USER GUIDE

PlanMetric — Getting Started

Professional PDF measurement tool. Measure quantities directly from any construction drawing in minutes. Free to use.

Open PlanMetric →

Quick Start — 4 Steps

1

Open a PDF drawing

Click Open PDF and select any drawing. PlanMetric works with any A1, A3 or A4 PDF — architectural drawings, structural drawings, site plans.

2

Calibrate the scale

Before measuring, set the scale. Click Set Scale, draw a line over a known dimension on the drawing (e.g. a 5m grid line or a labelled wall), enter the real-world distance. PlanMetric auto-calculates the scale ratio. All measurements are then accurate to that scale.

3

Measure

Select a tool and start measuring. Each measurement is labelled, categorised and added to the measurements panel on the right. Edit labels and add rates to get cost estimates.

4

Export

Click the export button to download your quantities in Excel, PDF or CSV. Send to your estimator, QS, or use our professional take-off service for a fully measured and priced schedule.

💡 Calibration is critical. A PDF printed at the wrong size (e.g. A1 drawing printed on A3) will have the wrong scale — your measurements will be out by 50–70%. Always calibrate against a known dimension shown on the drawing itself.

Tools

LLine
Measure a straight length between two points
PPolyline
Multi-segment length (follow walls, kerbs, etc.)
AArea
Polygon area — click vertices, double-click to close
RRectangle
Quick rectangular area — two corner clicks
CCount
Count items (fixings, columns, trees, etc.)
DDim Chain
Dimension chain — each segment labelled separately
NNote
Add a text annotation on the drawing
Deduction
Subtract openings from areas (windows, doors)

Keyboard shortcuts: Press the letter shown to activate the tool. Only active when not typing in a text field.

Tips for Accurate Measurements

Zoom in before measuring

Use the scroll wheel to zoom in on the area you're measuring. Fine lines and corners are easier to click precisely when zoomed in. Use middle-click-drag or Ctrl+drag to pan.

Hold Shift to snap angles

When drawing lines or polylines, holding Shift locks the angle to 45° increments. Useful for perfectly horizontal or vertical measurements.

Categories keep you organised

Assign each measurement a category (e.g. "Ground Floor Walls", "External Works", "Roof"). The export will group measurements by category with subtotals — ideal for handing to an estimator.

Add rates for cost estimates

Click the £ rate field on any measurement to add a unit rate. PlanMetric calculates total cost per item and grand total. Use benchmark rates from BCIS or your own experience.

Save to cloud and share

Click ☁️ Save to save your project to the cloud. You'll get a 6-character project code. Share it with colleagues or a DCS surveyor — they load the same project instantly. Load any previous project with 📂 Load.

Exports Available

Excel (Quantities)All measurements, categories, rates, totals
BoQ ExcelBill of Quantities format, NRM2-ready
BoQ PDFPrintable Bill of Quantities
NRM2 ExcelStructured to RICS NRM2 work sections
SMM7 ExcelLegacy SMM7 format for older contracts
GIA/NIA ExcelGross/Net Internal Area summary
Annotated PDFDrawing with measurements overlaid
QS Schedule PDFClean A4 quantity schedule for issue
NRM1 Cost PlanElemental cost plan format
CSVRaw data for any spreadsheet
📋 Copy to ClipboardPaste directly into Excel
📄 Print ListBrowser-print A4 quantity schedule

Need a Professional Take-off?

PlanMetric is ideal for quick estimates and feasibility work. For a fully measured, NRM2-compliant take-off with annotation and QS sign-off, use our professional Estimating Take-off service. Fixed fee £250 — delivered in 2–5 working days.