Groundplan

What Is Groundplan?

Groundplan is a cloud-based construction takeoff and estimating software for quantifying labor and materials from project plans. The platform lets users upload PDF, JPG, PNG, or TIFF plans for on-screen measurement. It then measures lengths, calculates surface areas, and counts items to quantify project requirements. The system applies integrated formulas to measured quantities and organizes results into BOQs and worksheets.

Users can export completed estimates to Excel or connected software integrations. Groundplan also provides Count Assist for finding and counting symbols on large plans. The platform supports takeoff workflows across electrical, plumbing, security, fire, painting, roofing, concrete, plasterboard, HVAC, audio visual, landscaping, and building trades.

What Is Groundplan Best For?

Groundplan stands out with its plan-based takeoff capability, allowing construction professionals to quantify materials and labor directly from uploaded project plans. Measurements can be completed on-screen and translated into project quantities without relying on manual plan calculations. This helps estimators maintain a more structured workflow when preparing material and labor requirements for construction projects.

How Much Does Groundplan Cost?

Groundplan pricing starts at $75/seat/month, with features like unlimited projects and plans, free training and support, and more.

The price range below is an estimate for budgeting purposes only:

• Onboarding And Training: $200–$800 - Additional training or setup support for estimating teams beyond the included onboarding resources
• Count Assist: $20–$50/user/month - Automated symbol counting for larger electrical, security, and fire plans
• Integrations And Workflow Setup: $200–$1,000 - Connecting Groundplan with accounting, job-management, or quoting systems and configuring estimating workflows
• Custom Templates And Plan Setup: $100–$500 - Creating specialized takeoff templates, formulas, material rates, and branded plan configurations

Disclaimer: The pricing is subject to change.

Groundplan Integrations

The software integrates with the following third-party applications, including:

• Ascora
• AroFlo
• QuickBooks
• Fergus
• Simpro
• Xero
• ServiceM8

How Does Groundplan Work?

Here is how you can get started with Groundplan by following the steps below:

• Log in to access your projects, plans, takeoffs, and estimates from the workspace
• Create a new project and upload PDF, JPG, PNG, or TIFF plans for measurement
• Set the plan scale and configure stages, symbols, formulas, and reusable templates
• Assign symbols to items and count them directly on uploaded plans to build quantities
• Measure lengths and areas while applying formulas to calculate material quantities and labor costs
• Review measurements, item quantities, and price totals within the worksheet before finalizing estimates
• Export completed quantities to Excel or push estimate data through supported software integrations

Who Is Groundplan For?

Groundplan software serves a wide range of industries, including:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Painting
• Roofing
• Construction
• HVAC

Groundplan Use Cases

Based on our analysis of Groundplan’s current capabilities, we identified the following scenarios where the software can support construction and trade contractors managing takeoff, estimating, and plan design workflows:

Preparing Electrical Estimates From Project Plans

An electrical contractor preparing quotes for residential or commercial projects may spend considerable time manually counting switches and downlights, measuring cable runs, and calculating labor and material requirements. Groundplan’s Count, Length, and Area tools allow estimators to complete these measurements directly on uploaded PDF plans. They can then apply formulas, uploaded rates, and the labor calculator to quantify costs, while Groundplan generates a bill of quantities that can be reviewed and exported to Excel.

Estimating Plumbing Materials And Labor From Plans

A plumbing contractor tendering for a commercial fit-out may need to calculate pipe lengths, fittings, fixtures, and labor costs from detailed project plans. Groundplan’s Count, Length, and Area tools allow estimators to measure these requirements directly from uploaded PDF plans, while Count Assist can automatically count plumbing fixtures and fittings. Once the takeoff is complete, formulas and the labor calculator quantify material and labor costs and generate a bill of quantities for review or export to Excel.

Estimating Materials And Wastage For Roofing Projects

A roofing contractor preparing an estimate for a large commercial installation may need to calculate roof coverage, material quantities, labor costs, and wastage without relying on manual measurements and spreadsheets. Groundplan’s takeoff tools allow estimators to measure roof elements and calculate coverage directly from project plans. They can then apply uploaded rates, formulas for material quantities and wastage, and the labor calculator to quantify costs before exporting the completed estimate to Excel or connected job management software.

Preparing Takeoffs For Commercial HVAC Fit-Outs

An HVAC contractor quoting a commercial fit-out may need to calculate ductwork, piping, equipment, materials, and labor from detailed project plans. Groundplan allows estimators to take off ductwork, piping, and equipment directly from PDF plans and automatically generate quantities. They can then apply uploaded rates, formulas, and the labor calculator to quantify costs before exporting the bill of quantities to Excel or a connected job management system.

Is Groundplan Right For You?

Are you looking for cloud-based takeoff and estimating software that helps trade contractors move from project plans to detailed estimates? Groundplan combines measurement, estimating, plan design, and collaboration capabilities in one platform.

The software helps reduce reliance on manual measurements and spreadsheets by enabling teams to quantify materials, calculate labor costs, and prepare estimates directly from project plans.

Groundplan is used by companies such as Johnson Controls, O'Brien Electrical, UCS Group, and Platinum Electricians to manage takeoff and estimating workflows for construction and trade projects.

For security, Groundplan supports two-factor authentication and password controls, while its cloud-based platform scales from residential to multi-building commercial projects.

Still not sure if software is right for you? Contact our customer support team at (661) 384-7070, who will help you make the best decision regarding Groundplan features and more.