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Theo, BAU AI's takeoff agent
Theo · AI agent for quantity takeoff

AI quantity takeoff from 2D PDF plans.

Theo takes off areas, lengths and counts from 2D PDF plan sets. Every quantity is marked on its sheet, and your estimator approves every number.

Request early access
Theo · founding cohortOnboarding on your own plan set
TheoQuantity takeoff
9rooms measured
Take off A-121 and check it against the bid form
Took off 1 sheet in 10 min

Done. One line differs from the bid form by more than your 10% threshold, so it stays open until you check it.

Quantities checkedAI result
1 sheet · 5 of 214 bid form lines linked · 11:47 AM
Sheets1 of 1Rooms9Floor area4,589 SF
9 rooms 0 of 9 confirmed3 GWB walls 1,260 SF7 doors 0 of 716 windows 0 of 16
Blocked1 holds the hand-off: GWB partition, +17.2%
Open1 spot Theo could not settle with confidence
Show discrepanciesApprove allExcel
Blocked items stay open until you resolve them.
Ask Theo or check quantities...

Sample data · Theo drafts, your estimator approves every number

Theo at work · sample data

What does Theo do with a plan set?

Watch one sheet get taken off. Scroll, and Theo reads A-121, traces the walls, measures the rooms, counts the openings and checks the bid form.

  1. 01 / 06Read the sheet

    Theo reads the title block and the grid, A to E and 1 to 4, and checks the 1/8" = 1'-0" scale against three dimension strings before it measures anything.

  2. 02 / 06Trace the walls

    Every wall is traced on its grid line and typed from the legend: 9 CMU walls and 3 GWB partitions, 12 in all.

  3. 03 / 06Measure the rooms

    The 9 room tags are read and each area is measured from the walls around it: 4,589 sf on Level 1.

  4. 04 / 06Count the openings

    7 doors are pinned and linked to the door schedule on A-601, 16 windows to the elevations on A-301.

  5. 05 / 06Check the bid form

    The GWB partition comes out 17.2% over bid form line 09 21 16, above your 10% threshold, so the line is blocked.

  6. 06 / 06Hand it to your estimator

    Theo returns the quantities checked. You approve each line and export by CSI division; open points go on the RFI list.

Sample data on a sample sheet. Theo measures and checks, your estimator approves every number.

Theo reads 2D PDF plan sets, vector or scanned. DWG and DXF are on the roadmap.

Read the takeoff guide
10+ hrs*saved on each plan set takeoffFirst-pass quantities in hours, not days.
10 min*per sheet, measured and markedRooms, walls, doors and openings on the sheet itself.
$1,000+*estimator cost saved per plan set10 hours at a loaded rate of $100 an hour.
85%*less time on first-pass quantitiesYour estimator checks and approves instead of measuring.
15%*difference that flags a quantityAnything off your bid form by more than 15% stays open for review.
3×*more plan sets taken off before bid daySame estimators, more bids priced.

*Illustrative

Every number shows its work

Where does a number come from?

Take the drywall line from the sheet above: 1,260 sf of GWB partition. Here is the worksheet behind it, line by line, each measurement tied to the spot on the plan where Theo took it. An estimator checks it in a minute.

Takeoff worksheet09 21 16 GWB partition, 5/8 in. Type X
SheetA-121 Level 1, rev. B
Scale1/8" = 1'-0"
PreparedTheo, sample data
  1. A. Run length
  2. 1Wall run 1, rooms 114 and 115Dimension string 25'-7"25'-7" = 25.5825.58 LF
    1A-121, grid C, 1 to 2
  3. 2Wall run 2, rooms 115 and 116Dimension string 25'-7"25'-7" = 25.5825.58 LF
    2A-121, grid D, 1 to 2
  4. 3Corridor wall, rooms 114 to 116Measured along grid 2, 74'-10 1/2"74'-10 1/2" = 74.8874.88 LF
    3A-121, grid 2, B to E
  5. Run length, 3 wallssum of 1 to 3126.04 LF
  6. B. Height
  7. 4Partition height, slab to deckSection 1 on A-201× 10'-0"× 10.00 FT
    4A-201, section 1, partition height
  8. Gross partition area126.04 × 10.001,260.4 SF
  9. C. Openings
  10. 53 doors in run 3, 3'-0" × 7'-0"Rule: openings under 32 sf are not deducted (your setting)3 × 21 SF eachless 0.0 SF
    5A-121, door in run 3, 3'-0" wide
  11. Net partition area, carried to the takeoffrounded1,260 SF
  12. D. Check against the bid form
  13. 6Bid form line 09 21 16Issued quantity in the bid packagefrom the bid form1,075 SF
    6Bid-Form_Package-09.xlsx, line 09 21 16
  14. Plan over bid form1,260.4 less 1,075 = 185.4 SF, above your 10% threshold (1,183 SF)
    Blocked, goes on the RFI list    185.4 / 1,075+17.2%

Your estimator makes the call. Theo shows the work; nothing is handed off while the line is blocked.

Sample data. On federal unit-price work, FAR 52.211-18 allows an equitable adjustment past a 15% variation.

Takes off by CSI MasterFormat division03Concrete04Masonry05Metals07Thermal and moisture08Openings09Finishes10Specialties22Plumbing26Electrical
The team

Who picks up
Theo's quantities?

Approved quantities move with the bid package, so nobody measures the same sheet twice.

Clara, BAU AI's bids and RFPs agentClaraBids and RFPs

Gets the scope check.

Checks the solicitation's scope and bid form against Theo's quantities before you price.

Meet Clara →
Nova, BAU AI's bid leveling agentNovaBid leveling

Gets the counts for leveling.

Checks each sub's quantities on the bid tab, so a short count shows up before award.

Meet Nova →
Your estimatorsGeneral contractors and subcontractors

Get the backup.

Approved quantities to Excel or CSV by CSI division, open points as an RFI list, each with its sheet and calculation.

Read the takeoff guide →
NewEarly access

Try Theo.
On your own plan set.

Theo is available to the US founding cohort. We set it up with each team on one of their own plan sets.

  • Onboarding on your plan set a working session on a project of yours
  • A direct line to the product team your feedback goes to the people building Theo
  • Founding-cohort terms pricing on request, agreed before general availability

Request access

Tell us about one project you are bidding. We reply personally and set up a session on your own plan set.

Book a 15-minute call

Prefer email? Write to tushar.adsul@bauai.co with your company, your role and the plan set you want to start with.

SOC 2 Type II in progress · US data residency · No training on your data

FAQ

Access

Who can use Theo today?

Theo is available to the US founding cohort. We keep the group small so each team gets hands-on setup and a direct line to the product team.

How does onboarding work?

After you request access we set a date and set Theo up with you on one of your own plan sets. Your feedback goes straight to the product team during onboarding.

What does Theo cost?

Theo is not part of the plans yet. Founding-cohort terms are agreed with each founding-cohort team, and pricing is on request.

Plans and standards

What file formats does Theo read?

2D PDF plan sets: vector PDFs exported from Revit, ArchiCAD or AutoCAD, and scanned PDFs read with OCR. DWG and DXF are on the roadmap; today, export to PDF and upload.

Can Theo organize quantities by CSI MasterFormat?

Yes. Every quantity is tagged to a CSI MasterFormat division and can also be grouped by level, room and trade.

How does Theo handle plan revisions?

Load the new revision and Theo shows which quantities changed, on which sheet and by how much. Old and new values sit side by side so the estimator can accept or dispute the change.

Results and checks

How does Theo cite its numbers?

Every quantity carries its sheet, view, dimension or count, and the calculation. Pick a number and you see where it sits on the plan.

How do Clara and Nova use Theo's quantities?

Clara checks the solicitation's scope and bid form against them. Nova uses them to check each sub's quantities on the bid tab, so a short count shows up before award.

Does Theo check quantities against our estimate?

Yes. Theo compares the takeoff with your estimate, the issued bid form or an AIA G703 schedule of values, and lists every item that differs or has no counterpart, with the source.