The verdict in three sentences
In an industrial joinery business, estimating is the bottleneck: 3 days per project means bidding on fewer tenders and often too late. A drawing-extraction AI combined with a price library for materials and labour produces a checkable quote in 2 hours, with the estimator remaining the final approver. For a project of CAD 37,000 to 90,000, the real stake is the win rate, which can climb from 18 % to 26 % when you answer faster and bid on more jobs.
How the AI reads a developer's drawings
The owner of a 70-person window and door plant in Vaughan or Mississauga receives bid packages of 40 to 120 pages: elevations, detail sheets, more or less complete window schedules. The estimator spots every tag (W1, W2, D3), records dimensions, material, glazing, target U-factor and options, then re-keys everything into the costing spreadsheet.
An AI pipeline reproduces these steps in four blocks: reading vector and scanned PDFs (OCR and vision), detecting tags and dimensions, reconciling with the window schedule and specifications, then applying pricing rules. Every extracted line keeps a link to the page and area of the drawing, so the estimator can check it in one click.
| Step | Current method | With AI | Time saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading the bid package and locating openings | 6 to 8 h | 15 min plus 30 min review | About 85 % |
| Measuring dimensions and quantities | 8 to 10 h | 10 min plus 30 min review | About 90 % |
| Choosing material, glazing, hardware | 3 to 4 h | Automatic rules, 20 min review | About 85 % |
| Material and labour costing | 3 h | Instant via price library | About 95 % |
| Formatting the quote and alternates | 2 h | 15 min | About 85 % |
| Total per project | 22 to 27 h (3 days) | About 2 h | 2.5 days freed |
Accuracy depends heavily on drawing quality: on architects' vector PDFs, you typically see 92 to 97 % correct lines on the first pass; on scans, more like 80 to 88 %. Hence the need to keep human sign-off.
Budget and delivery options in 2026
Cost depends mainly on three factors: the range of your product lines (vinyl, aluminium, wood, hybrid), how complete your existing price library is, and integration with your ERP or joinery software.
| Option | Setup cost | Recurring cost | Timeline | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-the-shelf estimating software with AI module | CAD 12,000 to 27,000 | CAD 450 to 1,350 a month | 2 to 3 months | Standard lines, clean drawings |
| Custom tool, extraction plus pricing, no ERP link | CAD 37,000 to 60,000 | CAD 300 to 750 a month for AI and hosting | 3 to 4 months | Single-site plant, 2 to 3 lines |
| Custom tool integrated with ERP and cut lists | CAD 60,000 to 90,000 | CAD 600 to 1,350 a month | 5 to 6 months | Multi-line manufacturer, shop-floor export |
| Kolonell custom build | FCFA 2.5 to 15M+, i.e. EUR 3,810 to 22,870+ depending on complexity | On quote | Depends on scope | SME wanting a proprietary tool, the rest on quote |
| Status quo (full-time estimator) | CAD 0 | About CAD 7,000 loaded a month | Immediate | Low bid volume |
Vision model inference stays cheap: an 80-page bid package typically costs CAD 3 to 12 to process. The real cost driver is building business rules with your estimator, allow 10 to 15 days of workshops.
What makes the project succeed
Start with one line, for example vinyl windows for multi-unit residential, which often account for 60 % of bids. Gather 30 to 50 already-estimated projects with their drawings: they serve as a test set to measure accuracy before going live. Set a clear rule: no quote goes out without estimator sign-off, and every corrected gap enriches the rules. Finally, plan the export to cut lists, otherwise the gain stops at sales.
Mini case study
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Mark, owner of a 70-employee window and door manufacturer near Toronto, receives 25 bid invitations a month but estimates only 12 for lack of time, with an 18 % win rate. His average job is CAD 130,000 at 22 % gross margin. He therefore wins about 2.2 jobs a month.
With a custom tool at CAD 68,000, he now estimates 22 bids and targets 26 % thanks to 48-hour responses. Estimated result: 5.7 jobs a month instead of 2.2. Even under a cautious 20 % win rate, 4.4 jobs, the extra gross margin reaches 2.2 x 130,000 x 22 %, about CAD 63,000 a month. The investment pays back in two to three months, provided the shop floor can absorb the load.
FAQ
Can the AI read scanned or photographed drawings?
Yes, but with lower accuracy, around 80 to 88 % correct lines versus 92 to 97 % on vector PDFs. The estimator then spends 45 minutes to 1 hour reviewing instead of 30 minutes.
Do our prices stay confidential?
The price library is stored in your own database, hosted in Canada, and is never sent to train a model. Only drawing excerpts go to the vision API, under a no-reuse contract, in line with PIPEDA obligations.
How many projects are needed to calibrate the tool?
A set of 30 to 50 estimated projects is enough for a first product line. Beyond 100 projects, labour times can be refined by opening type.
Can we handle alternates, such as aluminium versus vinyl?
Yes, the tool recalculates a full alternate in under a minute, so you can offer the developer 2 or 3 options without extending lead time.
What return should we expect?
For a plant winning 2 extra jobs per quarter at CAD 130,000, a CAD 37,000 to 90,000 project usually pays back in under 6 months.
Let's scope your project. Send us three recent bid packages and your price list: we will price the tool, from drawing extraction to ERP integration, with a 3 to 6 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
