KORA good takeoff isn't enough to get a good price. If the list you send the supplier mixes floors, units and names, the counter spends an hour decoding it, or prices something other than what you meant. A clear quote request takes a few simple steps.
1. Group the same material for the whole project
Your takeoff is organized like the job: basement, main floor, upper floor, then exterior walls, partitions, ceilings. The supplier prices products. To them, the 8' 2x4 studs in the basement and those upstairs are the same item.
So list each material once, with the total quantity for the project. Two rules:
- same name, same unit = same line: "2x4 studs × 8'" from the basement + "2x4 studs × 8'" from the upper floor;
- different product = different line, even if the names look alike: an 8' stud doesn't replace a 9' stud; 7/16" OSB doesn't replace 5/8" plywood.
If you want to know where each material goes (for deliveries, see below), keep the breakdown by floor under the total line, not instead of it.
2. Use the supplier's units
A supplier sells pieces, sheets, bags, rolls, boxes. Your takeoff often gives lin. ft, sq. ft or cu. yd. Before sending the list, convert to the unit of sale:
| What the takeoff gives | What the supplier sells | Usual conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Studs (count) | Pieces of a given length | none, if the name says the length |
| Plates (lin. ft) | Pieces of 8', 10', 12', 14' or 16' | lin. ft ÷ piece length, rounded up |
| Sheathing, drywall (sq. ft) | 4x8 (32 sq. ft) or 4x12 (48 sq. ft) sheets | sq. ft ÷ sheet area, + waste |
| Concrete (m³ or cu. yd) | Cubic metres delivered by the plant | rounded to the half metre or per the plant |
| Mortar, cement (bags) | 30 kg, 40 kg… bags | per the product size |
Lin. ft can also stay as is: some suppliers prefer to pick the lengths themselves. If so, say it: "897.6 lin. ft of 2x6, random lengths, 16' max."
3. Name studs by their length
"2x6 studs: 234" means nothing to a supplier. An 8'-1" wall is framed with 92-5/8" precut studs (sold as 8'), a 9'-1" wall with 104-5/8" (9'). The length comes from the wall height minus the bottom plate and double top plate (3 × 1-1/2" = 4-1/2"):
| Wall height | Height − 4-1/2" | Stud to order |
|---|---|---|
| 8'-1" (97") | 92-1/2" | 92-5/8", sold as 8' |
| 9'-1" (109") | 104-1/2" | 104-5/8", sold as 9' |
| 10'-1" (121") | 116-1/2" | 116-5/8", sold as 10' |
So write "2x6 studs × 9'" and "2x6 studs × 8'" on two separate lines. This also avoids a costly mistake: adding the studs of an 8' basement and a 9' main floor on one line, then receiving everything in 8'.
4. Send quantities, never your prices
The list that goes to the supplier has quantities only. Not your unit prices, not your totals, not your labour or profit. You're asking for their price: showing them the price already in your estimate gives them the answer.
Also leave out what the supplier doesn't sell: labour, subcontractors, general conditions.
5. State the deliveries
A house isn't delivered all at once: the upper-floor lumber arrives when the main floor deck is done. State simple delivery phases, for example:
- delivery 1: basement and main floor;
- delivery 2: upper floor;
- delivery 3: roof.
The supplier can plan the truck and often hold the price longer on later deliveries. Ask how long the price is valid: lumber prices move.
6. Ask for alternates separately
If you're torn between two products, don't mix the alternates into the main list. Add an "Alternates" section at the end, each with its quantity:
- 7/16" OSB instead of plywood, or the reverse;
- 4x9 sheets instead of 4x8 for a 9' wall;
- plates in 16' pieces instead of 12'.
The supplier prices the base list, then each alternate separately. You compare prices on the same basis.
Example: framing a two-storey house
Assumptions: studs at 16" o.c., 1 end stud per wall measured, 10% waste, OSB on one side of exterior walls. Quantities follow the framing calculation rules: studs = roundup((roundup(length ÷ spacing) + walls) × 1.10); bottom and double top plates = length × 3 × 1.10; OSB = length × height ÷ 32 × 1.10, rounded up.
| Takeoff element | Length, walls | Height | Studs | Plates (lin. ft) | 4x8 OSB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main floor, ext. walls 2x6 | 136 ft, 4 walls | 9'-1" | 117 × 9' | 448.8 | 43 |
| Upper floor, ext. walls 2x6 | 136 ft, 4 walls | 8'-1" | 117 × 8' | 448.8 | 38 |
| Basement, partitions 2x4 | 60 ft, 4 walls | 8'-1" | 54 × 8' | 198.0 | 0 |
| Main floor, partitions 2x4 | 90 ft, 6 walls | 9'-1" | 82 × 9' | 297.0 | 0 |
| Upper floor, partitions 2x4 | 110 ft, 7 walls | 8'-1" | 100 × 8' | 363.0 | 0 |
The list sent to the supplier, grouped, quantities only:
| Material | Quantity | Unit | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x6 studs × 9' | 117 | pieces | main floor |
| 2x6 studs × 8' | 117 | pieces | upper floor |
| 2x4 studs × 9' | 82 | pieces | main floor |
| 2x4 studs × 8' | 154 | pieces | basement 54 + upper floor 100 |
| 2x6 bottom and double top plates | 57 | 16' pieces | 897.6 lin. ft (448.8 + 448.8) |
| 2x4 bottom and double top plates | 54 | 16' pieces | 858.0 lin. ft (198.0 + 297.0 + 363.0) |
| 7/16" OSB 4x8 | 81 | sheets | 43 + 38 |
Notice three things:
- the 8' 2x4 studs from the basement and upper floor are combined (154), but the 9' 2x4s stay separate;
- plates are converted to 16' pieces on the total (897.6 ÷ 16 = 56.1, so 57), not floor by floor (29 + 29 = 58): adding before rounding avoids an extra piece on every line;
- the "From" column is useful for you and for deliveries, but optional for the supplier.
Common mistakes
- Sending the takeoff as is, by floor and by wall, instead of a grouped list.
- Units the supplier doesn't sell (sq. ft of drywall, lin. ft of studs).
- A single stud line for walls of different heights.
- Forgetting waste, or counting it twice (in the takeoff and again on the list).
- Leaving your prices in the file, even in a hidden Excel column.
- Mixing alternates into the base list.
The material list in KOR
In KOR, the estimate has a "Material list" view: each material once, with the quantities of all elements added up (same name and same unit). Studs in the framing templates are named from the wall height set in the element, for example "2x6 studs × 9'".
The estimate's "Export" button offers the "Material list" organization (with an optional breakdown by section underneath), a choice of which trades to export (for example, framing only) and the "Quantities only" option: the Excel or PDF file then contains no prices at all. Plates are calculated in lin. ft in the starter templates; to order them in 16' pieces, you change the template formula (divide by 16 ft and round up).
KOR is also preparing a bid management module and a project management module, both in preparation.
Summary
- One material = one line, total project quantity (same name, same unit).
- The supplier's units: pieces, sheets, bags.
- Studs named by length, one line per length.
- Quantities only, never your prices.
- Simple delivery phases and a price validity period.
- Alternates separately, each with its quantity.