The short answer: if takeoffs are eating your estimators’ week, Togal.AI and Beam AI are the two AI tools contractors talk about most in 2026. Togal.AI reads plan sets and returns quantities in minutes; Beam AI goes further and hands you a finished, QA-checked takeoff. Add OpenSpace for photo-based progress tracking and Kreo if you want a low-cost way in, and you have a stack that helps a small crew bid like a bigger one.
Quick comparison: the best AI tools for contractors at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Pricing | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Togal.AI | Fast AI takeoffs from plan sets | From $299/mo | Best pure takeoff tool |
| Beam AI | Done-for-you takeoffs and estimates | Custom (service model) | Best when you have no estimator spare |
| OpenSpace | 360° photo progress documentation | Quote-based | Best for progress tracking |
| Buildots | AI progress tracking on large jobs | Quote-based | Best for big GCs |
| Kreo | Budget AI-assisted takeoffs | From $35/mo | Best low-cost entry point |
| Handoff AI | Residential remodelers | From $149/mo | Best for remodel quotes |
| Procore | Full project management with AI features | Quote-based | Best all-in-one platform |
1. Togal.AI — best for fast AI takeoffs
Togal.AI reads architectural floor plans and reflected ceiling plans, then measures and counts what’s on them: gross and net square footage by room, linear feet of walls, and counts for doors, fixtures, and appliances. Upload a plan set, set the scale, and the quantities come back in seconds instead of hours of clicking. Togal.CHAT can also answer questions about uploaded plans and draft RFIs and proposals from the plan content. Pricing starts at $299/month.
Pros: dramatically faster takeoffs; pattern search finds and counts repeated objects across a full plan set. Cons: quantities still need an estimator’s review before they become a bid.
2. Beam AI — best done-for-you takeoff service
Beam AI is a hybrid: AI does the measuring across 15+ trades (concrete, electrical, HVAC, drywall, paving, and more), and a human estimator QA-checks the result before it reaches you, typically within 24–72 hours. You get bid-ready quantities and Excel estimates without hiring another estimator. Pricing is custom and based on trade and volume, with a self-serve software option alongside the done-for-you service.
Pros: no new software for your team to learn; human QA on every takeoff. Cons: turnaround is days, not minutes, and pricing isn’t published.
3. OpenSpace — best for progress documentation
OpenSpace turns a 360° camera walk of the jobsite into a searchable, time-stamped visual record mapped to your floor plans. Its AI aligns each capture to the plan so you can compare progress over time, settle disputes about what was installed when, and give owners remote visibility. Pricing is quote-based and aimed at commercial work.
Pros: passive capture — walk the site and the documentation builds itself. Cons: overkill for small residential jobs.
4. Buildots — best for large-project progress tracking
Buildots uses hard-hat-mounted 360° cameras and AI to compare actual progress against the schedule and the model, flagging delays and out-of-sequence work before they snowball. It is built for large commercial projects and the GCs who run them, and pricing is quote-based.
Pros: objective, AI-measured percent-complete data. Cons: priced and designed for big jobs, not small crews.
5. Kreo — best budget entry point
Kreo pairs takeoff software with an AI assistant (“Caddie”) that auto-detects elements on drawings, at a starting price around $35/month — by far the cheapest way on this list to test whether AI takeoff fits your workflow. It won’t match Togal.AI’s depth, but for a small firm doing its own estimating, the price-to-time-saved math is hard to argue with.
Pros: genuinely affordable; good first AI estimating tool. Cons: less independent accuracy data than the bigger names.
6. Handoff AI — best for residential remodelers
Handoff AI targets residential and remodeling contractors, combining AI estimating with a broader business suite, starting at $149/month. The vendor claims estimates land within about $100 of manual bids on typical remodel scopes. If your work is kitchens, baths, and additions rather than plan-set commercial bids, this is the more natural fit.
Pros: built for remodel workflows, not adapted from commercial tools. Cons: not the tool for complex commercial takeoff.
7. Procore — best all-in-one platform
Procore is the incumbent construction management platform — RFIs, submittals, daily logs, financials — and it has been layering AI features (search, summaries, and agent-style helpers) across that base. Pricing is quote-based, usually tied to construction volume. If your company already runs Procore, turn its AI features on before buying point tools.
Pros: everything in one system your field teams may already know. Cons: the AI is an add-on to a big platform commitment, not a reason to buy it alone.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI takeoffs replace an estimator?
No. AI speeds up measuring and counting; an estimator still has to price the work, catch scope gaps, and own the bid. Treat AI output as a fast first draft, not a finished number.
How much do AI estimating tools cost?
On this list, self-serve tools run from about $35/month (Kreo) to $299/month (Togal.AI). Services like Beam AI and platforms like Procore and Buildots are quote-based.
What should a small contractor buy first?
Whichever tool attacks the task eating the most hours. For most small GCs that’s takeoffs (Togal.AI, Kreo, or Beam AI); for remodelers, quoting speed (Handoff AI).
How accurate are AI takeoffs?
Vendors claim results within a few percent of manual takeoffs, and independent roundups report similar ranges — but accuracy depends on plan quality. Always spot-check the first few jobs before trusting the numbers.