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 Xoe Widlund
Julianna
Widlund, P.E

Why Estimators Use AI Assistance

Save precious time

Reduce hours spent tracing boundaries and checking details so you can concentrate on pricing and strategy.

Keep numbers traceable

Draft outputs point back to the source sheets, making reviews and clarifications easier with your team and clients.

Stay flexible

Addenda and changes happen. It’s simpler to update and re-issue a takeoff when the groundwork is already prepared for you.

Quick demo
Getting started in minutes

Upload PDFs and run a simple prompt. A draft takeoff is prepared and you are notified when processing is completed.

Tip: Use clear prompts like “Prepare a fencing & railing takeoff by segment/zone; include gate widths, post spacing per spec, and handrail/guardrail runs.”

How It Works

  1. Upload your PDFs — Add the site plans, elevations, details/typicals, and any schedules or notes relevant to fencing and railings.
  2. Write your prompt — Tell Civils.ai what you need (for example: “Prepare a fencing & railing takeoff split by boundary/segment and level/zone; include gates and post counts by spacing; note specified heights.”).
  3. Click “Run” — The platform begins preparing a draft takeoff from your uploaded drawings and schedules.
  4. QA review & adjust — Your QA team reviews the draft, fixes any issues, and confirms assumptions before release.
  5. Share with confidence — Release the reviewed drawing set and quantities to stakeholders with clear references back to the source PDFs.
1 Upload site plan PDFs and choose Extract CAD data workflow
Upload PDFs

Drag & drop your plan sheets (site plans, external works, boundary layouts) and select Extract CAD data. Works with scanned, historic and multi-sheet drawings.

2 Describe the linear runs, gates and posts to extract in natural language and run
Type out your prompt

Type what you need in natural language (e.g. “measure and categorise fence & railing runs by type; count posts by spacing; include gates and widths; split by boundary/zone”). Hit Run and the AI performs the takeoff and our QA team reviews the results.

3 Review annotated site plan results and export to Excel and PDF
Get results, review & export
Review the results against your annotated plan sheets.
Download your results as:
Excel & Annotated PDF
Important: Civils.ai does not replace professional judgment. It assists with preparing bids; final quantities are reviewed and approved by qualified people.

What the Draft Takeoff Can Cover

The goal is a clean starting point for pricing—prepared from your drawings and schedules—so your team spends more time refining and less time starting from scratch.

Typical items

  • Linear runs of fences, handrails and guardrails by type/segment
  • Gate counts and widths where shown
  • Post counts by spacing (derived from run length and specified centres)
  • Basic materials breakdown to support pricing discussions

Clarity about heights & grades

Heights (e.g., 1.2 m fencing, 1.1 m guardrails) are taken from your drawings/specs. The system does not infer heights or site grading beyond what is shown in your documents.

What to Expect (and What Not To)

Overview

What you can expect

  • A prepared draft takeoff to help your bid
  • Clear references back to the drawings and schedules
  • Faster internal reviews and fewer back-and-forths

Limitations to note

  • Not a 100% automated takeoff—human review is essential
  • Heights are taken strictly from your plans/specs; no height inference
  • Complex grading/stepped rail interpretation requires designer/QA input
Measure site areas and linear fencing and railing runs
Measure site areas plus fencing & railing runs from CAD drawings
  • Perimeter & boundary lengths
  • Fence type by segment
  • Railing runs (handrail/guardrail)
  • Post counts by spacing
  • Gates & widths
  • Split by level, boundary or zone
Sample output:
Annotated PDF Output Excel

FAQ

Is this suitable for busy bid periods?

Yes. It prepares a draft quickly so your team can review, adjust, and price with confidence instead of starting from a blank page.

Can we trust the numbers?

Use the draft as a starting point. Your QA team checks and fixes anything that needs attention before releasing numbers to stakeholders.

Where do the quantities come from?

From the PDFs you upload—plan sheets, details and schedules. Everything stays traceable to the source pages for easy review.

What about complex shapes?

Compound curves, stepped/raked rails, or non-standard details may need designer direction. For standard runs and gates shown in the documents, the tool prepares a draft your team can finalize.

Prepare Stronger Fencing & Railing Bids with Civils.ai

Upload your drawings and schedules, write a quick prompt, click run—then let your QA team review and release a clear, traceable takeoff.

Book a Demo Get Started

Civils.ai is an assistive tool for bid preparation. Final quantities and assumptions should be reviewed and approved by qualified professionals.

Interested in learning about how you can use AI in your Civil Engineering workflow?
Learn more