Overview

Every estimator knows the moment. The job calls for something the parts library doesn’t have, or has almost right: 16 ft posts when the part is 8 ft, or MDF baseboard when the part is pine. Until now, that meant building a custom part by hand or fixing the line after the estimate was done. That changes today!

AI Estimator Pro takes the AI Estimator further for Pro accounts. Attach photos and plans, describe the job the way you’d tell your crew, and the AI builds a priced estimate that fits the job in front of you.

• Estimate from photos and plans. Attach job site photos, plans or blueprints, and the AI reads them along with your description.
• Fill the gaps automatically. When nothing in the library covers an item, the AI creates a custom part for it.
• Get what you asked for. Close matches get tailored to your sizes and materials.
• Priced your way. Labor on AI parts uses your own labor rates, and your markup applies like any other line.
• See every change. Each line shows where it came from, and one click shows what the AI changed and why.

Here’s how it works!

Library, Edited and Custom parts

The AI always starts with the Clear Estimates Parts Library. For each item you describe, one of three things happens.

Each Edited or Custom part also has a tag that tells you why:

• At your request means the change follows something you wrote, like “16 ft posts” or “MDF baseboard.”
• Tags like AI created mean the AI made the call because the job needed it.

How edited parts work

When a library part is close but not quite right, the AI starts from that part and changes only what your job needs. Everything else stays the same.

In this example, the contractor asked for 16 ft posts. The closest library part is an 8 ft post, so the AI:

• Updated the description to 16 ft
• Doubled the material cost ($27.70 to $55.40 per post) for twice the lumber
• Left labor alone, since digging and setting each post in concrete takes the same time

Click the Edited badge on any line to see who asked for the change, what changed and why, and the library part next to this estimate’s version. Your library part itself never changes. Edits apply to this estimate only.

Here’s another example. Ask for MDF baseboard, and the AI starts from the pine baseboard part. It switches the description to MDF and lowers the material cost 27% to match MDF pricing. Labor per foot stays the same.

How custom parts work

When nothing in the library covers an item, the AI builds a new part from scratch:

• A description and unit that fit the work (Pieces, Sq. Feet or Lin. Feet)
• A category from your part library, like 12 Roofing and Gutters
• A material cost per unit
• Labor hours per unit, priced at your labor rate for that trade

Here, no library part covers roof turbine vents, so the AI created one. It priced $55.00 in material for a 12 inch metal vent with flashing, plus 1.25 hours at the contractor’s own roofing rate of $36.41/hr. The line total is $100.51 before markup.

Click the Custom badge to see why the AI created the part and exactly how it was priced. “Priced like” shows a similar library part the AI used as a pricing reference. You don’t need to do anything with it.

Tip: Custom parts are added to this project only. To use one again, open the part after you create the project, click More, then Save as New Part in Library. Here’s how.

Estimates from photos and plans

Click Attach files in the Describe your next job box to add job site photos, plans, blueprints or drawings. The AI reads them along with your description to find the work and match it to parts.

• File types: .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe, .png, .webp and .pdf
• Size limits: 10 MB per file and 50 MB total

For the best results:

• Add a short description. Even a sentence helps the AI understand the scope, materials and finish.
• Use clear images. Sharp photos and legible plans work best.
• Show the whole space. Full views give the AI more to work with than close-ups.

See how image-based estimating works.

Notes from the AI

The AI flags anything worth a second look at the top of the section it applies to:

• Assumed: Something the AI took as a given. Here, it’s a standard pitch asphalt shingle roof.
• Not included: Something left out of the estimate, and why.

Read the notes before you create the project. They tell you exactly what to double-check.

How to create an AI estimate with Pro

1. Describe the job

From Home, type the job in the Describe your next job box. Include the rooms or phases, measurements and finish grade. Click Attach files to add photos or plans, or click one of the Try examples to start from a sample job.

Then click Create with AI.

2. Add project details

1. Pick a customer from the list, or click + New customer.
2. Check the Project title.
3. Your description carries over. Add any details you missed.
4. Click Continue.

3. Let the AI build it

Your estimate usually takes 1- 2 minutes. Each step checks off as it finishes, and the status shows what the AI is working on.

4. Review the estimate

• Read the notes at the top of each section.
• Check the Source column, and click any badge to see what the AI did.
• Adjust quantities and uncheck anything you don’t need.

5. Create the project

Click Create project to save it. From there, you can edit just about anything, including part descriptions, costs, labor rates and markup, and add more parts or templates. If your estimate has more than one section, each section is added as a component.

Tips for better results

• Give sizes and materials. “16 ft posts” and “MDF baseboard” tell the AI exactly what to change.
• Call out the extras. Name specialty items so the AI can build them if the library doesn’t have them.
• Include dimensions. Without them, the AI uses typical sizes from similar projects and notes it as Assumed.
• Attach what you’ve got. Photos and plans fill in details your description leaves out.

Frequently asked questions

Is AI Estimator Pro available on Standard plans?
No. Photo and plan uploads, edited parts and custom parts are Pro features. On Standard, the AI Estimator uses parts straight from the Clear Estimates Parts Library, and the notes point out where Pro would have helped. Let the AI fill the gaps with Pro

Does the AI change my parts library?
No. Edited parts start from a library part, but the library part stays the same. Changes apply to that estimate only.

What labor rate does the AI use?
Your own. Labor on edited and custom parts uses your labor rate for the matching trade. You can update your rates in Tools > Options > Labor Rate Editor.

Does my markup apply to AI parts?
Yes, same as every other line. You can adjust markup after clicking create project, or edit your default markup in your Options tool. 

Can I change what the AI did?
Yes. After you click Create project, edit any line like any other part.

Continued learning

AI Estimator
Image-Based Estimating
Do More with Part Actions
Setting Up Labor Rates

AI Estimator Pro is in beta, and we’ll keep improving it based on your feedback. Send your thoughts and suggestions to support@clearestimates.com!