Best AI Construction Estimating Software (2026), Plus the Free Route
Reviewed by the Contractor AI Shop research team · Last updated Nov 4, 2026 · How we research
There's no single best AI estimating tool. It depends on what you build and how you bid. Residential builders and remodelers should look at Buildxact, Handoff, JobTread or BuildFolio. Commercial GCs and subs doing their own takeoffs should look at STACK, Kreo, Togal.AI, CostLogic, Struvia or Framework. If you'd rather send plans out and get a takeoff back, Beam AI and Klorra AI do that as a service. Before paying for any of them, try the free route: several of these have a $0 plan or free credits (Buildxact, BuildFolio, Framework, STACK, Struvia and Klorra AI's first takeoff), and a free AI chat tool can already read specs and list scope.
Start with the free route
You may not need to pay yet. These are the real $0 options, checked on the vendors' own pages.
| Tool | What's free | Checked |
|---|---|---|
 Buildxact | Go plan, $0, includes 5 AI estimate credits | Nov 4, 2026 |
 BuildFolio | Free plan: 3 estimates and 5 AI estimates a month, no card | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Framework | Hobby plan, $0: 1 project, up to 3 documents, 5 AI messages a week | Nov 4, 2026 |
 STACK | Free plan, $0 forever after a 7-day Pro trial: 1 active project a month, up to 300 plan pages and 50 measurements per project. AI takeoffs are in the paid plans | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Struvia | 600 free credits (about $120 of use) after confirming your email, no card | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Takeoff Beam (construction.live) | Free, open-source (Apache 2.0) desktop takeoff app for Mac and Windows | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Klorra AI | First takeoff free, no card | Nov 4, 2026 |
Or build it yourself: a free or local AI chat tool to read spec sections and list scope, a free takeoff tool, and the price sheet you already keep. Our guide walks through it: a free AI estimating setup you can build yourself. If your bid documents can't leave the office, see how to chat with specs on your own computer. For every free tool we track, see free AI tools for contractors.
For residential builders and remodelers
Estimating, quoting and job management built for homebuilders, remodelers and residential trades.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Free option | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildxact | Builders and remodelers who want estimating, quoting and job management in one place | Go $0; Foundation $169/mo billed annually ($199 month to month); Pro $339/mo billed annually ($399 monthly); Master $509/mo billed annually ($599 monthly). AI add-ons: Blu Estimate Generator +$99/mo on Foundation (included in Pro); Blu Takeoff Assistant +$99/mo and Blu Estimate Reviewer +$149/mo on Pro (both included in Master) | Go plan; 14-day free trial | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Handoff | Remodelers who want an AI-drafted estimate and proposal right after the walkthrough | Flex $119/mo billed annually ($149 monthly); Pro $239/mo and Scale $719/mo, both billed annually on 12-month commitments | 7-day free trial | Nov 4, 2026 |
 JobTread | Builders who want estimates, budgets, invoicing and CRM in one system | $199/mo plus $20/mo per additional internal user ($16 on an annual plan), with lower per-user rates past 10 users | No free trial (30-day money-back guarantee on monthly) | Nov 4, 2026 |
| BuildFolio | Small residential trades, roofing first (it can measure a roof from the job address using aerial imagery) | Free; Pro $39/mo plus tax, no per-user fees | Free plan | Nov 4, 2026 |
What to watch: on Buildxact, most AI features are paid add-ons on the lower plans or come bundled only in higher ones, so price the plan that includes what you need. Handoff's Pro and Scale tiers are 12-month commitments.
For commercial GCs and subs doing their own takeoffs
Takeoff and estimating software for commercial work, from per-seat subscriptions to pay-per-use.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Free option | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STACK | Subs and GCs who want cloud takeoff and estimating with AI-assisted measuring | Takeoff & Estimate: Free $0; Premium $299/user/mo; Pro $349/user/mo (both billed annually, 12-month terms). Build & Operate from $49/user/mo; Full STACK from $348/user/mo | Free plan (1 active project a month, 50 measurements per project; no AI takeoffs) | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Kreo | Estimators who want 2D and 3D takeoff with AI | Essential $100 (no AI), Pro $175, Business $250 per user/mo (Business includes 5 seats, $15,000/yr), billed annually | 7-day free trial | Nov 4, 2026 |
 Togal.AI | Takeoffs where AI auto-detects and measures rooms and areas | From $299/user/mo billed yearly | None shown | Nov 4, 2026 |
 CostLogic | Smaller shops that want browser takeoff, estimating and invoicing at a low seat price | Starter $19/seat/mo, Pro $47/seat/mo (billed annually); Enterprise custom | 14-day free trial, no card | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Struvia | Commercial GCs and subs who bid occasionally and don't want a per-seat subscription | Usage-based: credits at $0.20 each, no seats. Each sheet is billed on what it uses, with no per-sheet minimum: a typical floor plan is about $2.85 and no sheet costs more than $27; bid emails are $0.10 each. The company says real plan sets it has run cost $11-$35 to measure and price, about $22 for a typical set | 600 free credits. Launched Oct 26, 2026, so it's very new | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Framework | Teams who want one AI workspace that reads drawings and drafts takeoffs, estimates, schedules, RFIs and submittals | Hobby $0; Starter $24/seat/mo ($20 billed yearly); Pro $40 ($34 yearly); Plus $148 ($125 yearly) | Hobby plan. Its Takeoff Agent is in beta, so check every takeoff | Nov 4, 2026 |
 PataBid Quantify | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire protection subs | Pricing not published | Not stated | Nov 4, 2026 |
Weighing Togal's price? See is Togal worth $300 a month? For a closer look at the takeoff side, see our AI takeoff software comparison.
If you'd rather send plans out: done-for-you takeoff services
These are paid services, not software you run. They make sense when your estimator's time is the bottleneck, and they don't replace checking the numbers.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
 Beam AI | Subs and suppliers who want takeoffs done for them (it also sells its AI software for doing your own) | Done For You from $25K/yr, based on trade and volume; its Do It Yourself software starts at $8K/yr per trade (HVAC, plumbing, steel) | Nov 4, 2026 |
| Klorra AI | Custom home builders: upload a plan PDF, get back a takeoff, cost estimate, scope of work and conflict report (the company says typically in 2-4 hours) | First takeoff free; $299 per bid pay-as-you-go; yearly plans from $2,990 for 24 bids | Nov 4, 2026 |
When paying makes sense
A paid tool tends to earn its keep when:
- You bid often enough that a monthly or per-seat price spreads across many jobs. If you bid a handful of jobs a year, a usage-based tool, a free plan or a done-for-you service may cost less.
- You need the takeoff, estimate and proposal connected so a change in quantity flows through to the price without retyping.
- More than one person estimates and you need shared cost databases, assemblies and version history.
- You've already tried the free route on a past job and know exactly which step is slow.
It probably doesn't make sense yet if you haven't settled on how you estimate today. Software makes a messy process faster, not cleaner. Try the free setup on one past job first, and if you're weighing outside help instead, see AI consultant vs doing it yourself.
How to test any of these before you buy
- Pick a past job you already won or lost, where you know the real quantities.
- Run the same plan set through the trial or free plan.
- Compare its quantities to yours line by line, not just the total. Look for missed areas, double counts and wrong scales.
- Check what it did with scope: did it catch "by others" items and exclusions?
- Price it with your own rates. Never let a tool's default cost data stand in for your labor and supplier numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI estimating software for contractors?
It depends on your work. For residential builders and remodelers, Buildxact, Handoff, JobTread and BuildFolio are built for that market. For commercial takeoff and estimating, STACK, Kreo, Togal.AI, CostLogic, Struvia and Framework are the main options we track. Beam AI and Klorra AI do takeoffs for you as a service. We list prices with the date we checked them and haven't tested these on live bids.
Is there free AI estimating software?
Yes, with limits. As of Nov 4, 2026, Buildxact has a $0 Go plan with 5 AI estimate credits, BuildFolio has a free plan with 3 estimates and 5 AI estimates a month, Framework has a $0 Hobby plan for one project, STACK has a free plan for one active project a month (its AI takeoffs are paid), Struvia gives 600 free credits, and Takeoff Beam is a free open-source desktop takeoff app. You can also build a free setup with a free AI chat tool, a free takeoff tool and your own price sheet.
Can ChatGPT do construction estimating?
It can help with parts of it: reading a spec section, listing scope and exclusions, and drafting RFI questions. It doesn't know your labor rates, crew production or current supplier prices, and it will still produce a number if you ask. Use it to read and organize, check every reference it gives you, and keep pricing in your own sheet.
How much does AI estimating software cost?
From $0 to tens of thousands of dollars a year. Checked Nov 4, 2026: per-user takeoff and estimating tools run from about $19 to $349 per user a month, residential platforms from $0 to $719 a month before add-ons and extra users, usage-based Struvia charges for what each sheet uses, and done-for-you takeoff runs from $299 a bid (Klorra AI) to $25K a year and up (Beam AI). Prices change often, so check the vendor's page before you buy.
Does AI estimating software replace an estimator?
No. These tools speed up measuring and drafting, but someone who knows the work still has to check quantities, catch scope gaps and set the price. Some label their AI features as beta (Framework's Takeoff Agent, for example).
Contractor AI Shop is independent. No vendor paid to be on this page, and none of the links earn us a commission. Every tool name links to its page, with the vendor pricing link and the date we last checked. How we research.