ScaleDraw
Open the board
Measure plans to scale, without paying for a takeoff suite
Most people who measure a drawing don't need a full estimating package. They need to open a plan, set the scale, and read off lengths and areas they can trust. ScaleDraw does exactly that, in a browser tab, for free.
The problem with “professional” measuring software
Takeoff and PDF markup tools are built for estimating departments. They're powerful, but they come with a per-user yearly subscription, a desktop install (often Windows only for the measuring features), and a learning curve. If you're a homeowner planning a kitchen, a tradesperson pricing a job, a designer checking a layout, or a student, you're paying for far more than you use.
| ScaleDraw | Typical takeoff software | |
|---|---|---|
| Price to start | Free | Hundreds to thousands per user, per year |
| Install | None: runs in your browser | Desktop app, often Windows for full measuring |
| Works on iPad and phone | Yes | Limited, or a separate app |
| Time to first measurement | About a minute | Install, licence, training |
| Freehand sketching and notes | Yes, a full whiteboard | Markup tools, not a sketching canvas |
What ScaleDraw does
- Calibrate on any known length. Draw a line over a dimension you know (a door, a printed scale bar, a room width) and type its real length. Everything on that picture is then measured in real units.
- A scale per picture. A site plan at 1:500 and a floor plan at 1:50 can sit side by side on one board, each with its own scale.
- Measure lengths and areas in millimetres, centimetres, metres, inches or feet, with lengths shown live as you draw.
- Draw at exact sizes. Type a length and angle for a line, or a width and height for a box.
- PDFs and photos. Import a PDF drawing or a photo. PDF pages keep their paper size, so a printed ratio such as 1:100 can be used directly.
- An infinite whiteboard. Sketch, annotate, add text and arrows, and keep several pages per board.
- Export what you've drawn as an image. More formats (PNG, SVG, PDF, and DXF for CAD) are planned for the Pro plan.
Who it's for
Homeowners and renters planning furniture or a renovation; builders, kitchen fitters, flooring and decorating trades checking quantities; architects and interior designers sketching options; surveyors and estate agents checking a floor plan; and students learning to read drawings.
When you should use something else
If your job is producing priced bills of quantities across hundreds of drawings, with assemblies, cost databases and team-wide review workflows, a dedicated estimating suite is the right tool. ScaleDraw is for fast, accurate measuring and sketching, not full construction estimating.
Accurate by design
Scale is stored as a precise ratio between drawing units and real millimetres, set from your own reference line. Measurements are only as good as that reference, so ScaleDraw shows the scale you're using at all times and lets you recalibrate in one click.
Questions
Is ScaleDraw free?
Yes. The Free plan lets you calibrate and measure one image and one PDF page per board, sketch without limits and export as JPEG. Paid plans with more imports and exports are planned but not on sale yet.
Do I need to install anything?
No. ScaleDraw runs in a modern web browser on a computer, iPad or phone.
How accurate is it?
As accurate as the length you calibrate on. Calibrate on the longest dimension you know for the best result, and check it against a second known dimension.
Can it open DWG files?
Not directly. Export your drawing to PDF from your CAD software and import the PDF.