Best AI takeoff and estimating software for Australian builders

Measuring plans is the slowest part of quoting a build. AI takeoff tools now count symbols, find areas and read whole plan sets for you, but you still own the numbers, so check them against the drawings before a quote goes out. Here's how the takeoff tools on HiVis AI compare.

Updated 2026-10-22. Sponsors can buy visibility, never a verdict; see our review policy.

Quick picks

ToolBest forPrice (as published)AU
EstiMate
Best for pricing a whole plan set		 Reads architectural, structural and spec PDFs together and returns a takeoff by trade, priced on your rates. Basic A$250/month + GST (1 user, monthly AI allowance). Pro A$850/month + GST (10x the AI allowance). Team by enquiry. 7-day free trial, no lock-in. AU-friendly
VIABUILD
Best all-in-one for residential builders		 Oryn takeoff flows straight into the estimate, budget and purchase orders, with two-way Xero. Business plan A$555/month incl GST with 3 users, extra users A$65/month. A$5,994/year paid annually. 7 days free, then A$299 first month on self-serve. Month to month. AU-friendly
Cubit Estimating
Best for dedicated estimators and QS		 Mature Australian estimating software with an AI add-on for symbol counts, auto areas, text scanning and scale detection. From A$170/user/month billed annually (+GST); monthly billing from A$204. 12-month minimum term. AI Estimating add-on A$20/user/month + GST. 14-day free trial. AU-friendly
Buildxact
Best for renovators who want job management too		 On-screen takeoff and recipes with Blu AI assistants for estimate generation and review. Foundation A$199, Pro A$399, Master A$599/month (ex GST, unlimited users). About 15% off with annual billing. Blu AI add-ons A$99–A$149/month. AU-friendly
Groundplan
Best for electrical, plumbing and fit-out trades		 Month-to-month takeoff with symbol counting, priced per seat with a free trial. A$99 per seat/month, or A$990 per seat/year. No lock-in. 7-day free trial, no card. AU-friendly
Togal.AI
Best for high-volume commercial takeoffs		 Automated area and object detection with unlimited takeoffs (USD pricing). Growth US$299 per user/month, billed annually. Teams of 4+ go on a custom-priced Business plan. Partly AU-friendly
Kreo
Best if you want a non-AI plan to start		 Essential plan for manual takeoff, with AI measurement on Pro and above (USD pricing). Essential $100 per user/month billed annually (no AI). Pro $175 per user/month billed annually (AI tools included). Business $250 per user/month billed annually (5 seats). Enterprise custom. 7-day free trial. USD shown; GBP and EUR also listed. Partly AU-friendly

Prices are as published by each vendor when we last checked. Some are in USD, some AUD; some include GST and some don't. Always confirm on the vendor's site before you buy. Pricing last checked 2026-10-23.

The tools in detail

EstiMate

New 🇦🇺 AU-friendly

Melbourne-built AI estimator that reads your full plan set, measures the job by trade and prices it on your rates.

Verdict: A serious option for builders who quote whole houses from plans and are sick of measuring every page. Check its quantities against a past job during the trial before trusting it on a live tender.

Price: Basic A$250/month + GST (1 user, monthly AI allowance). Pro A$850/month + GST (10x the AI allowance). Team by enquiry. 7-day free trial, no lock-in.

📐 Plan reading & takeoffs Details →

VIABUILD

New 🇦🇺 AU-friendly

Australian construction operating system for residential builders, with Oryn digital takeoff feeding estimates, budgets and POs.

Verdict: Worth a look if you want takeoff, estimating and job costing in one connected system rather than an estimating tool on its own. It's priced for an established building business, not a sole trader.

Price: Business plan A$555/month incl GST with 3 users, extra users A$65/month. A$5,994/year paid annually. 7 days free, then A$299 first month on self-serve. Month to month.

📐 Plan reading & takeoffs Details →

Cubit Estimating

🇦🇺 AU-friendly

Buildsoft's takeoff and estimating software, with an AI Estimating add-on.

Verdict: A pro estimator's tool. Excellent for detailed takeoffs, but the 12-month minimum term makes it a bigger commitment than the cloud alternatives.

Price: From A$170/user/month billed annually (+GST); monthly billing from A$204. 12-month minimum term. AI Estimating add-on A$20/user/month + GST. 14-day free trial.

🧮 Quoting & estimating Details →

Buildxact

🇦🇺 AU-friendly

Estimating, takeoffs and job management for residential builders and renovators.

Verdict: The go-to estimating platform for many AU residential builders. The AI costs extra, so trial the base product first and add Blu AI if takeoffs are your bottleneck.

Price: Foundation A$199, Pro A$399, Master A$599/month (ex GST, unlimited users). About 15% off with annual billing. Blu AI add-ons A$99–A$149/month.

🧮 Quoting & estimating Details →

Groundplan

🇦🇺 AU-friendly

Cloud takeoff and estimating for Australian trades, with AI Count Assist.

Verdict: Great value for trades who price off plans. Count Assist is a real time-saver for sparkies counting GPOs and lights.

Price: A$99 per seat/month, or A$990 per seat/year. No lock-in. 7-day free trial, no card.

📐 Plan reading & takeoffs Details →

Togal.AI

Partly AU-friendly

AI-powered automated takeoffs from construction drawings.

Verdict: One of the most capable AI takeoff tools, priced for commercial estimators. A small residential builder will likely get better value from Groundplan or Buildxact.

Price: Growth US$299 per user/month, billed annually. Teams of 4+ go on a custom-priced Business plan.

📐 Plan reading & takeoffs Details →

Kreo

Partly AU-friendly

Online takeoff software with AI auto-measure and auto-count.

Verdict: Cheaper than Togal with solid AI measuring. Worth a trial if you do a lot of takeoffs and don't need AU supplier price integration.

Price: Essential $100 per user/month billed annually (no AI). Pro $175 per user/month billed annually (AI tools included). Business $250 per user/month billed annually (5 seats). Enterprise custom. 7-day free trial. USD shown; GBP and EUR also listed.

📐 Plan reading & takeoffs Details →

All plan reading & takeoffs tools →

Common questions

Can AI do a full takeoff from my plans?

Some tools now try. EstiMate reads a whole plan and spec set and measures by trade, while tools like Cubit's AI Estimating and Groundplan speed up specific jobs such as counting symbols and finding areas. Either way you should check the quantities against the drawings, because you're the one standing behind the quote.

How much does AI takeoff software cost in Australia?

Of the tools listed here, published prices range from about A$99 a seat per month (Groundplan) to A$250 a month + GST (EstiMate Basic) and A$555 a month incl GST for VIABUILD's full platform. Cubit's AI add-on is A$20 per user per month + GST on top of the base licence. Togal.AI and Kreo publish USD prices. Check each vendor's site for current pricing.

Do I need dedicated estimating software if I use Tradify or ServiceM8?

Not for small service jobs. Plan-based takeoff tools earn their keep when you quote builds, extensions or fit-outs from drawings. Many trades run a takeoff tool alongside their job management app.

Which AI takeoff tools are Australian?

EstiMate (Melbourne), VIABUILD, Buildsoft's Cubit (NSW), Buildxact and Groundplan all have Australian offerings priced in AUD. Togal.AI and Kreo are overseas tools that work on Australian plans but bill in foreign currency.