PDF Markup Tool
pdfmarkuptool.com ↗Construction takeoff on PDF drawings. Set a scale, measure lengths and areas, export to CSV. The web-native version of a workflow most AEC offices still pay five-figure per-seat licenses for.
The problem
Construction cost estimation requires measuring quantities off PDF drawings: linear feet of wall, square feet of floor, counts of doors and fixtures. The industry standard tools for this are desktop applications with per-seat license costs that small firms and independent estimators can't justify. Web-based alternatives are either weak or require uploading drawings to a server.
What we built
A web app where you load a PDF, define the drawing scale (by entering a known ratio or by calibrating against a measured element), and then measure:
- Lengths — linear elements like walls, pipes, conduit.
- Areas — polygonal regions like floor plates, concrete pours.
- Export — all measurements to CSV for use in a spreadsheet or cost database.
Built with a functional core / imperative shell architecture: pure geometry and units logic lives in src/core/, decoupled from the React and Firebase layer. Firebase provides auth, real-time database for live cursors, and Firestore for persistence — multiple users can annotate the same drawing simultaneously.
Current status
Active. Visit pdfmarkuptool.com to use it.