How to Do a Takeoff in Bluebeam Revu, Step by Step

To do a takeoff in Bluebeam Revu 21, calibrate the page with Tools > Measure > Set Scale, take each item with a tool from Tools > Measure (Length, Area, Perimeter, Volume or Count), then read the totals in the Markups List and export a summary. This tutorial follows that order, with the menu paths from Bluebeam's own documentation, and shows where the same job is shorter in Notch, which is our product.

The Bluebeam steps below come from the Revu 21 pages on Takeoffs and measurements, Set page scale, the Count tool and Dynamic Fill, all checked November 4, 2026. Bluebeam changes menus between versions, so confirm a label against your own copy if it differs.

What do you need before you start a Bluebeam takeoff?

You need the bid set as PDFs open in Revu 21, the list of items you are taking off and a plan that includes the tools you need. Bluebeam's Count article says counting, Visual Search counts, statuses and legends need a Core, Complete or Max plan. Its Dynamic Fill page says that tool needs Complete or Max.

Before you measure anything:

1. Open the sheets that carry your scope and read the general notes and specifications for your trade.
2. Write down each item and how it is measured: by length, by area or by count.
3. Check the scale printed on each sheet and note any sheet marked "not to scale".
4. Decide how you will name measurements. Revu's Subject field appears in the Markups List, so a consistent naming scheme (for example "Wall type A", "Ceiling ACT") is what makes totals readable later.

How do you calibrate the scale in Bluebeam?

Go to Tools > Measure > Set Scale, select Custom, click Calibrate, pick two points a known distance apart and type the real length. You can also click Calibrate on the Measurements panel. Calibrate before you measure, because every length and area depends on it.

Bluebeam's steps:

1. Open Tools > Measure > Set Scale, choose Custom and click Calibrate. If an instructions dialog appears, click OK.
2. Click the first point and then the second point of a known length on the page. Hold Shift to keep the line horizontal, vertical or diagonal. On vector drawings, turn on Snap to Content so the points land on the line work.
3. Enter the real-world length on the right side of the scale equation and pick its units. The units do not need to match the drawing's, according to Bluebeam.
4. Choose the pages to apply the scale to: All Pages, Current (the default), Selected or Custom (for example 1-3, 5, 9).
5. Optional: select Separate Y Scale to set a different vertical scale.
6. Select a measurement precision, shown as a decimal or a fraction.
7. Optional: click + Add Preset to save the scale for later.
8. Click Apply Scale.

Apply a scale only to the pages that share it. Plans, enlarged details and sections on one set usually sit at different scales, so a single All Pages calibration is correct only when every sheet in the range is drawn at the same ratio. The full procedure, with a check step and the mistakes that cost the most, is in How to Scale a PDF Drawing for Accurate Takeoffs.

Which Bluebeam tool measures each item?

Choose the tool by how the item is priced: length for things that run, area for things that cover, volume for things with depth and count for things you tally. The table lists the tools Bluebeam documents, with the plan limits it states.

Bluebeam's Takeoffs and measurements page lists three ways to reach measurements: the Measurements panel, the Measure toolbar and the Tools > Measure menu.

How do you measure lengths, areas and counts in Bluebeam?

Start each measurement by entering a Subject in the Measurements panel, then click on the page. The Subject is what appears in the Markups List, so name it before the first click rather than renaming dozens of markups afterward.

Measure a run (Perimeter)

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Perimeter, or press Shift+Alt+P.
2. In the Measurements panel, enter a Subject and, if you want text on the markup, a Label.
3. Click each point along the run. Press Backspace to remove the last point.
4. Press Enter to finish.

For a single straight distance, use Length the same way and click the two end points. Hold Shift to constrain a line to horizontal, vertical or 45 degrees. Once the page has a scale, Revu shows a preview of the key values in the lower-right corner while you place the measurement.

Measure an area

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Area, or press Shift+Alt+A.
2. Enter the Subject.
3. Click the corners of the region and close it.

For an opening inside the region, such as a shaft, Bluebeam has a Cutout option. Its published guidance on Cutout is a Revu 2017 release note, so check how it works in your version before relying on it for net quantities. To get a volume, set a Depth in the Measurements panel and use the Volume measurement.

Count items

1. Go to Tools > Measure > Count.
2. Click each object you want to count.
3. Press Esc when you finish.
4. To add to an existing group later, right-click a count in the Markups List or on the page and select Resume Count.

Revu can also count by matching. Open the Search panel (Alt+1), select Visual Search, choose Get Rectangle and draw a box around one symbol, then select Search. Check the results you want, open the Check Options dropdown, select Apply Count Measurement to Checked and pick a symbol. Check the matches against the drawing before you accept the number, because a symbol search can match things that only look alike.

Fill an enclosed area

Dynamic Fill treats the lines in the PDF as boundaries. Select Fill, click and drag inside an area until the fill reaches its edges, then choose one or more measurement types on the toolbar and select Apply. If the fill leaks past a line, use Add Boundary to close it or adjust sensitivity in Settings. It relies on the PDF's line weights, so poor scans and drawings with broken linework fill unreliably.

How do you read and export Bluebeam takeoff totals?

Read totals in the Markups List and export a summary for the spreadsheet. Bluebeam's Takeoffs and measurements page says the Markups List shows a running total at the top of the Measurement column for measurements of the same type in the document. The Totals subpanel of the Dynamic Properties toolbar sums selected measurements, including different types.

For counts, open the Markups List (Alt+L), open the dropdown, go to Columns and select Count and Space. The Count column shows quantities, grouped by location in the Space column.

To get the numbers out, the Markups List has a Summary option. Bluebeam's Revu 20 help describes choosing Summary, then an XML or CSV summary, entering the page range and clicking OK, and its Count article says the markup summary exports as a PDF or CSV report. The Revu 21 pages cited here do not list the summary columns, so check the dialog in your copy. A CSV summary is a snapshot: if you change a measurement afterward, export again.

To show quantities on the page for a subcontractor, place a Legend on the PDF. Bluebeam's Count article says it shows counts and statuses.

Where does a Bluebeam takeoff get heavy for a small team?

A Bluebeam takeoff is capable, but it asks for setup that a small team may not need on every bid. Four things come up in the steps above, each from Bluebeam's own documentation.

• Plan tiers. Counting needs Core, Complete or Max, and Dynamic Fill needs Complete or Max. Check Bluebeam's pricing for what your subscription includes.
• Windows. Bluebeam ended the Mac version of Revu in 2023, so a Mac takeoff means a virtual machine or Bluebeam Cloud. See Bluebeam for Mac: 3 ways to work on a Mac.
• Setup before the first click. Calibration, Subject names and the Markups List columns are all yours to configure per job unless you save tools and profiles.
• Several panels. A takeoff touches the Measurements panel, the Markups List, Visual Search and the summary dialog.

None of that is a flaw if you estimate every day and have your tool sets built. It matters when the person doing the takeoff is a project manager or owner who does one a month.

How does the same takeoff compare in Notch?

Notch is a PDF editor that runs in the browser and on iPhone, iPad and Mac, and its takeoff tools sit on one tool rail. The steps and totals below come from Notch's measurements and calibration docs. Revu has depth Notch does not match, so the table compares where the work differs and states Notch as our product.

To take off a run in Notch:

1. Open the PDF and click Set scale in the status strip, then pick a preset or calibrate from a known dimension.
2. Choose Linear from the Measurements flyout, or press M.
3. Click along the run and finish the measurement.
4. Open the Measurements panel in the right sidebar and use Group & sort to group by layer or cost code.
5. Click Export CSV.

The Notch docs describe no equivalent of Dynamic Fill or Visual Search, so if your takeoff depends on those Revu tools, plan to count and trace by hand in Notch. For the full Notch walkthrough, see How to Do a Takeoff From a PDF, and for one trade in detail, Drywall Takeoff From a PDF.

How do you check a Bluebeam takeoff before you bid from it?

Check the scale, the coverage and the totals, in that order. Most takeoff errors are a page measured at the wrong scale, a run or area that was missed, or the same item counted twice.

• [ ] Every measured page was calibrated, and a second known dimension on the page reads correctly.
• [ ] Every sheet in your scope has measurements, or a note on why it does not.
• [ ] Each Subject is named consistently, so the Markups List groups the way you expect.
• [ ] Count totals match a visual scan of the page for the same symbol.
• [ ] Dynamic Fill areas did not leak past a boundary or skip an enclosed room.
• [ ] The exported summary matches the totals in the Markups List.
• [ ] Notes, specifications and addenda are reflected in what you took off.

Frequently asked questions

How do you do a takeoff in Bluebeam Revu?

Calibrate each page with Tools > Measure > Set Scale, then measure with Length, Perimeter, Area, Volume or Count from the same menu. Name each measurement with a Subject, read the running totals in the Markups List and export a summary as CSV for your spreadsheet. Counting needs a Core, Complete or Max plan.

How do you measure area in Bluebeam?

Go to Tools > Measure > Area (or press Shift+Alt+A), enter a Subject and click the corners of the region. The page must be calibrated first. Right-click a segment and choose Convert to Arc to measure a curved edge. Set a Depth if you want a volume.

Does Bluebeam have to be calibrated for every page?

Calibrate every page that has a different scale. In the Set Scale dialog you can apply one scale to All Pages, the Current page, Selected pages or a Custom range such as 1-3, 5, 9. Applying one scale to a range is correct only when every page in the range is drawn at that scale.

Can you export a Bluebeam takeoff to Excel?

Yes. The Markups List has a Summary option that, per Bluebeam's Revu 20 help, exports XML or CSV data after you choose a page range, and the markup summary can also be a PDF. Open the CSV in Excel. It is a snapshot, so export again after changing measurements.

Next steps

Run one trade on one sheet: calibrate, measure, read the totals and export, then check the exported number against a quick hand estimate before trusting the rest of the set. If you want the same job without a Windows machine or a plan tier, try it in Notch on a real bid set, starting from Takeoff in Notch or the Bluebeam comparison. When a revised set arrives, compare documents in Bluebeam or compare two PDF drawings to find what moved before you update quantities.