MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRY

QUANTITY TAKE-OFF
PROCEDURE
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRY

QUANTITY TAKE-OFF
PROCEDURE

Rev Date Revision Description By Checked Approved

0 4/12/2001 Issued for Implementation R.G.H. A.G. M.KH.
1 2/10/2002 DAR Logo Revised R.G.H. A.G. M.KH.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Instructions

3. Guide Notes

Attachment A – Standard Take-off Sheets

Attachment B – Guidelines for the Preparation of

Method of Measurement (MOM)

Attachment C – Sample BOQ

Attachment D – Method of Calculating Duct Area

Attachment E – Sample Take-off Stamp

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 2
1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose This booklet provides procedures

and standard forms to be used by
the design engineers and
draftsmen for quantities take-off
and preparation of the
mechanical bill of quantities.

The intent of these procedures

and standard forms is to assure
that quantities are measured
accurately and consistently
among all engineers and quantity
takers.

The project engineer is

responsible for ensuring that
these procedures and forms are
used, and quantities are accurate
and checked.

1.2 Definitions Take-off Drawings: draft “For

Tender” that are coordinated and
signed by the draftsman and the
project engineer.

Quantity Taker: a draftsman

assigned by the project engineer
to measure and take off the
quantities from the “Take-Off”
prints.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 3
2. INSTRUCTIONS

2.1 Responsibilities Project engineer shall be

responsible for managing the
quantity take-off task, organizing
the forms of bills in coordination
with the MCC and PM, and
exercising the necessary checks
on the measured quantities.

2.2 “Take-Off” Prints Project engineer shall prepare a

set of draft final drawings, stamp
it “Take-Off Prints” and give it to
the assigned quantity takers.

Each print shall be signed after

completion of the take-off by the
assigned draftsman and project
engineer.

The complete set of take-off

prints shall be kept with the
project engineer in a labeled file
indicating the project no. and
“Take-Off Prints and Sheets”.

2.3 “Take-Off” Sheets Filled in Take-Off sheets (as per

the attached standard forms) shall
be signed by the quantity taker
and the project engineer and be
kept also in the take-off file with
the prints.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 3
2.4 Method of Measurement The project engineer shall make
(MOM) sure that he and the quantity
takers are fully aware of the
details of the standard MOM (as
per the copy included in
Attachment B), and that the
quantities of the items that are
not included with other items
rate, are all identified and
measured separately.

2.5 Bill of Quantities (BOQ) The project engineer shall be

responsible of preparing the bills
of quantity in the required final
form based on the quantities of
the take-off sheets using the
procedure set for in the QA
manual. He shall also do the
necessary checks and transfers
the bills to the MCC as per the
set procedures.

The form of the Standards

Mechanical Master Bill is as per
the extracts included in
Attachment C.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 4
3. GUIDE NOTES

3.1 Measuring Quantities from When measuring quantities from

“Take-Off” Print drawings, the measured items
(Draftsman) shall be marked in yellow color,
and when a drawing is fully
measured, the same exercise
should be repeated ticking in red
above the measured items.

3.2 “Take-Off” Sheets & Prints The “Take-Off” sheets related to

a drawing should be signed by
the draftsman and attached to the
“Take-Off” print. Once done, it
should be passed to the PE for
checking. Once checked, the PE
shall sign the sheets “Checked”
and put the sheets and print in the
take-off file.

3.3 Checking Quantities While checking the quantities the

PE shall exercise spot checks on
each Take-Off print and compare
the measured quantities with
known quantity indicators.

3.4 Measuring Pipe Branches For measuring pipe vertical

branches consider the following
elevations of fixtures connections
from finished floor level:

Waste (cm) Water (cm)

- BT - 70
- LAV 45 50
- SINK 45 90
- MS,S 30 90
- EWC (FT) 20 40
- EWC (FV) 20 80
- UR 40 215
- SH - 100

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 5
Waste (cm) Water (cm)
-B 20 20
- WT, HB - 40
- DF 50 50
- Low level 120 -
vent main
- FHC - 120
- Low Level - 50
Water main

3.5 Measuring Ductwork For measuring the ductwork refer

to the method indicated in
Attachment D.
For duct weight use any of the
certified software programs.

3.6 Allowances on Measured The following safety allowances

Quantities should be applied.

-0 Ductwork 28%
(allowed for in the
software program) for
joints, supports and waste.
-0 Piping 10%

-ㄱ Pipe
insulation 15%

-ㄴ Duct
insulation 10%

Also allowances should be made

for unforeseen quantities for the
following items:
-ㄷ Isolating
and drain valves (12-25
dn) 10%

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 6
3.7 Things to be Considered

Plumbing
Pay Attention for the Match
Lines and not to Duplicate
Items

 Grates and frames for

trenches are to be
counted in linear meters
and according to the
width (ex: 400 mm 
wide 50 m)
 When measuring the
piping, take into
consideration the slab
thickness and the exact
height of the floor. In
addition, the Floor
Drain and floor
cleanouts drop and trap
should be measured.
Ex: the floor cleanout
drop below slab with
the elbow is around 60
cm). However this
should be exactly taken
from the details shown
on the corresponding
drawings.
 When measuring
piping, the length
should be taken across
all valves and fittings.
Ex: for the pumps, pipe
length starts from the
discharge of the pump
across all fittings.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 7
 On the as built
drawings, the CIL and
the FIL are always
shown. These should be
exactly taken for the
rises and drops of the pipes. Ex: when the
pipe is moving at CIL
500 and then drops to
FIL 1000 and the
height of the floor is
3500 this means that
you have to subtract
the CIL and the FIL
from the height of the
floor i.e. 3500 – 500 –
1000 = 2000 or the
pipe should drop by
2 m.
 The most important
thing is to make sure of
the sanitary details.
Follow the as built
drawing concerning this
topic. i.e. level of
fixture from FFL to be
considered.
 The fire hose cabinet
pipe should be
calculated in the
following manner: pipe
drops from a certain
ceiling level to FFL =
1000 then add 0.4 +
0.46 = 0.86 m

FHC Detail:

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 8
 Sprinkler drop or rise
(pendant or upright)
should be measured.
Sometimes 20 cm,
sometimes 40 cm,
sometimes 80 cm. In
addition to the rise of
the pipe itself to
distribute thru
sprinklers. Check the
detail

 Drainage outside
building should be
separate. These pipes
are those from the
building to the IC’s and
the connection between
IC’s.
 RVC pipes should rise
around 1 m above roof.

HVAC Pay Attention for the Match

Lines and not to Duplicate
Items

 Ductwork should be
carefully measured
taking into
consideration all drops
and rises, CIL levels,
slab thickness and exact
height of floors. In
addition, duct end

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 9
should be taken as size
with length zero. Ex:
400 x 400 with length
=0. This will affect the

weight and the

insulation area.
 Elbows should be
measured by taking the
tangent of the outer arc
and measure to the
intersection of the
tangents.
 Each section on the
duct should be
enumerated (1,2,3…)
and fill the take-off
sheet accordingly. This
method will help
referring to the section
of the duct for future
corrections. Therefore,
in order to facilitate the
process of checking the
take off sheet should
reveal the exact section
number of the duct as
shown on the drawing.
 Ducts should be divided
into, supply ducts,
return, exhaust, fresh
air, ducts in mechanical
rooms, ducts in shafts,
low pressure ducts (if
no VAV or after the
VAV), and medium
pressure (from AHU up
to the VAV). This
subdivision will help
calculating the
insulation on ducts
according to the table
above.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 10
 Recommended duct
weight program is the
excel validated
program.
 All mixing boxes and
plenum boxes on
AHU’s and on Slot
linear diffusers are to be
taken.
 Flexible ducts are to be
measured as linear
meters not as countable
item.
 Dummy linear diffusers
are to be taken
 While measuring the
piping on AHU’s, be
careful for the drops
and rises of the pipes by
reading all the sections
(A-A, B-B…) taken
from the plan.

PRC-ME-01 REV 1 11
ATTACHMENT A

Standard Take-Off Sheets

PLUMBING
Take-Off Sheets
HVAC

Take-Off Sheets
ATTACHMENT B
Guidelines for the Preparation of
Method of Measurement (MOM)
ATTACHMENT C

Sample BOQ
ATTACHMENT D

Method of Calculating Duct Area

ATTACHMENT E

Sample Take-off Stamp