Beam AI

Measuring quantities off construction plans by hand eats estimating time, and Beam AI is built to take that job over.

Beam AI is a cloud-based takeoff software tool that automates construction takeoffs for general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers.

It covers trades such as concrete, HVAC, electrical and plumbing, so one estimating team can run takeoffs across several scopes without switching products.

The idea is speed.

Beam AI says it cuts takeoff time by 90 percent and lets users bid on 30 percent more projects.

Those are the company's own figures, so see them as a best case and test them on your own plan sets before you rely on them.

Because Beam AI runs in the cloud, there is nothing to install, and estimators can open it from a browser.

It is most relevant if bid volume is limited by how fast your team can finish takeoffs.

If you only estimate a handful of jobs a year, the gain will be smaller.