Multifamily takeoff
Unit-by-unit quantities for wood-frame and podium buildings, with common areas and stairs broken out separately from typical units.
EA · SF · LFLakewood, OH
Construction estimating services in Lakewood, OH
We produce CSI MasterFormat takeoffs and estimates for Lakewood, Ohio contractors, developers and owners. Deliverables arrive in Excel and PDF with marked-up plan sets, priced from ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor data, typically in 24–48 hours.
24–48 hours for most projectsTypical turnaround
Every CSI divisionSitework through MEP
Lakewood ZIP pricingLocal material and labor
Price confirmed firstBefore any work starts
Census BPS · Lakewood · 2025Real permit data
Lakewood new housing permits2025
New housing units417Change vs. 2024+41600%Permitted construction value$90MAverage value per unit$215,100Rank among covered Ohio cities#4
Single-family: 2 (0%)Multifamily: 415 (100%)
U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025. Residential only.
What makes construction estimating in Lakewood, OH different?
Lakewood's pipeline is almost entirely multifamily infill on tight lots inside an established Cuyahoga County street grid. That drives the cost: shallow footings and basement excavation near older utilities, wood-frame and podium assemblies, third-party plan review on larger buildings, and staged sitework where staging area is limited to the existing parcel.
- Lakewood permitted 417 new housing units in 2025, #4 among the Ohio cities we cover.
- About 100% were in multifamily buildings; 0% were single-family.
- Permit volume was up 41600% compared with 2024.
Lakewood sits directly west of Cleveland along the Rocky River and Lake Erie, and its building stock is dense, old and mostly built out. New work here is infill: teardown-and-replace houses, small apartment buildings on assembled lots, and renovation of two- and three-story mixed-use buildings along Detroit Avenue and Madison Avenue. That means your estimate has to account for tight access, utility conflicts, and demolition before any new footing is poured.
We take off from the drawings you send, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, and price them with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor rates. Most projects come back in 24–48 hours, with rush available. If your project is part of a larger program across the region, see our Ohio construction estimating page, or compare scopes with nearby Elyria and Euclid work. For the scopes that dominate Lakewood, start with our multi-family estimating services and sitework estimating services.
- Coverage
- Lakewood and nearby Ohio communities
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Pricing basis
- Lakewood ZIP-code material and labor costs
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours for most projects
- Software
- Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, RSMeans data
01
For bidders. You need division-by-division quantities you can defend in a bid review. We return line items with units, waste factors and marked-up plans so you can check every number before you submit.
02
For builders. You are pricing a specific building, not a market average. We take off your plan set, flag scope gaps between trades, and price to the ZIP code where the material and crew actually land.
03
For owners. You want a budget before drawings are complete. We estimate from schematic sets, note assumptions, and separate hard costs from allowances so you can see where the contingency needs to sit.
Lakewood by the numbers
Lakewood's residential construction pipeline
Select a bar to compare Lakewood with the largest Ohio markets we cover.
417New housing units, 2025
3.5%Of all units in the Ohio cities we cover
$90MPermitted residential value
100%In multifamily buildings
New housing units permitted in 2025. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey.
This city
Lakewood
417 new housing units in 2025 (+41600% vs 2024).
2 single-family · 415 multifamily (100%).
Multifamily is the whole Lakewood pipeline
The U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counts 417 new privately-owned residential units permitted in Lakewood in 2025, up from 1 in 2024. Of those, 415 were multifamily and 2 were single-family, with a permitted value of $90M and an average value per unit of $215,100. That is a 3.5% share of the 11,913 units permitted across the state cities we track, ranking Lakewood 4th of 20 by unit count. For a bidder, the practical read is that your competition is other multifamily builders, and your estimate has to be built for a wood-frame or podium building on a city lot, not a subdivision. The same pattern shows up in nearby Springfield and Kettering, where multifamily infill drives the numbers.
Why a $215,100 unit average changes your takeoff
At $215,100 per permitted unit, the average Lakewood project is a mid-rise or garden-style building, not a custom house. That value has to cover structure, envelope, MEP rough-in, finishes, elevators where applicable, and sitework on a constrained parcel. Your takeoff should separate building cost from site cost early, because on infill lots the site package — excavation, shoring, utility relocation, and dumpster staging — can move faster than the vertical scope. It also means quantity risk sits in repetitive units: get one unit right, multiply carefully, and check corridor, stair and common-area scope separately. Our multi-family estimating services are built around that unit-multiplier method.
Services
Construction estimating services in Lakewood, OH
We take off and price the scopes that show up most often on Lakewood infill and renovation projects.
Sitework and excavation
Demolition, basement excavation, shoring and utility relocation quantities for tight lots inside the existing street grid.
CY · LF · TONConcrete and foundations
Footings, foundation walls, slab-on-grade and flatwork, including rebar and formwork priced to Cuyahoga County rates.
CY · SF · LBFraming
Floor, wall and roof framing with lumber, sheathing, hardware and waste factors for repetitive multifamily floor plans.
BF · SF · EARoofing
Low-slope membrane and steep-slope assemblies, including tear-off, insulation and flashing on replacement roofs.
SQ · LF · SFMEP rough-in
Plumbing, HVAC and electrical rough-in counts per unit, with fixture and equipment schedules tied to the plan set.
EA · LF · TONRenovation and fit-out
Selective demolition, new partitions, finishes and storefront work for Detroit and Madison Avenue mixed-use buildings.
SF · LF · EACommercial and industrial
Shell and core, tenant improvements and light industrial scopes for contractors working beyond the residential market.
SF · EA · TONWho we provide estimates for
Who we estimate for in Lakewood
General contractors
You bid teardown-and-replace houses and small apartment buildings on tight Lakewood lots, and you need division-by-division quantities you can defend in a bid review before you submit a number.
Subcontractors
Your scope has to stand alone against the other trades. We take off your portion, flag missing items like temporary shoring or utility relocation, and price it to the ZIP code where your crew works.
Developers
You are assembling lots along Detroit Avenue and Madison Avenue for infill multi-family. We estimate from schematic sets so you can test unit-count scenarios before you commit to a purchase.
Architects
You need a check on your own quantities and a cost basis for design decisions. We mark up the plan set and return line items you can compare against your specifications.
Owners and property managers
You are renovating a two- or three-story mixed-use building and need hard costs separated from allowances. We show assumptions so your contingency sits where the risk actually is.
Insurance and restoration contractors
Lakewood's older housing stock means water, roof and masonry repairs. We quantify replacement-in-kind scope so your claim or repair budget matches the building that is actually there.
Where we provide estimates
Lakewood areas and nearby communities we cover
We take off projects across Lakewood and the west-side Cleveland suburbs, and we price them with ZIP-code-adjusted rates for the address on the drawings. If your project sits outside the city line, the same division-by-division format applies.
Lakewood neighborhoods
- Downtown Lakewood
- Detroit-Shoreway edge along Detroit Avenue
- Birdtown
- Clifton Boulevard corridor
- Madison Avenue corridor
- Rocky River edge
Nearby west-side suburbs
- Rocky River
- Fairview Park
- Westlake
- Bay Village
- Avon Lake
Cleveland and east-side coverage
Other Ohio cities we cover
Property types
Types of Lakewood properties we estimate
Lakewood's 2025 residential permit mix was almost entirely multi-family: 415 of 417 new privately-owned units were in multi-family buildings, with 2 single-family units. That is infill work on built-out blocks, not greenfield subdivision.
Infill apartment buildings
Small multi-family buildings on assembled lots, typically three to four stories with tuck-under or surface parking. We take off the full structural, envelope, and MEP package and separate sitework from the building shell.
Watch for: Parking count and trash enclosure scope
Teardown-and-replace houses
Single-family replacement on narrow lots where the existing house comes down first. Demolition, temporary utilities, and a new foundation on the same footprint drive the estimate more than the finishes do.
Watch for: Demolition disposal and utility disconnects
Two- and three-story mixed-use
Ground-floor commercial with apartments above along Detroit Avenue and Madison Avenue. These require separate assemblies for the commercial and residential portions, plus rated separations and separate utility metering.
Watch for: Rated floor-ceiling and shaftwall assemblies
Renovated older housing stock
Lakewood's housing is dense and old, so renovation budgets hinge on what is behind the plaster. We quantify selective demolition, structural repair, and replacement-in-kind scope rather than pricing a clean new build.
Watch for: Lathe-and-plaster removal and framing repair
Small commercial and retail
Storefront and small office fit-outs on the commercial corridors. Tenant improvements here usually mean new MEP distribution, ADA upgrades, and a facade component, all priced to the existing building's constraints.
Watch for: ADA path-of-travel and restroom upgrades
Additions and dormers
Rear additions, second-story dormers, and garage conversions on tight interior lots. Access for equipment and the tie-in to the existing structure set the labor hours, not the square footage alone.
Watch for: Roof tie-in and temporary weather protection
Local factors
What changes a construction estimate in Lakewood
Two projects with the same square footage can price very differently in Lakewood because of lot size, building age, and how close the work sits to the property line. These are the drivers we adjust for.
Permitting and code review
Lakewood is in Cuyahoga County, and the city administers its own building permits and inspections. Plan review comments on infill projects often turn on zoning setbacks, lot coverage, and parking, so the estimate should carry an allowance for resubmittal and for code items that appear after the first review. Confirm the adopted code edition and any local amendments with the city building department before you lock the number.
City of Lakewood Building Department · Cuyahoga County · IBC/IRC as adopted locallySoils and foundation conditions
Lakewood sits on glacial till and lake-plain deposits, and near the Rocky River you can hit fill, organics, or a high water table within a few feet. That changes footing design, dewatering, and backfill quantities. On teardown lots, the old foundation and any buried debris are a real cost line, not an assumption, so we carry them as separate items.
Glacial till · Rocky River valley fill · High water tableClimate and winter work
Lake Erie snowbelt winters shorten the exterior season and add temporary heat, hoarding, and cold-weather concrete protection. Roofing and masonry work scheduled in January carries a different labor cost than the same scope in June. We note the assumed construction window on the estimate so you can see where weather protection is priced.
Lake Erie snowbelt · Winter concrete protection · Temporary heatLabor market and crew size
Cleveland's west side has a union-heavy trades market, and small infill jobs compete for the same crews as larger downtown work. Tight sites in Lakewood limit how many trades can work at once, so the estimate has to reflect sequencing and overtime rather than open-floor production rates. We price labor to the ZIP code and note where crew size drives duration.
Cleveland building trades · Tight-site sequencing · Overtime exposureSite access and drainage
Most Lakewood lots are narrow with a driveway on one side, so material staging, crane or pump placement, and spoil storage are real constraints. Storm drainage ties into combined or separated city systems depending on the block, and the connection point can be a long run under pavement. We carry excavation, restoration, and utility connection as separate line items.
Narrow interior lots · Storm connection · Pavement restorationMaterial logistics and taxes
Material comes from Cleveland-area suppliers and distributors, so freight is short but delivery windows on tight streets are not. Ohio sales tax treatment differs between a lump-sum contract and a materials-purchased-separately arrangement, and that changes the bottom line. We keep material and labor separate in the takeoff so your accountant can apply the right treatment.
Cleveland-area suppliers · Ohio sales tax · Separate material and labor linesLakewood estimating guide
How Lakewood conditions show up in a takeoff, trade by trade
Lakewood's housing stock is old and close together, so takeoffs here hinge on selective demolition, tight access, and matching existing assemblies rather than greenfield quantities.
Sitework and demolition
Most Lakewood lots are 40 to 50 feet wide with a driveway on one side, so a takeoff has to price machine access before it prices dirt. We measure stripping and disposal in cubic yards, then break out hand excavation for utility tie-ins that a mini-excavator cannot reach. On teardown-to-rebuild jobs, hard demolition is measured by square foot of footprint plus tonnage for concrete flatwork and foundation walls. Cuyahoga County requires an asbestos survey before demolition on pre-1980 structures, so we carry a line for survey and abatement allowance. For a full sitework breakdown, see our sitework estimating services.
Framing and rough carpentry
The typical Lakewood renovation touches a balloon-framed or platform-framed house with 2x4 walls and full-dimension old-growth lumber that does not match new material. We take off studs at 16 inches on center, plates, headers, and sheathing by wall area, then add blocking for cabinets, grab bars, and mechanical chases. Floor joists are counted by span and spacing, with solid bridging and subfloor measured in sheets. Roof framing is measured by rafter length times count, including collar ties and ridge board. Our framing estimating services page covers how we separate new framing from reframing existing walls.
MEP and interior finishes
Older Lakewood homes often have partial updates, so we take off plumbing fixtures by count and rough-in by fixture, not by square foot. Electrical is measured by device count, home runs, and panel schedule, with separate line items for GFCI and AFCI protection required by current code. HVAC takeoff includes equipment tonnage, duct by linear foot and size, and registers by count. Interior finishes are drywall by sheet and square foot, tape and finish by level, paint by wall and ceiling area, and flooring by room with waste. Our MEP estimating services page explains how we present these trades.
Concrete and foundations
Lakewood basements are typically 7 to 8 feet deep with 8- to 10-inch cast-in-place walls, and many were poured before modern waterproofing. We take off wall area by linear foot times height, deduct window and door openings, and add formwork, rebar at #4 at 12 inches on center each way, and a 4-inch slab on grade. Footings are measured by linear foot of wall plus interior pad footings under posts. Because lots are tight, we show concrete pump or conveyor placement separately. See our concrete estimating services and foundation estimating services for how we build those quantities.
Roofing and exterior envelope
Lakewood roofs are steep, cut-up, and often have two or three layers of tear-off. We measure roof area by slope factor, add 10 to 15 percent for hips, valleys, and starter course, and count pipe boots, vents, and chimney flashing individually. Ice and water shield is taken off along eaves and in valleys; felt and underlayment by square. Siding takeoff is by wall area minus openings, with corner trim, J-channel, and soffit measured in linear feet. Gutters and downspouts are counted by run and story height. Our roofing estimating services page shows the format we use for these assemblies.
Scope gaps we see on Lakewood bids
- Asbestos and lead paint survey and abatement on pre-1980 homes, often left out of demolition scopes.
- Underpinning or shoring for adjacent structures when excavating within a few feet of a property line.
- Temporary power, dumpster placement, and street permit fees on narrow lots with no staging area.
- Roof tear-off of multiple existing layers and disposal, which changes dumpster count and labor hours.
- Replacement of undersized or knob-and-tube wiring discovered after walls are opened.
- Final grading, topsoil, and restoration of parkway and sidewalk damaged during construction.
Free tool
Concrete volume calculator
Quick check for a single element. For a full drawing set, send the plans and we measure everything, including the items calculators miss.
Typical waste: 3–5% for slabs, 5–10% for footings and walls. Truck count assumes 10 CY loads; confirm load size with your ready-mix supplier.
Result
19.4CY
Net volume18.5 CY
Cubic feet500 CF
Ready-mix trucks (10 CY)2
80 lb bags (premix)875
Need the full takeoff with pricing? Upload your plans.
How it works
How we estimate a Lakewood project
- Read the full setArchitectural, structural, civil and MEP drawings, the geotechnical report and every addendum.
- Check Lakewood conditionsLocal code edition, site and drainage requirements, soils and any hazard rules are confirmed before the takeoff starts.
- Take off by CSI sectionQuantities measured and color-coded on the plans, so every number traces to a sheet.
- Price to LakewoodMaterial and labor costs adjusted to the project ZIP code, or to your own supplier quotes and crew rates.
- Check and deliverA second estimator checks quantities before the estimate goes out.
Sample output
Sample takeoff: two-story Lakewood frame house renovation
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02 41 19 | Selective demolition of interior partitions | 1,250 | SF |
| 03 30 00 | Concrete slab on grade, 4 in., reinforced | 480 | SF |
| 06 10 00 | Wood stud walls, 2x4 at 16 in. O.C. | 2,100 | SF |
| 06 10 00 | Floor joists, 2x10 at 16 in. O.C. | 960 | SF |
| 07 30 00 | Asphalt shingle roofing, tear-off and replace | 1,450 | SF |
| 08 53 00 | Vinyl siding, wall area minus openings | 1,800 | SF |
| 09 29 00 | Gypsum board, 1/2 in., taped and finished | 3,400 | SF |
| 22 00 00 | Plumbing rough-in and fixtures | 2 | Bath |
Worked example: roof replacement for a Lakewood two-story house
This example uses illustrative dimensions for a typical 28 ft by 40 ft footprint with a 6/12 gable roof and 18-inch overhangs. You will need the actual roof plan and slope to price your project.
Step 1 — Plan area. Footprint = 28 ft × 40 ft = 1,120 SF. Add overhangs: the roof extends 1.5 ft on all sides, so plan area = (28 + 3) × (40 + 3) = 31 × 43 = 1,333 SF.
Step 2 — Slope factor. For a 6/12 pitch, slope factor = √(6² + 12²) ÷ 12 = √180 ÷ 12 ≈ 13.416 ÷ 12 ≈ 1.118. Roof area = 1,333 × 1.118 ≈ 1,490 SF.
Step 3 — Waste. Add 12% for hips, valleys, and starter course: 1,490 × 1.12 ≈ 1,669 SF. Round to 1,670 SF.
Step 4 — Squares. 1,670 ÷ 100 = 16.7 squares. Order 17 squares of shingles.
Step 5 — Underlayment and ice barrier. Underlayment covers the full roof: 1,670 SF ÷ 100 = 16.7 rolls (assuming 100 SF per roll). Ice and water shield along eaves: 2 × 43 ft = 86 LF; at 3 ft width, 86 × 3 = 258 SF, or about 2.6 rolls at 100 SF per roll. Order 3 rolls.
Step 6 — Accessories. Ridge vent = 40 ft (ridge length). Drip edge = perimeter = 2 × (31 + 43) = 148 LF. Pipe boots: count from plan, assume 3. Step flashing: count from wall intersections, assume 40 LF.
| Step | Calculation | Quantity | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan area | (28 + 3) × (40 + 3) | 1,333 | SF |
| Roof area | 1,333 × 1.118 | 1,490 | SF |
| With waste | 1,490 × 1.12 | 1,670 | SF |
| Shingles | 1,670 ÷ 100 | 17 | squares |
| Underlayment | 1,670 ÷ 100 | 17 | rolls |
| Ice barrier | 86 × 3 ÷ 100 | 3 | rolls |
| Ridge vent | ridge length | 40 | LF |
| Drip edge | perimeter | 148 | LF |
These quantities feed directly into our roofing estimating services. For a full estimate that includes tear-off, disposal, and flashing details, send your plan set through our get an estimate page.
FAQ
Lakewood construction estimating questions
What local code editions apply to Lakewood projects?
Lakewood enforces the Ohio Building Code, which is based on the International Code Council family. The adopted edition changes on a state cycle, and Cuyahoga County may have local amendments for residential work. Your estimator should list the code year assumed in the takeoff so you can compare bids. Confirm the exact adopted edition with the City of Lakewood Building Department before you price permits or inspections.
How do you handle takeoffs for older Lakewood homes with plaster walls?
Plaster and lath demolition is measured separately from drywall replacement. We take off demolition by square foot of wall and ceiling area, then add disposal weight because plaster is heavy and fills dumpsters faster than drywall. New drywall is taken off by sheet and square foot, with taping and finishing by level. We also carry a line for patching and matching existing trim profiles, which is common in Lakewood's older housing stock.
What is your turnaround time for a Lakewood estimate?
Most projects are returned in 24 to 48 hours. Rush service is available when you have a bid deadline. We deliver Excel and PDF files organized by CSI MasterFormat division, along with marked-up plan sets so you can trace every quantity back to the drawing. For large multifamily or commercial work, we will confirm the schedule before starting.
Do you price labor and material for Cuyahoga County?
Yes. We use ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing for Lakewood and the surrounding Cuyahoga County area. That means the labor rates reflect local union and open-shop conditions, and material pricing includes local sales tax and delivery. If your project is in a nearby city like Elyria or Euclid, we adjust the ZIP code accordingly. See our Ohio construction estimating services page for coverage.
Can you estimate a multifamily project in Lakewood?
Yes. Multifamily work is a large share of Lakewood's residential permits. We take off units by type, then break out common areas, stairs, and mechanical rooms separately. For a 20-unit building, you get a per-unit cost breakdown plus a summary by CSI division. Our multi-family estimating services page shows the level of detail we provide.
What do you need from me to start a takeoff?
Send the architectural, structural, and MEP plan sets in PDF, along with any specifications and finish schedules. If you have a site plan, include it for sitework and utility tie-ins. We also ask for the project address so we can apply the correct ZIP code for pricing. You can upload plans through our get an estimate page.
How do you handle winter construction in Lakewood?
Winter conditions affect concrete, masonry, and sitework. We add line items for cold-weather protection, heated enclosures, and accelerated curing when the schedule crosses freezing temperatures. For concrete, we note the mix design and curing method assumed. For roofing, we separate tear-off and dry-in from shingle installation if the temperature may drop below the manufacturer's limit. These allowances are shown as separate line items so you can adjust them.
Where does your Lakewood permit data come from?
The permit figures on this page come from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey for 2025. That survey counts new privately-owned residential units permitted by the city itself, not commercial or industrial permits. In Lakewood, the 2025 survey shows 417 total residential units, with 415 multifamily and 2 single-family. The survey is a useful demand indicator, but it does not include renovations or additions, which are a large part of local work.
What software do you use for takeoffs?
We use Bluebeam Revu for plan review and markup, PlanSwift for quantity takeoff, and RSMeans data for unit cost and assembly pricing. That combination lets us produce a takeoff you can audit: each quantity links to a marked-up drawing, and each cost line references a pricing source. Deliverables are Excel and PDF, organized by CSI MasterFormat division, with marked-up plan sets included.
Do you cover nearby cities like Springfield or Kettering?
Yes. We cover Lakewood and the surrounding region, including Springfield, Kettering, Elyria, Cuyahoga Falls, Middletown, and Euclid. Each city page explains local conditions that affect takeoffs, from soil to permit fees. If your project is in one of those cities, we apply the same CSI-formatted deliverable and ZIP-code-adjusted pricing. Start with our Ohio construction estimating services page to see the full coverage map.
Other Ohio cities we cover
Popular services in Lakewood
Send your Lakewood project plans for a quote
Upload your plans and specifications and we will return a CSI-formatted estimate in 24 to 48 hours.
- We review the set and check for missing sheets or addenda.
- You get a quote with a price and a delivery date.
- You approve and we start the takeoff.
- You receive the Excel estimate and marked-up plans.