CustomersPower Generation & Chemical
How Nelpro Turns 200+ Drawing Packages Into Priced Bills Of Materials In Hours
Nelpro Project Solutions estimates, plans and controls large industrial projects in power generation and chemical plants. Today, full drawing sets go through The Takeoff AI and come back as a priced bill of materials (BoM) in less than 2 hours.
- Customer
- Nelpro Project Solutions
- Sectors
- Power Generation & Chemical Plants
- Disciplines
- Structural, Mechanical, Piping, Electrical
- Interviewee
- Joshua Nelson, Principal
- Of estimation time saved on the packages Nelpro runs through The Takeoff AI
- 95%
- Drawings in a single package, across four disciplines
- 200+
- What one large takeoff used to cost in estimator time
- $100K+
- Turnaround on a full package, down from weeks
- < 2 Hrs
“We used to spend weeks and more than $100,000 on a single large takeoff, and now it comes back in hours so my team can spend its time with the client.”
Joshua Nelson
Principal, Nelpro Project Solutions
Estimates That Set The Baseline For Million-Dollar Projects
Nelpro Project Solutions helps large-scale industrial construction companies estimate, plan and control projects worth millions of dollars, mostly in power generation and chemical plants.
Their estimates set the baseline for a project's cost and schedule, so every number has to hold up. Clients build budgets and schedules around what Nelpro's team produces, and that work spans structural, mechanical, piping and electrical on the same job.
A Single Large Takeoff Could Cost More Than $100,000
Some projects run past 200 drawings, and doing that by hand meant several estimators working for weeks on one package.
- 01
Weeks Spent On Every Package
Several estimators worked for weeks on a single 200+ drawing package while the client's clock kept running.
- 02
Six-Figure Takeoffs
A large takeoff could cost more than $100,000 in estimator time before a single number reached the client.
- 03
No Labor Productivity Data In-House
Pricing labor meant leaning on outside references, since the team did not keep productivity data of its own.
- 04
Archive Drawings Clients Could Not Picture
Older 2D drawings were hard for clients to visualise, which slowed down reviews and sign-off.
“Some of our packages run past 200 drawings across four disciplines, and doing those by hand meant several estimators working for weeks while the client waited on us.”
Why Nelpro Trusted AI With Work This Size
Joshua's team was willing to put AI on takeoffs worth more than $100,000 because they knew exactly what a missed item costs, and they kept their own eye on every number.
The Takeoff AI marks and highlights everything it counts on the drawing, so a reviewer can check any quantity back to its source. The team still owns every estimate that goes out to a client, and the AI does the counting, measuring and pricing underneath it.
We know exactly what a missed item costs, so we were never going to trust a number we couldn’t check. Everything The Takeoff AI counts is highlighted on the drawing, and my team can trace any quantity back to the sheet it came from.
Joshua Nelson
Principal, Nelpro Project Solutions
One Upload Returns A Priced Bill Of Materials, Labor Takeoff And 3D Model
Nelpro uploads a full drawing set and gets every quantity back, traceable to where it sits on the drawing.
Priced Bill Of Materials
Material counts and lengths across structural, mechanical, piping and electrical, priced and ready for review.
Labor Productivity Data
Fills the gap in labor rates Nelpro did not keep in-house, so labor is priced on the same pass as material.
2D To 3D Models
Older archive drawings are turned into 3D models, so clients can see exactly what they are working on.
Discrepancy Flags
Possible conflicts and inconsistencies on the drawings are flagged before they reach the estimate.
Traceable Quantities
Everything counted is marked and highlighted on the drawing, so the team can check any number back to its source.
“We never kept labor productivity data in-house, so getting it with the takeoff closed a real gap for us, and the 3D models help clients picture older drawings they used to struggle with.”
What Changed For Nelpro
Turnaround on a 200+ drawing package
- Before
- Weeks
- With The Takeoff AI
- 2 - 3 Hours
Estimators tied up per package
- Before
- Several
- With The Takeoff AI
- The team reviews, the AI produces
Cost of a large takeoff
- Before
- More than $100,000
- With The Takeoff AI
- A fraction of that, with 95% of the time saved
Labor productivity data
- Before
- Not kept in-house
- With The Takeoff AI
- Supplied with the takeoff
Client view of older 2D drawings
- Before
- Hard to picture
- With The Takeoff AI
- 3D model from the archive
95% Of Estimation Time Saved
The hours that used to go into counting now go into the client conversation, which is where Nelpro's judgment is worth the most.
What one large takeoff used to cost
$100K+
In estimator time, before The Takeoff AI
Turnaround, down from weeks
< 2 Hrs
On drawing packages of 200+ sheets
“Most of our time now goes into reviewing the takeoff with the client, which is where our judgment adds the most value.”