AI takeoff software you can edit, down to a single device.
The fear with automated takeoff is a number you cannot question. The fix is not less automation. It is an automated first pass that stays open, so the estimator can correct anything and still owns the total that goes on the bid.
Can I correct AI takeoff results?
Yes, if the software is built for it. Pilars runs the takeoff automatically from the plan set and spec book, then lets the estimator open any detection and change it, and the totals update; it costs $300 per user per month for one trade with unlimited takeoffs. Togal.ai ($299 per user per month, billed annually) is also editable, but the estimator drives each sheet. With a done-for-you service such as Beam AI (annual licences from $25,000), the takeoff is produced by the vendor's team.
"Human in the loop" appears on nearly every AI takeoff website, and it describes three quite different arrangements. In one, the human does the takeoff and the AI helps. In another, the vendor's humans do the checking and you receive the result. In the third, the AI does the whole first pass and your own estimator reviews and corrects it. They differ in how much time you spend, how fast the quantities arrive and who can change a number at four in the afternoon on bid day.
Pricing reviewed 13 November 2026, based on public documentation as of Nov 2026. Togal.ai, Beam AI and Attentive.ai are trademarks of their owners; this is an independent comparison published by Pilars.
Three ways the estimator stays in the loop
| Assisted (Togal.ai) | Automated and editable (Pilars) | Done-for-you (Beam AI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI-assisted takeoff workspace | Automated takeoff with estimator review and editing | Takeoff service with AI plus a QA team |
| Who reads the drawings | The estimator runs AI tools sheet by sheet and finishes the takeoff | The software reads the whole set and the spec book | The vendor's software and service team |
| How a result gets changed | The estimator edits in the workspace as they go | The estimator opens any detection and changes it; totals update | The vendor's team produces the takeoff; ask how revisions are handled |
| Time to first quantities | As fast as the estimator works through the sheets | Minutes | 24 to 72 hours |
| Platform | Browser | Browser, any operating system | Web |
| Pricing model | Per user, billed annually | Per user, billed monthly or annually; one trade per user, unlimited takeoffs | Annual licence |
| Public price | $299 per user per month | $300 per user per month | From $25,000 per year done-for-you; from $8,000 per trade per year self-serve |
| Best for | Estimators who want to drive every sheet | Estimators who want to review and correct, not draw | Teams that want takeoff off their desks |
What editing looks like in Pilars
You upload the plan set and the spec book. Pilars reads them together and returns quantities for the trades you chose. Each quantity is sourced to the sheet it came from and carries a confidence score, so the items to check first are easy to find. That is the automated part, and it takes minutes.
From there nothing is locked. The estimator can open any detection and change it:
- Reclassify. A wall the model read as one type belongs to another. Change the type and the quantities move with it.
- Add or remove. A device was missed, or something was counted that is not in your scope. Put it in or take it out.
- Adjust. A boundary sits in the wrong place, or a quantity needs correcting. Move it or overwrite it.
The totals update when you make a change, so the numbers you carry forward are your corrected ones, not the machine's first draft. The first pass belongs to the software. The final say belongs to the estimator.
There is a sensible order to review in. For wall-based trades, check classification before anything else, because every total rolls up from the wall types. The academy tutorial on reviewing wall classification covers that step. Then spot-check counts and lengths where confidence is lowest, as described in verify quantities like an estimator.
Why AI takeoff with estimator review beats trust alone
No AI takeoff is right every time, and the honest vendors say so. In our one published test, a duplex receptacle count on a real power plan, Pilars scored 97.5%, Togal 84% and Attentive 65%; the details are on the benchmark page. That is a single sheet and one device type, and even at the top of that table a few devices in every hundred needed a person's judgment. A wrong count is recoverable. A wrong count that nobody can find or fix before the bid goes out is the real exposure.
Drawings also carry things only the estimator knows. An alternate the owner has asked to price separately. A scope gap between two subcontracts. A detail the architect drew one way and the spec describes another. An editable takeoff lets you apply that judgment directly, in the same place the quantities live, without exporting to a spreadsheet and patching the numbers by hand.
How this differs from an assisted tool like Togal
Togal.ai is editable too, and it should get credit for that. The difference is where the estimator's time goes. Togal is a takeoff workspace with AI inside it. The estimator opens a sheet, runs detection, checks and tidies what comes back, and moves to the next sheet. For architectural and interior scopes on clean floor plans that works well, and plenty of estimators prefer being present for every sheet. The flat seat price also includes unlimited automated takeoffs. It is effectively the same as the price of a Pilars user, and a Togal seat is not tied to one trade.
The cost is attention. The estimator is the engine of the process, so a 200-sheet set still takes the estimator through the set. Reviewers on G2 also mention manual clean-up of AI results. With an automated first pass, the set is read while you do something else, and your time goes to the detections that need a decision. Neither way is wrong. One has you editing while you build the takeoff, and the other has you editing a takeoff that already exists. See Pilars vs Togal for the full comparison.
How this differs from a done-for-you service
A done-for-you service such as Beam AI, from Attentive.ai, also has humans in the loop. They are the vendor's humans. A QA team checks the takeoff before it reaches you, usually within 24 to 72 hours. If your estimators have no time for takeoff at all, that is a real advantage, and no software-only product matches it.
The trade-off shows up when something needs to change. The takeoff was produced outside your office, so a correction, a scope change or an addendum generally goes back through the service, on the vendor's schedule. Ask any service vendor to show you exactly how a customer revises a delivered takeoff, and how long that takes, before you sign. Beam AI does sell a self-serve tier, listed for HVAC, plumbing and steel, where your estimator operates the software directly. The Pilars vs Attentive.ai page compares the two buying models.
Which model fits you
Assisted is best for
Architectural and interior estimators who do takeoff daily, want to drive each sheet, and will get full use out of a seat. Togal.ai is the reference product at $299 per user per month billed annually.
Automated and editable is best for
Estimators who want the first pass done for them in minutes and want to correct it themselves, in MEP and the other building trades, without an annual contract. Pilars covers 19 trades at $300 per user per month, one trade per user, with unlimited takeoffs.
Done-for-you is best for
Teams with steady volume and no spare estimating hours, who can plan a few days ahead. Beam AI's done-for-you licences start at $25,000 per year.
The quickest way to judge the editing is to do some. Run one of your own sets through the Pilars live demo, find a detection you disagree with, and change it.
Questions estimators actually ask
Can I correct AI takeoff results myself, or am I stuck with what the software gives me?
With Pilars the estimator can open any detection and change it, for example reclassifying a wall type, adding or removing a device, or adjusting a boundary or quantity, and the totals update. Togal.ai also allows edits inside its workspace, while done-for-you services such as Beam AI produce the takeoff with their own team.
What does human in the loop AI takeoff actually mean?
Human in the loop AI takeoff means a qualified person checks and can override what the AI produces. The human can be your own estimator driving each sheet (Togal.ai), your own estimator reviewing an automated first pass (Pilars), or a vendor's QA team (Beam AI's done-for-you service).
How much does AI takeoff software you can edit cost per estimator?
Pilars is editable AI takeoff software priced at $300 per user per month, with each user covering one trade and unlimited takeoffs, billed monthly or annually. Togal.ai is also editable and costs $299 per user per month billed annually, so the two cost about the same per seat.
If I edit AI takeoff results in Pilars, do the totals change too?
Yes. When the estimator changes a detection in Pilars, such as a wall type, a device or a quantity, the takeoff totals update to match.
How is AI takeoff with estimator review different from a done-for-you takeoff service?
AI takeoff with estimator review, as in Pilars, gives your own estimator an automated first pass in minutes to check and correct directly. A done-for-you service such as Beam AI has the vendor's team produce and QA the takeoff, typically in 24 to 72 hours, and changes generally go back through that team.
Which is better if I want full control of every sheet, Togal or Pilars?
Togal.ai suits estimators who want to drive each sheet themselves with AI assistance, especially on architectural and interior scopes. Pilars suits estimators who want the whole set read automatically first and then want to review and correct the result.
How long does it take to review and edit an automated takeoff?
Pilars reads the plan set in minutes, and review time then depends on the size of the set and how many low-confidence items need a decision. Checking classification first and spot-checking the lowest-confidence quantities is the usual order.