name

readyframe-takeoff-validator

description

Validates ReadyFrame material takeoffs against all system rules and specifications to catch errors before materials are ordered. Use when validating takeoffs, checking material quantities, reviewing ReadyFrame compliance, verifying plate ratios, checking stud counts, validating opening components, ensuring grade assignments are correct, or when asked to "check this takeoff", "validate materials", "review for errors", or "does this look right". Critical for quality assurance before ordering materials.

ReadyFrame Takeoff Validator

Overview

Validate ReadyFrame material takeoffs against comprehensive system rules to catch errors before materials are ordered. Performs 7 critical quality assurance checks and provides detailed feedback on compliance issues.

Quick Validation

For a complete takeoff validation, provide:

Wall dimensions (length and height)
Material quantities (plates, studs, opening components)
Material grades and categories

The validator will check:

Plate Ratio (2:1 ReadyFrame:Loose)
Stud Density (~0.75 per LF for 16" O.C.)
Material Categorization (ReadyFrame vs Loose)
Grade Assignments (No.2 vs DF Stud)
Opening Components (completeness and counts)
Documentation Consistency (matching across sources)
Layout Integrity (stud spacing and critical studs)

Validation Workflows

1. Quick Validation (Basic Checks)

When to use: Rapid validation of overall takeoff accuracy

Required inputs:

Wall length (LF)
ReadyFrame plates (LF)
Loose plates (LF)
Total stud count
Number of openings

Validates:

Plate ratio check (Expected: 2:1, Range: 1.8-2.2)
Total plates check (Should equal 3× wall length)
Stud density check (Expected: ~0.75 per LF for 16" O.C.)

Usage:

python scripts/quick_validate.py \
  --wall-length 84.5 \
  --rf-plates 169 \
  --loose-plates 84.5 \
  --studs 64 \
  --openings 0

2. Comprehensive Validation (All Checks)

When to use: Complete validation before ordering materials

Required inputs:

All basic inputs, plus:
Complete material breakdown by component
Grade assignments for each component
Panel elevations or cutting lists
Opening specifications

Validates:

All quick validation checks
Material categorization (each component)
Grade assignments (No.2 vs DF Stud)
Opening component completeness
Trimmer quantities by opening type
Documentation consistency

Usage:

python scripts/comprehensive_validate.py --input takeoff_data.json

3. Panel-by-Panel Validation

When to use: Validating individual panel specifications

Required inputs:

Panel ID and dimensions
Panel cutting list
Component specifications

Validates:

Panel material consistency
Component labeling accuracy
Dimensional accuracy
Grade specifications

Seven Critical Validation Checks

Check 1: Plate Ratio Validation

Rule: ReadyFrame plates : Loose plates ≈ 2:1

Formula:

Plate Ratio = ReadyFrame Plates LF / Loose Plates LF

Acceptable Range: 1.8 to 2.2

Common Errors:

❌ All 3 plates categorized as ReadyFrame (ratio = ∞)
❌ Only bottom plate in ReadyFrame (ratio = 0.5)
❌ Forgetting third top plate entirely

Example Validation:

Input:
- Wall: 84.5 LF
- ReadyFrame plates: 169 LF
- Loose plates: 84.5 LF

Calculation:
- Ratio = 169 / 84.5 = 2.0

Result: ✓ PASS (within 1.8-2.2 range)

Error Messages:

Warning: "Plate ratio 2.3 outside expected range 1.8-2.2"
Critical: "Plate ratio 3.5 indicates incorrect categorization"

Check 2: Total Plate Verification

Rule: Total plates / 3 ≈ Wall length

Formula:

Total Plates LF = ReadyFrame Plates + Loose Plates
Expected = Wall Length LF × 3
Variance = ABS(Total - Expected) / Expected

Acceptable Variance: < 5%

Purpose: Catches missing plates or calculation errors

Example Validation:

Input:
- Wall: 84.5 LF
- Total plates: 253.5 LF (169 + 84.5)

Calculation:
- Expected: 84.5 × 3 = 253.5 LF
- Variance: 0%

Result: ✓ PASS

Common Errors:

❌ Forgetting one plate type
❌ Miscalculating panel lengths
❌ Not accounting for mitered ends

Check 3: Stud Density Validation

Rule: ~0.75 studs per linear foot (16" O.C.)

Formula:

Stud Density = Total Studs / Wall Length LF

Acceptable Range: 0.65 to 0.85 studs/LF

Accounts For:

Opening adjustments
Panel seam requirements
Corner conditions

Example Validation:

Input:
- Wall: 84.5 LF
- Total studs: 64

Calculation:
- Density = 64 / 84.5 = 0.757 studs/LF

Result: ✓ PASS (within 0.65-0.85 range)

Spacing Adjustments:

16" O.C.: 0.75 studs/LF baseline
24" O.C.: 0.50 studs/LF baseline
With openings: Adjust for reductions and kings

Check 4: Material Categorization

Rule: Components must be correctly categorized as ReadyFrame or Loose

Decision Tree: See references/categorization_rules.md

Validates:

✓ Bottom plates → ReadyFrame
✓ First top plates → ReadyFrame
✓ Third top plates → Loose
✓ Full-length studs → Loose
✓ Trimmers → ReadyFrame
✓ Headers → ReadyFrame
✓ King studs → Loose

Common Errors:

❌ King studs in ReadyFrame package
❌ Third top plate in ReadyFrame
❌ Trimmers in Loose package

Validation Script: scripts/validate_categorization.py

Check 5: Grade Assignment Validation

Rule: Proper lumber grade for each component category

No.2 Grade (ReadyFrame):

All plates in ReadyFrame package
Trimmers (cut to exact heights)
Headers (cut to exact spans)
Cripples (calculated heights)
Custom-cut components

DF Stud Grade (Loose):

All full-length studs
Third top plates (16' lengths)
King studs (full standard height)
Critical studs

Common Errors:

❌ Trimmers specified as DF Stud
❌ King studs specified as No.2
❌ Mixing grades within same category

Check 6: Opening Component Completeness

Rule: Every opening must have all required components

Minimum Requirements Per Opening:

2 king studs (Loose, DF Stud, full height)
Minimum 2 trimmers (ReadyFrame, No.2, cut height)
1 header (ReadyFrame, No.2, 2-ply)
1 sill if window (ReadyFrame, No.2)
Cripples as needed (ReadyFrame, No.2)

Trimmer Count Validation: See references/trimmer_validation.md for complete rules

Standard Window: 2 trimmers Wide Window (>5'): 2 + 2×FLOOR((W-5)/5) Mulled Units: # units + 1 Bay Windows: 2 + 2×(sections-1)

Validation Example:

Opening: 6' wide window
Expected trimmers: 2 (standard, ≤5' gets 2)
Wait - 6' > 5', recalculate:
2 + 2×FLOOR((6-5)/5) = 2 + 2×0 = 2 trimmers

Actually still 2 because (6-5)/5 = 0.2, floor = 0

Check 7: Documentation Consistency

Rule: All documents must match and be complete

Cross-Reference Validation:

Panel IDs on placement match elevation sheets
Panel dimensions consistent across documents
Cutting lists match material sheets
Header sizes appropriate for spans

Common Inconsistencies:

❌ Panel shown on placement but no elevation
❌ Dimensions don't match between documents
❌ Missing panels in sequence (E101, E103... where's E102?)
❌ Header size inadequate for span width

Validation Severity Levels

PASS ✓

All checks within acceptable ranges. Takeoff ready for ordering.

WARNING ⚠️

Minor deviations that should be reviewed but may be acceptable:

Plate ratio 1.75-1.79 or 2.21-2.25
Stud density 0.62-0.64 or 0.86-0.88
Minor documentation formatting issues

ERROR ❌

Significant issues that must be corrected before ordering:

Plate ratio < 1.5 or > 2.5
Stud density < 0.55 or > 0.95
Missing opening components
Incorrect grade assignments
Material categorization errors

CRITICAL 🚨

Major errors indicating fundamental misunderstanding:

Missing entire plate categories
No trimmers for openings
All materials in wrong category
Grade specifications completely reversed

Validation Output Format

Summary Report

READYFRAME TAKEOFF VALIDATION REPORT
====================================

PROJECT: HH-1890A
WALL: E102 (84-1/2" length)
DATE: 2025-11-15

VALIDATION RESULTS:
[✓] Plate Ratio: 2.00 (PASS)
[✓] Total Plates: 253.5 LF vs 253.5 expected (PASS)
[✓] Stud Density: 0.76 studs/LF (PASS)
[✓] Material Categories: All correct (PASS)
[✓] Grade Assignments: All correct (PASS)
[✓] Opening Components: N/A - No openings (PASS)
[✓] Documentation: Consistent (PASS)

OVERALL STATUS: ✓ READY TO ORDER

No issues found. Takeoff validated against all ReadyFrame rules.

Detailed Error Report

READYFRAME TAKEOFF VALIDATION REPORT
====================================

PROJECT: Sample Project
WALL: P105 (30' length)
DATE: 2025-11-15

VALIDATION RESULTS:
[❌] Plate Ratio: 3.00 (ERROR)
[⚠️] Stud Density: 0.87 studs/LF (WARNING)
[❌] Material Categories: 2 errors found (ERROR)
[✓] Grade Assignments: All correct (PASS)
[❌] Opening Components: Missing trimmers (CRITICAL)
[✓] Documentation: Consistent (PASS)

OVERALL STATUS: ❌ REQUIRES CORRECTION

ERRORS FOUND:

1. PLATE RATIO ERROR (CRITICAL)
   Problem: Ratio of 3.00 indicates missing Loose plates
   Expected: ~2.0 (range 1.8-2.2)
   Actual: ReadyFrame 60 LF, Loose 20 LF
   Solution: Verify third top plate is categorized as Loose
   
2. MATERIAL CATEGORIZATION ERROR
   Problem: King studs listed in ReadyFrame package
   Component: 4 king studs
   Expected Category: Loose (DF Stud grade)
   Actual Category: ReadyFrame (No.2 grade)
   Solution: Move king studs to Loose package
   
3. OPENING COMPONENTS ERROR (CRITICAL)
   Problem: Opening specified but no trimmers found
   Opening: 4'×5' window
   Required: Minimum 2 trimmers (ReadyFrame, No.2)
   Found: 0 trimmers
   Solution: Add 2 trimmers at proper height to cutting list

RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Recategorize third top plate as Loose
- Move 4 king studs to Loose package  
- Add 2 trimmers for window opening
- Revalidate after corrections

Using the Validation Scripts

Quick Validation Script

python scripts/quick_validate.py \
  --wall-length 84.5 \
  --rf-plates 169 \
  --loose-plates 84.5 \
  --studs 64 \
  --openings 0 \
  --output summary

Comprehensive Validation

python scripts/comprehensive_validate.py \
  --input takeoff.json \
  --output detailed \
  --check-all

Batch Validation

python scripts/batch_validate.py \
  --folder /path/to/takeoffs/ \
  --format excel \
  --output validation_results.xlsx

Integration with Workflow

Pre-Order Checklist

Before ordering materials:

✓ Run quick validation on totals
✓ Run comprehensive validation on details
✓ Review any warnings or errors
✓ Make corrections as needed
✓ Revalidate after changes
✓ Generate final validation report
✓ Attach report to purchase order

Quality Gate

Use as quality gate in workflow:

Takeoff creation → Quick validation
Corrections → Comprehensive validation
Final review → Full validation report
Only proceed if STATUS = READY TO ORDER

Common Validation Scenarios

Scenario 1: Basic Wall (No Openings)

Input:

84.5 LF wall, 104-5/8" height, 2x6 @ 16" O.C.
RF plates: 169 LF
Loose plates: 84.5 LF
Studs: 64

Expected Result: ✓ All checks pass

Scenario 2: Wall with Windows

Input:

30 LF wall with two 4'×5' windows
RF plates: 60 LF
Loose plates: 30 LF
Studs: 25 (21 common + 4 kings)
Trimmers: 4
Headers: 2
Sills: 2

Expected Result: ✓ All checks pass

Scenario 3: Common Error - Missing Third Plate

Input:

30 LF wall
RF plates: 90 LF (all three plates!)
Loose plates: 0 LF

Expected Result: ❌ ERROR

Plate ratio: ∞ (division by zero)
Error: "Third top plate missing from Loose package"

Resources

scripts/

quick_validate.py - Fast validation of basic checks
comprehensive_validate.py - Complete validation engine
batch_validate.py - Validate multiple takeoffs
validate_categorization.py - Check material categories
validate_grades.py - Verify lumber grade assignments

references/

validation_rules.md - Complete validation rule set
categorization_rules.md - Material categorization decision tree
trimmer_validation.md - Trimmer count validation by type
error_messages.md - All error messages with solutions
validation_examples.md - Real-world validation examples

CRITICAL: Always validate takeoffs before ordering materials. Catching errors early saves time and money!

readyframe-takeoff-validator

Install Skill

SKILL.md

ReadyFrame Takeoff Validator

Overview

Quick Validation

Validation Workflows

1. Quick Validation (Basic Checks)

2. Comprehensive Validation (All Checks)

3. Panel-by-Panel Validation

Seven Critical Validation Checks

Check 1: Plate Ratio Validation

Check 2: Total Plate Verification

Check 3: Stud Density Validation

Check 4: Material Categorization

Check 5: Grade Assignment Validation

Check 6: Opening Component Completeness

Check 7: Documentation Consistency

Validation Severity Levels

PASS ✓

WARNING ⚠️

ERROR ❌

CRITICAL 🚨

Validation Output Format

Summary Report

Detailed Error Report

Using the Validation Scripts

Quick Validation Script

Comprehensive Validation

Batch Validation

Integration with Workflow

Pre-Order Checklist

Quality Gate

Common Validation Scenarios

Scenario 1: Basic Wall (No Openings)

Scenario 2: Wall with Windows

Scenario 3: Common Error - Missing Third Plate

Resources

scripts/

references/