# Lowes or Home Depot takeoff or plan estimates



## sixeightten (Feb 10, 2009)

A real lumber yard is your best bet. If you are going to self build, stop into a local yard and talk to a salesman. If you are serious about building, they will sense it and provide you with a free take off. If your just tire kicking, or going to shop the price around everywhere, you may get a quote, but probably not as detailed. A good salesman is worth more than any tiny cost differences.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

This is a capitalist country, so you should seriously question any "free" takeoff. Typically the supplier includes "free" takeoff in their price, so you are going to pay more for the materials than if you did your own takeoff. As for online software to put dimensions on your plans, most plans I have seen have the dimensions on them. If they don't, how are you going to build? Surely you were not planning to scale the plans? So I don't quite follow how an on line software program is going to get dimensions onto your plans.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

A box store is the last place I would have taken them.


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## TarheelTerp (Jan 6, 2009)

La1 said:


> Went to both Lowes and Home Depot with my house blueprints...
> Trying to figure out what materials will be needed...
> Any suggestions


Go back to whoever drafted the plans.



sixeighteen said:


> A real lumber yard is your best bet.


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## Nailbags (Feb 1, 2012)

when I built my home and was doing bids and getting lumber packages done etc. this how things broke down cost wise and my over all satisfaction. in order of most costly
1 HD & Lowes tied.
2 Pro build semi local lumber yard
3 a lumber yard one county over
4. my local Lumber yard.
Now on service and meeting my needs
My Local lumber yard. hands down delivers every time.
I do business with the orange store only because some times the local lumber yard does not carry it.
numbers 1 threw 3 all charge for delivery. well number three does not deliver. so they lost the bid even though they were low ball. #4 sells J grade lumber Dough fir. So I could get the best grade of lumber and they still were cheaper then the big stores. So go to your local Lumber yard.


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