MEP Takeoff: Count Fixtures, Measure Pipes and Cables

Count every fixture on the MEP plan, detect pipes and cable runs and take the quantities over as an Excel list.

David Plaseller·30 October 2026·3 min read

An MEP quantity takeoff means counting fixtures and measuring runs. MEP drawings are dense: sockets, switches, luminaires, detectors, sanitary fixtures and radiators sit close together, with pipes and cable runs in between. PlanReader counts the fixtures on the PDF plan, detects the runs and measures their lengths.

MEP Takeoff: Count Fixtures, Measure Pipes and Cables

Every fixture counted

PlanReader counts every kind of object shown on the plan and lists it as a category of its own with a piece count:

Electrical: sockets, switches and push buttons, luminaires, smoke and motion detectors, intercoms.
Plumbing: WCs, washbasins, showers, bathtubs and drains.
Heating and ventilation: radiators, manifolds and air outlets.

Every counted object is marked on the original PDF. Your team sees straight away what was counted and checks the spots where symbols sit close together.

Detecting pipes and cable runs

Besides the fixtures, PlanReader detects the runs on the plan: cables on the electrical plan, pipes on plumbing and heating plans. It measures their lengths in linear metres, separated by the run types the plan distinguishes. That gives you the run quantities without anyone measuring each run by hand.

Run lengths: what the floor plan leaves out

The floor plan shows the horizontal runs. The full length also includes the vertical ones: risers and downpipes from the riser diagram, and the drops from the cable route to switches, sockets and connections. An example: 50 sockets with a 1.20 m vertical drop each add 60 m to the length from the floor plan. You add these allowances per connection or from the diagram.

DIN 18380, DIN 18381 and DIN 18382: measuring MEP work

In Germany, building services have their own standards in VOB Part C, including DIN 18380 for heating and central hot water systems, DIN 18381 for gas, water and drainage systems inside buildings and DIN 18382 for low and medium voltage installations. Runs are usually billed by length, separated by type and nominal size or cross-section, and devices and fixtures by number. That is exactly how the Excel list is structured: pieces per fixture, linear metres per run type.

Check and take over

Whatever you see differently, you change directly on the plan and the Excel export picks it up. The list comes per plan or for all plans in a project. Checking and approval stay with your team.

Frequently asked questions

Which fixtures can PlanReader count on MEP drawings?

Every kind of object shown as a symbol on the plan: on electrical plans, for example, sockets, switches, luminaires and detectors; on plumbing and heating plans, sanitary fixtures, radiators and manifolds. You describe in your own words what should be counted.

How are cables and pipes billed under the VOB?

Usually by length, separated by type and nominal size or cross-section. Devices, valves and fixtures are billed by number. DIN 18380, DIN 18381 and DIN 18382 and your bill of quantities decide.

Are vertical runs included in the quantities?

Only what the plan shows. Risers and vertical drops to connections usually do not appear on the floor plan and are added as an allowance or from the riser diagram.