Best AI Construction Tools: Top 5 Innovations

Every construction tool seems to incorporate AI algorithms to improve construction technology. But with many AI-powered tools in the market, which ones stand out?

That's what we'll find out.

We’ll review the best 5 AI construction tools used in the construction industry. We’ll base our article on key features, pricing plans, pros, and cons. But first, let’s see how the construction industry uses AI.

Note: If you have a construction project you'd like to use AI to help speed things up, try Downtobid. Our software deconstructs construction plans with AI, detects project scopes, and creates personalized bid invites to relevant contractors within minutes. Click here to try us out for free today.

How is AI Used in Construction?

There are so many new AI construction companies and tools appearing in the market. Simply because artificial intelligence has many applications in the construction industry. Here are a few of them.

Designing Phase

Construction projects follow specific designs that take months to create. Each design has unique and specific details.

For instance, a shopping mall design has different details compared to a school construction design.

We have seen designers use artificial intelligence to analyze the designs to identify potential flaws. The technology also recommends improvements to minimize errors.

Designers who combine their experience with AI capabilities develop detailed and sustainable models.

Preconstruction

The preconstruction phase is the most crucial stage of the entire construction process. It's where project planning starts.

Think of it as the project's foundation

Preconstruction lays the framework for the entire project. It's where decisions like budgeting, designs, scope, timeline, construction team, and payment schedules are made. 

Project planning takes time. It involves several meetings and back-and-forth information sharing. The project teams must also be on the same page regarding project requirements, budget, payment schedule, and deadline.

Artificial intelligence pre-construction software can handle a majority of the tasks. For instance, you can use it to create detailed bid documents in minutes instead of days, assemble a construction team, and estimate costs. 

Predictive Equipment Maintenance

Equipment breakdowns are common in construction projects. Repairs also take longer, which affects the project delivery date.

Severe damages are also expensive to fix, risking budget overrun.

AI analyzes data from the equipment to predict maintenance schedules and time. Doing so keeps the project running and prevents costly breakdowns. 

AI Project Management

A construction project requires constant monitoring and taking corrective measures. It’s an exhausting and challenging task.

However, AI reduces the project management workload by analyzing data to identify potential problems. For instance, AI could detect material shortages or design flaws earlier.

It also creates better schedules and resource management, ensuring the project remains on course without unnecessary delays.

Outsourcing project management tasks to AI helps construction companies avoid costly mistakes and beat the project’s deadline. 

How to Use AI for Construction Estimating

Construction cost estimation is data-sensitive, and missing slight details could compromise the project. AI helps identify every data, such as material and labor requirements, work units, and project scope. It also uses historical data, like pricing, to create accurate estimations. 

AI streamlines construction estimating by accounting for potential challenges, like equipment breakdown, and proposes contingency funds to account for this.

While humans can handle many of these tasks, the process takes longer. There's also the risk if missing crucial details like accounting for overheads.

Now that we know AI’s impact on construction, let’s examine some tools available in the market. We’ll start with the one we know the best - Downtobid.

#1: Downtobid: Best for Preconstruction

Downtobid is a top bid preparation tool that streamlines the preconstruction phase. We developed our software after experimenting with different bid management tools and found concerning results. 

For instance, many tools create generic bid packages that resemble boring job interviews. The emails are hard to get through.

Unlike other construction tools, we focus more on improving page turn, creating detailed bid documents, and recruiting subcontractors.

Let’s explain why we're the best at what we do. 

Key Features.

Our platform contains many features that come in handy during preconstruction. They include:

AI Copilot

Since we’re talking about AI in the construction industry, let’s introduce you to the core tool. Our AI Copilot has four main objectives. Improving page turn, detecting scopes, checking bid documents for completeness, and proposing suitable subcontractors. 

Think of it as a personal assistant. Our AI Copilot can handle massive administrative tasks, like detecting potential scope gaps to reduce errors. You don’t need to hire additional help for this. 

Creating Bid Documents in Minutes

Creating construction bid packages is a lengthy and complex process. However, our platform simplifies the process, allowing you to create bid packages in minutes. 

Detailed and well-organized bid packages provide enough project information to qualified subs. They then use this information to determine if the project is worth bidding on.

That’s not all. Our system creates personalized bid documents addressing the intended subcontractors. We customize each bid package to include project size, location, budget, and deadline.

We have also simplified the bid package creation process. You just have to upload your project plans, and our system will handle the rest. It scans the plans to detect potential scopes. 

User Results

As we’ve seen, our software has an average 30% response rate when using our personalized bid invites. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

One of our users got a 60% response rate and over 80 bids using our personalized bid packages.

How to Use Downtobid

Our system is straightforward to use. Here are a few steps to help you turn project plans into detailed bid packages. 

Upload Plans

Click here to get started. 

To get started, you must upload plans. The documents must be below 1GB and in PDF format. Ensure you enter a valid email address. 

Once uploaded, our system will scan the documents to detect potential scopes. The process takes between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the project’s complexity. You’ll be notified via email when the system is completed. 

Review Bid Packages

You must log in to the dashboard to access the newly created bid packages. Every package contains a scope sheet with the following details:

• A general description of the bid package.
• Every identified scope in the plans.
• A list of qualified local subcontractors you can contact. 
• Analyze each bid package to ensure everything aligns properly. These bid packages are now ready to send. 

Suggested Bidding Schedule

When sending bid invites, your timing must be perfect to get the best bid participation. Knowing when to send bid invites is the trick behind this method’s success. Our system relies on subcontractors’ data to create effective bidding schedules. It uses this data to identify when subcontractors are online, whether they’re working on a project, and if they’re open to new opportunities. 

General contractors have used our system to target the most qualified and available local subcontractors for their projects in a few minutes. 

Each bid invite includes a summary scope sheet with project location, size, deadline, and budget. Interested subs can read the summarized sheets to understand project requirements, and decide if the project fits their specialty. It also increases the response rate since subcontractors require little time to understand the project.

What about the follow-ups? Our platform handles those, too. The AI Copilot spaces the follow-up emails to avoid flooding their inboxes. Giving subcontractors ample time between follow-ups catches their attention, compared to constant emails that appear spammy. You can filter subcontractors by responses and how interested they are as well.

Match with Qualified Subcontractors

Getting the most qualified and available subcontractor for a project is difficult, especially when there’s a large pool of subs. We’ve streamlined this process by cherry-picking the most qualified local subs to match your project requirements.

Our AI scans the project plans to detect potential scopes. It then matches the most qualified subs on our database. There are a few things our system considers when matching subs to projects. 

Their experience – We collect data from subcontractors, including their areas of expertise. Although this information is valuable, we don’t rely on it alone. 

Success in projects – It’s perhaps the most crucial aspect when picking qualified subs. We identify their success on similar projects. Did they achieve the objectives? Were the clients happy? 

We also identify the construction equipment and tools they have. Permits and licenses are also crucial. 

Send Bid Invites

Our software sends bid invites once you have selected your preferred subcontractors. We personalize each bid invite to make it unique. We use attention-grabbing email headlines, subcontractor names, company names, logos, and other details to stand out. Our system then schedules automatic follow ups as discussed above. 

Easy Access Planroom

We have designed our Planroom to be easy to access. Subcontractors don’t need to create accounts to access it. We’ve labeled and titled everything to help them access specific files and documents. 

Filters to Measure Intent

Searching for subcontractors can be challenging. It becomes problematic when you want to target specific trade partners, like plumbers. Our filter measures help to customize your search intent. 

For instance, you can filter the results to include unioned or non-unioned subs. You can also target their specialty, like HVAC, and average project size. The filter mechanism streamlines the subcontractor recruitment process, allowing you to connect with the ones that fit the project requirements. 

Click here for a video walk through led by our co-founder Andy Lee so you can see how our tool works.

Price

Our software has two membership plans – free and paid. The free plan is perfect for smaller and simpler projects due to limited features. Our paid plan has two categories. The first option costs $50 per user and is perfect for smaller construction teams. You can also opt for the annual plan that costs $499 and has a 50% discount on your first year. 

#2 Fusion 360 by Autodesk

Fusion 360 by Autodesk is a remarkable construction 3D modeling software. It’s mostly utilized by construction professionals such as mechanical engineers and design teams. 

Key Features

Here are a few reasons why Fusion 360 is second on this list. 

Excellent 3D Modeling and Generative Design

Fusion 360 outshines other 3D modeling software in the construction industry by far. It utilizes artificial intelligence to turn complex instructions into detailed and complex parameter models. Artificial intelligence also creates many design options, presenting construction professionals with different solutions. 

Simulation and Analysis

Fusion allows the team to simulate projects to identify potential problems. The program focuses on stress, thermal, and modal analysis to determine how the construction is affected. This approach helps to optimize designs. 

Computer-Aided Manufacturing 

With this AI-powered design tool, you can now generate toolpaths for 3D printers and CNC machining from the designs. Doing so reduces the designing time and gives you more control over the models. 

Pros

• Great for beginners - The software isn’t complicated for first-time users. 
• Cloud-based Services - There’s no software to download. It also syncs data for a larger team. 
• All-in-one Solution - The platform handles modeling, CAM, and simulation. They also offer a bid board to track sub bids. You can read a comparison of Autodesk bid board vs Downtobid here.

Cons

• Limited free-tier features - You must upgrade to access many of the features mentioned.
• Less Customization - The features are rigid and don’t allow users to tweak for unique results. 
• Reliance on Internet Connection - You can’t use the platform offline. 

Read more of Autodesk vs Procore vs Downtobid.

Price

Fusion 360 has a free trial and paid options. The free plan offers 10GB of cloud storage with basic modeling tools. It’s perfect for non-commercial use, like hobbies and school projects. The paid plan has three options. The monthly option costs $85, annually $680, and a 3-year plan costs $2040. 

#3 AVEVA Insight

AVEVA is an AI-powered construction tool perfect for real-time operation insight. AVEVA compiles data on the go, helping the construction team to make quick decisions. 

Key Features

AVEVA Insight has many features, making it one of the best artificial intelligence-powered construction tools. They include the following:

Data-Driven Field Management

The platform allows the construction team to collect and share data on construction sites. This approach ensures the project team can access project data, recent information, and material. It improves decision-making and reduces errors. 

Real-time Project Data Visualization

Resource monitoring and allocation are vital to any construction project. AVEVA provides this capability to account for every resource. The AI construction site monitoring improves accountability and transparency throughout the construction process. 

Risk Management and Mitigation

The platform utilizes the project’s data to identify potential risks and propose solutions. The feature alone improves construction project management by 70%, reducing errors and miscalculations. 

Pros

• AI-powered, Real-time data sharing improves transparency and trust.
• Improves field productivity by providing and updating project performance data. 
• Real-time budget monitoring improves cost control and savings. 

Cons

• Favors larger construction firms.
• It could be expensive for contractors who need more features. 
• It doesn’t integrate easily with other construction software. 

Price

AVEVA has a 45-day free trial. However, they don’t share their premium packages, and you must contact their support for this information. 

#4 Buildots

Buildots is an excellent AI-powered tool that utilizes data to improve construction projects. It uses data analytics and 360° cameras for project progress and real-time analysis. This approach improves overall project efficiency and identifies potential issues earlier. 

Key Features

Here are a few outstanding features of Buildots. 

AI-Powered Progress Tracking

The artificial intelligence analyzes the captured footage and images and compares them with actual designs to determine construction progress. 

Data Analytics and Reporting

Buildots relies heavily on data collection to create reports that project managers use for effective decision-making and project management. The AI-powered data collection ensures that recent and most relevant information is collected.

Collaboration Tools

The document management feature ensures everyone has access to recent data and information. The centralized communication ensures timely feedback sharing to help the team manage projects effectively. 

Pros

• Data analytics enhances quality control.
• Using artificial intelligence for progress tracking reduces errors. 
• Data-driven decision-making improves results. 

Cons

• Higher set-up costs since the system relies on 360° cameras. 
• A steeper learning curve.
• Limited free trial with basic features. 

Price

Buildot has a free trial to help you review the product. However, they don’t state their premium pricing, and you must contact support for this information. 

#5 PlanSwift

PlanSwift is better known for takeoff and estimating services. It’s perfect for general contractors and subs to determine the project’s price. Architects and engineers use it for takeoff purposes. Read more here.

Key Features

Here’s why PlanSwift is a great AI-powered construction tool. 

Quantity Takeoff

Construction teams can use digital building plans to accurately measure quantities of materials in construction sites. This approach increases transparency and collaboration during construction. 

Construction Cost Estimates

The platform relies on quantity takeoffs to integrate labor rates and material costs to generate estimates. 

Cloud-Based Platform

Construction teams can access takeoff information on the go using any device. This approach enhances collaboration and empowers on-field teams with real-time information on construction sites. 

Pros

• A clean and intuitive user interface. 
• Saves time by automating calculations and the takeoff process. 
• Integrates with estimating software.

Cons

• Requires a learning curve to understand the platform.
• Focuses more on 2D drawings. 
• Limited free trial features. 

Price

PlanSwift's pricing plan offers a free trial and paid plans. The free trial has limited features, making it ideal for simple projects. However, PlanSwift doesn’t include their premium pricing publicly on their website. You must contact the sales team.