New in Quotr: International Measurement — Take Off in Metric or Imperial on Any Plan Set
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New in Quotr: International Measurement — Take Off in Metric or Imperial on Any Plan Set

By quotr.ai

In short: We’re introducing International Measurement in Quotr Software — you can now run AI takeoff and build estimates in metric or imperial on the same plan set. It’s a small setting with a big payoff: no more hand-converting quantities between the units your drawings use and the units your suppliers quote in.

quotr-ai-imperial-system

Why we built this

Construction runs on two measurement systems, and most projects touch both. A US contractor bids in feet and inches. The manufacturer supplying the windows quotes in millimeters. A developer’s plan set arrives in metric; the estimate has to come out in imperial. For years, bridging that gap meant one thing — converting quantities by hand, line by line — and every manual conversion is a quiet place for an error to slip into a bid.

As more design teams, owners, and manufacturers work across borders, metric and mixed-unit drawing sets keep showing up on US desks. And the way materials are actually bought has gone global too. So we asked a simple question: why should the unit system be a source of rework at all?

What we’re introducing

International Measurement makes the unit system a setting, not a chore. The same AI takeoff engine that reads your plans now works natively in metric (mm, m, m², m³) or imperial (in, ft, sq ft, cy) — so the quantities come out in the units you actually need, without a manual conversion pass.

At a glance, it means you can:

  • Take off in metric or imperial on any project — you choose the unit system, the AI reports quantities in it.
  • Work from international plan sets — the takeoff engine reads metric-scaled drawings and international sheet sizes, not just US imperial conventions.
  • Keep everything downstream in the same units — quantities carry into the estimate, the bid, and procurement without a unit mismatch. Everything you already rely on stays the same: per-item confidence scoring (Smart Matching), a full audit trail back to the sheet, 95–99% accuracy on clean vector PDFs (Quotr internal benchmarking), and a human-in-the-loop review before anything moves downstream.

Where it makes the biggest difference

The payoff compounds when your takeoff meets your purchase order. Quotr Procurement sources factory-direct from 50+ verified factories in Foshan and Guangdong, China — manufacturers who spec and quote in metric. When your takeoff is already in metric, the quantity you measured is the quantity you order, delivered door-to-door on DDP terms. No conversion between the estimate and the PO, and no unit-mismatch surprises when the container arrives.

It’s most useful if you’re:

  • a US contractor increasingly handed metric or mixed-unit drawings,
  • a developer or GC sourcing internationally who needs the estimate to match how overseas manufacturers quote, or
  • a team working across regions that would rather standardize on one platform than juggle one tool per measurement system.

Getting started

International Measurement is available in Quotr Software

Set the unit system on your project, upload your plans, and run the takeoff as usual. Prefer to hand a project off entirely? Quotr Service can run the takeoff and estimate for you in whichever unit system your project needs.

Want to see it on your own plans? Start a free Quotr.ai trial or talk to our team — bring a metric set and put it through its paces.

FAQ

Can Quotr do construction takeoff in metric? Yes. With International Measurement, Quotr Software’s AI takeoff works in metric (mm, m, m², m³) or imperial (in, ft, sq ft, cy). You set the unit system per project and the AI reports quantities in it, calibrated to the drawing’s scale.

Does Quotr read metric-scaled drawings? Quotr’s takeoff engine calibrates to metric scales and international sheet sizes, not only US imperial conventions, so international plan sets take off without manual rescaling.

Why does metric takeoff matter for procurement? Overseas manufacturers spec and quote in metric. When your takeoff is already in metric, the quantities carry straight into factory-direct sourcing — the number you measured is the number you order, with no conversion between the estimate and the purchase order.

Is measurement accuracy affected by the unit system? No. Accuracy depends on drawing quality, not units — Quotr’s AI runs at 95–99% on clean vector PDFs (Quotr internal benchmarking) with per-item confidence scores and human-in-the-loop review, in metric or imperial.

Where do I turn International Measurement on? Set the unit system at the project level, then run takeoff as usual.

Published on the Quotr.ai blog. Quotr.ai is an AI-powered construction estimation, takeoff, and procurement platform based in San Francisco.

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