Definition
In construction and real estate, the detailed process of measuring and quantifying all materials needed for a project from blueprints, basically turning drawings into shopping lists. Also known as "quantity takeoff," it's the unglamorous math that prevents contractors from discovering mid-project that they're three truckloads of concrete short. Get it wrong, and someone's explaining cost overruns to very angry people.
Example Usage
The estimator spent three days doing the takeoff for the office building, only to discover the architect had changed the specs the night before.
Source: Construction industry terminology
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See “takeoff” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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