Dirtwork term
Take-off
also called: quantity take-off, QTO
The process of measuring quantities off engineering drawings to bid a dirt-moving job accurately.
Take-off is the bid-stage process of pulling cut, fill, haul, base rock, and erosion control quantities off the civil drawings so the contractor can price a job. Done with planimeters in the old days, now done with CAD-based earthwork software that calculates cut and fill volumes from existing and proposed contour data.
A good take-off catches things the engineer missed or simplified: topsoil stripping that wasn't shown, an unsuitable-soil area that needs over-excavation, a phasing assumption that doesn't match how the dirt actually has to move. We do our own take-offs on every commercial and subdivision bid, not just trust the quantities on the drawing.
Field-versus-take-off variance is where most dirtwork change orders come from. If we catch the gap at bid time, you see one number. If we catch it after mobilization, you see two.
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Take-off comes up on excavation jobs all over East Texas.
If you're reading up because a project is coming, we'll walk your site and show you exactly how this applies to your dirt. Free estimate, no obligation.
When you need it
When take-off comes up on a job
A take-off happens when a job is being priced and the dirt volumes get counted off the plans, the yards to cut, to fill, and to haul. That count is what the number is built from, instead of a guess by the acre.
Services where this shows up
We use take-off on
Related terms
Other words that come up alongside this one
Mass Grading
Large-scale cutting and filling to reshape an entire site to a planned set of elevations.
Cut and Fill
Moving dirt from high areas (cut) to low areas (fill) to reach a planned grade, balanced so net hauling is minimized.
Spoils
Excavated material that's left over after cut-and-fill on a project, hauled off or stockpiled for later use.
Select Fill
Imported soil chosen for known compaction and stability properties, used where native soil isn't suitable.
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