Drywall takeoff that goes from PDF to sheet count.
Trace each wall and ceiling on the floor plan. BidScreen XL multiplies linear footage by ceiling height for wall area, subtracts your opening schedule, and converts to 4×8, 4×10, or 4×12 sheet counts inside your Excel bid.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WALL TYPE | LF | HEIGHT | GROSS SF | NET SF |
| 2 | Type A — std partition | 320 | 10 ft | 3,200 | 3,080 |
| 3 | Type B — 1 hr rated | 140 | 10 ft | 1,400 | 1,330 |
| 4 | Shaft wall — 1" liner | 85 | 12 ft | 1,020 | 1,020 |
| 5 | Ceiling — Level 4 | — | — | 2,150 | 2,150 |
| 6 | Sheets 4×12 (48 SF) | +12% waste | 175 sht | ||
| 7 | TOTAL SHEETS | 175 |
Illustrative drywall estimating workbook. Highlighted cells are linear footage measured live on the floor plan with BidScreen XL.
The bottlenecks every drywall estimator knows.
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Counting walls on a multi-story commercial floor plan is tedious and error-prone — miss one wall and the bid goes underpriced.
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Re-doing the sheet count by hand every time the architect issues an addendum eats hours per revision.
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Different sheet sizes (4×8 residential, 4×12 commercial, Type X fire-rated) get mixed up across the same job without disciplined separation.
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Per-room opening deductions are tedious; lump-sum percent estimates miss complex bathrooms and conference rooms.
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Fire-rated, moisture-resistant, and sound-attenuating board need separate takeoff totals at different unit prices.
The drywall quantities every bid needs.
Wall linear footage
Each interior partition and exterior wall, traced on the floor plan. Multiply by ceiling height for wall area.
Ceiling area
Room footprint area for ceilings that get drywall (vs ACT or exposed structure).
Door & window openings
Per opening: width × height × count. Subtract from gross wall area.
Sheet type breakdown
Separate quantities for standard 1/2 inch, 5/8 inch Type X, moisture-resistant, and Type C (enhanced-core, used in 2-hour rated assemblies).
Soffits & furred-down ceilings
Linear footage and surface area for soffits, drop ceilings, and architectural reveals.
Finish level breakdown
Square footage by finish level (Level 3 for textured, Level 4 for painted, Level 5 for critical light).
Built for how this trade actually estimates.
Trace each wall as a line on the PDF; BidScreen XL gives you live linear footage in Excel.
Multiply by ceiling height (one cell), subtract opening areas (one cell), and divide by sheet area — all formulas in your existing workbook.
Track sheet types separately by using different Excel rows; revisions update every cell that references the linear-footage source.
Plan addenda are a five-minute re-trace, not a full takeoff redo.
Same tool handles painting, FRP wall covering, and acoustic ceilings — one workflow for all interior finishes.
BidScreen XL
PDF and CAD measurement directly inside Microsoft Excel. Trace the drawing, the quantity lands in your estimating cell as a live formula.
$400/yr rental · $799 perpetual
Considering BidScreen XL against another drywall takeoff product?
Honest side-by-side comparisons — feature matrix, 5-year cost, and a fair note on when the competitor is actually the right choice.
- Switching from
Bluebeam Revu
PDF tool with measurement features. BidScreen XL adds the same measurement inside Microsoft Excel — quantities land as cells, not exports.
See comparison - Switching from
PlanSwift
Standalone takeoff at $1,749/yr (perpetual retired). BidScreen XL is $400/yr or $799 perpetual and feeds Excel directly.
See comparison - Switching from
STACK
Cloud-only at $2,988/yr Premium or $3,588/yr Pro. BidScreen XL is a desktop Excel add-in at $400/yr.
See comparison - Switching from
On-Screen Takeoff
ConstructConnect bundle-only (~$1,850/yr+). BidScreen XL is sold standalone at $400/yr, lives in Excel.
See comparison
Start with the free tools.
Frequently asked
Can BidScreen XL handle a multi-story commercial drywall bid?
Yes. Trace each floor plan PDF as a separate sheet, calibrated to that sheet's scale. Aggregate the per-floor totals in your master Excel workbook. Many users build a template workbook with sheets for each floor and a summary tab that totals across floors.
How do I handle different ceiling heights in the same building?
Build your Excel takeoff with a per-room ceiling-height cell. The traced wall linear footage on each room multiplies by that height. Rooms with vaulted ceilings get their own row with the average height (or, for true vaulted volumes, multiple rows).
Does BidScreen XL count fire-rated walls separately?
Yes — by routing each wall type's trace to its own Excel destination cell. Common pattern: trace standard partition walls into one Excel sheet, 1-hour rated walls into a second sheet, 2-hour rated walls into a third. Unit prices and sheet counts roll up per type.
How accurate is BidScreen XL for cut-up bathrooms and small spaces?
As accurate as your trace. The Continuous Length tool measures each wall to the resolution of the calibrated PDF. Small rooms with multiple penetrations need carefully-counted openings, not different math. The free drywall calculator handles single rooms; BidScreen XL handles dozens of them in one workbook.
Will my crew still need on-screen reference during installation?
Yes — but BidScreen XL exports the marked-up PDF so the crew sees exactly what was measured. The marked-up plan becomes the field reference.
Try BidScreen XL on a real bid for 14 days, no card.
The fastest way to know if Vertigraph fits your workflow is to install it and run one bid. The honest answer for your bid mix shows up after two or three real estimates.