Countfire solves one problem extremely well: counting. It reads a full PDF drawing set, finds every occurrence of a symbol across all of it at once, and flags what it could not reconcile — then re-counts revised drawings without starting over. If your estimator's bottleneck is the count rather than the pricing, this is the tool. It runs in the browser on PC and Mac and outputs a priced quote to Excel.
TradeAtlas Editorial (AI draft) · Reviewed 2026-07-29
About
Countfire is a London-built takeoff tool aimed squarely at the counting problem: it reads a set of PDF drawings, finds every occurrence of a symbol across all of them at once, and flags what it could not reconcile through built-in accuracy checks. Revised drawings can be re-counted, so a last-minute issue does not mean starting the takeoff over. Beyond electrical it is sold into lighting, fire sprinkler, security and fire alarm, structured cabling/AV and mechanical estimating, with coverage measurement for sprinkler and lighting layouts and cabling and pipework measurement. It runs in the browser on PC and Mac, supports remote collaboration, and produces a priced quote in Excel. Pricing is not published; the vendor offers a 7-day trial.
Use Cases
- Auto-counting electrical symbols across a full PDF drawing set
- Re-counting revised drawings without redoing the takeoff
- Coverage measurement for sprinkler, lighting and security layouts
- Producing a priced quote in Excel from the takeoff
Pricing
Automated electrical estimating and takeoff software.
Countfire does not publish pricing — request a quote via the vendor website.
Capability Matrix
| Feature | Status | Depth |
|---|---|---|
| Estimating | Yes | Advanced |
| Digital Takeoff | Yes | Advanced |
| Bid Management | Yes | Standard |
| Material Pricing | Yes | Standard |
| Assemblies / Takeoff Templates | Yes | Standard |
| Reporting | Yes | Standard |
| Template Library | Yes | Standard |
| Cloud Storage | Yes | Basic |
| Third-Party Integrations | Yes | Standard |
| Document Storage | Yes | Standard |
| Mobile App | — | — |
| Proposals & Quotes | Yes | Standard |
| Digital Proposals | Yes | Standard |
| Pricebook | Yes | Standard |
| Bid History | Yes | Standard |
| Contact Management | Yes | Basic |
| Opportunity Tracking | Yes | Standard |
| Proposal Management | Yes | Standard |
Strengths
- Counts every occurrence of a symbol across multiple PDFs at once
- Built-in accuracy checks that surface what did not reconcile
- Re-count of revised drawings
- Browser-based, PC and Mac, with remote collaboration
Limitations
- Takeoff-first, not a full estimating system — pricing depth is limited next to IntelliBid or Accubid
- Quote-only pricing; the only self-serve entry is a 7-day trial
- UK-built, so material pricing integrations lean European
- Mobile support is unverified
Best Fit
Electrical and specialty estimators whose bottleneck is counting, not pricing
Alternatives to Consider
PlanSwift
PlanSwift is a Windows-based digital takeoff and estimating software by ConstructConnect (a Roper Technologies company) that allows construction contractors to click directly on digitized blueprints to measure areas, lengths, and counts, then automatically generate material and labor cost estimates. Originally founded in 2007 and acquired by ConstructConnect in 2018, it serves general contractors and specialty trades with customizable assemblies, Excel live-link integration, a QuickBooks export plugin, and an AI-powered Takeoff Boost suite. Priced at $2,000/year for the Professional plan.
ConEst
Electrical estimating, digital takeoff and reporting for electrical, low-voltage, datacom and solar contractors — IntelliBid, SureCount and Conest Connect.
Trimble Accubid Classic
Electrical estimating software for electrical and ICT contractors, covering the workflow from takeoff and bid through purchasing, project management and billing.