The best AI estimating software in 2026, with real prices.
Nine AI estimating tools for contractors, sorted by the question that actually separates them: how much of the estimate does the software do, and how much is still you with a mouse? Prices are the ones the vendors publish. One of the nine is ours, and it is not the right pick for everybody.
What is the best AI estimating software in 2026?
For commercial plan sets, the best AI estimating software in 2026 is the one that removes the takeoff. Pilars reads the plan set and spec book and returns reviewable, editable quantities for $300 per user per month, with one trade per user and unlimited takeoffs. Togal.ai ($299 per user per month, billed annually) is the strongest AI-assisted tool for architectural areas, Beam AI (from $8,000 per trade per year) is the done-for-you service, and Kreo Pro ($175 per user per month) pairs AI takeoff with a priced estimate. For residential remodels, Handoff starts at $119 per month.
Most products sold as the best AI construction estimating software in 2026 do not price anything by themselves. They speed up the quantity side, where the hours go, and a person or a cost database still supplies unit costs, labor and markup. So the useful question is who reads the drawings.
How we judged them. Five things: who does the reading (you or the software), trade fit, platform, whether a price is published, and review signals on G2 and Capterra where a meaningful sample exists. Pilars publishes this page and is included in it.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, from each vendor's public pages unless marked as third-party. All product names are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison.
AI estimating tools for contractors: summary table
| Product | Best for | Type | Platform | Public price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilars | Subs and GCs who want the whole set read for them and an editable first pass to review | Fully automated AI takeoff with editable results (quantities, not pricing) | Browser | $300 per user per month; one trade per user, unlimited takeoffs |
| Togal.ai | GCs and interior trades measuring areas on architectural plans | AI-assisted takeoff | Browser | $299 per user per month, billed yearly |
| Beam AI (Attentive.ai) | Contractors who want takeoff done for them as a service | Done-for-you takeoff plus a self-serve tier | Web | From $8K per trade per year (self-serve); from $25K per year (done-for-you) |
| Kreo | Quantity surveyors and cost estimators who want takeoff and estimate together | AI-assisted takeoff plus estimating | Browser | Pro (with AI) $175 per user per month, annual billing |
| STACK | Teams that want takeoff, estimate and proposal in one cloud seat | Manual cloud takeoff plus estimating, AI assist | Browser | "As low as $299 per user/month"; free version |
| Bobyard | Landscaping first, now six trades | AI-assisted takeoff, estimate and cost database | Web | Not public; you get a quote |
| PlanSwift with Takeoff BOOST | Windows estimators who build assemblies | Desktop takeoff plus estimating, AI tools | Windows only | $2,000 per year Essential; $3,000 per year Core |
| Handoff | Residential remodelers | AI estimating and proposals | Web and mobile | $119, $239 or $719 per month, annual billing |
| Buildxact | Small residential builders | Estimating, takeoff and job management with Blu AI | Browser | Third-party listings report $199, $399 and $599 per month |
Three different things get called AI estimating
- AI that reads the set. You upload the drawings and get quantities back to review. Pilars does this in software, in minutes. Beam AI does it as a service with a 24 to 72 hour turnaround.
- AI that assists while you drive. You still work sheet by sheet, but the tool finds rooms, walls or repeated symbols for you. Togal.ai, Kreo, STACK, Bobyard and PlanSwift's Takeoff BOOST sit here.
- AI that writes a priced estimate from a description. Handoff and Buildxact do this for houses and remodels.
None of them replaces the estimator's judgment on labor and means and methods. The longer version is in takeoff vs estimate.
The nine tools, one at a time
1. Pilars
Pilars runs the first pass for you: upload the plan set and it reads every sheet and the spec book together, resolves schedules and cross-sheet references, then counts, measures and traces across 19 trades. Nothing in the result is locked. You can open any detection and change it, whether that is reclassifying a wall type, adding or removing a device, or adjusting a boundary or quantity, and the totals update. The first pass needs no drawing or clicking and no service queue. On accuracy we publish one test and claim only that one: on a real power plan, Pilars counted duplex receptacles at 97.5% against 84% for Togal and 65% for Attentive.ai (benchmark and method here). Pilars outputs quantities and an Excel BOQ, not unit prices, so you still price in your own system. Each user covers one trade for $300 per month, with unlimited takeoffs. Best for: subs and GCs bidding commercial work who want an automated, editable first pass in their trade, MEP included.
2. Togal.ai
Togal.ai is the best-known name in AI takeoff, deservedly so for architectural work: it detects, measures and labels spaces on floor plans quickly, and one flat seat price covers unlimited automated takeoffs. Third-party listings report a G2 rating of 4.8 out of 5 from about 60 reviews. It is takeoff only, with no estimating database, and it is architectural-first; G2 reviewers mention manual clean-up of AI results and weaker civil and sitework output. Best for: GCs and drywall, paint and flooring estimators who take off every day and can justify $3,588 per seat per year.
3. Beam AI (Attentive.ai)
Beam AI is mainly a service. You send plans, and a takeoff checked by its QA team comes back in 24 to 72 hours, with all trades covered in the done-for-you tier from $25,000 per year. The self-serve licence starts at $8,000 per trade per year and covers HVAC, plumbing and steel only. Third-party listings report ratings around 4.9 out of 5 on roughly 30 reviews. Best for: contractors with steady volume who want takeoff labor off their desks entirely and can wait a day or three.
4. Kreo
Kreo combines 2D takeoff with a live-linked estimate and publishes its prices. AI takeoff for rooms, walls, doors and windows, plus auto symbol count, starts on Pro at $175 per user per month; the $100 Essential tier has no AI. Billing is annual only. Best for: quantity surveyors and small cost teams, especially in the UK and EU.
5. STACK
STACK is a mature cloud takeoff and estimating product with a free version. STACK Assist adds AI (Floor Plan AI is a paid add-on with an unpublished price; Symbol Counting AI is documented for electrical sheets only), and STACK IQ lets Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot operate STACK on paid plans. Best for: teams that want takeoff, estimate and proposal in one seat.
6. Bobyard
Bobyard makes an AI first pass with confidence scores and has takeoff, estimate and cost database in one tool. It started in landscaping and now lists six trades. Pricing is not public; you get a quote. Its non-landscape trades are new in 2026. Best for: landscape and paving contractors, and shops willing to pilot a newer tool on MEP or finishes.
7. PlanSwift with Takeoff BOOST
ConstructConnect added Takeoff BOOST AI to PlanSwift and On-Screen Takeoff in 2026. PlanSwift Essential ($2,000 per year) includes Auto Count and Auto Scale; the AI first-pass Auto Takeoff needs Core at $3,000 per year. It is Windows only. Best for: estimators who already own years of PlanSwift assemblies and want AI inside the tool they know.
8. Handoff
Handoff turns a typed or spoken scope into a remodel estimate and proposal. Plans are $119, $239 and $719 per month on annual billing; AI plan takeoff exists only on the top tier and is limited to residential plans up to 7,000 square feet. Best for: residential remodelers and small GCs.
9. Buildxact
Buildxact covers estimating, takeoff, quoting and job management for home builders, with Blu AI assistants. Third-party listings report plans at $199, $399 and $599 per month with unlimited users; confirm with the vendor before budgeting. Best for: small residential builders who want supplier pricing and job management in one place.
What it costs a three-estimator shop
Take a subcontractor with three estimators, all working in one trade.
| Tool | Math | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Kreo Pro | 3 seats × $2,100 | $6,300 |
| PlanSwift Core | 3 seats × $3,000, before multi-seat discounts | $9,000 |
| Togal.ai Growth | 3 seats × $3,588, billed annually | $10,764 |
| Pilars | 3 users × $300 × 12 months, unlimited takeoffs | $10,800 |
Pilars is not the low-price line in that table. Kreo Pro and PlanSwift cost less per seat, and Togal.ai lands within $36 a year of it. What differs is what the seat does: with Kreo, PlanSwift and Togal.ai the estimator still works each sheet, while Pilars hands back a first pass to review and correct, and the bill stays the same however many sets go through. Two things to weigh. A Pilars user covers one trade, so a GC taking off six trades needs six users, where a Togal.ai seat is not sold per trade. And Pilars can be billed monthly, where Togal.ai and Kreo bill annually. More in how much takeoff software costs and on the Pilars pricing page.
How to pick in ten minutes
- Commercial sub in one to three trades who would rather review a takeoff than draw it: run Pilars on a real set at the live demo and compare the quantities with your own.
- GC or interiors estimator living in architectural plans all day: Togal.ai. See Pilars vs Togal for the detail.
- You want no takeoff work in-house at all: Beam AI's done-for-you tier, if the turnaround fits your bid calendar. See Pilars vs Beam AI.
- You need a priced estimate in the same tool: Kreo or STACK for commercial, Handoff or Buildxact for residential.
Questions estimators actually ask
What is the best AI estimating software for a small subcontractor?
For a small commercial subcontractor who wants to stop doing takeoff by hand, Pilars is the strongest fit: it reads the plan set and spec book and returns editable quantities for $300 per user per month, one trade per user with unlimited takeoffs. Kreo Pro at $175 per user per month is the lowest published per-seat price with AI takeoff and estimating together. Residential remodelers are better served by Handoff, from $119 per month.
Which is cheaper for a three-estimator shop, Togal.ai or Pilars?
Togal.ai and Pilars cost almost the same for three estimators. Togal.ai Growth is $299 per user per month billed annually, or $10,764 a year for three seats, and Pilars is $300 per user per month, or $10,800 a year for three users, with monthly billing available. A Pilars user covers one trade with unlimited takeoffs, so choose on fit and workflow, not price.
Can AI estimating software price a job by itself?
Mostly no. Tools such as Pilars, Togal.ai and Beam AI produce quantities, and the estimator applies unit costs, labor and markup. Kreo, STACK and Bobyard include estimating modules, and Handoff and Buildxact draft priced residential estimates, but all of them still need an estimator to check scope and pricing.
How accurate is AI takeoff compared with a manual takeoff?
Accuracy varies by trade, drawing quality and tool, and most vendors publish no test data. Pilars publishes one benchmark: on a single real power plan it counted duplex receptacles at 97.5%, against 84% for Togal and 65% for Attentive.ai. Whatever tool you use, review the output against the sheets before you bid.
Can I edit the results from a fully automated takeoff like Pilars?
Yes. Pilars runs the first pass automatically, but the estimator can open any detection, reclassify it, add or remove items, or adjust a boundary or quantity, and the totals update. The estimator has the final say on every number.