Steel estimators know the pain of manual takeoffs all too well. Spending hours clicking through blueprints, counting every beam and column, tracking studs and camber, and hoping you haven't missed anything critical. The traditional estimating process is time-consuming, error-prone, and creates a bottleneck that limits how many bids your team can complete.

What if you could transform that entire workflow? Instead of spending hours or even days on a single takeoff, imagine completing the same work in just minutes with higher accuracy.

Bill, a former steel estimator who now works with SketchDeck.ai, walks through exactly how LIFT's AI-powered takeoff software revolutionizes the steel estimating process from start to finish.

Watch How LIFT Works in 2 Minutes

Why Manual Steel Takeoffs Are Holding You Back

Before diving into how LIFT works, it's worth understanding why manual takeoffs create such significant challenges for structural steel fabricators.

Traditional takeoff methods require estimators to manually review every page of a drawing set, identify each structural element, record dimensions and specifications, and organize everything into a bill of materials. For a complex project with hundreds of pages, this can take days of focused work.

The manual process also introduces multiple opportunities for human error. Miss a few beams on page 47, and your bid could be thousands of dollars off. Work late into the night to meet a deadline, and mistakes become even more likely.

Most importantly, manual takeoffs limit your bidding capacity. If your estimators are buried in repetitive counting work, they can't focus on higher-value activities like analyzing complex connections, optimizing material selections, or pursuing new opportunities.

How LIFT Transforms the Takeoff Process

LIFT uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate the most tedious parts of steel takeoff work. Here's how the process works from uploading a drawing to exporting your final takeoff.

Step 1: Upload Your Drawings and Let AI Do the Detection

Getting started with LIFT is straightforward. Upload your PDF drawings into the software, and the AI immediately begins analyzing your project.

LIFT's machine learning algorithms scan each page of your drawing set, automatically detecting and categorizing main structural members. The software identifies beams, columns, bracing, joists, and other steel elements without any manual input required.

But LIFT doesn't stop at simple detection. The software captures detailed information for each element, including:

• Member size and designation

• Length measurements

• Stud counts

• Camber specifications

• Piece marks

• Calculated weights

Depending on the size and complexity of your project, this automated analysis typically takes just a few seconds to a few minutes. Compare that to the hours you would normally spend manually counting and recording the same information.

The AI works through your entire drawing set systematically, ensuring consistent accuracy across every page. You get comprehensive material counts without clicking through drawings or maintaining complex spreadsheets.

Step 2: Automated Connection Analysis Saves Hours

After detecting main members, LIFT tackles another time-consuming challenge: connection analysis.

Analyzing connections manually requires careful review of each framing condition, counting copes and holes, identifying moment connections, and assigning appropriate labor codes. For a project with thousands of connections, this work can take as long as the initial member takeoff.

LIFT's connection automation features handle this work in seconds. The software automatically:

• Counts copes for each connection

• Detects and catalogs holes

• Identifies moment connections

• Assesses framing conditions

• Assigns labor codes based on connection types

Run the connection analysis, and LIFT populates all these details across your takeoff. No more manually adding connection information for every line item. No more wondering if you've correctly assessed every framing condition.

This automation is especially valuable for complex projects with varied connection types. The software maintains consistency across your entire takeoff while you focus on reviewing the results rather than gathering the data.

Step 3: Seamless Integration with Your Existing Workflow

One of LIFT's key advantages is how it fits into your current estimating process. The software isn't a replacement for your entire workflow, but rather a powerful tool that handles the tedious parts while integrating with the systems you already use.

LIFT offers flexible export options for multiple industry-standard platforms:

• Tekla PowerFab: Export directly to your fabrication management system

• Bluebeam: Send data to your PDF markup and collaboration tools

• EJE and other nesting software: Transfer information for cutting and optimization

• Custom spreadsheets: Export to your company's specific formats and templates

This flexibility means your team doesn't need to completely change how they work. LIFT handles the counting and data capture, then delivers that information in whatever format your downstream processes require.

The integration capabilities also make it easier to get your team on board with new technology. Estimators can continue using familiar tools while benefiting from automated data collection.

Handling Drawing Revisions Without Starting Over

Every estimator knows the frustration of receiving revised drawings after completing a takeoff. In traditional workflows, changes might mean starting portions of your takeoff from scratch or carefully comparing old and new versions to identify differences.

LIFT simplifies change management significantly. When you receive updated drawings, simply upload the revised pages to replace the old versions.

The software includes an overlay feature that displays old and new drawings side by side. You can quickly identify what changed, understand the impact on your quantities, and update your takeoff accordingly.

This revision handling saves tremendous time during the bidding process. Instead of scrambling to rework your entire estimate when changes arrive, you can assess the impact and adjust your numbers in minutes.

Real-World Impact: What LIFT Users Experience

The benefits of AI-powered takeoff software extend beyond just speed. Steel fabricators using LIFT report multiple improvements to their estimating process:

Increased Bidding Capacity: Estimators complete takeoffs in a fraction of the time, allowing teams to pursue more opportunities without adding staff. Some LIFT users report completing 40% more bids with the same team size.

Improved Accuracy: LIFT detects steel on most drawings with 95-99% accuracy. Automated counting reduces the human errors that lead to costly bid mistakes.

Better Resource Allocation: With tedious counting work automated, estimators can focus on higher-value activities like connection optimization, value engineering, and building customer relationships.

Faster Response Times: Complete takeoffs in minutes instead of hours or days, allowing you to submit competitive bids faster and pursue last-minute opportunities.

AI Takeoff Software for Structural Steel Fabricators

The construction industry is increasingly adopting artificial intelligence to solve longstanding productivity challenges. For structural steel estimators, AI takeoff software like LIFT represents a significant leap forward from manual methods.

By automating material detection, connection analysis, and data organization, AI eliminates the repetitive work that consumes most of an estimator's time. The technology handles tasks that computers do better than humans while freeing people to focus on the judgment and expertise that truly require human intelligence.

For fabricators looking to stay competitive, the question isn't whether to adopt AI-powered estimating tools, but how quickly you can integrate them into your workflow.

Getting Started with LIFT

Seeing LIFT work with your actual project drawings is the best way to understand its capabilities. The SketchDeck.ai team offers personalized demos where they analyze one of your own drawings and provide a free project in LIFT.

This hands-on approach lets you evaluate the software's accuracy with your specific drawing types, understand how it fits your workflow, and see exactly how much time it could save your team.

Ready to transform your steel takeoff process?

Book a free demo today.