From PDF plan to client quote in under five minutes

Most fit-out estimators we have spoken to spend more time rebuilding the schedule in Excel than measuring the plan. The takeoff is fast. The quoting is slow. So when we say "PDF plan to client quote in under five minutes," we are not measuring the takeoff — we are measuring everything you have to do after.

Here is the actual path.

1. Upload the PDF

Drop the plan in. The first calibration popover appears immediately — that is intentional. Calibrate first. A wrong scale means every measurement on the page is wrong, and you will not catch it until the quote sits awkwardly with your supplier.

Pick a known dimension on the title block (a corridor width, a door opening, the longest gridline) and click both ends. Type the real length. The scale shows up inline as 1 px = X mm. Done.

If the plan is multi-page, calibrate every page. Quotiqa stores scale per page, so a re-calibration on page 4 does not corrupt page 1.

2. Measure by trade, not by line

The mistake we used to make: draw every wall, then go back and assign types. Slow. Instead, pick a trade first (Partitions / Ceilings / Doors / Carpentry) and draw only that scope. Switch trade. Draw the next.

This matters because:

• The quote items are grouped by trade in the BOQ. Measuring by trade keeps you in one mental mode.
• Visibility toggles per trade let you check coverage without having to hide individual lines.
• Subcontractor exports filter by trade — clean lines from the start mean clean exports later.

3. Price at the group level, not the line

In Quotiqa, every quote item carries one rate per (trade, item, unit) combination. Editing a markup updates every line of that group. No per-line price overrides — that is by design.

Why? Because a real quote does not have one wall priced at $98 and the wall next to it at $103. The contractor has one rate for "100mm 40kg drywall, m²", and they apply it everywhere. The takeoff tool that lets you override a single line is selling you flexibility you do not actually want.

Cost in. Markup as a multiplier. Sell falls out. Margin chip lights up.

4. Use the readiness checks before exporting

Five things to confirm before you hit "Export":

1. Scale is set on every page that has measurements.
2. No zero-rate quote items. The validation strip flags them.
3. No hidden layers that contain priced scope.
4. Quote terms and exclusions are filled. (Boilerplate is fine.)
5. A backup is exported — the JSON file you can re-import if browser storage is cleared.

The validation strip catches all five inline. It does not block export, because sometimes you genuinely want to send a partial quote. But it shows you what is missing.

5. Export and move on

Branded PDF for the client. CSV or XLSX for your own records. Subcontractor-filtered exports if you are sending the partition trade to one supplier and the ceiling trade to another.

That is it. The reason this works is none of these steps require leaving the app. The takeoff and the quote are the same artifact, not two artifacts that need to be reconciled.

The next quote is faster because Quotiqa remembers your rates, your custom items, and your packages. The fifth quote is the one where you realize you have not opened Excel in a week.