Switched from paper blueprints to digital takeoffs after a 3 AM panic last winter

I used to print out every set of plans and mark them up by hand with highlighters and notes. But after a late night mixup on a commercial job in Raleigh where I grabbed the wrong revision, I realized I was losing money on material waste. Now I use a tablet with a measurement software and it saves me about 4 hours per bid. Has anyone else made the switch and found a good way to train older crew members on the tech?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_piper14d ago

Buddy of mine runs a crew in Charlotte. Tried making the switch last year. Gave his oldest foreman a tablet and the guy threw it in the bed of his truck. Said he'd rather "measure with his dick than that stupid screen." Took three months of pairing him with a younger guy on bids. Now he won't touch a paper printout. Says the digital takeoff saves his eyes from the highlighter fumes.

blair_dixon14d ago

lol that highlighter fumes bit got me. what was the final straw for the old dude - did he actually see the numbers add up faster or was it more about not having to carry binders around? i'm curious if the younger guy had to trick him into using it or if he just wore him down.