How to Complete a Landscape Takeoff in LandOne Takeoff Software: Step by Step

LandOne Takeoff is an innovative program designed to keep every piece of your takeoff in the same place and make every estimate quick, easy, and accurate. Every aspect of a project is streamlined and simplified, leading to incredible results incredibly fast.

 

At the click of a button, our easy-to-use software counts materials, assigns markups and prices, and helps you map out your project for clients. 

 

But how exactly does our software work?

 

Here’s a step by step guide to creating your first LandOne Takeoff. 

 

 

Step one: Create your project

The first step to creating your takeoff is to name your project and decide which section of the design you’d like to tackle first. When you’ve created and named your project you can upload a PDF of your landscape design, and open it through the software.

 

 

Navigate your plan using your mouse. Scroll up and down to adjust the zoom, and right-click on the page to pan around your design. You can also access the pan feature by holding down the spacebar and left-clicking on the page.  

 

Step two: Set and calibrate your scale

Before you begin measuring, you will need to set and calibrate your scale so that your measurements are accurate. Click on the set scale button in the upper right-hand corner of your screen and select measure. Your mouse will turn red into a red cross when you enter measure mode. 

 

 

Click on each end of the section you would like to use to set your scale and enter the measurement in the black box below the set scale button. This will apply your scale to the whole plan. 

 

To check that your scale is correct, select the measure tool at the top of your screen. Click on each end of the section you would like to measure, and LandOne will automatically calculate the length/width. Once you have confirmed your scale is accurate you can begin your takeoff. 

 

Step three: Add materials

 

Begin your takeoff by adding materials to your plan. You can find your landscape material list in the black bar on the left-hand side of your screen. Click the plus button, and fill out the details of your material. You will be given color options to distinguish each material as you add it to your plan. Once you have added a material the information you enter will be saved for quicker access next time you need it. 

 

 

Select the material you would like to count by clicking on it in your list. Once active, all you need to do is click again on the sections you would like to apply it to. Your material will stay active until you deselect it by clicking the cross in the corner of your materials list or hitting ESC. 

 

Tip: Add groups of materials like potted plants by selecting “object group” when you enter material details on your list. Then, use your mouse to outline the area you would like to fill. You can select either curved or straight mode to fit the desired space. Double click or press enter to finish the shape. Once completed, LandOne will calculate how many pots you will need to fill the selected area. 

 

Step four: Measure sod area

 

Begin by adding your selected turf type to your materials list, and selecting “area” under your measurement type. Save, then click to activate. 

 

 

To measure, click around the area you would like covered by turf and adjust your shape to fit your plan. Again, you can switch between curved and straight lines to mold to each area. 

 

Step five: Edit shapes for accuracy

 

Hit your escape key to enter selection mode. Click on any object or area to move it or edit it. When you click an area a series of orange and white dots will appear along the outline. You can select these with your mouse and move them to change the area shape. This means you can ensure total accuracy with your measuring. 

 

 

To add another dot, simply click on the edge of your shape where you would like it to sit. Then use this point to continue adapting the shape to your plan. Toggle this point from curved and straight by double-clicking it.

 

Remember that orange dots are a curved control point while the white dots are a regular control point. 

 

Tip: The measurements for each area will appear automatically on your plan once saved. 

 

Step six: Add plant bed areas

Create a new material on your materials list and select “volume” under the annotation type.  Then enter how deep you would like your material under the heading marked depth. This will automatically measure in inches.

 

Using the same method used to measure your sod area, click around the area you would like to mark as a plant bed and adjust the shape to fit via the small orange dots along the outline.  

 

 

Tip: Don’t forget to measure mulch areas hidden by tree rings. You can do this by selecting mulch from your materials list, and ticking the box marked “cutout overlaps”. This will automatically remove any areas of turf from your tree ring, transforming them into mulch ready for your final takeoff. 

 

Step seven: Add topsoil – the fast way!

 

Begin by adding topsoil to your materials list. Save, exit, and select sod from your materials list to edit. At the bottom of the edit box, you will see a section marked “associated materials”. Add topsoil to this box. This will automatically add topsoil to all sod areas. 

 

 

Step eight: Save and download your takeoff

 

Prepare your materials list by exiting drawing mode and returning to your overview. Here you will see all the materials added to your plan, next to two columns labeled estimate quantity and placed quantity. You can manually add values to your estimated quantity column by clicking on each box and entering your desired figure. This is useful if you would like to round up on certain materials. If you don’t want to edit the quantity on your final list then simply click the arrow next to your placed quantity box to copy it into the estimated quantity column. 

 

 

When you are happy with your materials list, select the download option in the top right-hand corner of your screen. You can opt to download your annotated plan with or without quantity labels. 

 

Once you hit download you will be shown a takeoff report. You can customize this by selecting or deselecting options on the “customize report” dropdown list. If you would like Landscapehub to provide a free materials quote from your local nurseries then simply hit “request free quote”, and they will have this to you in 1-2 days. 

 

Finally, hit “export CSV” at the top of your screen to quickly upload into an excel spreadsheet, or to use in any pricing software. Alternatively, simply copy and paste your list into an excel spreadsheet, word document, or an email. This allows you to do multiple steps quickly without having to repeat data entry. 

 

If you don’t have a spreadsheet, download our free project estimating template here! 

 

Start your Free Trial today to see firsthand how LandOne Takeoff can help transform your landscaping business.