One-time price
$39.99 once. No subscription.
Every tool is free on 3 drawings. Pro unlocks unlimited drawings for a single payment, with a key that works on 2 PCs.
Compare
PDF markup apps for electricians, compared.
Rough-In Redlines next to Bluebeam Revu, Drawboard PDF and PDF Expert. They're all good tools that do different jobs. Here's where Rough-In fits, and where it doesn't, so you can pick the right one for your crew.
At a glance
Four apps, four different jobs.
The short version: Bluebeam is the big office standard, Drawboard is pen-first markup, PDF Expert is a general PDF editor, and Rough-In is a small, one-time-price tool built for the trades.
| Rough-In Redlines | Bluebeam Revu | Drawboard PDF | PDF Expert | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free for 3 drawings. Pro is $39.99 once. No subscription. | Subscription plans | Free version, with a subscription for Pro features | Free version, with paid plans for full editing |
| Platforms | Windows 10 & 11 now. iPad, iPhone and Mac Coming soon Android tablets in development. | Windows desktop focused, with browser and iPad companion apps | Windows and iPad, built around pen input | Apple-first: Mac, iPad and iPhone |
| Built for | Electricians and the trades in the field and the office: foremen, estimators, PMs | Architecture, engineering and construction teams of every size | Architects, engineers and builders marking up drawings with a pen | Anyone who reads, edits and signs PDFs |
| Trade tools | 600+ trade symbols, Find & Count, measure to scale, compare revisions, panel schedules (iPad; Windows in the next update) | Deep measurement and takeoff, custom tool sets, document compare | Construction markup and measuring tools | General PDF markup, not construction-specific |
| Team version | Crew, $15 per person per month Coming soon | Yes, built-in collaboration on its plans | A separate team product | Not a construction team tool |
Competitor details as of October 2026; check their sites for current pricing, plans and platforms. This is our summary of public information, written in good faith. If something here is out of date, email support@roughinredlines.com and we'll fix it.
What's different
Why crews pick Rough-In.
It doesn't try to do everything. It does the things a foreman and a PM do to a print every day, at a price you pay once.
Built for the trades
Symbols, counts and panel schedules.
600+ trade symbols in 18 libraries. Box one receptacle and Find & Count finds the rest. Panel directory cards without Excel.
Works offline
Basements and trailers, no signal.
Everything works offline. Your drawings stay on your device, and you don't need an account.
Bluebeam-compatible
The office keeps editing.
Send a PDF where every markup stays editable in Bluebeam Revu or Adobe Acrobat, with author, subject and date.
Field and office
Redline, then sign, redact and print.
Compare revisions, fill PDF forms, sign, redact for real, combine pages and print up to 36×48 on the plotter.
Crew · coming soon
Your whole team on the same drawings.
Crew, the team version, syncs markups, photos, counts and forms between the office PC and the field iPad. $15 per person per month. Learn more
What's in it
Rough-In Redlines, tool by tool.
What the Windows version does today, and what's coming in the next update. We only list tools that are built; "next update" means it's in testing now.
| Tool | Today (Windows) | Next update |
|---|---|---|
| Clouds, pen, highlighter, text and callouts | Yes | Yes |
| Electrical and trade symbols, stamps, signatures | Yes | Yes |
| Photos pinned on the drawing | Yes | Yes |
| Count and Find & Count | Yes | Yes |
| Measure, with the scale read from the title block | Yes | Yes |
| Compare two revisions | Yes | Yes |
| Redact (removes what's underneath) | Yes | Yes |
| Fill PDF forms | Yes | Yes |
| PDF export editable in Bluebeam and Acrobat | Yes | Yes |
| Panel schedules | iPad | Windows |
| Pages view, combine files, print and plot | Yes | Yes |
| Snap to the drawing (line ends, corners) | Not yet | Next update |
| Area in square feet | Not yet | Next update |
| Lengths shown on lines and boxes | Not yet | Next update |
| Align and group markups | Not yet | Next update |
| Symbols snap into evenly spaced rows | Not yet | Next update |
| Search text across sheets | Not yet | Next update |
| Local projects | Not yet | Next update |
Rough-In Redlines for Windows is on the Microsoft Store now. The iPad, iPhone and Mac app is coming soon to the App Store. See every feature · Watch the how-to videos
Honest fit
Who it's for, and who it isn't.
A good fit if you…
- Are an electrician, plumber, HVAC or low-voltage tech, foreman or estimator who lives on the prints
- Want to redline, count devices, measure and send it back without a subscription
- Work in places with no signal, and want your drawings to stay on your device
- Send markups to an office that uses Bluebeam or Acrobat
- Are a PM who needs to sign, redact, combine and print, not run a whole platform
Probably not for you if you…
- Need CAD: Rough-In marks up PDFs and pictures, it doesn't draw or edit DWG files
- Need a plan room or document-control platform with RFIs, submittals and transmittals
- Run detailed estimating takeoffs with cost databases and bid reports
- Need a large, live multi-company review session today (Crew, our team version, is still coming soon)
- Need it on an iPad, Mac or Android tablet today: Windows is out now, the rest is on the way
Try it on a real print.
Free for 3 drawings on Windows, every tool included. No account, no sign-up. Questions first? See the FAQ.
Bluebeam and Revu are trademarks of Bluebeam, Inc. Drawboard is a trademark of Drawboard Pty Ltd. PDF Expert is a trademark of Readdle Inc. Adobe and Acrobat are trademarks of Adobe Inc. Rough-In Redlines is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them; their names are used only to identify their products.