Sheet metal estimating software that prices duct by the pound
Sheet metal estimating software takes off ductwork from the mechanical drawings and converts it into pounds of metal by gauge, square feet of liner, fittings, hangers and reinforcement, then splits labor into shop fabrication and field installation. The established programs, QuoteSoft Duct, FastDUCT and Trimble AutoBid SheetMetal, apply duct construction specs automatically124, and FastDUCT and AutoBid SheetMetal can price a round duct alternate without a second takeoff24. Plain PDF takeoff tools can measure the runs, but the weight, seams and joints are up to you.
What a sheet metal takeoff measures
| Item | Unit | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular duct by size | LF, converted to LB | Weight comes from the perimeter of the duct and the gauge. Size, pressure class and the spec decide the gauge, so the takeoff must keep sizes, not just lengths. |
| Round and spiral duct | LF by diameter | Note whether it is shop-made or purchased spiral; purchased duct is priced as material per foot with field labor only. |
| Fittings | EA by type and size | Elbows, tees, transitions, offsets and taps. In a fabricating shop, fittings are where shop labor goes. |
| Joints, seams and reinforcement | Per spec, by size | Generated from the construction standard and pressure class. These are easy to forget when duct is measured by hand. |
| Liner and sealant | SF | Lined sections follow the spec, often only near units for sound. Sealing requirements change field labor. |
| Hangers and supports | EA or per LF | Spacing and type depend on duct size and structure. Concrete deck and steel joists hang differently. |
| Accessories | EA | Volume dampers, fire dampers, access doors, flex connections, turning vanes and flex duct to diffusers. |
How a sheet metal estimate is built
- Confirm the construction standard and pressure classes in the specs, plus material types (galvanized, aluminum, stainless) by system.
- Set up a spec in the software for each system so gauge, seams, joints, reinforcement, liner and hangers are generated from size and pressure class.
- Trace each system from the unit outward, keeping supply, return, exhaust and outside air separate by unit or zone so addenda are easy to swap.
- Count fittings and accessories as you go, or let the software generate fittings at changes in size and direction.
- Review the totals: pounds by gauge, square feet of liner, fitting counts, and shop vs field hours.
- Decide what is fabricated and what is bought (spiral, fittings, flex), and price metal per pound from current mill or supplier pricing.
- Price alternates if they help you win: a round duct alternate or a purchased-duct option, then build the bid summary.
What to look for in sheet metal software
Spec-driven construction
Gauge, seams, joints, reinforcement, liner and hangers generated from duct size and pressure class, with your company standards loaded once.
Weight and shop vs field labor
Pounds by gauge and separate shop and field hours on every report, so fabrication and installation can be priced and scheduled apart.
Rectangular to round conversion
A one-step alternate that converts selected rectangular runs to equivalent round sizes and reprices them, without redlining the drawings.
Fabrication and CAD links
If you run a plasma table or detail in 3D, look for export to your shop software and import from AutoCAD or Revit so the estimate and the shop use the same data.
Software sheet metal estimators use
| Tool | What it does for sheet metal | Price |
|---|---|---|
| QuoteSoft Duct QuoteSoft (ConstructConnect) | Calculates metal pounds, square feet, liner, shop and field labor in one step during takeoff; lets you change gauge, joint, seam and hanger while taking off; imports from and exports to AutoCAD and Revit MEP.1 | Quote only |
| FastDUCT FastEST | Duct takeoff with specs that generate raw sheet metal, liner, joints, stiffeners, tie rods, accessories and hangers; reports pounds, square feet and shop and field hours; rectangular to round conversion with validation.23 | $4,995 one time (first application) or $250/mo lease; maintenance $1,250/yr after year one |
| Trimble AutoBid SheetMetal Trimble | Specification-driven duct takeoff with a pre-built database of rectangular, round and oval duct, air devices and equipment, SMACNA labor units, a shape conversion tool for round alternates, and links to Trimble FabShop.4 | Quote only |
| Bluebeam Revu Bluebeam | PDF markup and measurement. Core and above measure lengths, perimeters and counts and overlay drawing revisions, which some estimators use for duct runs before pricing in a spreadsheet.5 | Basics $260, Core $330, Complete $440, Max $590 per user/yr |
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.
Ductwork takeoff software: fabricated vs purchased duct
The same drawing prices very differently depending on how the duct reaches the job. In a shop that fabricates, rectangular duct and fittings carry metal by the pound plus shop hours, and the field crew only hangs and connects. When spiral pipe and fittings are bought, they are priced as material per piece or per foot, and only field labor applies. Good ductwork takeoff software lets you flag this per system rather than per job. FastDUCT, for example, ships with templates for either shop-fab or purchased ductwork2, and QuoteSoft can be set up with allowances for purchased ductwork, spiral pipe and fittings1.
Round alternates are the other place software pays for itself. Converting a rectangular system to equivalent round sizes by hand means re-measuring the drawings. FastDUCT and Trimble AutoBid SheetMetal both describe a conversion that reprices selected rectangular runs as round in a few clicks24, which makes it practical to offer the alternate on bid day instead of skipping it.
Duct detectors, fire/smoke dampers and plenum wiring
A duct shop installs several things that another contractor has to wire, so the sheet metal drawings carry electrical scope even where no wire is drawn. Duct smoke detectors are the common case. NEC 300.22(B) only allows wiring inside a duct fabricated for environmental air when it is needed for direct action upon, or sensing of, the air in the duct, and it names metallic methods such as MC cable without a nonmetallic covering, EMT and IMC6. Count the detectors on the mechanical plans and settle who furnishes, mounts and wires each one; the wiring usually lands in the fire alarm and low voltage estimate.
Combination fire/smoke dampers are the second hand-off. The damper is in your bid, but its actuator needs power and a control signal, and the access door has to sit where someone can reach the actuator. When the ceiling is a return air plenum, 300.22(C)(1) limits the electrical contractor to methods like EMT, rigid or intermediate metal conduit, MC cable without a nonmetallic cover and flexible metal conduit7. A value engineering swap from ducted return to plenum return can therefore move cost into the electrical estimate without either bid mentioning it.
Roof penetrations close the loop: duct up to the curb is yours, the curb flashing belongs to the roofing bid, and the unit disconnect and circuit belong to the electrical contractor. Name all three in your exclusions. For the electrical estimator, AmpCount counts duct detectors, damper connections and disconnects drawn as legend symbols, which gives a list to check against your damper schedule.
Where sheet metal takeoffs go wrong
- Measuring duct by length only and pricing per foot, which hides the jump in weight when sizes and gauges change.
- Using one pressure class for the whole job and under-gauging the high-pressure mains.
- Forgetting that liner, reinforcement and sealing requirements change labor even when the metal weight is the same.
- Carrying shop labor on purchased spiral and fittings, or the other way round, leaving fabrication out of shop-made duct.
- Missing short connections at equipment: plenums, transitions at units, flex to diffusers and duct at roof penetrations.
- Re-tracing the whole job for an addendum instead of overlaying the revised sheet and changing only the affected runs.
Trades that bid the same job
A sheet metal 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: HVAC estimating software, insulation estimating software and plumbing estimating software.
Where AmpCount fits
AmpCount only counts electrical devices and fixtures, so it does not do ductwork takeoff, weights or fabrication data. It is useful only when the same company or a partner also bids the electrical scope of the job: AmpCount counts the devices on the electrical sheets, including connections to fans and units when they are drawn as legend symbols, while the duct stays in your sheet metal program.
Questions
How is ductwork estimated?
Duct is taken off by size and length, converted into pounds of sheet metal by gauge, then fittings, liner, hangers, reinforcement and accessories are added. Labor is split into shop fabrication and field installation, both driven by weight, size and fitting counts rather than length alone.
What does sheet metal estimating software cost?
FastEST lists FastDUCT at $4,995 one time for the first application or $250 a month on a lease that owns the license after 36 payments3. QuoteSoft and Trimble AutoBid SheetMetal quote on request14. A general PDF tool like Bluebeam Core is $330 per user per year but has no duct database5.
Guides and tools for any trade
Sources
- QuoteSoft Duct, ductwork and HVAC estimating software
- FastEST, FastDUCT HVAC estimating software
- FastEST pricing (FastPIPE, FastDUCT, FastWRAP)
- Trimble AutoBid SheetMetal product page
- Bluebeam pricing
- ElectricalLicenseRenewal.com, NEC 300.22(B) Ducts Specifically Fabricated for Environmental Air
- EC&M, Code Q&A: Approved Wiring Methods in Environmental Air Spaces (NEC 300.22(C))
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