AI estimating software for construction.
“Estimating” and “takeoff” get used interchangeably, but they're different jobs. Here's what AI estimating software actually automates — and where the real time is won.
What it automates
AI estimating software automates the slow, repetitive parts of building a bid: principally the quantity takeoff (counting and measuring), and increasingly cost benchmarking and bid analysis by learning from historical data. Pricing itself — labor units, supplier pricing, markups — is usually fast and templated once the quantities exist. So the leverage is in automating the takeoff: do that and you've automated the part of estimating that actually limits how many bids a team can produce.
How Pilars does it
Pilars focuses on the highest-leverage step — fully automated, confidence-scored quantity takeoff that reads specs and checks code — and exports clean quantities into the estimating workflow you already use (Excel, Sage, WinEst). You keep your pricing model; Pilars removes the takeoff bottleneck feeding it.
Everything Pilars does
Reads the whole set + spec book
Pilars reads every sheet and the specification book together, resolving references across sheets and schedules — not just one floor plan in isolation.
Trade-specific models
Counts devices, fixtures and equipment and traces runs across 48 CSI divisions — real trade takeoff, not generic area measurement.
Code-compliance flagging
Every takeoff is checked against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA, so compliance risk surfaces before the bid goes out.
Confidence score on every line
Each quantity carries a confidence score sourced to the exact sheet, so review is fast, targeted and defensible to the GC.
Cross-sheet reasoning
Resolves door, window and fixture schedules and one-line references the way a senior estimator would — catching scope the plan alone hides.
Cloud, with clean exports
Nothing to install. Export bid-ready quantities to Excel, Sage, WinEst and your estimating tool of choice.
Why estimating teams choose Pilars
- 8x faster bidding — a multi-hour takeoff becomes a short review of confidence-scored quantities.
- 94% takeoff coverage on the first pass, so estimators refine rather than rebuild.
- Bid 2–3x more jobs without hiring — and for subs, win rate rises with bid volume.
- $100 per trade, per plan — no per-seat licenses, unlimited projects.
- Quantities sourced to the sheet with a confidence score — defensible to owners and GCs.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between takeoff and estimating?
Takeoff is determining the quantities of materials; estimating is pricing those quantities into a bid (labor, material, markup). Takeoff is the slow part AI automates.
Does AI estimating software do the pricing too?
Some platforms add cost benchmarking from historical data, but pricing is largely templated. The biggest time savings come from automating the takeoff, then exporting quantities to your estimating tool.
Can AI estimating software integrate with my current tools?
Pilars exports bid-ready quantities to Excel, Sage, WinEst and other estimating tools, so you keep your pricing database and workflow.
Is AI estimating software worth it for a mid-size contractor?
For shops bidding 10+ jobs a month it typically pays for itself fast — freed estimator capacity means more bids and, at a constant hit rate, more wins.
How is Pilars priced versus other AI estimating tools?
$100 per trade, per plan with no per-seat fees, versus per-seat (~$35–$299/user) or per-project models elsewhere.
How much does Pilars cost?
Pilars is $100 per trade, per plan, with no per-seat licenses and unlimited projects — so a shared estimating team scales without seat creep.
Which trades does Pilars support?
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, concrete and rebar, drywall, doors and windows, finishes, flooring, structural steel, roofing and millwork — trade-specific models across 48 CSI divisions.
Does Pilars replace estimators?
No. Pilars automates the extraction and validation — the counting, measuring, reconciliation and code checks — while the estimator owns pricing, scope judgment and risk. It removes the bottleneck, it doesn't remove the expert.
Does Pilars read specifications, not just drawings?
Yes. Pilars reads the spec book alongside the drawings and resolves references across sheets and schedules, so scope that lives in the specs is captured in the takeoff.