Concrete takeoff software: a 2026 buyer's guide for subs

ProEst is winding down. STACK was built for general contractors. PlanSwift hasn't shipped a meaningful update in years. Here's how a concrete sub should actually evaluate takeoff software in 2026.

For 15 years, concrete contractors picked between three names: ProEst, STACK, and PlanSwift. Today none of those is a great answer for a self-perform concrete sub.

ProEst was acquired by Autodesk and is being sunset into Autodesk Construction Cloud — pricing climbed, the standalone product stopped getting concrete-specific updates, and migrations are now a project in themselves. STACK is a strong tool, but it was designed around how a GC bids: lots of trades, light per-trade depth. PlanSwift's interface looks the same as it did in 2014, and the assemblies layer has never really worked for concrete.

If you do site concrete, structural concrete, foundations, tilt-up, or earthwork, the question is no longer "which big-name tool do I pick" — it's what does an estimating tool need to actually do for my trade.

A footing isn't a polyline. It's CY of concrete, LF of formwork, LB of rebar, and EA of dowels — all from one measurement. Generic count-and-area tools force you to take the same wall off four times. Look for measurement types named "Pier," "Wall," "Footing," and "Slab," not just "Line" and "Area."

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