Construction Estimation: From Manual Takeoff to the AI Future

August 25, 2025 — Aarni Heiskanen - AEC Business
Quantity takeoff (QTO) is the foundation of construction cost estimation, another critical task. For decades, professionals have sought to streamline QTO through technology, aiming for greater speed, consistency, and accuracy. Yet despite advances in digital tools, the profession is still in flux. A 2023 global study by RICS and Glodon found that only 39% of surveyed organizations use QTO and estimating software integrated with BIM or Common Data Environments. Another 31% rely on standalone tools, and 30% still don’t use specialized software at all. As someone who’s witnessed the evolution of QTO technologies since the 1980s, from digitizing tablets to today’s AI-powered platforms, I find this gap telling. Now that machine learning and large language models are entering the mix, the big question is: Will AI finally automate the estimation process or just become another tool in the estimator’s kit? Read the full story...
Reprinted courtesy of Aarni Heiskanen, AEC Business
Mr. Heiskanen may be contacted at aec-business@aepartners.fi