by Justin Watkins 7/20/26
Overview
Handoff offers two ways to process your drawings: File Analysis and Takeoff Mode. They support different use cases — pick based on the size and complexity of your file set.
Handoff has always been able to receive files and read drawings — looking at the images, reading dimensions, and understanding callouts on the page to produce an estimate. Handoff now offers two distinct ways to do this work, and they should be viewed as two separate tasks for two different use cases:
File Analysis — the standard, fast route that produces a quick estimate.
Takeoff Mode — a deep thinking mode that scales the plans, generates takeoff drawings, and produces a higher-precision estimate.
| File Analysis | Takeoff Mode |
Speed | Under 10 minutes | 1–2 hours |
Best for | Small, simple file sets | Complex, large file sets |
Produces takeoff drawings? | No | Yes |
Estimate precision | Quick estimate | Higher precision |
File Analysis
File Analysis is Handoff's normal, faster route. It reads the plans, reads the dimensions written on the page, and reads other text callouts on the page. It combines this information produce an accurate estimate — typically in under 5-10 minutes.
What it cannot do in this 5-10 minute time window is individually produce a scaled and measured takeoff drawing. This is a faster model and the work to scale every individual plan cannot be done in this time.
File Analysis is best on non-drawing files (such as sub quotes, vendor quotes, specs).
If using this for plans, it’s best for small, simple file sets:
2–5 pages
Roughly rectangular building footprints and simple plans
Single-room remodels and single-room additions
Smaller square footage (roughly 1,000–5,000 sq ft)
Takeoff Mode
Takeoff Mode is a deep thinking mode built for heavier, more complex jobs. It takes all of your files and:
Breaks the files into sheets.
Breaks the sheets into plan regions.
Appropriately scales the plan or elevation associated with each region.
Highlights the key quantities off the page.
Produces a takeoff drawing.
Because this is a heavier process, it runs for up to 1–2 hours. In exchange, it can properly scale the plans, generate takeoff drawings, and produce an estimate at a higher level of precision.
Best for complex, larger file sets:
Complex, ground-up homes
Larger square footage (5,000+ sq ft)
Larger file sets (20, 50, or 100+ pages)
The standard File Analysis route doesn't have the horsepower to properly break down, scale, and produce takeoff drawings for jobs of this size — that's where Takeoff Mode comes in.