From Blueprint to Bid: Automating Pre-Construction

For decades, the "Pre-Construction" phase has been a bottleneck. Estimation teams burn midnight oil counting door frames, measuring linear feet of drywall, and calling subs to get updated pricing.

In late 2025, we are seeing a massive shift in how General Contractors (GCs) handle this workflow.

The Old Way: Digitized, but Manual

Tools like Bluebeam and Procore moved us from paper to screens, but the work remained manual. A human still had to click, drag, and count.

The New Way: Computer Vision + Agents

We recently helped a mid-sized commercial GC implement an Agentic Estimating Workflow:

1. Ingestion: The agent reads the set of PDF drawings.
2. Visual Analysis: Using multimodal models, it identifies every fixture, finish, and structural element.
3. Cross-Reference: It checks the "Schedules" (Door Schedule, Finish Schedule) against the floor plans to flag discrepancies immediately.
4. Pricing: It pulls real-time material pricing from the ERP system.
5. Output: It generates a draft Bill of Materials (BOM) and a preliminary bid for the Chief Estimator to review.

The Result

The goal isn't to fire the estimator. The goal is to let the estimator focus on Value Engineering. Instead of spending 3 days counting outlets, the estimator spends 3 hours finding cheaper suppliers or suggesting design alternatives to the client.

A Warning on Liability

AI is great at counting, but it doesn't hold insurance. Never let an AI send a final bid to a client. The "Human in the Loop" is your liability shield. The prompt for your final review should always be: "Assume the AI is wrong. Prove it."