AI steel takeoff software
AI takeoff software for structural steel
AI steel takeoff software reads PDF structural drawing sets and detects the members on them: beams, columns, braces and joists. It reads sizes and piece marks from the labels, calculates weights and builds the bill of materials. Your estimator reviews and edits every member before it goes in the bid.
How AI steel takeoff works
Five steps from the PDF drawing set to your estimating system.
Each step happens in SketchDeck, and your estimator checks and approves each one.
01
Upload the drawing set
Drop in the full PDF set, scanned sheets included. SketchDeck sorts and labels the sheets and reads the scale on each one.
02
Detect and measure the members
Beams, columns, braces and joists are found and measured. Shape, size, length, stud counts, camber and piece marks are read from the labels, and column and beam schedules are read off the sheet.
03
Calculate weights and build the BOM
Weights are calculated for each member and the bill of materials builds from the detected steel. Every line traces back to its highlight on the sheet.
04
Review and edit every member
Your estimator checks the takeoff, corrects or deletes what needs it, and adds counts, areas and connection material. Anything unclear is flagged for your review.
05
Export to your system
Send the bill of materials to Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, E.J.E., FabTrol, Excel or your own BOM template, with a marked-up PDF as the audit trail.
Steel-specific vs general construction AI takeoff
Steel-specific AI takeoff goes deep on one trade. General AI takeoff covers many.
General construction AI takeoff tools are built for estimators who price several trades on the same job, such as concrete, drywall, flooring and electrical. They measure areas, lengths and counts across all of them. AI steel takeoff software is built around structural steel drawings, members and exports. Here is how the two compare on a structural steel bid.
| Built for structural steel | General construction AI takeoff | |
|---|---|---|
| What it detects | Beams, columns, braces and joists, with shape, size, length, stud counts, camber and piece marks read from the labels. | Areas, lengths and counts across many trades. Structural steel is one scope among many. |
| Schedules | Reads graphical and tabular column schedules and tabular beam schedules. | Reading steel column and beam schedules is not usually the focus. |
| Connections | Analyzes framing conditions, moments, copes and holes, and gives each beam end a framing code you map to your own labor codes. | Usually outside the scope, so connections are counted or allowed for separately. |
| Output | A steel bill of materials by member, with weights, exported to Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, E.J.E., FabTrol, Excel or your own BOM template. | Quantities by trade, such as square feet, linear feet and counts, usually exported as a spreadsheet. |
| Revisions | Compares the revised set member by member and shows what was added, changed or deducted, with the weight difference. | Often a visual overlay of the old and new sheets, which shows what moved on the page. |
| Who it suits | Structural steel fabricators and erectors bidding from 2D PDF drawing sets. | General contractors and estimators who take off several trades on the same job. |
If structural steel is the scope you bid, run one of your own drawing sets through each kind of tool and compare how long it takes to reach a takeoff you would put in a bid.
What SketchDeck detects and exports
SketchDeck detects the steel, flags what is unclear and exports to the systems you use.
Detects and measures
- Beams, columns, braces and joists
- Shape, size, length, stud counts and camber from the labels
- Piece marks
- Weights, calculated for each member
- Column heights from top and bottom of steel
Reads and analyzes
- Sheets, classified and labeled, with the scale on each one
- Scanned drawing sets
- Graphical and tabular column schedules, and tabular beam schedules
- Connections: framing conditions, moments, copes and holes
- Revised sets: members added, changed or deducted, with the weight difference
Exports to
- Tekla PowerFab
- STRUMIS
- E.J.E.
- FabTrol
- Excel
- Your own BOM template
- A marked-up PDF as the audit trail
We map the export to your import file before you start.
Your estimator stays in charge of the takeoff.
Unclear or unlabeled items are flagged for review. Every line in the bill of materials traces back to its highlight on the sheet, and your estimators review, edit and approve every member before anything is exported.
See how SketchDeck's steel takeoff software works, or how it handles revision management when an addendum lands.
Where AI takeoff fits in your estimate
The takeoff gives you quantities. Pricing, labor and margin stay with your estimator.
AI steel takeoff covers the quantity step of the estimate. Your estimator and your estimating system turn those quantities into a price.
- Markup and marginWhat the shop keeps after costs
- Indirect costsEngineering, detailing, project management, supervision, consumables
- Field erectionCrane time, rigging, installation
- Shop laborCutting, drilling, fitting, welding, surface prep, inspection
- MaterialShapes by weight, plate, grating and deck, bolts and anchors, coatings
Read from the bottom up. Layers are not to scale: the share of each changes from job to job.
What the takeoff gives you
- Member counts, sizes, lengths and weights
- A bill of materials ready to import into your estimating system
- A framing code for each beam end, mapped to your labor codes
- A marked-up PDF that shows where each number came from
What stays with your estimator
- Material pricing
- Shop and field labor rates and man-hours
- Overhead, markup and margin
- The decision to bid and the final number
SketchDeck doesn't price your labor. Your numbers stay yours.
For the full process from drawings to bid, read the steel estimating guide. When you are ready to test tools, here is how to compare AI steel takeoff software.
Who it is built for
SketchDeck is built for commercial structural steel.
Where SketchDeck fits best
- Commercial structural steel fabricators in North America with a dedicated estimating team
- Erectors doing their own takeoffs
- Bids that start from 2D PDF drawing sets, scanned sets included
- Jobs like data centers, warehouses, hospitals and hotels
A weaker fit today
- Shops that work only from 3D models
- Mostly misc and ornamental metals, such as stairs and handrails
- Residential and mixed-material buildings
Erectors use SketchDeck for piece counts and weights too. See SketchDeck for erectors.
See it on your drawings
See AI steel takeoff on your own drawings
Bring a drawing set from a current bid to the demo. Trial access follows, so you can run SketchDeck on your own bids.
What is AI takeoff software?
AI takeoff software reads construction drawings and produces quantities from them, so the estimator reviews a takeoff instead of building it by hand. General construction tools measure areas, lengths and counts across many trades. AI steel takeoff software such as SketchDeck is built for structural steel: it detects beams, columns, braces and joists, reads sizes and piece marks, calculates weights and builds the bill of materials.
How is AI steel takeoff different from general AI takeoff?
General AI takeoff covers many trades on one job. AI steel takeoff goes deeper on structural steel: it reads shape, size, length and piece marks from the labels, reads column and beam schedules, analyzes connections, compares revised sets member by member, and exports a steel bill of materials to systems like Tekla PowerFab and STRUMIS.
Does AI replace the estimator?
No. SketchDeck handles the counting; your team handles the judgment, the strategy and the pricing. Your estimator reviews, edits and approves every member and owns the number that goes in the bid.
What drawings does it work on?
PDF drawing sets for commercial and industrial structural steel, drawn to North American standards: data centers, warehouses, hospitals, hotels and similar jobs. Scanned PDFs work too. Misc metals, residential mixed-material work and jobs that only arrive as 3D models aren't our focus today.
What does it export to?
SketchDeck exports to Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, E.J.E., FabTrol, Excel and your own BOM template, plus a marked-up PDF. We map the export to your import file before you start.
How do I try it?
Book a demo with a product expert and bring a drawing set from a current bid. Trial access follows the demo, so you can run SketchDeck on your own bids.
What does it cost?
It depends on your team size and bid volume. We'll give you a quote on the call.