Question 1

How do I do an electrical takeoff from PDF plans?

Accepted Answer

Upload the E-sheets, set the scale on each sheet, then count devices and measure runs. Calibrate off a known dimension rather than trusting the printed scale: a 24 x 36 sheet shrunk to 11 x 17 is roughly 46 percent (11 / 24 = 0.458), not half size. MetreMate gives you the counts and linear feet, then you price them into your bid.

Question 2

Can it count symbols automatically?

Accepted Answer

No. You click each symbol and MetreMate keeps the totals for you, broken out by type. Set up one count for duplex receptacles, one for GFCIs, one for each fixture type tag, and the running total updates with every click. Every device you counted stays marked on the plan, so a second pass catches anything you missed.

Question 3

How do I measure wire and conduit runs?

Accepted Answer

Trace the run with the Measure tool and read the length in linear feet. That is the plan length, measured across the sheet. MetreMate gives you that footage, then you add your own allowance for vertical drops, makeup at boxes and panels, and any routing the drawing does not show. Measure home runs separately so you can price them on their own.

Question 4

Can I separate lighting, power and low voltage?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Put each system on its own layer: lighting from the lighting plan and reflected ceiling plan, power from the power plan, and data, security and fire alarm devices on a low voltage layer. Turn layers on or off to review one system at a time, and keep the counts for each scope separate when you build the bid.

Question 5

Does it work across many sheets?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Keep the whole E-sheet set in one project and set the scale on each sheet, because sheets in a set are not always drawn at the same scale. A true half-size set of a 24 x 36 sheet prints at 12 x 18, exactly 50 percent, so 1/4" = 1'-0" reads as 1/8". Calibrating each sheet keeps your runs right.

Question 6

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can start on the free plan with no credit card, and there is a 7-day trial of the paid features. MetreMate runs in any modern browser on a Windows or Mac computer, so there is nothing to install. Upload a set of E-sheets, count a floor of devices and see how the totals come out.

Count devices and measure runs off the E-sheets

The slow way, or the smart way

Everything you can measure off the plan

Lengths in linear feet

Areas in sq ft

Perimeters

Counts

How electrical contractors use MetreMate

Device and fixture counts

Conduit and cable runs

Power and lighting on separate layers

More than measuring

Auto Scale

Manual Scaling

Auto Snap

Layers Manager

Print & Share

Project Organizer

Questions electrical contractors ask

MetreMate works for every trade

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