AI HVAC Estimating Software Built for Subcontractors
ScopeTakeoff pairs an AI plan assistant with a real HVAC estimating engine. Ask your plan set questions — tonnage, CFM, equipment schedules, scope — and get answers with the source sheet, while duct-by-the-pound auto-calc and OCR-searchable plans do the busywork. AI measuring is in early access now — trained on verified takeoffs, it proposes equipment counts you confirm. AI that measures and answers HVAC work with you, never a black box you can’t check.
HVAC subs across GA, AL, MS, LA & SC use ScopeTakeoff’s AI daily
| Assembly | Source | Qty | Unit | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangular Duct (galv) by weight | Auto-calc | 9,850 | lb | $62,400 |
| Rooftop Unit (RTU) | 6 | EA | $88,000 | |
| Hydronic Piping + fittings | Auto-calc | 1,760 | LF | $39,600 |
| VAV Box + controls | You confirm | 24 | EA | $34,000 |
AI that answers. Automation that calculates.
ScopeTakeoff’s AI HVAC estimating tools work inside a real Division 23 takeoff and bidding engine. The AI reads your plan set and answers questions; the automation turns every duct run into derived weight, seams, and hangers, and every piece of equipment into its rigging and startup labor. You stay in control of the count — and the busywork disappears.
AI Plan Chat
Ask your HVAC plan set in plain English: “What tonnage is the RTU schedule?” “What’s the CFM on this zone?” “Which sheets are the mechanical schedules?” “Summarize the HVAC scope.” The AI reads your sheets and answers with the source.
Visual Plan Answers
Ask “how many RTUs are on this roof plan?” or “where are the VAV boxes?” and the AI looks at the drawing to help you scope and sanity-check — and in early access it proposes the count for you to confirm.
OCR-Searchable Plan Sets
Every sheet is text-extracted automatically. Full-text search finds the equipment schedule, RTU schedule, or spec section in seconds — instead of paging through the set by hand.
Automatic Sheet & Scale Detection
ScopeTakeoff reads the title block on every page — pulling the sheet number (M-101, M-601), sheet name, and scale automatically. Your set arrives named, numbered, and measure-ready without manual calibration.
Duct-by-the-Pound Auto-Calc
Measure ductwork once and gauge, weight, seams, and hangers derive automatically; equipment schedules, hydronic and refrigerant piping with fittings, and controls all carry Division 23 labor. One measurement, a complete priced line.
Aerial Takeoff
Measure site mechanical from satellite imagery by address — rooftop unit layouts, condenser pads, and site runs. Areas and lengths compute automatically, so rooftop and site scopes start before the plans even arrive.
From plan set to AI-assisted HVAC bid in minutes
ScopeTakeoff is AI HVAC estimating software built around how HVAC estimators actually work. The AI accelerates every step — and every number is yours to see, confirm, and override.
Upload your plans
Drag in your PDF plan set. Every sheet is OCR’d for search, and the sheet number, name, and scale are read from the title block automatically.
Ask the AI
Chat with your plans — tonnage, CFM, “which sheets are the equipment schedules?” Get answers with sources before you measure a thing.
Measure — duct weight auto-derives
Take off ductwork and gauge, weight, seams, and hangers derive themselves. Confirm the AI-proposed equipment count; each unit carries its rigging and startup labor.
Overhead, versions & SOV
Add overhead and profit, snapshot change-order and addendum versions, then export a one-click Schedule of Values and a branded proposal ready to send to the GC. No reformatting required.
Built for how HVAC estimators bid
Division 23 assemblies, duct-by-the-pound automation, and an AI plan assistant that reads the M-sheets — whether you’re bidding ground-up, retrofit, or plan-spec.
Commercial HVAC / Mechanical Subs
Division 23 equipment, ductwork, hydronic and refrigerant piping, and controls — with the AI answering tonnage, CFM, and schedule questions from the plans.
TI & Retrofit
Scope a retrofit fast: ask the AI to summarize the mechanical scope and point you to the equipment schedule, then confirm AI-proposed equipment counts and price with assemblies that carry rigging and startup.
Design-Build & Plan-Spec
Pull equipment and RTU schedules straight from the AI, then price duct-by-the-pound and piping with Division 23 labor in one flow.
Trained on verified takeoffs, not the open internet
ScopeTakeoff trains its own construction models on real, verified takeoffs across 10+ trades — the data flywheel behind AI measuring. Every unit counted and duct run confirmed sharpens the next bid. It’s a dataset a general-purpose chatbot doesn’t have and a competitor can’t buy.
Purpose-built for the trades
Models trained on how HVAC elements appear on plans — duct, equipment, VAV boxes, and piping — not generic text. They read a plan set like an estimator, because they learned from estimators.
Accuracy you confirm
AI measuring proposes the count; you confirm it. Because the models learn from verified takeoffs, the proposals sharpen over time — and every number on your bid is one you signed off on.
Priced to include
Running purpose-built models keeps AI cost low enough to include at $100/person/month — no enterprise AI add-on, no upsell to get the intelligence.
AI assistant vs. auto-takeoff AI vs. Excel
“AI HVAC estimating software” means different things. Some tools attempt a black-box equipment count you audit after the fact. ScopeTakeoff’s approach: the AI answers, derives duct weight and labor, and — now in early access — proposes equipment counts trained on verified takeoffs, which you confirm. The estimator owns the count. Here’s the honest difference.
| Feature | ScopeTakeoff | Auto-takeoff AI tools | Excel |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI plan Q&A (tonnage, schedules, scope) | ✓ With sources | Rare | ✗ None |
| AI-proposed equipment counts | ✓ Early access — you confirm | Black-box, you audit | ✗ None |
| Duct-by-the-pound + labor | ✓ Auto-calc | Quantities only, labor varies | ✗ Manual |
| OCR search + auto sheet & scale | ✓ Every sheet | Varies | ✗ None |
| Estimate versions & change orders | ✓ Addendum snapshots | Varies | ✗ Manual copies |
| SOV output for GC submission | ✓ One click | Rare | ✗ Manual |
| Pricing | $100/person/mo, self-serve | Typically quote-based | $0 (but slow) |
What HVAC subs say about ScopeTakeoff’s AI
“Duct by the pound with the labor already on it is the whole game for me. I take off the runs and the estimate is basically built.”
“The AI pulling tonnage off the RTU schedule and citing the sheet saves the flip-through on every mechanical set.”
“It proposes the equipment count and I confirm it. Fast, but the number on my bid is one I checked.”
Common questions about AI HVAC estimating
AI HVAC estimating priced for subcontractors
$100 per person per month with AI credits included. No annual contract, no implementation fee, no quote-based pricing games.
- 1 estimator seat
- AI plan chat + visual answers
- OCR search + auto sheet & scale detection
- Division 23 + all 16+ trade assemblies
- Duct-by-the-Pound Auto-Calc
- Aerial takeoff
- Unlimited projects
- SOV + proposal export
- 2–5 estimator seats
- AI plan chat + visual answers
- OCR search + auto sheet & scale detection
- Division 23 + all 16+ trade assemblies
- Duct-by-the-Pound Auto-Calc
- Aerial takeoff
- Unlimited projects
- SOV + proposal export
- Bid review workflow
14-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
Try AI-assisted HVAC estimating
with ScopeTakeoff
14-day free trial. No credit card. No sales call. Cancel anytime.
Start free trial →AI Plan Chat · OCR Search · Auto Sheet & Scale · Duct-by-the-Pound · AI Measuring (beta) — included at every plan