Forma Takeoff Costs $1,290/Year: 2026 Pricing Review

Autodesk Forma Takeoff costs about $1,290 per user per year in 2026, or roughly $108 per user per month if you pay monthly. Autodesk lists the price on its own site; deals of five or more seats and multi-year terms commonly come in 10–15% lower.

Forma Takeoff is the new name for Autodesk Takeoff, the quantity takeoff module in Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). The functionality is substantially the same, and most buyers still search for it under the old name. Autodesk also runs a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Below: how the license and subscription work, what that $1,290 buys you, what costs extra, which contractors it fits, and when an alternative is the better spend.

Forma Takeoff pricing at a glance

What Is Autodesk Takeoff?

Autodesk Takeoff is a cloud-based quantification tool built within Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC). It allows estimators to perform 2D takeoffs from sheet drawings and generate automated quantities directly from 3D BIM models — both within a single platform.

As of early 2026, Autodesk has rebranded the product as Forma Takeoff. According to Autodesk's product page, no migration is required and existing users retain full access to their projects and data. The underlying capabilities remain the same.

The product sits alongside other ACC preconstruction tools including BuildingConnected (bid management), ProEst (estimating), and TradeTapp (subcontractor qualification). You can buy Takeoff as a standalone product or bundle it with these additional tools at a negotiated price.

Features Breakdown

2D Takeoff

Autodesk Takeoff's 2D takeoff allows estimators to perform point-and-click measurements on uploaded sheet drawings. The interface supports area, linear, count, and volume measurements. Estimators can create takeoff packages by trade, assign colors to measurement types for visual clarity, and share a real-time view of takeoff progress with other team members.

The platform uses Autodesk's cloud document management infrastructure, meaning sheet uploads, version control, and sharing are all handled natively. You're not exporting PDFs to a separate tool — the drawings live in the same ecosystem as the rest of your project data.

Since 2025, estimators can apply a unit cost directly to takeoff outputs to generate rough budget estimates. This is a useful addition for early-stage feasibility work, though it doesn't replace a full estimating workflow.

3D Model-Based Takeoff

The 3D capability is Autodesk Takeoff's most differentiated feature compared to alternatives like STACK or PlanSwift. Estimators can import Revit (.RVT) or IFC models and generate automated quantity exports directly from the BIM data.

This eliminates manual counting of model elements. Instead of having an estimator click on every door in a floor plan to count them, the system extracts that data directly from the model — along with dimensions, specifications, and any other parameters embedded in the BIM file.

For firms whose design partners deliver Revit models, this is a real productivity gain. For firms operating primarily from 2D PDFs, this feature is largely irrelevant.

Cloud Collaboration

Being cloud-native means multiple estimators can work in the same takeoff simultaneously without version conflicts. Project managers can track takeoff progress in real time. Changes propagate instantly across all users — no emailing updated files back and forth.

This is table stakes for modern software, but it's genuinely well-executed in Autodesk Takeoff. The collaboration layer is mature because it's built on the same infrastructure powering other ACC products that have been in market longer.

Integrations

Autodesk Takeoff integrates natively with other ACC modules: Docs for document management, Build for project management, and BIM Collaborate Pro for model coordination. For estimators working in a firm that has standardized on the Autodesk stack, this integration is seamless.

For exporting data to external estimating tools, the primary path is Excel export. There is no native connection to QuickBooks, Sage, or non-Autodesk estimating software. If your workflow requires pushing takeoff quantities into a standalone cost database or ERP system, you'll be doing that manually.

Autodesk Takeoff Pricing in 2026

Autodesk Takeoff is priced at $1,290 per user per year when billed annually, or approximately $108 per user per month on a monthly subscription, according to Construction Coverage's 2026 takeoff software analysis. That's mid-range for per-seat takeoff tools: below STACK's paid plans (about $3,588–$4,188 a year) and Togal (about $3,588), above Bluebeam Revu.

It's also available as part of the Forma for Preconstruction bundle, which adds Forma Estimate, BuildingConnected Pro, BidBoard Pro, ProEst, and TradeTapp alongside Forma Takeoff. That bundle is custom-priced — contact Autodesk directly for a quote.

For reference, here is how Autodesk Takeoff's standalone pricing compares to the alternatives in this review:

Autodesk spend also climbs as you add products. Vendr's Autodesk pricing data shows the AEC Collection (a separate design-software bundle) at $3,795 per seat annually, and a median buyer paying $32,661 a year across Autodesk products. For small GCs comparing per-user costs, the full-suite direction that Autodesk pushes toward can feel like a significant leap.

Forma Takeoff License, Subscription, and Free Trial

How the Autodesk Takeoff license works

Forma Takeoff is sold as a per-user subscription, not a perpetual license. On Autodesk's Forma Takeoff pricing page there are two ways to buy: per-user pricing you can purchase online, and an unlimited-users option (no caps on projects or seats) that goes through Autodesk sales. A per-user subscription includes centralized document management (Forma Data Management, formerly Autodesk Docs), so you don't need a separate ACC purchase to start measuring.

Each seat is assigned to a specific person by your Autodesk account administrator. That matters for estimating teams that staff up for bid season: under a per-seat model, a temporary estimator needs a seat for as long as they work in the tool. Ask your rep whether seats can be reassigned mid-term and how true-ups are billed before you size the order.

Annual vs. monthly subscription

The pricing page lets you toggle between annual and monthly billing. Third-party trackers put annual billing at about $1,290 per user per year and monthly at about $108 per user per month, which works out to roughly $1,296 a year if you keep a seat all year. Monthly makes sense for a short bid push or a pilot; annual is cheaper for anyone using it year-round. Autodesk also lists a 30-day money-back guarantee on online purchases. For a three-person team on annual billing, Takeoff alone runs about $3,750 a year before any other ACC modules.

The Forma for Preconstruction bundle is sold "at one price" and adds Forma Estimate, BuildingConnected Pro, BidBoard Pro, ProEst, and TradeTapp on top of Takeoff and Data Management. Autodesk doesn't publish that price, so it's a sales conversation.

Is there an Autodesk Forma Takeoff free trial?

Yes. Autodesk's Takeoff trial page offers a 30-day free trial with no limits on projects or file storage and no credit card required. You can also be enrolled in a 30-day trial when an administrator invites you to a project, according to Autodesk's trial help article; in that case you trial inside the existing project rather than getting your own hub. Trial terms vary by region, so check the page you sign up from.

To get real value out of 30 days, run one live bid through it: a PDF-only set and, if you get them, a Revit model. That shows you whether the 3D capability you're paying for applies to your work.

Costs to ask about in a quote

The per-user price is only part of year-one cost. Before you sign, get these in writing:

• Pricing the takeoff. Takeoff stops at quantities. ProEst or Forma Estimate is a separate line, and that's where your priced estimate comes from.
• Other ACC modules. Build, BIM Collaborate Pro, and BuildingConnected Pro are separately priced. Ask which ones your workflow actually needs.
• Training and onboarding. Ask whether onboarding is included or delivered by a reseller at extra cost, and how many hours you get.
• Integrations. If your project management runs on Procore or another non-Autodesk system, ask what the connection costs to set up and maintain.
• Discounts and term. Five or more seats and multi-year terms commonly come in 10–15% under list; ask for both prices.
• Leaving. Ask how you export takeoff data and drawings if you cancel. Once your estimating history lives in ACC, moving it is real work.

Who Autodesk Takeoff Is Built For

Autodesk Takeoff fits a specific buyer profile:

Large GCs and ENR 400 firms that have already standardized on the Autodesk Construction Cloud. If your teams are using ACC Build for project management and BIM Collaborate Pro for model coordination, Takeoff lives naturally in that stack.

BIM-heavy workflows where design partners deliver Revit or IFC models. The 3D quantity extraction from BIM models is a genuine differentiator — few tools in this price range offer 3D model takeoff at all.

Multi-project enterprises where cloud collaboration and centralized document management across a large estimating team creates real value.

Firms already deep in Autodesk training and support contracts where adding another ACC product has near-zero additional learning curve.

If your GC operation doesn't fit this profile — if you're working primarily from PDFs, running a lean estimating team, and aren't invested in the broader ACC stack — the Autodesk Takeoff value proposition weakens considerably.

Honest Pros

2D and 3D in one platform. Most takeoff tools handle 2D well but require a separate BIM workflow. Autodesk Takeoff genuinely integrates both. For firms with 3D model access, this reduces tool count.

Cloud collaboration is mature. The multi-user collaboration layer is well-built and reliable. Multiple estimators working concurrently on a large takeoff is a common use case, and it works smoothly.

Document management is built in. Sheet uploads, versioning, and access control are handled natively through ACC Docs. This reduces administrative overhead for large drawing sets.

Revision management. Updated sheet sets are managed through the document control system, making it straightforward to track which version of a sheet each takeoff measurement corresponds to.

Brand trust and enterprise-grade support contracts. For large firms where software procurement runs through IT and procurement committees, Autodesk's enterprise contracts and support structure simplify purchasing and compliance.

Honest Cons

Learning curve is steep. Autodesk Takeoff is not intuitive for users who haven't been inside the ACC environment before. The interface complexity reflects the breadth of the ecosystem — useful once you're in, but the onboarding investment is real.

Here's the typical failure pattern, as an illustrative example: a GC buys seats for the 3D features, then finds that half its architects never send Revit files. The estimators fall back to 2D takeoff on PDFs, which Forma Takeoff handles fine but no better than tools costing far less, and the team ends up paying $1,290 a seat for capability it uses on a fraction of its bids.

Cost-prohibitive for smaller firms. At $1,290/year per user, the price is workable for a team that gets full value from the 3D BIM features. For a two-person estimating team doing primarily 2D takeoff, the cost-benefit math is harder to justify compared to PlanSwift or a simpler cloud tool.

Overkill if you're not in the Autodesk ecosystem. The integration benefits disappear if you're not using other ACC modules. Standalone, Autodesk Takeoff is a capable but expensive 2D takeoff tool with 3D capability you may not use.

Limited cost database. Autodesk Takeoff generates quantities. It does not generate fully costed estimates natively. You'll need ProEst or Forma Estimate (quoted separately) or Excel to go from quantities to a priced estimate. Competitors like STACK integrate takeoff and estimating in one product.

Subscription creep. Autodesk's product architecture encourages adding more modules over time. The full workflow most GCs need — takeoff, estimating, bid management, and project management — spans multiple Autodesk products, and those subscriptions add up quickly.

Autodesk Takeoff vs. Alternatives

Sources: Construction Coverage takeoff guide, Autodesk Takeoff pricing page, STACK pricing

When Autodesk Takeoff Makes Sense vs. When to Look Elsewhere

Autodesk Takeoff makes sense when:

• You're already using Autodesk Construction Cloud for project management or BIM coordination
• Your estimating team regularly receives Revit models from design partners
• You're a large GC or ENR firm with enterprise procurement processes that favor established vendors
• Multi-user collaboration on large drawing sets is a daily workflow requirement

Consider alternatives when:

• Your annual revenue is under $50M and you're primarily doing 2D takeoff from PDFs
• Your workflow doesn't include BIM model deliverables
• You need integrated takeoff and costing without additional product add-ons
• Subcontractor bid collection and management is a pain point — Autodesk Takeoff doesn't natively solve this

For GCs in that second category — under $50M, primarily 2D, focused on bid coverage and competitive pricing — tools built specifically for that profile will deliver better ROI. Struvia was built for that segment. It reads a PDF plan set, does the takeoff, prices it from your own price book and past jobs, and hands the estimate back in your Excel template; then it sends bid packages to subs and levels what comes back. It's billed per plan set instead of per seat: real plan sets have cost $30–$85 to measure and price, about $45 for a typical one, and new accounts start with 600 free credits. Upload a plan set free and compare the takeoff against what you'd get from Forma.

For a broader look at how the estimating software landscape is shaking out, see our guide to best construction estimating software in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Autodesk Takeoff used for?

Autodesk Takeoff (now Forma Takeoff) is used by construction estimators to perform 2D and 3D quantity takeoffs from construction drawings and BIM models. It's part of the Autodesk Construction Cloud platform and is designed to integrate with other ACC tools like Docs, Build, and BIM Collaborate Pro. It is fully cloud-based; there is no desktop-only version.

How much is Forma Takeoff (Autodesk Takeoff) in 2026?

About $1,290 per user per year on an annual subscription, or about $108 per user per month billed monthly, according to third-party trackers. The Forma for Preconstruction bundle is custom-quoted, and pricing is negotiable on multi-seat or multi-year contracts.

Is Forma Takeoff the same as Autodesk Takeoff?

Yes. Autodesk renamed Autodesk Takeoff to Forma Takeoff in 2026 as part of folding Autodesk Construction Cloud under the Forma brand. Existing projects and data carried over without a migration, the features are the same, and third-party trackers still put the price at about $1,290 per user per year.

Does Forma Takeoff produce a priced estimate?

No. Forma Takeoff produces quantities. A unit-cost field lets you multiply quantities by a rate for a rough budget, but a full priced estimate needs ProEst or Forma Estimate (separately quoted Autodesk products) or a spreadsheet. Budget for that second tool when you compare Forma Takeoff's cost against tools that take you from plans to a price.

What kind of license does Autodesk Takeoff use?

Forma Takeoff (formerly Autodesk Takeoff) is a per-user subscription, with each seat assigned to a person by your Autodesk account administrator. There is no perpetual license. Autodesk also sells an unlimited-users option with no caps on projects or seats, priced through its sales team.

Is there an Autodesk Forma Takeoff free trial in 2026?

Yes. Autodesk offers a 30-day free trial of Forma Takeoff with no limits on projects or file storage and no credit card required. You can start it from Autodesk's Takeoff trial page or be enrolled through a project invitation from an administrator. Trial terms can vary by region, so confirm on the page you sign up from.

Should I pay for an Autodesk Takeoff subscription monthly or annually?

Annual billing runs about $1,290 per user per year; monthly runs about $108 per user per month, or roughly $1,296 a year if you keep the seat all year. Monthly fits a short bid push or a pilot after the free trial. Annual is cheaper for anyone using the tool year-round, and multi-seat or multi-year deals often come in 10–15% lower.

What are the best Autodesk Takeoff alternatives for small GCs?

For GCs primarily doing 2D takeoff who aren't invested in the Autodesk ecosystem, STACK, PlanSwift, and Togal.AI are the most commonly compared alternatives; see our reviews of STACK construction software, Togal.AI in 2026, and PlanSwift alternatives. For GCs who want AI takeoff, a priced estimate from their own price book, and subcontractor bid collection in one place, Struvia is built for that workflow and bills per plan set (about $45 for a typical set) rather than per seat. See our guide on how to read construction plans for context on what any takeoff tool is helping you automate.

Related Resources

• 5 Autodesk Takeoff Alternatives Worth Switching To in 2026
• Best Construction Estimating Software 2026: Ranked by Real GCs
• 7 Best Construction Takeoff Software Tools in 2026
• Bluebeam Alternatives for Estimating: 5 Tools Compared
• Best PDF Takeoff Software for Construction in 2026

*Reviewed by Weston Burnett, Co-Founder and CTO of Struvia.*