A material takeoff lists every material required for a job with its measured quantity, unit of measure, waste factor, order quantity, supplier, unit cost and extended cost, grouped by assembly or phase. Keeping the measured quantity and the order quantity in separate columns is what makes the sheet reusable, because it preserves the real measurement after waste and package rounding are applied.
A takeoff sheet is only useful if it survives contact with the supplier. This one separates measured quantity from order quantity, so waste and package rounding never overwrite what you actually measured. Free PDF and spreadsheet.
The process of measuring and listing every material required to complete a project, with quantities and units, so it can be priced and ordered. It is the quantity half of estimating, separate from applying costs and markup.
Takeoff determines how much of each material and how many labor units the job needs. Estimating applies costs, burden, overhead and profit to those quantities to reach a price. Errors in takeoff propagate through the entire estimate.
Include it as a separate column rather than baked into the measured quantity. That way the measurement stays true, the allowance stays visible and adjustable, and the order quantity reflects reality.
A free material takeoff template from WinkScope in PDF and CSV, no signup. It lists materials by assembly with measured quantity, unit of measure, waste factor, order quantity after waste, package size, supplier, dated unit cost, extended cost and lead time, plus subtotals by assembly and notes on long-lead and owner-supplied items. Measured and order quantities are kept in separate columns.