Set up takeoff conditions

A condition is a named, colored measurement group with a unit, and it collects takeoff from every sheet in the project. Each one becomes a line item with a live total, so set it up before you draw; creating one takes an estimator seat.

What it's useful for

A sidewalk replacement is bid in SY (square yards) while the lawn restoration beside it is bid in acres.
An owner asks for decorative pavers as Alternate 2, kept out of the base bid total.
The same concrete walk is priced separately on and off a bridge deck, so you duplicate the condition with its bid items and rename the copy.

Create a condition

On the Takeoff tab, click Area, Linear or Count.
Type a name in the condition name box and pick a color.
Choose the Unit, Decimals and Bid alternate.
Pick Simple pricing or Bid items, then fill in its fields.
Click Create & start drawing and click your first point on the sheet.

A new area condition is named and recolored, then Create & start drawing returns to the sheet ready for the first corner.

Choose units, decimals and alternates

Area conditions use SF (square feet), SY or ACRE. Linear conditions use LF (linear feet) or LY (linear yards). Count conditions use EA (each). Decimals sets how many places the quantity shows, from 0 to 4.

Bid alternate starts at Base bid. Set Alternate 1 through Alternate 6 and the estimate lists the condition under that alternate, outside the base bid total.

Price it directly or with bid items

Simple pricing puts Waste %, Cost Each ($) and Markup % on the condition itself; area conditions also get Depth (ft) → CY for a volume in cubic yards. Bid items instead attaches pay items from your library that carry their own depths and rates.

Text in Description (shows in estimate export) travels with the condition into the estimate export.

Draw more, hide or change a condition

Click the green + on a condition row to draw more of it.
Hover the row and click the eye to hide its takeoff on the sheet.
Click ⋮ for Edit condition, Duplicate (with bid items), Move all takeoff to… or Delete condition.

Limits and checks

A ⚠ after a condition total means some of its takeoff sits on a sheet with no scale, so that total is incomplete until the scale is set.
Move all takeoff to… moves every object under the condition, on every page of the project, and can't be undone. It lists only conditions of the same type.
Delete condition removes the condition and all of its takeoff after you confirm.
A condition is area, linear or count from the moment you create it; the editor has no setting to change the type later.

Questions

Does a condition apply to one sheet or the whole project?

The whole project. Takeoff on any sheet adds to the condition's total, and the Sheets panel shows a subtotal under each sheet.

Which units can a condition use?

SF, SY or ACRE for areas, LF or LY for lines, and EA for counts. Decimals are set per condition, from 0 to 4.

How do I keep an alternate out of the base bid?

Set Bid alternate to any of Alternate 1 through Alternate 6. The estimate groups the condition under that alternate and leaves it out of the base bid total.