Material Takeoff (MTO) in Construction: A Quick How-to Guide

Material Takeoff (MTO) in Construction: A Quick How-to Guide
Material takeoff is a process that provides a full list of materials required to complete a construction project. It includes a detailed listing of how much those needed materials will cost when executing the project. By determining and adding the cost of the many materials required to build your construction project, you can get a fairly accurate amount for the total expenditure for the financial side of your project. However, a complete construction estimate includes things beyond materials such as travel costs, tax, labor costs and other costs that appear over the project lifecycle. Material takeoff is important when preparing a construction project, as it helps to account for fluctuations in the material prices between the time the material takeoff is produced and the time the actual materials are purchased.

It is also important when submitting a bid, as it is critical to know the costs of the materials you'll need. Without an accurate estimate of your material costs, you could underbid or overbid for the job, leading to extra costs and schedule delays. ProjectManager is a powerful software with features such as Gantt charts that list your materials and costs when you're planning a construction project. Start today for free.