Best AI Estimating Software for Contractors in 2026

Updated October 16, 2026 – Tested Intelligence

The best AI estimating software in 2026 does not replace your estimators – it takes the measuring, counting and first-draft pricing off their desks so the same team can bid more work. Togal.AI and STACK lead for commercial teams that live in plan sets, Buildxact and Handoff fit residential builders, and Beam AI is the pick when you would rather buy finished takeoffs than learn new software. Every price below comes from the vendor’s own site as of October 2026; where a vendor does not publish pricing, we say so.

Togal.AI

Togal.AI started as AI takeoff software, but its estimating angle is the assembly engine that comes included with the seat: as the AI classifies walls, rooms and fixtures on your drawings, your own formulas run against those classifications and return studs, board, screws, insulation, labor and equipment – not just a measurement. Togal.CHAT lets estimators ask questions of the plan set in plain language, drawing revisions are compared automatically, and quantities flow out through Excel or direct integrations with Ediphi, ServiceTitan and Zebel. Togal publishes its pricing on its own site: $299 per user per month billed yearly, with custom pricing above four seats. It is SOC 2 Type II certified, per Togal.

Best for: Commercial GCs and specialty subs whose takeoff quantities need to land in priced assemblies, not a spreadsheet.

STACK

STACK is the established cloud platform on this list: browser-based takeoff and estimating that GCs and subcontractors across most trades already know. Its Takeoff & Estimate plan covers quantity, labor and material takeoff with flexible estimates and proposals, and unlimited plans and projects; auto-count tools and pre-built item libraries do the repetitive measuring work, and quantities carry straight into the estimate instead of being re-typed. STACK’s own pricing page lists Takeoff & Estimate at “as low as” $299 per user per month, the field-focused Build & Operate plan from $49 per user per month, and the full platform at $348 per user per month. A free account is available to start.

Best for: GCs and subs who want takeoff, estimating and proposals in one mature cloud platform.

Buildxact

Buildxact is built for residential builders and remodelers, and its AI layer is called Blu. Depending on the plan, Blu includes an Assembly Assistant, an Estimate Generator that drafts estimates for you, an Estimate Reviewer that checks them, and a Takeoff Assistant. Underneath the AI, Buildxact runs digital takeoffs, live dealer pricing (including Home Depot Pro), branded quote letters with digital sign-off, purchase orders, and syncing to QuickBooks and Xero. US pricing from Buildxact’s site: Foundation $199/month ($169/month billed annually), Pro $399/month ($339 annually), Master $599/month ($509 annually) – all with unlimited users. Some Blu tools are add-ons on lower plans ($99-$149/month) and included on Master.

Best for: Custom home builders and remodelers who estimate, quote and order in one system.

Handoff

Handoff is the AI-native option for residential contractors: describe the job with voice notes, typed scope or jobsite photos and it builds a line-item estimate using local cost data – Handoff says its catalog tracks tens of millions of supplier SKUs, priced by ZIP code rather than national averages. Estimates convert into client-ready proposals with your markup and payment terms, and the same record carries through change orders and invoicing. Handoff’s own site lists plans from $39 to $299 per month, with Scale and Enterprise tiers above that; its blog notes AI takeoffs from residential plans up to 7,000 sq ft returned in under two hours on the higher tiers. A 7-day free trial is offered.

Best for: Remodelers and handymen who estimate from site visits, not plan sets.

Beam AI

Beam AI sells estimating capacity rather than seats. Upload plans, define the scope, and its AI produces the takeoff; on the Done For You plans, Beam’s own QA team validates the output before delivery, which Beam says takes 1-4 days depending on trade and complexity. Estimates are built in-platform and exported to Excel, and newer tools include a bid dashboard and Bid Sniper, which captures invitations to bid from your inbox. Pricing on Beam’s site: Do It Yourself starts at $8,000 per year per trade (currently HVAC, plumbing and steel), Done For You starts at $25,000 per year, and per-sheet credit bundles run roughly $25-$45 per measurable sheet depending on volume, which Beam labels indicative pricing.

Best for: High-volume trade contractors who want more bids out the door without hiring another estimator.

Kreo

Kreo pairs 2D and 3D takeoff with live-linked estimating: measurements feed custom assemblies and priced bills of quantities, and quantities update when the drawings change. Its AI tier adds one-click area and line measurement, automatic symbol counting, AI takeoff of rooms, walls, doors and windows, batch AI takeoff across sheets, AI scale detection, and Caddie, an AI assistant you can question about the drawings. Kreo’s published pricing: Essential $100 per user per month billed annually (no AI), Pro $175 with the AI takeoff tools, Business $250 adding AI estimating, and custom Enterprise. A 7-day free trial is available, and Kreo is popular with cost consultants and quantity surveyors working from Revit models and PDFs.

Best for: Preconstruction teams and cost consultants who move between 2D sheets and 3D models.

Ediphi

Ediphi is a cloud preconstruction platform aimed at larger GCs: conceptual cost modeling built on your own historical project data, a Unit Price Catalog that automatically captures actual costs from every job, GCs & GRs estimating, and an Excel-based “Last Mile” environment so estimates run from concept through GMP in one file. Its AI takeoff connection is a native integration with Togal.AI – quantities flow directly into Ediphi mapped to your catalog line items, with change notifications and an audit trail. Pricing is not public; Ediphi is sold through demos to preconstruction departments.

Best for: Large GC preconstruction teams standardizing estimating and cost history in one cloud platform.

FAQ

Will AI estimating software replace my estimators?

No tool on this list prices risk, reads a spec book for traps, or decides what a job is worth to your company. What the AI does is the measuring, counting and first-draft assembly work. Estimators still review quantities, apply production rates and own the number that goes out the door.

How accurate is AI estimating?

Vendors publish their own claims – Togal, for example, cites 98% accuracy on floor plans – but accuracy depends heavily on drawing quality, and every vendor here expects a human check before bid day. Treat vendor figures as marketing until you have run your own completed jobs through the tool and compared.

Do these tools include cost data, or do I bring my own?

Both models exist. Handoff and Buildxact lean on supplier and local cost data out of the box. Togal, Kreo and Ediphi are built around your own assemblies, formulas and historical costs, which takes setup time but matches how your company actually prices work.

What does AI estimating software cost?

Published prices in this roundup run from $39/month (Handoff’s entry plan) to $299 per user per month (Togal, STACK) for self-serve software, and from $8,000 per year per trade for Beam AI’s service-style model. Ediphi does not publish pricing.

Bottom line

Match the tool to how your work arrives. If bids start from plan sets, start with Togal.AI or STACK; if they start from site visits and remodel scopes, look at Handoff or Buildxact; if the real problem is estimator capacity, price Beam AI’s done-for-you model against a new hire. Run one real, already-completed job through any trial before you commit – it is the fastest honest test of both the AI and the price.