Introduction
A construction bill of materials (BOM) is the itemized list of everything a project needs, with quantity, size, specification and cost against each line. On an industrial job it covers every pipe run by size and spec, every fitting, valve, flange, gasket, bolt and weld, every steel member and plate, and every device and cable run on the electrical sheets, all taken off the drawings.
At most contractors that list is still built by hand. An estimator highlights symbols on a PDF, scales lengths off the sheet and keys the quantities into a spreadsheet, then prices them against a supplier list, and the whole thing has to be rebuilt when an addendum lands.
That no longer holds, because there are fewer estimators each year while bid volumes and package sizes keep growing.
The ten tools below are compared as a chain, since the material list starts as a takeoff, becomes an estimate, turns into a purchase order and ends up in job costing. The list says which stage each construction bill of materials software tool owns and how much of the work it still leaves to a person.
How A Construction Bill Of Materials Gets Built Today
Most contractors build the bill of materials in two disconnected steps. The estimator measures and counts on the drawings, usually in a PDF tool, and types the quantities into an Excel workbook, where supplier pricing and waste factors sit in formulas someone wrote years ago. Purchasing then retypes the same list into a procurement tool or a purchase order, and job costing gets a third copy.
Every retype is a chance to drop a line, and most software marketed as bill of materials software was built for manufacturers managing fixed assemblies of parts, which is a different problem from a list that changes with every addendum. A contractor needs software for construction estimates that starts from a drawing, prices against current rates and stays connected to what gets bought and installed.
Why Estimators Can't Keep Building The BOM By Hand
The material list is still built by hand at most contractors, and there are fewer estimators each year to build it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts about 221,400 cost estimators in the US and projects a 4% decline by 2034, and roughly three in four estimator seats will need to be refilled over the decade, according to The Shortage of Estimators report.
Fewer estimators carrying more bids can't keep counting every fitting and member by hand, and The Takeoff AI suits contractors expanding into data center piping, electrical and steel work, a shift covered in The Data Center Boom Has A Problem.
What To Look For In Bill Of Materials Software For Construction
- It should build the list from the drawings, so quantities are counted and measured by the software rather than typed in from a separate takeoff.
- Every line should trace back to the spot on the drawing it came from, so a purchasing agent questioning a quantity gets an answer in seconds.
- It should carry the line items, with size, specification and cost code intact, into procurement and job costing without a retype.
- It should price the list against your own supplier rates and labor units, so the output is a priced bid and not a quantity list someone still has to price.
10 Best Construction BOM Software In 2026
1. The Takeoff AI
The Takeoff AI is the best construction BOM software in 2026. It estimates from your P&IDs (piping and instrumentation diagrams), isometrics, mechanical, electrical and structural drawings, counts every valve, fitting, flange, gasket, bolt, weld, steel member and device, and measures pipe, duct, conduit and cable runs by size and spec. It is built on AI models trained on more than 1 million industrial drawing sets and delivers 95% accuracy. Every line of the bill of materials is marked and highlighted on the drawing it came from, so someone can check it before the bid goes out.
The outputs are the material takeoff (MTO), the labor takeoff and a priced bill of materials (BOM), with weld counts by diameter inch on piping jobs. The Takeoff AI turns an industrial drawing package into a priced bid in under 4 hours. More than 100 estimators now call The Takeoff AI the best construction BOM estimating software they have used, and they are estimating projects in under 3 to 4 hours that once took 40 to 50 hours. That gives them back 90 to 95% of their estimating time.
It covers piping, P&ID, isometrics, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation (E&I), plumbing, HVAC including ductwork, structural steel and misc iron, and it nests cuts onto stock lengths to reduce waste. After the award, the same platform carries the list into schedules, project controls, vendor and subcontractor management, so nothing is retyped between the bid and the purchase order.
2. PlanSwift
PlanSwift is a Windows desktop measuring tool where you build your own assemblies, measure on screen and export quantities to Excel or an estimating package. It knows nothing about your materials until you teach it, so assemblies, waste factors and specification logic are setup work your estimators perform, and every measurement is still a click. Reviewers on Capterra report crashes and slowdowns on large plan sets.
3. Autodesk Construction Cloud
Autodesk Construction Cloud pulls model-based quantities out of building information modeling (BIM) geometry, which keeps the list current as the design updates. Model-derived quantities are only as good as the model, and on renovation work delivered as scanned PDFs there is no model at all, so the estimator is back to measuring by hand. Reviewers mention a steep learning curve and a confusing module structure.
4. Kojo
Kojo is construction procurement software for trade contractors, taking a material list into sourcing, quoting, purchase orders, deliveries and inventory, with a supplier network for price and availability comparison. It does not produce quantities, so it assumes an accurate list arrives from somewhere else. Reviewers on Capterra mention occasional sync problems with accounting systems and a learning curve for field users.
5. Procore
Procore is construction project management software with estimating and takeoff modules built around commercial building drawings, so quantities, purchase orders and cost reports can sit in one system. It is sold as a platform for the whole business, and buying it for the bill of materials means buying far more than that. Capterra reviewers often mention a steep learning curve and high cost for smaller contractors.
6. Sage 300 Construction And Real Estate
Sage 300 CRE is construction financial management software where material cost lands against job cost codes, with purchase orders, subcontract commitments and billing formats built in. Takeoff comes from a partner tool rather than from Sage, so the list is built elsewhere and keyed across. Reviewers on Capterra describe the interface as dated and reporting as slow to set up.
7. Viewpoint Vista
Vista, part of Trimble, covers accounting, payroll, equipment, procurement and project management for contractors with heavy self-performed labor, and its purchasing and inventory depth suits shops that warehouse material across jobs. It does no takeoff, so quantities arrive from another tool. Reviewers mention a long implementation and an interface that takes time to learn.
8. OpenBOM
OpenBOM is a bill of materials tool built for engineering and manufacturing, handling multi-level assemblies, revision control and vendor catalogs. Contractors who fabricate repeatable units get the most from it, while a contractor working from process or architectural drawings finds it oriented around a product structure their work does not have, with no takeoff at all. Reviewers mention a steep setup for new users.
9. Buildertrend
Buildertrend covers the material list as part of a residential builder's operating system, alongside scheduling, client communication, change orders and supplier price integration. The material handling is too light for commercial or industrial work, and quantities are entered rather than taken off. Capterra reviewers mention limited reporting and a price that climbs with each add-on.
10. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a structured spreadsheet with collaboration, approvals and automation, and a large number of contractors run their material lists in it. It has no construction knowledge, so there are no assemblies, waste factors, supplier pricing or specification logic, and every rule lives in a formula someone wrote. Reviewers mention slow performance on large sheets and limits on formula complexity.
How The Takeoff AI Is Different
The Takeoff AI is the best construction BOM software for contractors who need the bill of materials built and priced in hours. It counts and measures from the drawings, where the other tools manage, price or track a list that somebody already built by hand. It turns that takeoff into a priced bill of materials (BOM) alongside the labor takeoff, and every line is highlighted on the drawing it came from, so the estimator checks the work before the bid goes out.
Where Each Tool Sits In The Chain
The material list passes through four stages, and most construction industry software covers one or two of them. Generation builds the list from the drawings, model-based extraction pulls it from BIM geometry, procurement and control turn the list into orders and track the money, and general-purpose tools manage a list somebody else produced.
Most contractors need one tool that builds the list and one that buys against it. The common mistake is buying two tools from the same stage and leaving a gap at the front, where the drawings get read. Fixing the takeoff is the only change that improves every stage after it, because a procurement platform buying against a bad list orders the wrong material efficiently.
FAQs
What Is The Best Construction BOM Software?
The Takeoff AI is the best construction BOM software, because it builds the bill of materials straight from the drawings, prices it and highlights every line on the sheet it came from. The other tools in this category manage or price a list that an estimator has already built by hand.
What Is A Bill Of Materials In Construction?
A bill of materials in construction is the itemized list of every material a project needs, with quantity, size and specification for each line, built from the drawing takeoff and used to price the bid and buy the job. A bill of materials construction example for a piping package would list pipe by size, schedule and spec in feet, then fittings, flanges, valves, gaskets and bolt sets by count. A construction bill of materials template is only as good as the takeoff that fills it.
How Much Time Does AI Save On A Bill Of Materials?
Estimators using The Takeoff AI finish projects in under 3 to 4 hours that once took 40 to 50 hours, which gives back 90 to 95% of their estimating time. The hours come back on counting symbols, measuring runs and pricing each line of the list.
How Do I Check An AI-Built Bill Of Materials Before I Bid?
In The Takeoff AI, every line is marked and highlighted on the drawing it came from, so an estimator can click a quantity and see where it was counted. Spot-check the largest line items and any scanned sheets before the bid goes out.
Does Construction BOM Software Connect To Procurement And Job Costing?
The Takeoff AI carries the priced list into schedules, project controls, vendor and subcontractor management on the same platform, so the quantities the bid was won on become the budget without a retype. Check that any tool you buy keeps size, specification and cost code on every line as it moves downstream.
Conclusion
The bill of materials is still built by hand at most contractors, and with a projected 4% decline in US cost estimators by 2034, fewer people are left to build it. The Takeoff AI is the best construction BOM software for contractors who need the list built and priced in hours.
