SiteAgentics

Guides

Guide · Quantities and estimates from drawings

Best AI tools for takeoff and estimating

Takeoff is where AI earns its keep fastest. Recognising rooms, walls and symbols on a PDF is exactly the kind of pattern-matching it does well.

What to look for

For UK small and medium firms, Kreo and Buildxact both publish GBP pricing and offer trials, so you can test them on a real tender before committing. Bluebeam is already on many QSs' machines. Its AI drawing review and compare features sit only in the top Max tier.

US-built tools such as STACK, Togal.AI and Beam AI are capable, but check that outputs map to how you measure (NRM) before relying on them.

Our shortlist

Kreo

AI takeoff and estimating software for construction drawings.

Best for: QSs/estimators, small firms · Pricing: paid with free trial (pricing page shows per-user plans, £ and $)

5/5

Buildxact

Estimating and job management for builders, with "Blu" AI add-ons: Estimate Generator, Takeoff Assistant and Estimate Reviewer.

Best for: Small UK builders and contractors pricing residential work · Pricing: UK plans (annual): Foundation £89/mo, Pro £160/mo, Master £262/mo (£119/£209/£349 monthly); Blu AI add-ons +£99 to +£149/mo; 14-day free trial

4/5

Togal.AI

AI-automated takeoff from drawings for estimators.

Best for: Estimators doing area/count takeoffs · Pricing: paid (demo-led; pricing page lists no prices)

4/5

STACK

Cloud preconstruction platform with AI takeoff: auto-naming sheets, flagging revisions, auto-counting symbols and suggesting missed scope.

Best for: Estimators and subcontractors doing takeoffs and bids · Pricing: Paid: "as low as" US$299/user/month (Takeoff & Estimate), US$49/user/month (Build & Operate), US$348/user/month suite; demo available

3/5

Bluebeam

PDF markup, measurement and collaboration for drawings. Top "Max" tier adds AI drawing reviews, AI drawing comparisons and AI integration via MCP.

Best for: QSs, estimators and site teams marking up and measuring drawings · Pricing: Per user, billed annually: Basics US$260, Core US$330, Complete US$440, Max US$590 (introductory price); free trial

4/5

Beam AI

AI takeoff and estimating service for contractors.

Best for: Contractors outsourcing takeoffs · Pricing: paid (demo-led)

3/5

Before you buy

AI takeoff still needs checking. Spot-check areas and counts against the drawings, especially on revised sheets.

Scores are editorial, based on vendor-stated features, not hands-on testing. Pricing as published, checked 15 Oct 2026. How we score.