Measuring long runs across multiple drawings is slow work—finding the right sheets, tracing lines, checking notes, and keeping everything traceable for review. Civils.ai assists by preparing a draft takeoff from your PDFs, so your team can refine the details and price with confidence.
AI for Fencing & Railing Takeoff: Linear Runs from Site & Plan Sheets
Streamline your fencing and railing estimates with AI-powered takeoffs. Civils.ai instantly measures linear runs, counts posts and gates, and delivers accurate marked-up PDFs from site and plan sheets — even from scanned drawings. Save hours, reduce errors, and bid with confidence.
Oct. 27, 2025
Julianna
Widlund, P.E
AI for Fencing & Railing Takeoff: Linear Runs from Site & Plan Sheets
Civils.ai helps teams prepare draft linear measurements for fencing and railings directly from PDF site plans and architectural sheets—so bids move faster while your people stay in charge.
Why Estimators Use AI Assistance for Linear Works
Start quicker
Get a prepared draft of fence and railing lengths from your plan and site sheets instead of starting from a blank page.
Keep it traceable
Each figure links back to the source pages, making internal checks and client clarifications straightforward.
Handle changes calmly
When drawings are updated, it’s simpler to adjust and re-issue than to re-measure everything manually.
How It Works (Simple, Human-Centred)
- Upload your PDFs — Add the site plans, architectural sheets, and any fencing/railing schedules or notes you want considered.
- Write your prompt — For example: “Prepare linear runs by fence/rail type and level; include gates and terminations where shown.”
- Click “Run” — Civils.ai begins preparing a draft takeoff based on the documents you provided.
- QA review & adjust — Your QA team reviews the draft, fixes anything that needs attention, and confirms assumptions before sharing.
- Share with confidence — Release the reviewed linear totals and notes to stakeholders with clear references back to the source PDFs.
What the Draft Can Cover
The goal is a clean starting point for pricing—prepared from the plans and schedules you upload.
Typical items
- Linear lengths of perimeter and internal fencing as drawn
- Railing and balustrade runs by level/zone
- Gate locations and counts where shown on plans
- Terminations, corners, and transitions noted for pricing
How measurements are determined
All figures come from the plan and site sheets you provide. Heights and specifications are taken from the drawings and schedules; the system does not “work out” heights beyond what’s written in your documents.
What to Expect (and What Not To)
What you can expect
- A draft set of linear runs to help your bid
- References back to the exact plan pages and notes
- Faster reviews and fewer back-and-forth emails
Limitations to note
- This is not a 100% automated takeoff—human QA remains essential
- Measurements are strictly based on the PDFs you upload
- No terrain modelling or 3D interpretation; figures reflect plan lengths as drawn
- Heights and post spacing are taken from your documents when stated
FAQ
Can we set inclusions/exclusions?
Yes. Use your prompt to state how you want runs classified (e.g., by type or zone) and whether to include gates or terminations. Your QA team confirms before sharing numbers.
Where do counts for gates or posts come from?
From the plans and schedules you upload. If details are missing, your team can add notes during QA and re-issue the draft.
Is it helpful in busy bid periods?
Yes. You get a draft quickly, so more time goes into checking and pricing rather than tracing lines from scratch.
How do we show our workings?
Each figure ties back to the source pages. Share the reviewed set so stakeholders can see exactly where the numbers came from.
Prepare Stronger Fencing & Railing Bids with Civils.ai
Upload your site and plan sheets, write a prompt, click run—then let your QA team review and release clear, traceable linear totals.
Interested in learning about how you can use AI in your Civil Engineering workflow?