From a PDF material list to a priced draft quote

The PDFs that reach a trade counter

PDFs arrive in three main shapes. A contractor's own material list exported from estimating or accounts software, usually typed and tidy. A consultant's schedule attached to a tender, with product descriptions written to a specification rather than to your range. And the scan: a printed or handwritten list run through an office scanner or a phone scanning app and saved as a PDF.

All three end up being retyped at your branch. The typed ones are quick to read but slow to match; the scans are slow to read as well. I handle the reading and the matching, so the time on your side goes on checking.

How a PDF is read

• Typed pages. The text in the PDF is read directly, line by line, with quantities and units kept together.
• Scanned pages. When a page holds an image instead of text, it is read with text recognition. Printed scans are the easier case; for handwritten scans, uncertain lines are flagged for a person to check.
• Length. Up to 10 pages per PDF. For a longer document, send the pages that hold the list.

After reading, every line goes through the same steps as any other list: match to your catalogue, price from your price data, flag what is uncertain.

A schedule, line by line

Take 2 pages from a lighting and small power schedule for a refurbishment:

• "Twin switched socket outlet, white, 13A, 30 no." matches your white twin switched socket and is priced at the contractor's account price.
• "Recessed LED downlight, fire rated, 40 no." fits more than one product in your range, so all candidates are listed and the line waits.
• "Consumer unit, to suit" cannot be priced without the number of ways, so it is flagged with that question.
• "6242Y 2.5mm, 3 x 100m" keeps its unit: 3 drums of 100 m, not 300 single metres.
• "Cable tray, 20 lengths" with no width or finish is flagged with both questions.

Each line on the draft keeps the original wording from the PDF, so the person approving can see what was asked for.

What a PDF list is not

I read lists and schedules written as text. I do not measure from drawings or plans inside a PDF, count symbols on a layout or read quantities off a drawing. A drawing set sent instead of a list is flagged for your team. If your customers often send drawings, the takeoff still has to be done by a person; once it exists as a list, I prepare the quote from it.

From draft to quote

When your colleague has answered the flags and approved, the quote comes out as an A4 PDF with your logo for the customer, plus a UTF-8 CSV of the approved lines. Nothing goes out before approval, and each export is logged. Your catalogue and prices come in as CSV, XLSX or TSV exports from your merchant system, with no native connection to it. Other list formats are covered on the pages for spreadsheet takeoffs, photographed lists and email requests.

Pricing

• Full rollout: £3,900 a month for up to 1,500 requests, or £1,290 a month for up to 500, plus £5,950 onboarding that includes the £1,490 paid pilot.
• Team: £790 a month for 3 users and up to 200 requests.
• Starter: £390 a month for up to 20 requests.

Team and Starter have no setup fee and can be cancelled any month. How the paid pilot works ↗

Frequently asked questions