Material Takeoffs

Why This Matters on the Exam

Material takeoffs are your bread and butter on the Planning and Estimating section—22% of the C-36 test. Here's the deal: the exam wants to know if you can walk into a set of plans and systematically count everything you need to build a plumbing system. A contractor who can't do an accurate takeoff will overbid, underbid, or forget critical stuff. All of that gets you a failing grade.

What You Must Know

A material takeoff is simple: look at the plans, list every pipe, fitting, fixture, valve, and accessory the job needs. You've got to organize materials by type and size, count fittings at every turn and connection, add waste factor, and avoid the classic stuff that gets contractors caught.

I've seen guys take shortcuts here and it costs them every time. You're not guessing—you're counting from a set of plans, and the exam expects precision.