How to count a pile
Three steps. Most people are done in a few minutes, plus the time the map takes to build.
Before you start
- Create a free account, then tap Request access on the Pile Count page. We turn Pile Count on, usually the same day.
- Use a phone or a drone. Daylight, no heavy shadows, and nothing parked against the pile works best.
1. Take and upload the photos
- Walk or fly all the way around the pile.
- Take a photo every couple of steps so each one overlaps the last.
- About 40 photos is good. You need at least 30.
- On Pile Count, type a pile name (for example "North gravel"), tap Upload photos, and pick the photos. Keep the page open until it says Upload complete. The button turns green: Photos ✓ Success.
2. Make the map
Tap Make map. This takes a while (often an hour or more for 40 photos). You can close the page and come back; your pile is listed under Your piles. When it's done the button says Map ✓ Success.
After a map is made, the uploaded photos are removed from our server to save space. Keep your own copies.
3. Tap the pile
Tap the pile on the map. Piletally draws a green outline and shows Pile volume in cubic yards and about how many tons. Pick the Material to change the tons.
Outline wrong? Tap Outline looks wrong?, then Draw it myself and tap around the bottom edge of the pile, or Try again.
Send the result
Use Email this result, Download PDF (name, date, yards, tons and a map picture), or Copy result to paste it into a text.
Something went wrong?
- Upload stopped: check your signal or Wi-Fi and tap Try again. Photos that already went up are not sent twice.
- Map failed: upload the photos again and tap Make map. More overlap between photos usually fixes it.
- Pile Count is locked: tap Request access on the Pile Count page.
Contact us
Email support@piletally.com. Tell us your username and what you were doing. Please don't send passwords.