ConstructConnect launches AI takeoff boost for estimators

ConstructConnect has launched Takeoff Boost, an AI-assisted takeoff service built on Google Cloud for construction estimators working from digital plan sets.

The service uses computer vision to classify, detect, count and measure areas, linear elements and objects in building plans. It is designed to turn digital drawings into structured measurements in seconds, reducing manual tracing work in estimating.

Takeoff is a core part of preconstruction, where contractors and suppliers calculate the quantities of materials needed for a project. Those calculations feed into bidding, ordering and budgeting, and errors at that stage can affect project margins and bid competitiveness.

Takeoff Boost is intended for estimators at contractors and material suppliers. ConstructConnect said it has seen early demand from interior trades and general contractors, which it views as an opening for wider use across the North American estimating market.

Cloud build

The product runs entirely on Google Cloud infrastructure. ConstructConnect said it uses Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise agent platform alongside Cloud Run with NVIDIA GPUs to process vision workloads, while Google Cloud Storage holds plan files and structured outputs.

According to the company, this setup allows the system to process complex multi-sheet plan sets with low latency and return measurements quickly enough for production estimating workflows. The cloud-based design also lets it roll out new AI functions more frequently as use grows.

"Estimating is where margins are won or lost. Takeoff Boost is designed to give that time back. You drop in the plan set, and in seconds you get structured, usable measurements that estimators can trust," said Gaurav Singal, EVP & Chief Technology Officer, ConstructConnect.

"Google Cloud gives us the performance and scale to deliver that experience consistently for our customers," Singal added.

Google Cloud described the launch as a practical example of AI applied to a specific workflow rather than sold as a general-purpose tool. The partnership also gives Google another industry case study in construction software, a sector that has historically been slower than others to digitise core processes.

"Customers don't buy AI; they buy the outcomes it enables. ConstructConnect is using Gemini Enterprise and GPU-backed infrastructure to deliver real, measurable impact for contractors and estimators, with the speed and reliability required for production workflows," said Praveen Rao, Global Director, Manufacturing, Google Cloud.

"Takeoff Boost from ConstructConnect is an example of how a longstanding enterprise company is using AI to drive impact to its customers," Rao said.

Workflow focus

Takeoff Boost is designed to fit into existing estimating workflows rather than require teams to adopt a separate process. ConstructConnect said users can move from a plan set to bid-ready measurements more quickly, while preserving more time for scope review, risk checks and bid strategy.

That focus reflects a broader trend in business software, where vendors are applying AI to narrow, labour-intensive tasks with clear commercial value. In construction, preconstruction and estimating have become a notable target because teams still often rely on labour-heavy processes to review plans and produce quantity takeoffs.

ConstructConnect said it has invested heavily in AI development across its business, with more than 200 engineers, machine learning specialists, data scientists and product staff working on AI-led products and features. It also said its platform includes nearly 15 million lines of proprietary code and existing AI and machine learning models.

The new service is available through OnScreen Takeoff, one of ConstructConnect's established estimating products, and will also be added to PlanSwift.

Jennifer Johnson, EVP and Chief Product Officer at ConstructConnect, said the release is intended to address long-standing strain on estimating teams.

"Preconstruction has always been where projects are won or lost, and estimators have been doing some of the hardest work in construction with tools that haven't kept pace. Takeoff Boost changes that," Johnson said.

"By automating the most time-consuming parts of the takeoff process, we're giving estimators back the hours they need to focus on what actually drives competitive advantage-scope expertise, risk judgment, and strategy. This is exactly the kind of AI we set out to build: invisible infrastructure that makes the people using it better at their jobs," she added.