Framing takeoff that turns wall linear footage into stud counts.
Trace each wall on the floor plan with BidScreen XL. Linear footage feeds your Excel framing bid as a live cell; per-wall stud counts, plates, headers, and sheathing follow as Excel formulas.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WALL TYPE | LF | STUDS | PLATES LF | SHEATHING SF |
| 2 | Exterior 2x6 (16 OC) | 320 | 200 | 960 | 3,200 |
| 3 | Interior 2x4 (16 OC) | 540 | 338 | 1,620 | — |
| 4 | Fire-rated 2x4 | 85 | 54 | 255 | — |
| 5 | Window/door headers | 28 | ea | — | — |
| 6 | LVL beams 1.75x11.875 | 62 | LF | — | — |
| 7 | TOTAL STUDS | 592 |
Illustrative framing estimating workbook. Wall LF flows live from BidScreen XL; stud counts derive in Excel.
The bottlenecks every framing estimator knows.
- ·
Wall linear footage measured by hand on a multi-story residential or light-commercial plan is slow.
- ·
Stud counts, plate LF, header counts, and sheathing area all derive from wall measurements; manual recalc on plan revisions is error-prone.
- ·
Different wall types (2x4 vs 2x6, exterior vs interior, fire-rated vs standard) need separate quantity tracking.
- ·
Headers, beams, posts, and engineered lumber have their own counts that don't follow the same linear-footage math as walls.
- ·
Plan revisions for added partitions or relocated walls send you back to retrace and recount.
The framing quantities every bid needs.
Wall linear footage by type
Exterior 2x6, interior 2x4, fire-rated, shaft wall, plumbing wall. Per-type LF drives stud and plate quantities.
Stud counts (per wall type)
LF × studs-per-foot factor (typically 0.625 for 16" OC, 0.5 for 24" OC). Excel formula off the LF cell.
Plate LF (top and sill)
Wall LF × 2 (one top plate + one sill plate, or sometimes double top plate). Excel formula.
Header counts and lengths
Count headers on the plan with the Count tool. Track per-size lengths and lumber grade.
Sheathing area
Exterior wall area × 1 face = sheathing SF. Trace exterior walls, multiply by height in Excel.
Beams, posts, engineered lumber
Counted separately on the plan; track by size and grade. LVL, PSL, glulam, and engineered I-joists.
Built for how this trade actually estimates.
Continuous Length traces each wall on the floor plan; LF lands in Excel with the wall-type designation.
Excel formulas convert LF to stud count, plate LF, and other derived quantities — change the spacing factor, the whole bid updates.
Per-wall-type Excel rows let you price exterior vs interior, fire-rated vs standard, and 2x4 vs 2x6 separately.
Count tool handles headers, beams, posts, and accessories; per-type counts roll into Excel.
Same workflow scales from single-family residential to mid-rise commercial framing.
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 framing 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
Frequently asked
Can BidScreen XL handle metal-stud framing as well as wood?
Yes. The measurement workflow is identical — trace walls, get LF, multiply by studs-per-foot. The Excel template just uses metal-stud unit costs (per LF or per stud) instead of wood-stud unit costs. Build separate rows for each stud type (3-5/8", 6", 8", 16-gauge vs 20-gauge, etc.).
How do I handle headers and beams in BidScreen XL?
Use the Count tool with separate counts per header type and length. For unusual or long beams, trace each one with Continuous Length to capture the actual length. Cost varies dramatically by lumber grade and length, so per-beam line items matter.
What about engineered lumber (LVL, PSL, I-joist)?
Count each engineered beam or joist on the plan; track per-size lengths separately. Engineered lumber pricing is per-LF and varies by size; build an Excel template with a row per engineered-lumber product (LVL 1.75x11.875, PSL 5.25x16, I-joist 11-7/8 series, etc.) and per-LF unit costs.
Does this work for floor joist and roof rafter takeoff too?
Yes. Trace each joist or rafter run as a Continuous Length on the structural plan. Multiply by spacing factor for count. For complex roof framing, count each rafter on the plan with the Count tool; trace ridge, hip, and valley lengths separately.
Can I generate a cut list from BidScreen XL?
Indirectly. BidScreen XL gives you LF and count; the cut list comes from your Excel template's logic (how many studs per wall, what header length per opening). For shop-cut precision, post-process the Excel data with a separate cut-list tool. For most framers, the per-wall Excel summary is enough to order lumber.
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.