The best AI takeoff software in 2026

AI takeoff has gone from novelty to standard. Here's a fair look at the leading tools — Pilars, Togal.ai, Bobyard, iBeam.ai and MeltPlan — what each does best, how they price, and how to choose.

The short answer

If you want a fully automated takeoff that reads the whole plan set and spec book, flags code issues, and prices per trade, Pilars is the pick. If your priority is fast space measurement on floor plans, Togal.ai is excellent. Bobyard is a strong AI takeoff workbench with deep landscaping roots. iBeam.ai pairs takeoff with bid management. MeltPlan is the right call when you want a human-verified takeoff delivered as a service.

At a glance

Tool	Best for	Automation	Pricing
Pilars	Fully automated, end-to-end takeoff + compliance across trades	Fully automated	$100 / trade, per plan
Togal.ai	Measuring spaces & square footage on floor plans	AI-assisted	Per seat / custom
Bobyard	AI takeoff workbench; landscaping & material pricing	~70%, human-in-loop	Per seat
iBeam.ai (Beam AI)	Takeoff + bid management (RFIs, ITBs, addenda)	AI-assisted	Per seat / custom
MeltPlan	Expert-verified takeoff as a service + code paths	AI + expert review	~$1k–$5k / project

Pilars

Pilars is fully automated AI takeoff software for general contractors and subcontractors. It reads the full plan set and the spec book together, resolves references across sheets and schedules (door, window, fixture), flags code-compliance issues against IBC, NEC, IPC, IMC, ADA and NFPA, and attaches a confidence score to every quantity, back-referenced to the source sheet. Pricing is a transparent $100 per trade, per plan with no per-seat licenses. It's the strongest fit when you bid regularly and want the whole takeoff — quantities, pricing and compliance — done automatically. See the full comparison →

Togal.ai

Togal.ai pioneered AI takeoff for floor plans. It automatically detects, measures, labels and compares spaces with around 98% accuracy and up to an 80% reduction in takeoff time, plus image, text and pattern search. It's a great choice for fast square-footage and space takeoff. Where it stops short: cross-sheet reasoning, structured schedule reading, spec-book parsing and compliance flagging. Pilars vs Togal.ai →

Bobyard

Bobyard is a well-funded AI takeoff workbench ($35M Series A in December 2025) that automates roughly 70% of counting and measuring with a historical cost database and a material-centric takeoff tied to pricing, with strong roots in landscaping. It keeps a human in the loop to finish each takeoff. Pilars vs Bobyard →

iBeam.ai (Beam AI)

iBeam.ai reads drawings and specifications and delivers bid-ready quantities across HVAC, concrete, electrical, plumbing, steel and civil, with a bid dashboard for RFIs and ITBs and an addendum variance report. It's strong if bid management matters as much as the takeoff itself. Pilars vs iBeam.ai →

MeltPlan

MeltPlan offers Melt Takeoff, an AI-assisted takeoff service verified by expert estimators (quantities plus allowances for scope not on drawings), and Melt Code for code-compliance with citations. Pricing is roughly $1,000–$5,000 per project. It's a good fit when you'd rather receive a finished, human-checked takeoff than run software yourself. Pilars vs MeltPlan →

How to choose

• Volume: Bidding many projects a month rewards self-serve software (Pilars) over per-project services (MeltPlan).
• Scope: If scope hides in schedules and specs, prioritize cross-sheet + spec-book reasoning (Pilars).
• Compliance: If code risk matters, choose a tool with built-in compliance flagging (Pilars, MeltPlan's Melt Code).
• Trade mix: Match the tool to your trades — Togal.ai for spaces, Bobyard for landscaping/material, Pilars for broad commercial trades.
• Pricing: Compare per-seat (Togal.ai, Bobyard, iBeam.ai), per-project (MeltPlan) and per-trade (Pilars) against your bid volume.

All product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Details are based on public documentation as of 2026 and may change.