Facade jobs priced
from the pavement
Photograph the building, set the scale on a door, and the module returns the net area, the opening schedule, the reveal returns, the insulation and the scaffolding materials.
The survey happens on the image, not with a laser at the top of a ladder.
The most frequently forgotten line item is computed opening by opening, in linear metres.
The bill of materials and the erection schedule come out of the same area drawn on the elevation.
A facade gets priced three times before it is sold
First visit for the ballpark, second pass for the openings, third for scaffolding and access. Between each step an in-house spreadsheet recomputes the same areas, and the building manager is still waiting for the quote. On a four-storey block the cycle takes two weeks.
The facade module folds those three passes into one file: the detected openings feed the takeoff, the insulation returns and the scaffolding layout. A single photo feeds the quote, the report and the material order.
What one photo gives you
Net facade area
The wall minus windows, doors, balconies and shutter boxes, in real square metres.
Opening detail
Width, height and type for every opening, useful for pricing as much as for masking.
Reveals and insulation
Jambs, lintels, sills in linear metres, then as surfaces for the thickness installed.
Scaffolding bill of materials
Bays, lifts, decks, guardrails and hatches, with what is missing from the yard.
Quote and report
A PDF for the client, a Word or Excel report for the building manager's technical file.
Several elevations
North, south, east, west: each face is analyzed and added into the same estimate.
Facade contractors' questions
Is a phone photo really enough?
For an estimate, yes, provided you shoot as square-on as possible and have one known dimension in frame. For construction documents an elevation drawing is still preferable: the perspective is already corrected, so the dimensions are firmer.
What about mouldings, cornices, projecting sills?
They are not deducted automatically: you add them by hand on the survey, like any special element. Detection covers the usual openings, the rest depends on your reading of the building.
Can I follow the job afterwards?
Yes, site tracking picks up the same file: progress per elevation or per unit, visit notices, photo snags and scheduling. The accepted quote becomes the tool that runs the job.
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Price the next building before you visit
Take a facade photo as you pass and get the net area before you reach the office.