JLC • MARCH 1996 JLC • MARCH 1996/0 Ask two estimators to take off and price a specific item on a plan, and most times the takeoffs will be different. Both may be correct and even usable, but every estimator has tricks and shortcuts that affect the way the estimate comes out. After 18 years of estimating residential jobs, here are some of the methods that work for me. Different Levels of Accuracy The estimates I do are for pricing construction, not for materials purchase. Therefore, I don't get too hung up on what's called neat, or precise, estimating. If you're estimating $150- per-square-foot granite for a countertop, you need to be as precise as you can. But
