zzTakeoff Reviews

Pros

Everything runs more smoothly with this takeoff system. I can't find the words to describe how happy I am with it.

Cons

After trying this program, I really enjoyed working with it. I'd recommend zztakeoff 100%, it's the best program you could get.

Pros

zzTakeoff offers detailed takeoff tools and can adapt to feedback from users. I absolutely love it

Cons

Getting familiar with its hierarchy, templates, formulas, reports and similar areas takes some time.

Pros

Getting set up and using it is easy and I appreciate being able to create formulas. Version control also helps manage drawing revisions and addendums.

Cons

No real drawbacks for me, I appreciate how open the software and developers are. They listen to you and keep improving it for end users.

Pros

Takeoff and counting tools cover everything from basic search-and-click work to advanced item calculations with variables and markups. AI counting works well and the search feature does too. Support is always available and quick to reach.

Cons

I use a trackpad and for me, the zoom and pan controls still take some getting used to. I haven't quite adjusted to how zooming and panning work with it.

Pros

QTO capabilities and versatility stand well above the competition. To make this tool truly supreme, it would need standalone versions for PC, Mac and Linux, along with more emphasis on markups and construction document management.

Cons

Nothing comes to mind, the team responds very well to issues and suggestions. I'm still waiting for more flexibility in the color swatches to improve visual organization and communication of QTOs.

Pros

Using it has made the takeoff process much quicker and simpler. Its interface is clean and easy to understand without being packed with unnecessary features. For construction estimating, the main benefit is being able to move through plans, measure materials and organize takeoffs quickly. Going from opening drawings to productive work takes very little effort.

Cons

I have very little to complain about at this point. As the platform develops, there are a few minor things that could be polished but none have had a negative effect on my workflow or overall experience.

Pros

Easy to get started with, while assemblies allow for more customization. Pricing is very affordable and easy to understand.

Cons

Since it runs in a web browser, constant internet access is required. Dedicated desktop or mobile apps with cloud sync and offline options would be welcome.

Pros

Navigating it felt simple and its user friendly interface made it easy to locate the tools and information I needed to finish tasks efficiently.

Cons

Didn't run into any major issues with it. Overall, the experience was very positive and the platform was easy to use, reliable and effective for what I needed.

Pros

Since it's web based, I can share plans with my team in the field as things happen. Pulling them up on a tablet is much better than hauling prints from job to job especially with revisions coming in repeatedly.

Cons

Came across no cons yet

Pros

When working in ZZ, what you can create is limited only by your imagination. You can build some of the most complicated tools or make something as simple as a basic square-foot-by-price calculation.

Cons

Hubert and the team have built what seems to me to be the hottest mousetrap around. I can't see anything else that can go toe to toe with ZZ and certainly not at that price.

Pros

It's so simple to use and getting started and downloading my plans was simple... a big difference compared with the other software. Takeoff was also pretty easy to figure out.

Cons

I haven't found anything I dislike. It's helpful and easy to figure out, works well on my laptop and I like using it.

Pros

Compared with other takeoff programs, this one is very beginner-friendly. Estimators or PMs with little to no experience can figure out how to use it pretty quickly. I also appreciate that it's web-based rather than an application I need to download onto my computer. Compared with other programs, the cost is well worth it.

Cons

There isn't a way to overlay two plan sets and have them align automatically or to overlay several pages at once. We tried to do this and the chat representative said the feature hasn't been developed yet.

Pros

Learning and using it is quick and easy. It offers more capability than competing software for about the same cost and supports importing both custom and built-in properties.

Cons

In my opinion, I'd like formulas to handle more complex cases, such as referencing an object that isn't a parent or child. Formula syntax can also feel unuser friendly and unlike industry standards, for example, the ways to express "not equal" and "equal to" are different.

Pros

Using it is easy and the tech support is excellent. The team ensures all the features we want are included.

Cons

Nothing I'd call a con. A few features haven't been added yet but the design team is continually working on them.

Pros

AI helped me put my assemblies together quickly. Their representative pointed me toward "Claude AI," which handled all the work in just minutes.

Cons

I can't think of anything I dislike! Most estimators want software that's quick and user-friendly and it meets all those expectations.

Pros

It takes little or no training to use and feels similar to other take-off tools. The template import feature is handy, too.

Cons

Every take-off sits in a single list, it would be better to organize them by page or section of the take-off.

Pros

Using the software is easy and it hasn't lagged for me even though it runs on the web. Bringing in my templates and parts list from another program has helped us get set up faster. Being able to have several estimators work on the same project is a big change for us, we can submit one report instead of multiple reports that need explaining and sections no longer get missed. I also appreciate being able to use AI (Claude) to help write or build templates and takeoff tools.

Cons

My concern is that since it's web-based, our internet can occasionally go out at our location. I'd like an offline option for those times.

Pros

Looks really good, is simple to use and the support is top-notch. It's very easy to learn and the community has been fantastic.

Cons

Search highlight color looks a bit muted for someone who is colorblind. It would be better if it were red or another color.

Pros

Using the program feels user friendly and the support staff are highly committed to giving users a strong experience. Their quick replies whenever I ask a question really surprise me.

Cons

Sales tax can't be applied natively and I find the reporting tool less user friendly than Planswift. The team is still refining the program's functionality and set up a custom formula for my need so I believe these issues will be resolved over time.

Pros

Learning and using it feels simple and approachable. Compared with some of the major names, switching over is much easier and takes fewer hours to learn and work with.

Cons

Didn't run into any issues with my use so far. I'm still figuring out how to create assemblies though and that's part of the learning curve.