A window covering takeoff service reads the plans, specifications and addenda for a commercial bid and sends back the shades you need to price: counts by type, a schedule with the size and source of every opening, the scope notes and the questions for the GC. You still set the price and you still field measure before ordering. Published turnaround for single-trade takeoffs is mostly 24 to 72 hours among the firms we read, and pricing comes in four shapes: a fixed fee per project or trade, a fee by the size of the plan set, a rate per square foot of building, or a monthly plan. This post covers what to expect in the package, the pricing models with the published numbers we found, how to judge whether a takeoff is right, and exactly how HeadRail's own service works.
What a good takeoff package includes
A count alone is not enough to bid from. Whoever does the takeoff, the package should give you enough to price, to defend the number and to write your proposal:
- Totals by shade type, with square feet if you price that way, and motors, keypads and power supplies counted separately.
- A schedule with one line per shade: room, window tag, shade type, mount, width, height and where each size came from (window schedule, written dimension or scaled from the drawing).
- Marked drawings with every counted opening numbered to match the schedule, so you or the GC can check it quickly.
- A spec summary: products and basis of design, substitution rules, fabrics, sizing rule, accessories, spare stock, mock-up, warranty, allowances and alternates.
- Inclusions, exclusions and assumptions, including what belongs to other trades such as blocking and power.
- Every conflict found in the documents and the questions for the GC.
- A field-verify list for anything the drawings do not settle, especially heights.
- An editable spreadsheet, so you can add your pricing without retyping.
If you have never built one, our guide to a roller shade takeoff from the window schedule shows each piece and why it is there.
Turnaround
The estimating firms we read publish windows of 24 to 72 hours or a few business days. Edge Estimates states 24 to 48 hours for a single-trade takeoff and 48 to 72 for multi-trade work. Takeoff Monkey writes that standard turnaround from reputable providers "typically runs 48 to 72 hours," with rush delivery at a premium. Quotr.ai quotes 3 to 4 business days for its service and says rush jobs of 24 to 48 hours usually carry a 20 to 50 percent premium.
Turnaround clocks usually start from complete documents. A set missing the spec or the last addendum is not complete, and a takeoff done without them may need redoing.
How takeoff services are priced
These are the published prices we read on November 4, 2026. Most of these firms work across many trades rather than window coverings alone, and prices change, so check each provider's own page before relying on a number.
| Pricing model | Example | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee per project or trade | Edge Estimates | Single-trade commercial takeoff for a mid-size project "typically runs $300–$800"; fixed-fee quote before work |
| Range by plan-set size | Takeoff Monkey (market ranges it describes) | Under 20 pages: $150 to $400; 25 to 75 pages: $400 to $900; large sets $900 to $2,500 or more |
| Per square foot of building | Quotr.ai | $0.25 per sq ft under 50,000 sq ft, $0.10 per sq ft above |
| Subscription or retainer | Takeoff Monkey (market description) | Monthly retainers can bring the effective per-takeoff cost down by 20 to 40 percent |
| Fixed fee by pages worked from | HeadRail | $149 to $399 by page count; 40 pages or more quoted |
Each model fits a different job. A per-square-foot rate tracks building size, which suits trades whose quantities grow with floor area; window coverings follow the number of openings, which a big warehouse may have few of. A fee by page count tracks the work of reading the set. A fixed project fee depends on how the firm scopes it, so ask what is included before comparing.
Whatever the model, ask four things before you compare two quotes: what counts toward the fee (all sheets or only the ones used), whether revisions and addenda are included, whether the spec is read or only the drawings, and what format you get back.
How to judge accuracy
No honest takeoff is 100 percent accurate, because drawings contain errors and buildings vary from them. What you can judge is the method. Ask any provider, including us:
- Is every opening counted twice, by two methods that do not depend on each other?
- Does each size say where it came from, and are scaled sizes labelled as scaled?
- Is the scale checked against a written dimension on each sheet measured?
- What happens when the drawings do not show a height? (The right answer is that it is marked for field verification, never estimated.)
- Is every exterior window accounted for, as either a shade or an out-of-scope line with a reason?
- Are the Division 12 spec and Division 01 read, or only the plans?
- Can you see the marked drawings?
Then test it. Send a past job you have already installed, where you know the real count and the field-measured sizes, and compare line by line. That tells you more than any accuracy claim on a website.
A takeoff gives you sizes for pricing. Specs commonly require field measurements before fabrication, so plan your order around your own measure, whoever did the takeoff.
Questions to ask before you hire a takeoff service
- Do you take off window coverings specifically, including motorized and dual shades, blackout accessories and spare stock?
- What do you need from me, and when does the clock start?
- How are addenda handled after delivery?
- Who answers questions after delivery, and how fast?
- What happens to my drawings afterwards? Bid documents can be confidential.
- What are the terms if a mistake is found, and what is your liability limited to?
How HeadRail's takeoff service works
HeadRail runs a window covering takeoff service for blinds and shade dealers bidding commercial work. Here is what the service page and the Takeoff Service Terms state:
- Turnaround: 48 hours from complete documents (plans, specifications and every addendum issued so far). Faster on request if we can.
- Price: a fixed fee by the pages we work from, confirmed by email before we start. Under 5 pages $149; 5 to 9 pages $199; 10 to 24 pages $299; 25 to 39 pages $399; 40 pages or more quoted.
- What counts as a page: each drawing sheet we work from (plans, elevations, schedules, details) plus the window covering spec pages, usually a Division 12 section such as 12 24 13. Spec sections for other trades do not count.
- First takeoff: free for your business when the set is under 25 pages, the full package, no card needed.
- Monthly plans: 3 takeoffs a month for $449, 6 for $799, or 12 for $1,499, each under 25 pages (25 or more counts as 2). Unused takeoffs roll over 1 month, extra takeoffs are 20 percent off, no setup fee, and paying annually saves 20 percent.
- The package: a takeoff report (totals, scope with the sheet and note behind each line, the shade schedule, inclusions and exclusions, discrepancies, GC questions, a field-verify list, motor and power coordination, the quality check and marked sheets), a workbook, proposal language, a manufacturer quote request and a CSV schedule.
- Method: every opening counted twice, the scale checked against a written dimension, sizes from the window schedule first, then written dimensions, then the scaled drawings, and anything the documents do not show marked Field verify.
- Revisions are free until bid day, and one addendum is included. Later addenda are quoted before we start them.
- Drawings are used only for your takeoff and deleted 30 days after the bid date.
- No HeadRail subscription is needed.
The terms also say plainly what a takeoff is not: it is not a field measure, and the sizes are opening sizes for pricing, not order sizes. You can look through a complete sample package for a made-up job before sending anything.
When to outsource and when to do it in-house
Outsourcing makes sense when bids stack up, when a set is big or messy, or when you want a second count before you commit to a number. Doing it yourself makes sense when the job is small, you know the GC and the building type, and you have the time. Plenty of dealers do both: the routine bids in-house, the large ones sent out. Whichever you choose, the reading starts with the spec, and our guide to spec section 12 24 13 lists the clauses that change the count. Pricing the result is covered in how subcontractors price a commercial roller shade bid.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a window treatment takeoff cost?
It depends on the provider's pricing model and the size of the set. Published examples range from per-square-foot rates to fixed fees per trade; Edge Estimates lists $300 to $800 for a single-trade commercial takeoff on a mid-size project, and HeadRail charges $149 to $399 by page count with sets of 40 pages or more quoted.
How long does a takeoff take?
The providers we read publish 24 to 72 hours or a few business days for a single trade, usually counted from complete documents. HeadRail's turnaround is 48 hours from the plans, specifications and every addendum issued so far.
Is an outsourced takeoff accurate enough to bid from?
It can be, if the method is sound: two independent counts, the source of every size, a scale check and nothing guessed. You should still check it against the documents and your knowledge of the job, and field measure before ordering.
Does a takeoff service measure the windows on site?
Not usually. A takeoff works from the bid documents. Sizes are for pricing, and the order sizes come from your own field measure once the openings are built.
Do I need software to use a takeoff service?
No. A package normally comes as a PDF report and an Excel workbook. HeadRail also sends a CSV schedule you can load into your own spreadsheet or quoting tool.