How can I measure an area from a PDF document?
Set the PDF's scale, then trace the area with an area or polygon measure tool: click each corner along the boundary and close the shape. The tool reports square feet. Measure islands and other excluded areas separately and subtract them, then divide square feet by 9 when the bid item is paid in square yards.
Measure an area from a PDF in Zip Takeoff
In Zip Takeoff an area goes into a condition, a named, colored measurement group with a unit of SF, SY or ACRE, so the square yard conversion is part of the total. Areas from every sheet add into the same condition. The sheet needs a scale before the Area tool starts.
- 1
On the Takeoff tab, click Area.
- 2
Name the condition, pick a color and unit, then click Create & start drawing.
- 3
Click each corner, then double-click or press Esc to close the shape.
- 4
To subtract an island, right-click the area, choose Cut out an area and outline the hole.
Measure an area on a PDF drawing step by step
- 1
Set the sheet scale from the title block, or calibrate it on the bar scale, then check one labeled dimension.
- 2
Open the area tool and zoom in on the boundary you need, such as the edge of pavement.
- 3
Click each corner in order around the boundary. On curves, place extra points so the straight segments follow the arc.
- 4
Close the shape on the first point or with a double-click, depending on the viewer.
- 5
Measure planters, islands and other exclusions as their own shapes and subtract them from the outer area.
Convert a PDF area from square feet to square yards
A square yard is 3 feet by 3 feet, so it holds 9 square feet. Divide square feet by 9 for square yards. Keep the unrounded square feet when you go on to calculate a volume or tonnage, so rounding happens once at the end.
| Convert | Formula | Illustrative example |
|---|---|---|
| SF to SY | SF ÷ 9 | 37,650 SF ÷ 9 = 4,183.33 SY |
| SY to SF | SY × 9 | 500 SY × 9 = 4,500 SF |
| SF to acres | SF ÷ 43,560 | 37,650 SF ÷ 43,560 = 0.86 acre |
When an area measured from a PDF comes out wrong
- The scale is off. Area changes with the square of the scale, so a half-size print measured at its full-size ratio reads one quarter of the true area.
- A detail drawn at a larger scale was measured at the plan view's scale.
- The boundary on a scanned sheet is blurred, so each corner is a guess. Zoom in, and ask for a cleaner file when the edge is unreadable.
- Two shapes overlap, so the shared part is counted twice when you add them.