Beam AI Automates Electrical Takeoff with AI

Summary:

Are long hours spent calculating wiring runs, conduits, and fixture quantities slowing down your bid cycle? 

Manual takeoffs are time-consuming, leaving less room for refining estimates or building client relationships. Beam AI electrical takeoff software simplifies this process.  Just upload your plans, and Beam AI’s AI-based takeoff tool does the heavy lifting. In 3 simple steps, you’ll have accurate data to drive competitive bids and make room for the work that really matters.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Beam AI electrical takeoff software helps streamline workflows, reduce errors, and give electrical contractors a competitive edge.

What Makes Electrical Takeoffs So Complex?

Electrical takeoffs are the backbone of any construction project. Without a reliable and efficient electrical system, a building cannot function. However, the complexity of electrical takeoffs come from: 

Keeping up with changes: Project plans are constantly evolving, with addendums and design modifications popping up left and right. Redoing manual takeoffs every time is a recipe for errors.

Chasing tight deadlines: Bidding cycles are notoriously short, and you need to be able to turn around accurate takeoffs quickly to stay competitive. 

High complexity: Electrical plans contain detailed wiring, conduit layouts, panels, and fixtures.

Without the right tools, this process becomes a bottleneck, slowing down bids and increasing the risk of errors. 

Key Features of Beam AI for Electrical Takeoff Software

1. Generate material takeoffs in 4 simple steps 

Easily generate 100% automated takeoffs in just 4 simple steps. 

Step 1 - Upload electrical plans in PDF format

Simply drop your electrical drawings, specs, and legends, including fixtures, panels, branches, conduits, and takeoff PDFs.

Step 2- Confirm scope of work for your electrical takeoff

Your scope will be pre-aligned for switchgear, lighting, wiring, conduit, panels, and fixtures. Simply check the box to proceed. Have system-specific notes or wiring deviations? Capture them in “Project-Specific Deviations.”

Step 3- AI does the electrical material takeoff for you

Beam AI extracts quantities from your electrical plans—wiring, lighting, grounding, and more—and delivers an Excel-ready file.

Step 4- Get reviewed electrical takeoffs

Get QA-reviewed takeoffs. Each takeoff is reviewed by our QA team and delivered within 24–72 hours.

Think of Beam AI as an AI estimator companion, freeing you to focus on winning bids, collaborating with suppliers, or planning resource allocation.

2. Process multiple takeoff in parallel

Peak bidding season often overwhelms contractors with opportunities they cannot pursue due to time constraints.  Moreover, juggling multiple bids, each with its own set of complexities, often forces contractors to let go of lucrative opportunities simply because there isn’t enough time to bid on every project while doing takeoffs manually. This results in missed revenue and unfulfilled business potential.

Beam AI electrical takeoff allows you to process multiple takeoffs simultaneously. Upload plans for different projects — such as a hospital renovation and a retail center — and let Beam AI handle both. Real-time status tracking ensures your team stays in control and prioritizes urgent bids efficiently.

3. Centralized takeoff library

Managing multiple electrical projects often means dealing with a chaotic pile of past takeoff files scattered across emails, local drives, or shared folders. This disorganization makes resulting in valuable data for future bids almost impossible. Beam AI’s Takeoff Library centralizes completed takeoffs, allowing easy access and reuse. 

Imagine you’re bidding on a new office building project with a similar electrical setup to one you completed last year. Simply pull up the past takeoff from the Takeoff Library. Beam AI allows you to review and refine the data, ensuring consistency while saving hours of effort.

By referencing historical takeoffs, you can standardize your processes and ensure every bid is as competitive as possible.

4. Flexible export options for team collaboration

Collaboration is critical for electrical projects. Beam AI supports multiple export options:

• Excel spreadsheets:This is the most comprehensive export, providing a detailed report of all information organized into multiple tabs. It is ideal for estimating detailed aggregates, features, or sheet-specific values. 
• PDF export: Ideal for visual reports or archives. You can use this export for client presentations, adding it to your bid packages, and making annotations. This is a visually neat way to share your project. 
• Shareable cloud-based links: Clicking this option generates a unique URL to a read-only, interactive version of the takeoff. The viewer can pan, zoom, and click on features to see their properties, but cannot edit or export. The link reflects the unit system (Metric/Imperial) in which the takeoff was created. Best for sharing the takeoff with someone who doesn't have access to the platform and can also be added to the bid package. 
• Screenshots: Capture specific sections of your takeoff as images for quick reference or to highlight particular elements during discussions.

5. Simplified addenda handling 

One of the biggest challenges for electrical contractors is dealing with addenda and last-minute changes in project plans. 

Beam AI simplifies this challenge with its resubmit functionality, which efficiently handles evolving project requirements. Here’s how it works:

A. Automatic change detection:

Instead of starting over with a new plan, simply upload the updated project files. Beam AI’s advanced system automatically detects changes, highlighting exactly what’s different.

B. Variance report

The Variance Report tells you what values have changed between 2 versions of a selected takeoff, so that you can modify proposals better. 

You can toggle between these changes on the Beam AI software, but they’re also available on sheets, which you can export. 

C. Seamless revision management:
Need to request corrections or add new takeoffs? With Beam AI, you can resubmit plans for revisions or additional quantities in just a few clicks, saving hours of manual effort.

6. Organize projects with the tagging feature 

Large-scale electrical projects often involve multiple circuits, zones, phases, or panels, each requiring careful planning and monitoring. 

Beam AI’s Tagging Feature helps categorize takeoffs into specific zones, circuits, or any custom categories relevant to your project, ensuring manageability and efficiency.

For instance, tags for different floors or zones in a multi-storey office building allow your team to focus on specific areas without losing sight of the overall project. You can also tag circuits to group and monitor specific tasks, such as lighting installations or panel wiring.

7. Advanced editing tools 

Beam AI includes advanced editing tools for fine-tuning takeoffs:

• Modify takeoffs: Edit, rotate, split, or cut elements for precise adjustments.
• Add missing elements: Include elements missed in AI-generated takeoffs.
• Reclassify items: Reassign items as project zones or categories evolve.

The Bottom Line 

Electrical takeoffs demand precision, speed, and collaboration. Beam AI electrical takeoffs empower electrical contractors to streamline workflows, reduce errors, and focus on delivering quality projects. 

By automating the takeoff process, Beam AI transforms how contractors bid, manage, and execute projects. Ready to revolutionize your estimating workflow? Book a demo today and experience how Beam AI can take your electrical takeoffs to the next level.

FAQs

1. What is Beam AI electrical takeoff?

Beam AI electrical takeoff is an AI-powered tool that automates quantity extraction for electrical projects, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy.

‍2. Can Beam AI handle multiple takeoffs at once?

Yes, Beam AI electrical takeoff software can process multiple projects simultaneously, helping contractors meet tight deadlines during peak bidding seasons.

‍3. How does Beam AI manage project changes or addenda?

The resubmit functionality detects changes, updates quantities automatically, and generates detailed change reports.

‍4. Does Beam AI store past takeoffs for future use?

Yes, the Takeoff Library centralizes past projects, allowing contractors to reuse and refine data for new bids.