Contract estimating from drawings — AI automates the estimation

Contract estimating is a multi-step process where quantities must be extracted from drawings, priced and compiled into a bid. Massoi automates every step with AI.

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What is contract estimating?

Contract estimating means calculating the total costs of a construction contract from the request for bid drawings and documents. It includes quantity takeoff, pricing and bid compilation.

Contract estimating is a contractor's most important process — it determines whether a contract is won and whether it will be profitable. A bid that's too high loses the competition, one that's too low erodes the margin.

Traditionally, contract estimating requires experienced professionals and takes days or weeks. Massoi's AI significantly speeds up the process and reduces human errors.

From drawings to bid — in four steps

1

Drawings in

Upload the bid request drawings to Massoi. PDF, DWG and IFC — all formats supported.

2

AI performs takeoff

The AI identifies building components and calculates quantities automatically from each drawing.

3

Pricing

AI suggests unit prices based on the built-in price library. Modify as needed.

4

Bid out

Create a professional contract bid using a ready-made template. Send directly to the client.

Contract estimating challenges — and how AI solves them

Challenge: Time pressure

Bid requests come with tight deadlines. Quantity takeoff takes most of the time, leaving too little time for pricing and strategy.

Solution: AI quantity takeoff

Massoi performs quantity takeoff on drawings in minutes. You can focus on pricing, risk assessment and bid strategy.

Challenge: Accuracy

Manually calculated quantities always have a margin of error. Even one missing item can lead to significant financial loss.

Solution: Traceable results

Every AI-calculated quantity is visually traceable to the drawing. Error detection is fast and easy.

Challenge: Resource shortage

Experienced estimators are hard to find and hire. Training new ones takes years.

Solution: Scalability

Massoi scales as needed. One person can handle multiple times the number of bid requests.

Create a contract bid faster than ever.

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Contract estimating with Massoi — results

5x

Faster bid estimation compared to traditional methods

95%+

Accuracy in material takeoff

100%

Traceability to the drawing

Who is Massoi's contract estimating for?

Small and medium-sized contractors

Make more bids in the same time. No need to hire a separate estimator.

Construction companies

Standardize the estimation process and reduce dependency on individual experts.

Specialty contractors (HVAC, painting, tiling)

AI also recognizes specialty building components and calculates quantities accurately.

Construction management contractors

Manage subcontractor bids and compare them to your own calculations.

See also

Quantity Takeoff Material Takeoff Takeoff from Drawings

Frequently asked questions about contract bidding

What does contract bidding cover?
Contract bidding covers the whole bid process: quantity takeoff from blueprints, pricing the quantities with material and labor rates, adding subcontracts and site works, and finally applying margin and risk reserves. The output is a contract bid backed by a detailed cost breakdown.
How does contract bidding differ from bid estimation?
The terms are often used interchangeably. Contract bidding emphasizes the contract itself — how the total price is built up, how risk is allocated, and how the agreement is structured. Bid estimation is the broader activity that also covers smaller jobs and partial scopes. In practice the same calculation logic applies to both.
How long does contract bidding take?
On a mid-sized new-build project, contract bidding takes an experienced estimator 3–10 workdays — most of that time goes to quantity takeoff and price inquiries. With an AI-powered tool, takeoff completes in minutes and total turnaround often drops below a day.
Can contract bidding be automated?
Yes. Modern estimating software automates takeoff from drawings, pulls prices from your own cost database, and produces the bid document. The estimator is left with review, edge-case handling, and setting margin. This cuts errors and speeds up the work significantly.
What information is needed for contract bidding?
At minimum you need architectural and structural drawings, technical specifications, and the owner's RFP. MEP drawings are needed if those scopes are included. You also want to understand site-specific features, required specialty assemblies, and scope boundaries — all of which can move the price meaningfully.

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