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BidScreen XL · Microsoft Excel add in

Quantity takeoff that lives inside Excel.

Measure areas, lengths and counts directly from PDF, DWG, DXF and TIF drawings. Every quantity writes back as an Excel formula, ready for your bill of quantities. No exports, no copy and paste, no separate database.

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$799 then $199 a year, or $400 a year to rent. Full pricing

BidScreen XL embedded in Microsoft Excel showing a takeoff in progress on a paving plan
32 or 64 bit
Excel 2016+
Drawing inputs
PDF · DWG · DXF · TIF
Full feature set
14 day trial
Perpetual
$799
Excel native

A new ribbon tab on the Excel you already have.

BidScreen XL installs in seconds and shows up next to Home, Insert and Formulas. Same Excel, same workbook, same keyboard shortcuts. Your QSs and estimators keep the software they know and gain a takeoff toolbar.

  • Native Microsoft Excel add in (.xlam)
  • Excel 2016 and later, 32 bit or 64 bit
  • All measurements stored inside the workbook
  • Compatible with Excel on Microsoft 365 desktop
The BidScreen XL ribbon tab inside Microsoft Excel, showing Manage, Load, Browse, Scale, Count, Section Length, Continuous Length, Area, Print, Delete Takeoffs, and Takeoff Help buttons
Cell B2 contains:
=BidScreen.Area("Slab-01")
Drawings

Bring whatever the design team sends.

Open vector and raster sources side by side. Calibrate scale per sheet, bookmark sheets by trade, and snap measurements to vector edges when they exist. PDF stays a PDF, no flatten, no convert.

  • PDF (vector + raster), DWG, DXF, TIF
  • Per-sheet scale calibration
  • Drawing Manager with bookmarks + sheet groups
  • Cloud-storage compatible (OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox)
PDF
.pdf
Vector + raster
DWG
.dwg
AutoCAD native
DXF
.dxf
CAD interchange
TIF
.tif
Scanned plans
Measurement tools

Area, length, count. Plus masks for the openings.

Trace areas, measure straight sections or continuous paths along walls, and count symbols by pattern. When a slab has openings, drop a negative mask and the area subtracts the void without redrawing the outline.

  • Area takeoff calibrated per sheet
  • Section length for straight runs, continuous length for multi-segment paths
  • One click per symbol for counts
  • Negative masks subtract openings from any area takeoff
Measurement toolbar
  • ▭
    Area
    Square metres on a metric scale, square feet on an imperial one, calibrated per sheet.
  • ╱
    Section length
    Straight runs, point to point.
  • ⌐
    Continuous length
    Multi-segment paths along walls and perimeters.
  • ●
    Count
    One click per symbol type. BidScreen does the tally.
  • ⊖
    Negative mask
    Cut openings out of an area takeoff, voids subtract automatically.
Auditable

Every measurement is an Excel formula.

Cell B2 reads =BidScreen.Area("Slab-01"). Change the takeoff on the drawing and the cell updates. Your rates, conditional formatting and pivot tables stay intact, so the BoQ stays live. No black-box database, no proprietary export.

  • Measurements stored as named formulas, not values
  • Auditable cell history, easy QC for senior estimators
  • Compatible with macros, conditional formatting, pivots
  • Templates for concrete, roofing, painting, and earthwork
Concrete-Bid.xlsx
B2=BidScreen.Area("Slab-01")18,240 SF
B3=BidScreen.Linear("Perimeter-Beam")820 LF
B4=BidScreen.Count("Footing-Pad")24 EA
E2=B2*D2$76,608

Runs on the PC your QSs and estimators already use.

Operating system
  • Windows 10 (64 bit recommended)
  • Windows 11
Microsoft Excel
  • Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, or Microsoft 365
  • 32 bit or 64 bit (matches your Excel install)
Hardware
  • 4 GB RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
  • 500 MB disk space
Drawing inputs
  • PDF (vector + raster), DWG, DXF, TIF

Buy perpetual, or rent by the year.

All features in both. No subscription trap, no per-seat surcharge. Concurrent License Manager is available if you need floating licences across several seats (3-licence minimum, see pricing). Prices are in US dollars.

Most popular
Perpetual license
$799one time

Buy once. Year 1 of Full Serve included.

  • All features, no time limit
  • Year 1 of Full Serve included
  • Use on your Excel as long as you license it
  • Move the license between machines via the portal
Annual rental
$400per year

Lower entry price for seasonal estimators or short term bids. Bundles Full Serve while the rental is active.

  • All features for the rental term
  • Full Serve bundled while active
  • Convert rental to perpetual any time
  • Cancel before renewal, no auto charge
Common questions

Questions QSs and estimators ask about BidScreen XL.

The full library lives at /support/faqs. Or browse every feature in the interactive training catalog.

  • How do I add BidScreen XL to Microsoft Excel?Read answer →
  • Why doesn’t the BidScreen XL ribbon tab appear in Excel?Read answer →
  • What drawing file types can BidScreen XL measure from?Read answer →
  • How do I set the scale on a drawing?Read answer →
  • Does BidScreen XL support multi-page PDFs?Read answer →
Works with Microsoft Excel 2016+

Try the full BidScreen XL for 14 days.

All features unlocked. No credit card. Convert to perpetual or rent whenever the tender you’re working on calls for it.

Download trial
Vertigraph

Takeoff, estimating, and bid management software for commercial contractors.

Costplan Quantity Surveyors Limited, Africa partner
+254 722 214 308
simon@costplan.co.ke
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Simon Wanjusi Wabwile
Vertigraph partner for Africa

Simon Wanjusi Wabwile

Director, Costplan Quantity Surveyors Limited

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Get BidScreen XL on your machine.

Add a number if you’d like one short setup call from our takeoff team. Otherwise we’ll stick to email.

Windows install. We’ll email the installer link too, so you can grab it from your desk later.

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