An On-Screen Takeoff alternative for electrical counts

On-Screen Takeoff (OST) is ConstructConnect's Windows takeoff software for all trades, priced by licensing option¹⁵. Its AI-powered Auto Count finds every instance of something you select on up to 20 pages at a time⁴. AmpCount has no page limit per run: it reads the legend and counts every electrical device and fixture across the whole set in one upload, flags uncertain marks and checks the fixture schedule, for $149 a month for up to 3 people, in the browser.

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Written by Agustín Policano, founder of AmpCount. Facts about On-Screen Takeoff come from ConstructConnect's public pages, checked November 3, 2026. Sources at the end.

What On-Screen Takeoff is

On-Screen Takeoff measures lengths, areas and counts, with conditions, layers and zones, and works with Quick Bid for estimating¹⁴. ConstructConnect added a Takeoff BOOST AI-powered Auto Count with OST version 4.0.0.770 in June 2026²⁴. It locates every instance of a selected object on up to 20 pages at a time and needs a subscription that includes Takeoff BOOST⁴, which also offers Auto Takeoff for areas, lengths and counts with wall type detection¹, part of a wider wave of AI takeoff tools for every trade. ConstructConnect says OST pricing varies by licensing option¹.

AmpCount vs On-Screen Takeoff at a glance

	AmpCount	On-Screen Takeoff
What it is	Electrical takeoff for commercial contractors. Counts devices and fixtures on vector PDF plans.	Takeoff for all trades: lengths, areas, counts, conditions and zones, with Quick Bid for estimating¹⁴.
How counts start	Reads the legend, then matches every symbol on every sheet by its drawn geometry. No clicking to start.	Select an object and Auto Count finds every instance on up to 20 pages at a time⁴.
Uncertain symbols	Anything not an exact match is marked uncertain and stays out of the count until you confirm it.	ConstructConnect says it's the user's responsibility to verify AI results⁴.
Fixture schedule check	Checks counts against the fixture schedule and shows the sheet with the difference.	Not described on ConstructConnect's public pages¹⁴.
Price	$149 a month or $1,490 a year, published. Up to 3 people, no sheet limits.	Not published. Varies by licensing option¹.
Runs on	Browser, on Windows or Mac.	Windows⁵.
Export	Excel, CSV and an estimating sheet with your item codes per drawing.	Integrates with Quick Bid and other estimating tools¹.
Scope	Devices and fixtures only. No conduit, wire, pricing or labor.	All trades, including areas and lengths¹.

Prices as listed on November 3, 2026. Check the vendor for a current quote.

To see On-Screen Takeoff next to the rest of the field, the electrical estimating software guide lists 14 tools with their published prices, and the electrical takeoff software guide explains the four ways software counts a plan set.

Where On-Screen Takeoff is strong

ConstructConnect says many general contractors across North America rely on it¹.
Handles lengths and areas, not only counts, with conditions, layers and zones¹⁴.
Works with Quick Bid for priced estimates¹.
Teams can share digital takeoffs for coordination¹.

Where AmpCount is different

Whole set, every symbol

AmpCount counts every symbol in the legend across every sheet in one pass. No selecting an object per symbol type, no page limit per run.

Built around electrical sets

OST organizes reusable conditions by trade or discipline¹, so an electrical count is set up the same way as a drywall one. AmpCount only knows electrical drawings: legends, type tags and fixture schedules, and on layered PDFs it skips furniture and architecture.

Checked, not just counted

Confirmed, dismissed and uncertain marks, a schedule cross-check, and every count linked to its marks on the sheet.

Published monthly price

ConstructConnect says OST pricing varies by licensing option¹. AmpCount is $149 a month for up to 3 people, cancel anytime, with a full refund within 14 days.

The matching is plain geometry, step by step, as shown in how AmpCount works. A vision model helps read titles, legends and schedules but never confirms a mark or counts, as the AI electrical takeoff guide explains.

Where the time goes in an OST count

In On-Screen Takeoff you build a count condition per item, then count it on each page, manually or with Auto Count⁴. ConstructConnect's AI-powered Auto Count finds every instance of what you select on up to 20 pages at a time⁴, so a large electrical set can mean several runs per device type, plus a review of each run. Fixture counts are then compared with the schedule outside the takeoff.

AmpCount runs the whole set at once from the legend. Every device and fixture type, every sheet, one upload. The output is a count per type and per sheet, a list of uncertain marks to confirm, and a fixture schedule check that points at the sheet with the difference.

Cost for a 3-person team

ConstructConnect doesn't publish an On-Screen Takeoff price¹. Its browser product, ConstructConnect Takeoff, lists Professional at $2,450 per seat a year on an annual contract³, so three seats come to $7,350 a year, as of November 3, 2026. The pricing FAQ on the same page quotes $2,200 for the first seat and $1,700 for each additional one³, which would make three seats $5,600.

Against that, AmpCount is $149 a month for the same three people, or $1,490 a year on the yearly plan. It only counts devices and fixtures, so linear and area takeoff stays in OST or another measuring tool. For electrical counts, it covers the whole set in one run, checked against the fixture schedule.

Run the numbers for your shop

Moving electrical counts off OST

Download the electrical sheets from the bid package as vector PDFs.
Upload them to AmpCount. There's no condition to build and no page limit per run.
Confirm or dismiss the uncertain marks, then look at the fixture schedule result.
Export to Excel or the estimating sheet with your item codes, ready for the electrical estimating program you price in.
Keep OST for linear and area takeoff if you still need it.

Pricing the counts by hand for now? The electrical estimate template and the electrical estimate calculator take quantities straight from the export.

Before you switch

List which OST conditions you use for electrical: counts, linears, or both, and whether your low voltage scope runs through the same conditions.
Check that your electrical sheets come as vector PDFs. OST also opens DWG and other formats¹ that AmpCount doesn't.
Check your OST maintenance or subscription renewal date before deciding.
Run one bid through AmpCount and compare totals against your OST takeoff.

Choose On-Screen Takeoff if

You estimate trades that need area, linear and volume takeoff, or you depend on Quick Bid.
Your team already has OST conditions and templates set up for your work.

Choose AmpCount if

Your OST time on electrical bids goes mostly into count conditions and Auto Count runs.
You want counts on every sheet at once with a fixture schedule check.
You want a published monthly price and to work in the browser.

Get started, $149/mo

Cancel anytime. Full refund within 14 days if it doesn't fit your plans.

Questions

How is AmpCount different from OST's Auto Count?

OST's Auto Count finds instances of an object you select, on up to 20 pages at a time⁴. AmpCount reads the legend and counts every symbol type across the whole set at once, then checks fixture counts against the schedule.

How much does On-Screen Takeoff cost?

ConstructConnect doesn't publish an OST price; it says pricing varies by licensing option¹. Its browser product, ConstructConnect Takeoff, lists Starter at $1,200 a year for one seat and Professional at $2,450 per seat a year, on annual contracts, as of November 3, 2026³. The FAQ on the same page quotes Professional at $2,200 for the first seat and $1,700 for each additional seat³. ConstructConnect's other Windows takeoff program, PlanSwift, does publish its seat prices⁶.

Does AmpCount do linear takeoff?

No. OST measures lengths and areas¹; AmpCount counts devices and fixtures. Conduit and wire runs stay in OST or another measuring tool, and sizing the raceway itself is a job for a conduit fill calculator.

Can I try AmpCount on my own plans?

Yes. Subscribe for $149 a month and run your next bid through it alongside your OST takeoff. If it doesn't fit your plans within 14 days, we refund you in full.

What happens with sheets that aren't electrical?

AmpCount classifies every sheet. Legends and schedules are read, plan sheets are counted, and scanned sheets are flagged instead of guessed.

Can several estimators work on the same bid?

Yes. Everyone on the team sees the same bids, counts and review list. The plan includes up to 3 people.

Other comparisons

Guides and calculators

Sources

On-Screen Takeoff is a trademark of ConstructConnect. AmpCount is not affiliated with ConstructConnect. If something here is out of date, email support@ampcount.com and we'll fix it.