Using STACK Without Blueprints

STACK provides a very robust measuring experience, but you may encounter situations where you do not have access to blueprints to measure. This article will guide you through these scenarios.

* STACK does not recommend using hand-drawn plans as they are not drawn to scale. We recommend using a third-party application or grid paper to draw your plan.

Create an Estimate and Proposal without plans

Add your takeoffs or items to the non-measured cost list and provide the estimated quantity, waste factor, unit cost and markup for each.

Create a blueprint using graph paper

Set the scale to the desired size using one edge of a square as your calibrated length:

• 1 square = 1 square foot
• 1 square = 5 square feet, etc

In case you don't have grid paper handy, feel free to download a copy here.

Measure from an uploaded image or picture

Once you upload your images to the project, simply calibrate the scale using a known distance listed on the image. Keep in mind that you may want to compensate for any distortions due to:

• Camera angle
• Wrinkles on the plan page
• Low image quality

Draw takeoffs on a blank PDF

Once you upload a blank PDF to the project, you can create a takeoff and draw measurements to register your desired takeoff total. From there, you can build your estimate and proposal using STACK items and assemblies.

In case you don't have a blank PDF handy, feel free to download a copy here.

Related Articles

Create and Manage Projects and Events
Rotate Plans
Plan Overlay

See how others use this feature in the STACK Community.

If you need additional assistance, please Contact Us.