From 7 to 1.5 Hours: How Nick Annis Uses MeasureSquare Stone & Tile to Simplify His Workflow

When Nick Annis transitioned from residential to commercial estimating at Bay Area Granite and Marble, the workflow he relied on no longer held up. What worked for small residential jobs no longer worked for a large-scale commercial stone estimating workflow.

With drawings containing up to 150 units and 20+ layout variations, manual slab counting quickly became a bottleneck. Each unit had to be laid out individually, multiplied manually, and cross-checked, which was an inefficient, error-prone process.

 “It got pretty messy and too complex to even read the drawing sometimes,” says Nick.

The Search for a Tool to Fit a Commercial Stone Estimating Workflow

Nick evaluated several mainstream tools, including STACK, Bluebeam, and Autodesk Fusion 360. None struck the right balance for his commercial stone estimating workflow. Some were too complex for simple stone work and others lacked the depth needed for accurate takeoffs. After spending anywhere from a few days to two weeks with each, Nick moved on. Then, through a recommendation from Rockheads, he tried MeasureSquare Stone & Tile. “The slab optimizer and the shop drawings were the two big things that set you guys apart.”

A 9-Month Transition Phase to Adoption

Rather than switching overnight, Nick and his team took a methodical approach. Over nine months, they tested workflows, built out pricing, and validated outputs. For each project, Nick would generate a quote using their legacy process (QuickBooks) and compare it against MeasureSquare Stone & Tile. The results aligned quickly, and consistently. Once pricing matched with confidence, the team fully transitioned.

A Unified Platform for a Commercial Stone Estimating Workflow

Prior to Measure Square, this was his workflow: Measure on Adobe, draw in CounterGo, and price it in QuickBooks. With MeasureSquare Stone & Tile, he can measure, draw, and price in one platform.

The difference wasn’t just consolidation, it was speed and precision. Previously, even simple shapes required multiple steps. An L-shaped countertop meant measuring each segment individually — backsplash, depth, and front edge — one at a time. Now, measurements are captured instantly with simple clicks. The software detects lines directly from drawings, eliminating repetitive manual input.

Solving the Biggest Pain Point: Shop Drawings

One of the most impactful improvements came from shop drawings. Previously, field templators often worked from fragmented or manually written descriptions. Now, they have clear, visual documentation of exactly what was quoted and what needs to be measured. For large projects, this clarity is critical.

You couldn’t read the drawing because there were too many elements packed in. “So, having each unit separate, knowing the exact sizes of what was quoted, now they have a better understanding,” says Nick.

Nick says that everyone loves the new quote layout (except for the minority who haven’t quite gotten used to it). “I mean, because we can break stuff down for them. It's easy to break things apart and it's really customizable to what we need it to be,” he says.

Faster Takeoffs, Better Accuracy

The time savings are significant. What once took up to 7 hours, which included ~3 hours drawing and ~4 hours counting slabs, now takes about 1.5 hours total.

Instead of redrawing every unit and manually calculating material yield, Nick can:

• Duplicate layout types instantly
• Apply them across hundreds of units
• Run slab optimization with a single click

A project with 20-30 layout types across 150 kitchens can now be completed in a fraction of the time.

Fewer Misses, Better Margins

Improved visibility has also reduced costly oversights. In the past, items like wall cladding could slip through, especially since the shop didn’t typically handle wall finishes. “I was eating five to ten grand depending on the project,” says Nick.

Now, those elements are clearly captured and included in the estimate, protecting margins and improving client communication.

Top 3 Most Valuable Features

For Nick, the three most valuable tools in MeasureSquare Stone & Tile have been the ones that automate, simplify, and speed up his workflow.

Adoption That Stuck

Like any new system, setup took effort, particularly building out product and pricing data. But once that foundation was in place, the rest came easily. “The training and communication have been a breeze. We usually get a response within 24 hours, and we can hop on a call anytime.”

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