Matrak AI TakeoffStart your takeoff
Matrak vs EC3
EC3 is a free EPD database and carbon calculator. Matrak supplies the quantities and applies Australian NABERS factors.
What is EC3?
EC3 (the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator) is a free tool from the non-profit Building Transparency, with more than 50,000 EPDs. It compares product-stage (A1 to A3) carbon for materials, using quantities from BIM, cost estimates or manual entry.
Where it shines: Free, a huge EPD library, and excellent for comparing and specifying lower-carbon products.
Matrak vs EC3, capability by capability
| Capability | EC3 | Matrak AI Takeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Measures quantities from PDF drawings | No | Yes |
| Uses supplier EPDs | Yes | Yes |
| NABERS factors (Green Star Upfront Carbon) | No | Yes |
| Re-measures each revision and shows the carbon change | No | Yes |
| Every quantity marked up on the drawing | No | Yes |
| Whole-of-life LCA (modules A to D) | No | No |
| Certified rating or certification report | No | No |
| Where the quantities come from | BIM plug-ins, estimate import or manual entry | PDF drawings, plus any supplier EPDs you attach |
| Pricing | Free | Pay per takeoff, carbon included. No subscription. |
Based on each vendor's public product information as at September 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll correct it.
The difference that matters
EC3 is built around North American data and doesn't include the NABERS factors that Green Star's Upfront Carbon credit requires. It also still needs the quantities. Matrak measures them from the PDF drawings and applies supplier EPDs or NABERS factors line by line.
A carbon tool is only as good as the quantities fed into it, and producing those quantities is the slow, expensive part: a consultant rebuilding a bill of quantities by hand, often months after the drawings. Matrak's AI measures them straight from the PDF drawings in about 30 minutes, applies supplier EPDs first and NABERS factors where there are none, and shows every quantity marked up on the drawing. Run it again on the next revision and you see the carbon change beside the cost change.
Frequently asked questions
Does Matrak replace an LCA tool?
Not for a whole-of-life LCA or a certified rating. Matrak measures upfront embodied carbon (cradle-to-gate, A1 to A3) for each line of the bill of quantities, from the drawings. Many teams use it to get the quantities and a first carbon number fast, then carry the bill into their LCA tool or a NABERS assessment.
Where do the carbon factors come from?
Your suppliers' Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) when you attach them. Otherwise the NABERS National material emission factors database (v2026.2), the dataset GBCA's Green Star Buildings requires for its Upfront Carbon credit.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes for a typical project, from PDF drawings to a bill of quantities with carbon on every line. There's no model to build and no quantities to type in.
Can we export it?
Yes. Excel, CSV and the quote all carry the carbon columns, or push it straight into Matrak.