FAQ
Is Contractor Takeoff live?
Section titled “Is Contractor Takeoff live?”No. It is in a closed pilot. You cannot sign up or log in from the website today. Pilot workspaces are set up by hand for selected shops running real bids. If that sounds like you, see Getting started for how to ask in.
What happens to my documents?
Section titled “What happens to my documents?”Straight answer, because bid documents are confidential business records. The app is hosted, so documents you attach to a bid are uploaded to be processed. They are stored in private storage, scoped to your workspace, and used for your workflow only. Your files are never used to train AI models. Retention and access details are spelled out in the app’s data handling page, in plain language, inside your workspace.
If you want a workflow where files never leave your machine at all, that is what the free local engine is for. See below.
Does it price jobs?
Section titled “Does it price jobs?”No. Contractor Takeoff manages the bid before pricing: documents, review, alerts, due dates, next actions. It does not write quantities, prices, or proposal numbers, and the AI is not allowed to either. Pricing stays the estimator’s judgment. See AI review for how that boundary works.
Does it do takeoff measurement?
Section titled “Does it do takeoff measurement?”No. Despite the name, there is no computer-vision auto-measurement. It organizes and reviews the bid so you can find your scope pages fast. Measurement stays in your existing takeoff workflow.
What is the relationship to contractor-bid, the free engine?
Section titled “What is the relationship to contractor-bid, the free engine?”contractor-bid is the free, open-source, MIT-licensed engine behind the app. It runs entirely on your machine: it takes a bid package, finds your scope pages, triages plans and specs, builds packets and a takeoff workbook, and writes source-backed alerts. Your files stay local; nothing gets uploaded.
It is not a trial of the app. It is a complete local workflow for people comfortable with a terminal, and it stays free. Contractor Takeoff is the hosted app for teams that want the same workflow with a login, a shared bid board, and no terminal.
Can I trust the AI summaries?
Section titled “Can I trust the AI summaries?”You should not have to trust them. You should be able to check them. Every finding and alert that came from your documents cites the source document and page, and the viewer takes you straight to that page. The AI drafts; the estimator verifies. The details are in AI review.
What about my data if I leave?
Section titled “What about my data if I leave?”Your bid documents are yours. The bid packet export includes your original uploaded files along with the reviewed summary and findings, so you can take your work with you at any time. Deleting documents removes them from the app, and deletion behavior is documented on the data handling page in your workspace. During the pilot, email keith@contractorkeith.com and we will handle export or deletion directly.
What about RFIs, submittals, and CRM?
Section titled “What about RFIs, submittals, and CRM?”Planned as later modules, maybe. The first version has to nail the core: bid board, documents, AI review, alerts, exports. Everything else earns its way in after that works.