Senior living estimating is not a generic commercial shell takeoff. The cost sits in repeated resident-room wet walls, Type B and ADA bathroom rough-in, 1-hour corridor assemblies, nurse call pathways, and a commercial kitchen that has to serve three meals a day. We take off those systems by assembly and by room type, then price them with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor.
- Deliverable
- Excel estimate + marked-up PDF plans
- Organized by
- CSI MasterFormat section
- Turnaround
- 24–48 hours for most projects
- Pricing
- ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor pricing
- Software
- Bluebeam Revu, PlanSwift, RSMeans data
You need this when you are validating a development budget before land close, bidding a hard bid against three other GCs, or checking a subcontractor's numbers before you sign a GMP. The takeoff is organized by CSI MasterFormat division — Division 03 concrete through Division 28 electronic safety and security — with marked-up plan sets so you can see exactly which sheet each quantity came from. Formats are Excel and PDF, and most projects return in 24–48 hours with rush available.
If your project mixes uses, the same method applies to the residential and retail portions; see our mixed-use development estimating page. Projects with a hospital-grade skilled nursing wing should be priced against healthcare & hospital estimating standards. For a single-building assisted living or memory care job, this page is the right scope.
We also account for the details that separate senior living from standard multifamily: delayed egress hardware at memory care perimeter doors, wander management and access control rough-in, resident lift blocking in ceilings, and commercial kitchen grease duct and make-up air. Each of these is measured by device count or linear foot, not carried as a lump sum. If your project includes a therapy gym, we take off the equipment anchors and floor finishes from the therapy plan. For projects in states with specific licensing review, such as Texas or California, we note the local plan review submittal items that affect scope.
What the senior housing takeoff covers by division
We measure the building from the foundation up and the site from the property line in. Each resident room type is counted once, then multiplied by the unit mix on the architectural plans. Corridor and demising assemblies are measured by linear foot of wall, not by gross floor area, because rated and acoustical assemblies drive the cost.
Concrete & Structure
Slab-on-grade, elevated decks, footings, and load-bearing CMU walls measured by pour strip and assembly.
CY · SF · LFResident Room Finishes
Type B bathroom wet wall rough-in, finishes, and accessories per room type and ADA unit.
EA · SF · LFRated Corridor Assemblies
1-hour corridor partitions, handrails, wall protection, and corner guards at required heights.
LF · EACommercial Kitchen
Hood, grease duct, make-up air, and food service equipment connections for three-meal service.
EA · LF · LBNurse Call & Low-Voltage
Nurse call, emergency call, wander management, and access control rough-in and devices.
EA · LFFire Protection & Alarm
Wet-pipe sprinkler distribution with quick-response heads and addressable fire alarm with corridor notification.
EA · LFElevators & Lifts
Elevator and LULA lift for multi-story assisted living and memory care, including shaft and pit work.
EASite & Parking
Site grading, paving, parking, and utilities measured by area and linear foot.
CY · SF · LFWhat every senior living & assisted care estimating takeoff includes
- Slab-on-grade and elevated deck concrete, CY by pour strip
- Load-bearing CMU and rated cold-formed stud partitions, LF by assembly
- Resident room Type B bathroom wet wall rough-in and finish
- Corridor handrail, wall protection, and corner guard at 42 in. and 36 in.
- Acoustical ceiling grid and tile with seismic bracing where required
- Resident room door, frame, and hardware sets including delayed egress
- Wet-pipe sprinkler distribution with quick-response heads at unit spacing
- Domestic water, sanitary, and vent rough-in for units, kitchen, and laundry
- Commercial kitchen hood, grease duct, and food service equipment connections
- Nurse call and emergency call rough-in and device at rooms and bathrooms
- Addressable fire alarm with corridor notification and sprinkler monitoring
- Elevator and LULA lift for multi-story assisted living and memory care
How a senior living estimator runs an on-screen takeoff
- Set the unit mixWe start with the unit plan and count each room type — studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, memory care — against the unit mix table. Every repeated assembly is priced once and multiplied, so a 96-unit building is measured as 96 wet walls, not as gross square footage. This is where a missed room type becomes a six-figure error.
- Measure wet walls by roomFor each bathroom we measure the wet wall length, fixture count, and pipe run back to the nearest riser. Type B and ADA units get separate counts because grab bar blocking, offset drains, and clearances change the rough-in and the finish. We mark each fixture on the plumbing sheet so the count is auditable.
- Take off rated and acoustical wallsCorridor and demising partitions are measured by linear foot and tagged by assembly — 1-hour, 2-hour, or STC-rated. We note head-of-wall joint treatment and blocking for handrail and wall protection, because those items sit in Division 05 and Division 10 but are triggered by the wall assembly.
- Price kitchen, laundry, and nurse callThe commercial kitchen is taken off from the food service plan: hood length, grease duct, make-up air, equipment connections, and the grease interceptor. Nurse call and emergency call are measured as device counts plus pathway length, coordinated with the corridor ceiling height and the electrical panel schedule.
- Apply ZIP-adjusted pricingQuantities go into RSMeans data adjusted for the project ZIP code, with separate material and labor rates. Waste factors are shown as their own line so you can see the difference between net and gross. The estimate lands in Excel and PDF, organized by CSI division, with marked-up plan sets.
- Review and flag gapsBefore delivery, we run a consistency check between the drawings and the specifications. We flag missing details such as incomplete hardware schedules, unspecified wall ratings, or low-voltage sheets that show devices without pathways. These flags are listed in a written summary so you can request clarifications before bid.
What to send us
- Architectural setFloor plans, unit plans, reflected ceiling plans, and door and finish schedules. The unit plan is the single most important sheet for resident room counts.
- Structural setFoundation and framing plans with member sizes. Needed for concrete CY and steel TON, including the elevator and mechanical shaft walls.
- MEP setPlumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection plans. Nurse call and low-voltage drawings are needed for Division 27 and 28 device counts.
- SpecificationsProject manual with CSI section numbers. Assembly ratings, hardware functions, and finish schedules are usually only in the specs.
- Unit mix tableThe schedule of unit types and counts. If it is not on the drawings, send it separately so we price the right mix.
- Site and civilGrading, utility, and parking plans if you want site scope included. Otherwise we price the building footprint only.
Sample takeoff format — illustrative quantities
This is the line-item format you receive, organized by CSI MasterFormat division with a sheet reference for every quantity.
| Section | Line item | Qty | Unit | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 30 00 | Slab-on-grade concrete, 5 in. thick | 1,850 | CY | S-101 |
| 05 12 00 | Structural steel, elevator and mechanical shaft framing | 42 | TON | S-301 |
| 09 51 00 | Acoustical ceiling tile, 2x2, corridor and common areas | 42,800 | SF | A-401 |
| 10 28 00 | Toilet accessories, Type B resident bathroom | 184 | EA | A-601 |
| 11 41 00 | Food service equipment connection, kitchen hood | 6 | EA | FS-101 |
| 14 20 00 | Elevator, 3-stop, 2,500 lb capacity | 2 | EA | A-201 |
| 21 13 13 | Wet-pipe sprinkler head, quick response | 1,240 | EA | FP-101 |
| 22 11 16 | Domestic water piping, Type L copper, 3/4 in. | 3,600 | LF | P-101 |
| 23 31 00 | HVAC duct, galvanized, 24x12 in. | 1,480 | LF | M-201 |
| 26 05 19 | Conductors, THHN, branch circuit | 18,500 | LF | E-301 |
| 27 15 00 | Communications horizontal cabling, Cat 6 | 22,400 | LF | T-101 |
| 28 31 00 | Fire alarm addressable device, corridor notification | 96 | EA | FA-101 |
Units of measure in an assisted living bid takeoff
Every line carries a unit that a subcontractor can price without re-measuring. Derived units like CY and TON come from the dimensions named in the line item.
| Item | Unit | How it's measured |
|---|---|---|
| Resident room wet wall rough-in | EA | Counted per room type from the unit plan, then multiplied by unit mix |
| 1-hour corridor partition | LF | Measured along the corridor centerline, full height floor to deck |
| Type B bathroom grab bar set | EA | Counted per bathroom, three bars at tub, shower, and water closet |
| 2x2 acoustical ceiling tile | SF | Measured room by room, deducting only openings over 10 SF |
| Wet-pipe sprinkler head | EA | Counted at spacing shown on the fire protection plan, by hazard class |
| Supply and return duct | LF | Measured by size and gauge from the mechanical plan, excluding flex |
| Slab-on-grade concrete | CY | Area times thickness from the structural plan, divided by 27 |
| Structural steel | TON | Member weight from the framing plan, plus connection allowance |
| Resident room door and hardware | EA | Counted per opening schedule, hardware set by function type |
| Nurse call station | EA | Counted per device location on the low-voltage plan |
Worked example: takeoff of a typical resident bathroom wet wall
This walkthrough shows how we measure one repeated element — a Type B resident bathroom wet wall — and turn it into priced quantities. All dimensions are illustrative and do not come from a specific project. Use it to see the level of detail you get in the final estimate.
Step 1 — Count the rooms. From the unit plan, we identify the bathroom type. Suppose the unit mix shows 96 units, and 72 have a private Type B bathroom. That gives 72 wet walls to measure. The remaining 24 units share bathrooms or are memory care with different fixtures, so they are counted separately.
Step 2 — Measure the wet wall length. For each private bathroom, the wet wall runs the width of the room. Using an illustrative 8 ft width, the total linear feet of wet wall is 72 rooms × 8 ft = 576 LF.
Step 3 — Rough-in plumbing. Each bathroom has one water closet, one lavatory, and one tub/shower. From the plumbing plan, we measure pipe runs from each fixture back to the nearest riser. Assume an average of 18 LF of domestic water (hot and cold) and 12 LF of sanitary and vent per room. That yields:
- Domestic water: 72 × 18 = 1,296 LF
- Sanitary and vent: 72 × 12 = 864 LF
Step 4 — Fixture count. Fixtures are counted by type: 72 water closets, 72 lavatories, 72 tub/shower units. We also count the trim and rough-in valves separately because they are different CSI sections.
Step 5 — Blocking and backing. The wet wall needs blocking for grab bars at the tub, shower, and water closet. From the accessibility details, we count three grab bar locations per bathroom, each requiring 6 LF of blocking. That is 72 × 3 × 6 = 1,296 LF of blocking. This is a separate line, not included in the drywall square footage.
Step 6 — Wall finishes. The wet wall is typically tiled at the tub surround and painted elsewhere. We measure the tile area per room: 5 ft high × 8 ft wide = 40 SF per bathroom, times 72 = 2,880 SF of tile. The remaining wall area is drywall and paint.
Step 7 — Waste factor. Waste is applied as a separate step, not baked into the net quantity. For tile, a typical waste factor is 10% for straight lay and 15% for diagonal. Using 10%, the tile order quantity becomes 2,880 SF × 1.10 = 3,168 SF. Pipe waste is lower, typically 2–5% for copper and PEX.
Step 8 — Price and output. Each quantity is priced with ZIP-code-adjusted material and labor rates. The result is a line-item estimate showing net quantity, waste, and gross quantity, with a reference to the sheet where the measurement was taken. This same method is applied to every repeated room type on the project.
What drives the senior living construction cost estimate
Relative impact on a typical estimate for this trade, based on estimator judgment. Select a bar for details.
Unit mix and wet walls
Every additional bathroom is a wet wall, a vent stack, a drain, a fan, and a set of grab bars. A building with 70 percent private bathrooms costs more per bed than one with shared bathrooms, even at the same gross square footage. We price the mix you show on the unit plan, not an average.
Every additional bathroom is a wet wall, a vent stack, a drain, a fan, and a set of grab bars. A building with 70 percent private bathrooms costs more per bed than one with shared bathrooms, even at the same gross square footage. We price the mix you show on the unit plan, not an average.
Corridors in assisted living and memory care are typically 1-hour rated with smoke partitions at the unit entry. The assembly, head-of-wall joint, and door hardware all change with the rating. We tag each corridor wall by assembly so the drywall and door subcontractors price the correct system.
Demising walls between resident rooms carry an STC rating, which usually means a staggered or double-stud assembly with insulation and resilient channel. That is more material and more labor than a standard partition. We measure it by linear foot and note the assembly on the wall schedule.
The kitchen hood, grease duct, make-up air unit, and grease interceptor are specialty scopes with long lead times and few bidders. Laundry rooms add gas, venting, and floor drains. We take these off from the food service and plumbing plans so they are not buried in a Division 22 or 23 allowance.
Nurse call, emergency call, access control, and wander management are Division 27 and 28 scopes that are often shown only as a single line on the electrical plan. We count devices and pathway from the low-voltage drawings, and flag where the design is not yet complete.
Multi-story assisted living needs elevators sized for stretchers and residents with mobility devices. Shaft construction, pit, and machine room requirements drive structural and Division 14 cost. We take off the elevator package from the conveyance drawings and the shaft from the structural set.
Senior living projects often require more parking than the zoning minimum, plus drop-off canopies and accessible routes. We measure curb, asphalt, striping, and canopy footings from the civil plans, and note where the parking count exceeds the code minimum so you can see the cost of that decision.
Physical therapy rooms, fitness areas, and therapy pools add equipment anchors, specialized flooring, and higher electrical loads. We take off the equipment connections and floor finishes from the therapy plan, and flag any pool mechanical scope that is not on the plumbing drawings.
Common scope gaps in a senior living bid package
These are the items that most often fall between subcontractors on senior living projects. Each one is a real line in our takeoff.
- Handrail blocking and backing in stud walls is missed when only the handrail is counted. It hides in the wall type details, not the finish schedule. We add blocking by linear foot of corridor handrail.
- Type B bathroom grab bar blocking at the tub, shower, and water closet is often left to the drywall contractor with no quantity. We count it per bathroom from the accessibility details.
- Bathroom exhaust fan and duct riser coordination is missed when the mechanical plan shows the fan but not the corridor ceiling path. We measure the duct run from the fan to the riser.
- Nurse call device rough-in and low-voltage pathway in resident room walls is often shown as a note on the electrical plan. We count devices and pathway from the low-voltage sheets and flag incomplete design.
- Delayed egress hardware and door position switches at memory care perimeter doors are missed when the hardware schedule lists only standard functions. We check the door schedule against the egress narrative.
- Commercial kitchen grease interceptor and hood suppression connection are missed when the kitchen is priced from the food service plan alone. We pick them up from the plumbing and fire protection sheets.
- Memory care secure courtyard gate and fence hardware is missed when site work is priced without the security scope. We measure gates, fence, and access control from the site and security plans.
- Resident lift and ceiling track blocking is missed when only the lift equipment is counted. We add blocking and structural reinforcement by linear foot from the equipment layout.
- Fire-rated shaft wall at elevator and mechanical chases is often omitted when the structural set shows the shaft but not the rated enclosure. We measure the shaft wall by square foot and tag the assembly.
- Wet wall plumbing vent through roof flashing and roof penetration coordination is missed when the plumbing plan stops at the ceiling. We count roof penetrations and flashings from the architectural roof plan.
- Unit entry door closers and smoke gasketing are missed when the hardware schedule lists only the lockset. We add closers and gasketing per door from the life safety plan.
Material and assembly choices that move the estimate
These are the assemblies we measure most often on senior living projects. Each choice changes the quantity, the unit cost, or both.
| Assembly / material | Typical application | What it changes in the takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| CMU with brick veneer | Exterior wall, load-bearing and non-load-bearing | Adds mortar, reinforcement, and brick ties; requires separate flashing and weep holes. |
| Cold-formed steel stud with fiber cement | Exterior wall, non-load-bearing | Adds sheathing, WRB, and continuous insulation; stud gauge changes with height. |
| 1-hour rated corridor partition | Corridor and demising walls | Requires specific stud, drywall, and joint treatment; head-of-wall detail adds material. |
| STC-rated demising wall | Between resident rooms | Staggered or double stud with insulation and resilient channel; more labor and material. |
| TPO or EPDM roofing | Low-slope roof over resident wings | Adds insulation, cover board, and flashing; roof penetrations from vents and hoods. |
| Standing seam metal roof | Entry canopy or pitched roof areas | Adds clips, underlayment, and trim; snow guards may be required in some climates. |
| Resident room door and hardware | Unit entry and bathroom doors | Hardware function changes with rating and accessibility; closers and gasketing add cost. |
| Corridor handrail and wall protection | Corridor walls at 42 in. and 36 in. | Requires blocking in stud walls; wall protection adds corner guards and bumper rails. |
| Wet-pipe sprinkler with quick-response heads | Throughout building | Head count changes with hazard class and ceiling height; concealed heads cost more. |
| Nurse call and emergency call | Resident rooms and bathrooms | Device count and pathway length; rough-in must coordinate with electrical and low-voltage. |
Codes and standards that affect the takeoff
Model codes
Senior living buildings are typically classified under the International Building Code (IBC) as Group I-1 or I-2 occupancies, depending on the level of care and whether residents are incapable of self-preservation. That classification drives the number of exits, corridor width, travel distance, and the required fire-resistance rating of corridor and demising walls. The International Residential Code (IRC) may apply to independent living cottages. The IECC sets envelope insulation and glazing values that change wall and roof assemblies. The NEC and IPC or UPC govern electrical and plumbing rough-in. NFPA 13 governs sprinkler design and head spacing. Confirm the adopted edition with the local building department.
Industry standards
Estimators rely on ACI 318 for concrete, ASTM standards for materials and test methods, and SMACNA for duct construction. The Gypsum Association publishes GA-600, which lists fire and sound ratings for wall assemblies; that document tells you the exact stud, insulation, and drywall layers behind a 1-hour or STC-rated wall. NRCA guidelines inform roofing takeoff for flashing and insulation. These standards do not change the code requirement, but they define what the assembly actually contains, which is what you price.
Specification sections
You must read the project manual, not just the drawings. Division 03 concrete specs give mix designs and reinforcement details that affect CY and TON. Division 08 door and hardware specs list functions, finishes, and electrified hardware that change the unit cost. Division 09 finishes specs define tile, paint, and acoustical ceiling types. Division 10 specialties specs cover toilet accessories, signage, and wall protection. Division 11 equipment specs list food service and therapy equipment connections. Division 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, and 28 specs define sprinkler, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and low-voltage scopes. Each section can add or remove line items from the takeoff.
Local amendments
Adopted code editions vary by state and jurisdiction; some are on the 2018 IBC, others on 2021 or 2024. Local amendments can change sprinkler requirements, corridor ratings, or accessibility details. For example, some states require sprinklers in all assisted living buildings regardless of size, while others allow an exception for small facilities. Seismic design categories affect bracing for ceilings and mechanical systems. Always confirm the adopted edition and any amendments with the local building department before finalizing your bid.
Who uses an assisted living estimate for contractors
General contractors
You need a second set of eyes on a hard bid or a GMP. We return a division-by-division takeoff you can compare against your own, so you can see which subcontractor is light on wet walls or corridor handrail before you sign.
Senior living developers
You are testing a pro forma before land close or a construction loan. A unit-mix-based estimate tells you whether the project pencils at the rent you can charge, and which scope to value-engineer first.
Specialty subcontractors
Drywall, plumbing, and electrical bidders on assisted living projects need quantities by assembly and by room type. We give you the linear feet and device counts you can price directly, with the sheet reference.
Architects and owners
You want a cost check at design development before the drawings are complete. We flag the gaps in the documents so you can close them before the bid, rather than through change orders.