Metal building estimating software for pre-engineered buildings

Metal building estimating software depends on who is estimating. Pre-engineered metal building manufacturers use design and costing systems such as MBS (Metal Building Software), which designs, details, costs and draws steel-framed buildings from input screens and can pass data to Tekla Structures¹². Dealers, builders and erectors price the building package from the manufacturer's quote and take off everything around it (foundations, insulation, doors, liner panels, erection labor) with general takeoff tools such as STACK or PlanSwift⁵⁶.

By Agustín Policano, founder of AmpCount, which makes electrical takeoff software. Facts about other products and statistics link to their source, checked November 3, 2026.

What a metal building takeoff measures

Item	Unit	What to watch
Building geometry	Width, length, eave height, roof pitch, bay spacing	The inputs a manufacturer prices from. Clear span versus multi-span frames changes the steel weight a lot.
Design loads	Wind, snow, seismic, collateral	Set by the building code and location, and by what hangs from the frames. Missing collateral load for sprinklers or HVAC is a common change order.
Roof and wall panels	SF by panel type	Roof area follows pitch; wall area follows eave height and gables. Liner panels and wainscot are separate items.
Openings and accessories	EA and LF	Framed openings, overhead and walk doors, windows, louvers, gutters, downspouts and trim.
Insulation	SF	Roof and wall insulation systems by type and R-value, which often drive energy code compliance.
Foundations and slab	CY and SF	Anchor bolt layout and column reactions come from the manufacturer's drawings; the slab and footings are usually the builder's scope.
Erection	Tons or SF of building, crane days	Erection crews price by weight and building size, plus crane and lift time.

How a metal building estimate is built

Confirm the building geometry, location, code and loads with the owner, including collateral loads for anything hanging from the frames.
Get the building package priced: manufacturers run it through their design and costing system; dealers request quotes from one or more manufacturers.
Take off what the package does not include: foundations and slab, site work, insulation upgrades, doors and windows, interior finishes, and MEP.
Price erection from the package weight and size, plus crane, lifts and freight.
Add permits, engineering stamps, anchor bolt setting and the general conditions, and build the proposal.
After award, use the manufacturer's anchor bolt plans and reactions to finalize foundations before ordering.

What to look for in metal building software

Design and costing in one system (manufacturers)

For manufacturers, the bottleneck is design and detailing. A system that designs, details, costs and draws from the same input avoids rework between engineering and sales.

Link to detailing

Passing the design to a 3D detailing tool like Tekla Structures keeps shop drawings consistent with the priced design.

Takeoff for the scope around the package (builders)

Builders and erectors need area, linear and count takeoff for slabs, insulation, doors and finishes. A general takeoff tool is usually the right fit.

Quote comparison

Dealers often compare several manufacturers. Line items that match across quotes make the comparison honest.

Software metal building estimators use

Tool	What it does for metal building	Price
MBS (Metal Building Software) Metal Building Software, Inc.	Design, detailing, costing and drafting of steel-framed buildings from data input screens. Used by over 300 metal building manufacturers, with modules for rigid frame and mini-storage and a link that passes MBS data to Tekla.¹²	Not published
Tekla Structures Trimble	3D structural BIM for detailing the building after design, generating fabrication drawings, BOMs and CNC data.³⁴	Not published (subscription plans; 30-day free trial)
STACK STACK Construction Technologies	General cloud takeoff for the builder's scope around the package: slabs, footings, insulation, doors and finishes, with linear, area and count tools.⁵	Free plan; Premium $299 and Pro $349 per user per month, billed annually
PlanSwift PlanSwift (ConstructConnect)	General takeoff and estimating with assemblies and custom formulas, useful for foundations and the non-package scope on metal building jobs.⁶	$2,000 (Essential) or $3,000 (Core) per seat per year

As described on each vendor's own pages, checked November 3, 2026. Prices change; check with the vendor.

For tools that cover every trade on one plan set, see the construction takeoff software and construction estimating software guides.

Manufacturer, dealer and erector: three different estimates

A metal building bid is really three estimates stacked together. The manufacturer prices the engineered steel package. The dealer or builder adds foundations, site work, upgrades and finishes around that package. The erector prices putting it up. Each has different software needs, which is why there is no single metal building estimating program that covers everyone.

Manufacturers are the narrowest market and use specialized design and costing systems such as MBS². Builders and erectors are closer to a general contractor or subcontractor and usually do well with a general takeoff tool plus the manufacturer's quote.

Wiring a pre-engineered building: frame bonding, purlins and collateral load

The electrical contractor's first coordination point on a metal building is the order itself. High bay fixtures, cable tray, unit heaters and conduit all hang from purlins and girts, and their weight belongs in the collateral load the manufacturer designs for. Send the builder rough weights for lighting and anything hung from the frame before the building is ordered, because adding load after the frames are engineered is a redesign, not a change order.

The frame also has to be bonded. EEPower's summary of 250.104(C) in the 2023 NEC says exposed structural metal interconnected to form a building frame, not intentionally grounded and likely to become energized, must be bonded to the service equipment enclosure, the grounded conductor at the service, or the disconnect of a building supplied by a feeder, with the jumper sized from Table 250.102(C)(1)⁷. On a metal building that bond is a small line, but it should be on the takeoff and connected where the drawings show it.

Liner panels decide whether wiring on the walls is concealed or surface run, and insulated wall panels turn most box locations into field cuts, so price wall devices from the panel detail rather than a generic assembly. Shops and warehouses also carry big single loads, so run a load calculation before sizing the service, and coordinate gas or electric unit heaters with the HVAC estimate. If the owner wants solar on the standing seam roof, add racking clamps, rooftop conduit and a roof penetration plan. AmpCount counts the high bays, receptacles and devices on the electrical sheets; the building package itself is priced by the manufacturer.

Where metal building takeoffs go wrong

Missing collateral loads for sprinklers, ductwork or a future crane, which forces a redesign of the frames after award.
Comparing manufacturer quotes that use different insulation, panel gauges or accessories as if they were equal.
Pricing foundations before receiving the manufacturer's reactions and anchor bolt plan.
Freight and unloading left out of the package price, especially on remote sites.
Erection priced by square foot of floor without accounting for eave height, roof pitch and access.

Trades that bid the same job

A metal building bid rarely stands alone. The trades next to it on the schedule read the same drawings and often share scope lines, so it pays to know how they take off too: steel detailing software, concrete estimating software, insulation estimating software and roofing estimating software.

Where AmpCount fits

AmpCount only counts electrical devices and fixtures, so it does not price building packages, panels or erection. On a metal building job the electrical contractor still has to count high bay fixtures, receptacles and devices from the electrical sheets, and that count is what AmpCount does.

How electrical takeoff software counts a plan set

Questions

What software do metal building manufacturers use?

Many use MBS, which says over 300 metal building manufacturers use its program to design, detail, cost and draw metal buildings¹². Others use in-house systems or other structural design tools.

How do builders estimate a pre-engineered metal building?

They get the steel package priced by one or more manufacturers, then take off and price everything else: foundations, slab, site work, insulation upgrades, doors, finishes, MEP and erection.

Can I use general takeoff software for metal buildings?

Yes, for the builder's and erector's scope. STACK and PlanSwift handle area, linear and count takeoff for slabs, insulation, panels and openings⁵⁶. The engineered frame itself is priced by the manufacturer.

Does MBS work with Tekla?

MBS lists a Tekla partnership and describes passing MBS data to Tekla²¹, so the designed building can be detailed in Tekla Structures.

Guides and tools for any trade

Sources

Product names are trademarks of their owners. AmpCount is not affiliated with any vendor on this page.