Civils.ai

What is Civils.ai?

Civils.ai is an AI platform that measures quantities from civil engineering drawings and checks construction documents for discrepancies, with a human reviewer checking every extracted result.

The process is simple. You upload PDF drawings, choose a scope such as drainage, paving or concrete, and pick the quantities you need. The system returns areas, lengths, volumes and counts, which a member of staff checks before delivery, and the company aims to send results within 24 hours. Separate agents search specifications and contracts, run reusable discrepancy checks and digitise borehole logs from ground investigation reports.

Civils.ai PTE LTD is based in Singapore and was founded in 2022 by Stevan Lukic, Mirko Vairo and Mohamad Fadil, with backing from Antler and Iterative. Its website reports use at more than 200 firms across eight countries, and names such as Arup, AECOM, Jacobs, WSP and Mott MacDonald appear in its client logos. An August 2026 update added saved agents and a map view.

Key Features

Below-ground takeoffs with a human check are the core of Civils.ai, because groundworks and drainage are the scopes most building-focused takeoff tools handle poorly.

• AI quantity takeoffs: The takeoff agent measures groundworks, landscaping, utilities, drainage, paving, concrete and electrical fittings from PDF drawings. Each takeoff covers one trade on one sheet at scales up to 1:250.
• Human-in-the-loop QA: A reviewer checks all AI-extracted data before it reaches you. The company claims 97% accuracy on modern PDFs and says hand-drawn or pre-1975 sheets cannot carry the same guarantee.
• Discrepancy checks: Reusable check templates compare drawings with specifications and flag conflicts. Teams can run the same checklist on every package, so recurring problems such as mismatched levels get caught consistently.
• Document search: Questions about specifications, contracts and reports return answers with citations to the source page. Searches and checks are unlimited under fair use on every plan, so only takeoffs count against the monthly allowance.
• Borehole digitisation: A subsurface agent pulls borehole logs and ground data out of geotechnical reports, including scanned ones. That saves engineers retyping strata descriptions into spreadsheets before design work starts.
• Map view and saved agents: Geo-referenced drawings can be overlaid with ground data and exported as Shapefiles. Saved agents, added in August 2026, keep a configured workflow ready to rerun on the next project.

Pros

Checked quantities for civil scopes are why estimators choose Civils.ai, since a human review sits between the model and the figures that go into a tender.

• Built for civil work: Drainage runs, earthworks and utilities are first-class scopes rather than add-ons. Groundworks contractors therefore get measurements broken down the way they actually price and programme jobs.
• Reviewed output: Every takeoff passes a human quality check before delivery. Estimators receive figures that have already been sanity-checked, which reduces the risk of a scaling error reaching a bid.
• Accepts messy inputs: Scanned, hand-drawn and older PDF sheets can be uploaded alongside modern drawings. Firms working on refurbishment or legacy infrastructure do not need clean CAD files to get started.
• Useful exports: Results arrive as Excel sheets and marked-up PDFs, with Shapefiles available from the map view. Quantity surveyors can paste figures into their pricing sheets and keep the marked drawing as evidence.
• Data stays yours: Civils.ai states that uploads are not used for training and can be deleted at any time. Data is encrypted in transit with TLS and stored on servers in the United States.

Cons

Turnaround is the main catch with Civils.ai, because the human review means takeoffs can take up to 24 hours rather than minutes.

• Not same-day by default: Results can take up to a day to arrive. Estimators chasing a tender deadline should upload drawings early or keep a manual method ready for urgent sheets.
• Tight takeoff caps: Starter allows 10 takeoffs a month and Professional allows 30. Because one takeoff equals one trade on one sheet, a single multi-trade drawing set can use a month’s allowance quickly.
• Single-user paid plans: Both Starter and Professional cover one user only. Teams that need shared logins or several estimators must move to Enterprise, which is priced through a custom annual contract.
• No free plan: The pricing page shows no trial, only free calculators and a training course. Buyers must commit to at least one month at $90 to test takeoffs on real drawings.
• Integrations locked away: API, MCP connections and SSO with SAML are reserved for Enterprise. Smaller firms cannot connect results directly to estimating or project systems and must rely on file exports.

Who is Using Civils.ai?

Civil contractors and engineering consultancies make up most of Civils.ai’s user base, with case studies from Costain, Meinhardt and Singapore’s JTC on its site.

• Groundworks contractors: Estimators measure earthworks, drainage and concrete for tenders. Reviewed Excel quantities then feed directly into their pricing spreadsheets and bills of quantities.
• Engineering consultants: Design teams check drawings against specifications before issue. Reusable templates help them run the same checks on every package.
• Geotechnical engineers: Specialists digitise borehole logs from old and new site investigation reports. The extracted data can then be mapped against drawings in the map view.
• Public sector and asset owners: Organisations such as JTC use document search across large project archives. Its case study reports more than 528 hours saved by 38 users over 12 months.

Pricing

Civils.ai starts at $90 a month for one user with 10 takeoffs, billed monthly and cancellable anytime (official prices, October 2026).

Older directory listings report a free trial, a $250 one-time Pro payment and a $2,400 corporate plan, none of which the official page now shows.

Disclaimer: your monthly count of trade-by-sheet takeoffs decides which plan is cheaper, so tally a typical project before subscribing.

What Makes Civils.ai Unique?

Below-ground civil scopes plus a mandatory human check set Civils.ai apart from most AI takeoff products, which target building floor plans and return unreviewed results in minutes.

It also links takeoffs to geotechnical data. A team can digitise borehole logs, overlay them on geo-referenced drawings in the map view and export the result to GIS software, a workflow that general-purpose estimating tools rarely attempt.

Compatibilities and Integrations

Civils.ai runs in a browser, accepts any PDF and exports to Excel, marked-up PDF and Shapefile formats.

• Platform: Web app used in a standard browser, with nothing to install.
• Inputs: Any PDF drawing or document, including scanned and handwritten sheets.
• Exports: Excel quantities, annotated PDFs and Shapefiles for QGIS or ArcGIS.
• API and MCP: Programmatic access and MCP connections on the Enterprise plan only.
• Identity: SSO and SAML sign-in for Enterprise customers.

Civils.ai Tutorials

A first takeoff is best run on a past project whose quantities you already know.

1. Choose Starter or Professional and create your account.
2. Upload the PDF drawing sheets, checking each scale is 1:250 or larger.
3. Select the scope, such as drainage or concrete, and the quantities you need.
4. Submit the takeoff and allow up to 24 hours for the reviewed result.
5. Export to Excel and compare key items with your own measurements.
6. Save the setup as an agent so the next project reuses it.

How We Rated It

Civils.ai earns 3.7 out of 5: reviewed civil takeoffs score well, while slow turnaround and Enterprise-only integrations hold it back.

Summary

Civils.ai suits civil contractors, consultants and geotechnical teams who measure groundworks, drainage and concrete from PDF drawings and want a human check on the numbers. The main drawbacks are the up-to-24-hour turnaround and tight monthly takeoff caps on single-user plans. Larger teams needing shared access or an API will have to negotiate Enterprise terms. Start with one month of Starter on a finished project, compare its quantities with your own, and only then decide whether the time saved justifies Professional.