawings
- Piece and connection counts
- Reconcile bid vs. fabrication
Bid day and after award.
Before awardBid from design drawings
- Members by shape and size from framing plans
- Connections counted from typical details and schedules
- Spec conflicts go to estimator review before pricing
- Revision deltas when addenda arrive
After awardReconcile against shop drawings
- Compare bid quantities to fabrication lists
- Find scope that changed after award
- Support change-order pricing with source sheets
- Keep the bid record traceable
The quantities a steel estimator actually needs
These are the items RenderDraw proposes from the drawings, each linked to the sheet it came from, for your estimator to accept, correct or reject.
| Item | What is measured or counted | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Members by shape | Beam, column and brace counts by size (W, HSS, L, C) with lengths | Framing plans, schedules, sections |
| Weights / tonnage | Length × weight per foot, rolled up by piece type | Member marks + AISC shape tables |
| Connections | Shear tabs, moment connections, base plates, embeds | Typical details, connection schedules |
| Misc. metals | Lintels, stairs, rails, ladders, embeds | Architectural sheets, details |
| Deck & joists | Deck area by gauge/profile, joist counts by designation | Roof and floor framing plans |
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: framing plans, column and beam schedules, typical connection details, the structural general notes and the spec sections for structural steel and misc. metals.
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)
- AISC 303-22 (Code of Standard Practice) is the default trade practice for structural steel unless the contract documents say otherwise. It defines:
- what counts as structural steel versus other steel items
- who designs connections
- how approval documents (shop and erection drawings) are submitted and approved
- Field bolts (AISC 303-22): the fabricator supplies extra field bolts of 2% plus 3 per size and length, with a minimum of 5. Include them when reconciling bolt counts against shop drawings.
- Bid vs. shop: bid from the design drawings. After award, compare shop-drawing piece marks and weights against your bid takeoff, and price any differences as changes when the design changed.
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 shop drawing takeoff automation?
Using software to extract quantities (members, lengths, weights, connections) from drawings automatically rather than measuring by hand, with an estimator reviewing the result.
Does RenderDraw read shop drawings or design drawings?
RenderDraw reads PDF drawing sets. Bids are usually built from design drawings; the same source-linked takeoff makes it easier to check against shop drawings later.
Does it count connections?
Yes. Connection counts come from typical details and connection schedules, because connections drive shop hours that tonnage alone hides.
Is the output reviewed?
Always. Low-confidence items go to a review queue with the drawing tile, and nothing is priced until an estimator approves it.
See what the AI reads on your own drawings.
Send one representative steel 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 framing plans, column and beam schedules, typical connection details, the structural general notes and the spec sections for structural steel and misc. metals.
- 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.
- AISC 303-22 Code of Standard Practice — Trade practice, approval documents, field bolts
Last reviewed November 2026.