I am in the final planning stages for an addition on my home. I will contract out the foundation, but hope to do the rest of the work myself. I have done some rough materials estimates, enough to get a feel for the costs, but now that we're heading into the final stretch, I'd like to put together as accurate a budget as a I can and equally as important put together a take-off list for the lumber yard and a shopping list for me.

The addition is small enough that I don't much mind going over the plans with a ruler and a pencil, but I am more interested in how some of you have organized yourselves. Would anyone be willing to share a spreadsheet you've created and found helpful?

Basically, I am looking to create something that accurately captures the materials for the job, allows me to provide the lumber yard with a good materials list, gives me a decent enough picture of the costs, etc. I don't really think I need a special software program or anything, but I am afraid my current methods will find me leaving stuff out.

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Help?

Allow for overages/underages.

No medium project gets all the materials 100% all the time,there will be warped wood,bent nails,accidents,compromises and cuts,changes occur often daily.

To be prepared,have more than is required for the project, make sure there isn't some kind of huge restocking fee for any rejected wood/product,and order 10% more than is called for..

If the walls require 55 studs and a few for doubles,etc,get 70

If the roofline requires 22 sheets of sheeting,get 25.

This takes the headaches out of trying to be totally perfect,things happen,bad cuts are made,warped wood can make for an installers nightmare,, etc.

Lastly, you aren't in this for any future or long term goals other than your own home,you are allowed to make errors,I promise I'll tell no one that you put a screw in that stud instead of a nail:p

In addition to KBCs answer a plumber will lay out the drainage on a set of " as built plans".
He can then figure out the pipe and fittings needed for the drainage. That's our material list when we rough in a job.
As for the water pipe we work off the truck and write the material list after we put it in.
Good luck Stubby, Tom