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CONTRABIM/ Technology/ The BRIDGE
MODEL-BASED QUANTITY TAKEOFF

THE BRIDGE

Archicad → Excel, organized by trade.

Stop re-counting the model by hand. The BRIDGE pipes trade-organized quantities straight from your Archicad model into cost-analysis workbooks — so the takeoff updates when the design does.

Get The BRIDGE See how it works Read the QTO guide →
Source
Archicad model
Output
Excel · CSV
Organized by
Trade / Work-class
Updates
Re-export on change
WHY IT EXISTS

Manual takeoff is where good models go to die

You build a coordinated model, then someone re-counts it by hand in a spreadsheet that's stale the moment the design moves. The BRIDGE closes that gap.

THE OLD WAY01

Counted twice, trusted once

Quantities live in the model and again in a spreadsheet. Two sources of truth means neither is.

THE OLD WAY02

Stale on arrival

A design change ripples through drawings but not the takeoff. Estimates drift from the model silently.

THE OLD WAY03

Organized for the tool, not the trade

Native schedules group by element, not by how a GC actually buys and bids the work.

HOW IT WORKS

Three steps from model to cost workbook

No new modeling discipline to learn. The BRIDGE reads the structure CB2.0 already gives your model.

Model with CB2.0

Build as you normally do. CB2.0's classification and layer structure tags elements with the trade and work-class data The BRIDGE needs.

→ no extra steps

Map & export

The BRIDGE reads quantities, groups them by trade and work-class, and writes a structured workbook — not a flat element dump.

→ Excel · CSV

Estimate & re-sync

Drop in unit costs in your own workbook. When the design changes, re-export — the quantities update against your cost logic.

→ stays in sync
TRADE-ORGANIZED

Quantities the way the field buys them

The BRIDGE structures output around CSI-style divisions and work-classes — concrete by placement, masonry by wall type, framing by member. The numbers land in categories an estimator can price without re-sorting.

  • Division & work-class groupingConcrete, masonry, thermal, finishes — organized for the bid.
  • Unit-awareSF, CY, LF, EA carried through correctly per item.
photo · estimating desk
LIVE TO THE MODEL

Re-export, don't re-count

Because the takeoff is generated from the model, a design change doesn't orphan your numbers. Re-run The BRIDGE and the workbook reflects the current geometry — your cost formulas stay intact.

  • Single source of truthThe model is the count. The workbook is the price.
  • Change-readyCompare exports across design phases to see scope drift.
photo · model review
BUILT FROM THE FIELD

Designed by someone who has had to defend a number.

The BRIDGE comes out of twenty years of GC-side coordination — where a takeoff isn't an academic exercise, it's a bid you have to stand behind.

142
Line items mapped on a typical mid-size CD set
20yrs
GC BIM coordination behind the workflow
1
Source of truth — the model
COMMON QUESTIONS

About The BRIDGE

Do I need CB2.0 to use The BRIDGE?
The BRIDGE reads the classification and layer structure CB2.0 establishes, so they're built to work together. It's included in CONTRABIM membership alongside the template. See what's included →
Is it a plugin or a separate app?
The BRIDGE is a workflow — a set of schedules, mappings, and a structured Excel workbook — not a black-box plugin. You keep full control of your own cost logic.
Will it overwrite my unit costs when I re-export?
No. Quantities and your pricing live in separate sheets. Re-exporting refreshes the quantities; your cost formulas reference them and stay intact.
Which trades are covered?
Core structural and envelope trades ship first — concrete, masonry, wood/framing, thermal, finishes — with trade-specific BIM Packages extending coverage. Read the trade guides →
GET THE BRIDGE

Make the model do the counting

The BRIDGE is included with every CONTRABIM membership.

MEMBERSHIP

Join CONTRABIM

Get The BRIDGE, CB2.0, BIM Packages, and training in one membership.

  • The BRIDGE · QTO workflow
  • CB2.0 template framework
  • Trade-specific BIM Packages
See membership
NEW TO ARCHICAD

Start a free trial

Learn the modeling workflow The BRIDGE reads from before you commit.

  • 30-day Archicad trial
  • Getting-started guide
  • Live community sessions
Start free trial
LEARN FIRST

Read the QTO guides

See exactly how model-based takeoff compares to manual counting.

  • Archicad → Excel walkthrough
  • Trade-organized takeoff
  • Field-tested methods
Explore Learn
GRAPHISOFT · FIRST DIGITAL ASSOCIATE PARTNER · NORTH AMERICA ● 3DCONSTRUCTOR, LLC · contrabim.com