Automating Takeoff and Estimating for Underfloor Heating Systems

We’ve heard many stories from our clients about their struggles with cost estimations and material planning for underfloor heating projects, so we understand the complexity of these tasks and aim to provide effective tools to simplify the process and improve accuracy.  In this guide, we'll take a look at the most efficient software options for automating takeoff and estimating, including general underfloor heating tools and advanced solutions like Kreo, all designed to help professionals streamline their underfloor heating projects.

Common Challenges Faced by Professionals in Underfloor Heating System Projects

Challenge

1. Accurate Heat Load Calculation: Ensuring the system will efficiently heat the space requires precise calculations of heat load, which can vary depending on insulation, room size, and other factors. For example, underfloor heating under tiles in a 3*3 m bathroom differs significantly from underfloor heating under stone flooring a large basement with polyfoam board insulation.
2. Complex Material Estimations: Material estimations often involve various components, such as piping, insulation, and manifolds. The accuracy of these estimations is crucial, since overestimating leads to unnecessary costs, while underestimating can cause project delays.
3. Cost Estimation: Cost Estimation: Calculating the total cost, including materials, labor, and installation, can be complicated due to variations in room types and sizes, system types, and material rates.
4. Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring the underfloor heating system meets local building codes, energy efficiency standards, and safety regulations is essential to avoid potential legal or functional issues.
5. Time Management: Coordinating timelines, especially in large or multi-room projects, can be difficult. Delays in other construction phases can impact the underfloor heating installation schedule.
6. Maintenance and Accessibility: Ensuring the system is designed for easy access to components, such as valves and manifolds, for future maintenance without disrupting the rest of the flooring system.

Kreo’s solution

1. In Kreo, you can create an Assembly database that includes all the properties, items, and assemblies needed for your projects. For example, you can define an item for tile flooring with all relevant properties specific to this type of flooring (such as material, rate, and area), and then automatically generate a report for this item (Items Report).
2. Precise material estimations can be ensured by following a few key steps: creating accurate measurements (for example, using AI tools) and then generating a report (Items or Takeoffs) to get all the necessary information calculated automatically.
3. The assemblies database and reporting features ensure complete and accurate cost estimations when used properly.
4. You can store regulatory information in your database to ensure compliance throughout your project.
5. Large projects are usually handled by teams, and Kreo is highly collaborative software. Teams can work on the same project simultaneously or create discussions and other annotation elements across different projects to stay connected and up-to-date.
6. While it can't provide physical accessibility, you can always be sure to have access to your projects, reports, and database anytime, from any device, since everything is stored in the cloud.

There's a Feature for Every Need

Kreo offers several manual and AI tools that are perfect for underfloor heating system takeoffs and estimation, regardless of the type. These include AI tools like Auto Measure, Auto Measure 2.0, One-Click Line, and Ask AI.

Kreo also offers features that are perfectly suited for specific types of underfloor heating.

Water-based underfloor heating

Since installing wet underfloor heating can raise the floor height by over 15 cm, it’s important to take this into account during the planning stage before any construction work begins. Visualizing this specific detail can be very helpful, and that’s where the 3D viewing mode comes in. This increase in floor height may not be noticeable in 2D but will be clearly visible in 3D, helping to avoid potential mistakes.

Electric underfloor heating

An electric underfloor heating system, like most electrical systems, can be overloaded with various elements and geometries, complicating the drawing process. For this, Kreo offers a Style Filter, which hides unnecessary geometry to help users focus on the structural elements of the drawing.To manage a large number of similar elements, such as fittings that need to be counted, Kreo has an Auto Count tool, which automatically identifies and counts similar elements.

How Kreo can transform your Underfloor Heating Projects

All the steps in your flooring projects are less complicated with an automating software - from creating measurements in just a few clicks to automatically generating reports with all the necessary data included. This is exactly what Kreo offers: a comprehensive software solution, ideal for underfloor heating projects and flooring estimations in general.

1. AI-Driven Features
   ‍In pursuit of maximum accuracy, Kreo has developed a range of AI tools and features designed to deliver highly precise measurements with minimal user input.  This automates the process and accelerates it by several times.
2. Database and reporting features
   ‍With Kreo, you have the ability to create your own database and use it to generate detailed reports. You can also create Excel reports directly within the app, without needing to switch to any external software.
3. Impeccable quality
   ‍Kreo doesn’t rasterize your files (unless this option is selected), so there is no decrease in drawing quality, which is especially important in a field like underfloor heating.
4. Advanced collaboration capabilities
   ‍It’s really easy to manage your company in Kreo. You can add users and guests and share projects on your own as well as use annotation tools to communicate with colleagues without leaving the project.
5. Strong customer support
   ‍Kreo never leaves clients without assistance. We understand the complexity of the software and are always here to help, whether through chat or a training call.

Conclusion

Underfloor heating projects are complex, but with the right tools, they can be managed efficiently. Kreo simplifies every stage - from planning to reporting - by offering AI-driven tools, customizable databases, and real-time collaboration features.

With Kreo, professionals can easily handle challenges like material and cost estimations, making it a comprehensive solution for underfloor heating projects. Kreo simplifies workflows and improves collaboration, saving you a significant amount of time when managing even the most complex tasks.