Quantora Electrical drawing take-off and BOQ
Upload the lighting and power layouts and Quantora counts every fitting and accessory, measures the circuits and containment, and gives you an electrical BOQ you can check line by line.
Electrical drawings are dense: hundreds of fittings and outlets across many sheets, circuits that run to boards on other drawings, and containment shared by several systems. A manual count is slow and easy to get wrong. Quantora counts by symbol and floor, measures the runs, and shows the result on a numbered markup.
What it measures
How it works
- Upload the drawings. PDF, DWG, DXF or a scanned sheet. Add the specification if you have it; sizes and heights written there are read too.
- Choose the systems. Pick the disciplines to measure. The drawing is checked first: scale, legend, title block and sheet type, so the legend and schedules are never counted as items.
- Quantora measures. Every symbol is counted, every run is measured along its route, and the items the drawing implies but does not show (cable, accessories, terminations) are worked out with the basis written next to them.
- Check and export. The marked-up drawing shows every counted item boxed and numbered. Fix anything in the BOQ, then export it to Excel or PDF, or price it.
Example electrical BOQ lines
| Section | Description | Unit | Qty | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighting | LED downlight 15 W, 1,500 lm, IP44 | nr | 146 | Counted on plan |
| Lighting | Emergency exit sign, maintained, 3 h | nr | 22 | Counted on plan |
| Small power | Twin switched socket outlet 13 A | nr | 118 | Counted on plan |
| Distribution | Final circuit cable 2.5 mm² LSZH | m | 3,920 | Circuit route to DB + drops |
| Containment | Perforated cable tray 300 mm, with covers and supports | m | 264 | Measured along the drawn route |
Illustrative lines only, showing the format; quantities depend on your drawings.
Checked, not just counted
Fittings and outlets are counted from the legend you supplied, schedules on the sheet are kept as a cross-check rather than added to the count, and anything unclear is marked for review. The electrical design can also be checked against the wiring rules of the project's country, such as BS 7671 or the local authority's regulations.
Questions estimators ask
Can it do an electrical take-off from a PDF?
Yes. Vector PDFs give exact lengths; scanned PDFs are read too, with the scale checked from the drawing.
Does it count items in the legend or schedule?
No. The legend, title block and schedules are recognised and left out of the count; schedules are used only as a cross-check.
How are cable lengths measured?
Along the circuit or containment route to the distribution board, plus drops and spare, with the basis shown on each line.
Can I get the BOQ in Excel?
Yes. The BOQ exports to Excel and PDF, grouped by section and floor.
Try it on your own drawings
Upload a drawing and get the take-off, the BOQ and the marked-up drawing back in minutes. Every line shows where it came from, so you can check it before it goes into your tender.
Start free trial →