Tools
Numbers you can run before you call.
CAD scales, converters, and takeoff calculators — all in the browser. They are planning tools, not a contract. For a preliminary number with sector multipliers, ask AI Guy or request a quote.
AutoCAD
Paperspace vs modelspace (imperial)
Draw the building in modelspace at real size. A 40-foot wall is 40 feet — not 10 inches on a sheet. That is why dimensions, snaps, and takeoffs stay honest.
Paperspace is the sheet: title block, notes, and viewports. Each viewport has a scale annotation (for example 1/4" = 1'-0"). You are looking through a window at the model, not shrinking the model to fit the paper.
Plot from paperspace. Keep text and dimensions in the viewport annotation scale (or in paperspace) so a 1/8" set and a 1/4" set do not fight. If a viewport scale and a dimstyle disagree, the sheet will lie.
| Scale | Ratio | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1/16" = 1'-0" | 1:192 | Large site / campus plans |
| 1/8" = 1'-0" | 1:96 | Site plans, large floor plates |
| 3/16" = 1'-0" | 1:64 | Overall building plans |
| 1/4" = 1'-0" | 1:48 | Architectural floor plans (common) |
| 3/8" = 1'-0" | 1:32 | Enlarged plans, interiors |
| 1/2" = 1'-0" | 1:24 | Enlarged rooms, stairs |
| 3/4" = 1'-0" | 1:16 | Interior elevations, details |
| 1" = 1'-0" | 1:12 | Cabinet and millwork |
| 1-1/2" = 1'-0" | 1:8 | Large details |
| 3" = 1'-0" | 1:4 | Typical construction details |
| Full size (1:1) | 1:1 | True-size details, templates |
Conversion
Metric ↔ imperial
Length and area only. 1 m = 3.28084 ft. 1 m² = 10.7639 sq ft. Numbers stay in the browser.
Concrete
Slab volume
Length × width × thickness. Bags assume a rough 2,400 kg/m³ and the bag size you type — waste, slump, and ready-mix vs bags change the real order. Not a quote.
- Area
- 240 sq ft
- Cubic yards
- 2.96 yd³
- Cubic metres
- 2.27 m³
- Bags (rough)
- 182
Flooring
Square-foot takeoff
Rectangle rooms only. Add waste for cuts and pattern. Irregular rooms need a measure.
- Net
- 252 sq ft
- With waste
- 277.2 sq ft
Ontario
Building-code awareness
Ontario regulates construction through the Building Code Act and the Ontario Building Code (OBC), currently aligned with the 2024 code cycle as adopted and amended by the province. Municipal building departments are the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for permits and inspections. A drawing that is legal in one township can still need a revision in the next.
- Permits are typical for new structures, structural changes, and many plumbing, HVAC, and electrical alterations.
- Stairs, guards, and glass railings are dimensioned — rise/run, opening limits, and structural glass are not “close enough.”
- Accessibility in Ontario is read through the OBC and the AODA, not a borrowed American checklist.
- Energy and spatial-separation rules affect openings, insulation, and sometimes whether a slab or addition is a simple pad.
- Industrial processes, fire separations, and change of use often need an architect or engineer — we say so when the brief is past a contractor conversation.
This page is general awareness for owners and GCs. It is not legal advice, not a code review, and not a permit. Verify requirements with the local AHJ and, where the work is structural or a change of use, with a licensed designer or engineer. MTCPros will not pretend a webpage replaces that.
Talk to the office
519.295.0085
116 Dundas Street West, Thamesford. Primary service area: Southwestern Ontario. We also take projects across Canada and the United States. Call, email, or WhatsApp — or send the estimate form and we will reply from info@mtcpros.ca.