Takeoff software for New Zealand builders and tradies
Measure your PDF consent drawings in the browser in metres and square metres, on a Mac or PC, with a free plan to start.
Start FreeNo credit card required
MetreMate is browser-based takeoff software for Kiwi builders, tradies and quantity surveyors. Upload the PDF consent drawings, set the scale (councils commonly recommend 1:100), and measure lineal metres, square metres, perimeters, counts, angles and arcs on screen. It runs on a Mac or Windows PC with nothing to install, and the free plan needs no credit card.
Updated
- Metric: millimetres, metres, m² and lineal metres
- Made for A3 consent sets at 1:100, and A2 or A1 prints
- Auto Scale reads the scale, or set it from a known dimension
- Approximate New Zealand dollar prices, billed in Australian dollars
- Free plan, no credit card
- Layers to keep each trade, stage or variation separate
Key facts
| Units | mm, m, m², lineal metres (New Zealand measures in SI metric units) |
|---|---|
| Consent drawing size | Councils commonly ask for plans at A3 minimum, and some can only scan up to A3 |
| Common plan scales | 1:100 is the recommended scale for floor, foundation, roof and elevation plans; 1:100 is also preferred for site plans |
| Building consent | Your council, as building consent authority, must process a complete application within 20 working days |
| Timber framing | NZS 3604:2011 Timber-framed buildings, for buildings up to three storeys, free to download from Standards New Zealand |
| Restricted building work | Structural and weathertightness work on homes must be carried out or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner (since 1 March 2012) |
| LBP licence classes | Design, Site, Carpentry, Roofing, External Plastering, Brick and Blocklaying, Foundations |
| Plasterboard | GIB sheets are 1200 mm wide, from 2400 mm long: a 1200 x 2400 mm sheet covers 2.88 m² |
| Where tradies buy materials | PlaceMakers, ITM, Mitre 10 and Bunnings, each with trade accounts |
| Instead of | Printing A1 or A2 plans at Warehouse Stationery and scaling them with a ruler |
| GST | 15 percent in New Zealand. Any tax on your plan is shown at checkout before you pay |
| Who makes it | MetreMate, built in Australia |
Worked example
Example: GIB for a 3.6 x 3.0 m bedroom with a 2.4 m stud
- Upload the floor plan PDF and confirm the scale at 1:100.
- Trace the room with the Perimeter tool: 13.2 lineal metres of wall.
- Multiply by the 2.4 m stud: 31.68 m² of wall. Trace the ceiling with the Area tool: 10.8 m².
- Total 42.48 m². Add 10 percent for offcuts: about 46.7 m².
- Divide by 2.88 m² per 1200 x 2400 mm sheet: 16.2, so order 17 sheets. Deduct big openings if you want a tighter count.
17 sheets of 1200 x 2400 mm GIB for a 3.6 x 3.0 m bedroom with a 2.4 m stud, walls and ceiling, at 10 percent offcuts.
Common questions
Measure your next plan on screen
Upload your first plan and get accurate measurements in under 90 seconds. Free to start, no credit card needed.
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