What can AI do for contractors today?
- Quantity takeoff and BOQs — draft quantities and line items from drawings and templates
- RFIs and submittals — first drafts from site notes, checked against earlier correspondence
- Tenders — assemble and cross-check large document sets against requirements
- Progress reporting — consistent client and management reports from site data
- Document search — find answers across specifications, contracts and correspondence
| Best first workflows | BOQ and quantity takeoff, RFIs and submittals, tender assembly, progress reporting |
|---|---|
| Best first service | Workflow automation, often after a short readiness assessment |
| Data you'll need | Drawings (DXF or IFC where possible), BOQ templates, past RFIs and reports |
| Watch out for | Unverified quantities, outdated drawing revisions, and contract-sensitive data |
Where should a contractor start?
Choose one high-volume, easy-to-check task and pilot it on live projects. Measure hours saved and errors caught before scaling. Workflow automation covers this end to end, and BIM and data integration helps when drawings and quantities live in different systems.
What should contractors watch out for?
- Quantities and rates must be checked by an estimator before tendering or billing.
- Drawing revisions — automation must always use the current revision.
- Commercial data — keep contract and pricing information in approved tools only.
Which CloudBrain services fit contractors?
- 01
AI strategy & readiness
AI readiness assessment and a practical roadmap for your firm.
Learn more about AI strategy & readiness - 02
Workflow automation
Automate BOQs, compliance checks, RFIs, specs, tenders and reporting.
Learn more about Workflow automation - 03
Custom AI tools & agents
AI tools and agents built around your own data and processes.
Learn more about Custom AI tools & agents - 04
BIM & data integration
IFC/DXF pipelines, data platforms and project dashboards.
Learn more about BIM & data integration - 05
AI visualisation
AI rendering and concept pipelines for design teams.
Learn more about AI visualisation - 06
Training & AI governance
Workshops, AI usage policy and governance for AEC teams.
Learn more about Training & AI governance - 07
Product implementation
Rolling out aecoviz or aecobuild across your firm.
Learn more about Product implementation
Frequently asked questions
Can AI prepare a BOQ for us?
- AI can draft quantities and BOQ line items from drawings and templates, which saves time, but an estimator must check every quantity and rate before it is used for tendering or billing.
How can AI help with RFIs?
- AI can draft RFI text from site notes and drawings, check it against previous RFIs, and summarise responses, so engineers spend less time writing and more time resolving issues.
Does AI work with our existing drawings?
- Usually yes. Open formats such as DXF and IFC are easiest; scanned PDFs need extra processing and give less reliable results.
Is AI useful for site progress reporting?
- Yes. AI can turn site notes, photos and checklists into consistent progress summaries for clients and management, which a project manager then reviews.
What should contractors automate first?
- The task your team repeats most often and can check easily — for many contractors that is quantity takeoff or progress reporting.