MEP

MEP stands for mechanical, electrical and plumbing — the three building-systems trades that make a structure functional: HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), power distribution and lighting, and water supply and waste. MEP contractors design, estimate, fabricate, install and service these systems, and MEP work routinely represents 30% to 50% of a commercial building's construction cost. The trades are estimating-intensive: MEP takeoffs mean counting hundreds of symbols (fixtures, devices, diffusers, equipment tags) and measuring pipe, conduit and duct runs across many sheets, then pricing labor from productivity rates. That symbol- and run-heavy nature makes MEP a natural fit for AI blueprint takeoff, which is why much of the newest estimating software — DesignFlow Build's takeoff engine included — focuses on MEP trades first.

Related term: AI blueprint takeoff