On-Screen Takeoff® vs. Beam AI (Attentive.ai):

An Honest Comparison for Contractors and Estimators

On-Screen Takeoff and Beam AI are both designed to speed up construction takeoff, but they approach the problem from opposite directions. This page compares what each platform does today, where they differ fundamentally, and which is the better fit depending on how your team works.

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Quick Answer:

How On-Screen Takeoff and Beam AI Compare

On-Screen Takeoff and Beam AI both use AI to speed up construction takeoff, but they work in fundamentally different ways.

On-Screen Takeoff is a self-operated desktop tool. Estimators run Takeoff Boost™, measure plans in real time, and control every output before it reaches the bid. It has been in active commercial use for more than 35 years and connects natively with Quick Bid® and ConstructConnect® Project Intelligence.

Beam AI is the construction takeoff product from Attentive.ai. It offers a self-serve software option and a done-for-you service where their team processes your plans using AI.

On-Screen Takeoff leads on real-time control, trade depth, plan version comparison, and preconstruction integration. Beam AI leads on the done-for-you service model.

Get the Latest Technology

AI-assisted Takeoff Boost™ adds cutting-edge tech to an established, stable, and scalable takeoff and estimating solution that saves you days of manual work. Boost up to five pages at one time and get your results in as little as 30 seconds. Auto Name updates your Sheet Numbers and Names for an entire project in seconds. Estimator-designed tools like our patented Multi-Condition Takeoff and Typical Areas, Groups, and Pages, make quick work of repetitive manual takeoff tasks.

Easy Integration

As part of the ConstructConnect suite, On-Screen Takeoff is uniquely positioned to integrate with ConstructConnect® Project Intelligence, which gives you access to over 800K private and public projects. You can also integrate with ConstructConnect’s Quick Bid® professional estimating software to turn your takeoffs into winning bids. OST also integrates directly with Microsoft Excel®.

Powerful , Full-Featured Takeoff

Designed by estimators, OST delivers the speed, flexibility, power, and accuracy you need to bid more jobs and win more work. Used by top construction professionals, OST includes advanced tools that every trade can leverage to bid more winning jobs faster than ever and with greater accuracy. Spend your time on deep analysis, where it makes the most sense.

Flexibility

ConstructConnect is your one-stop shop for project data, takeoff and estimating tools, document downloads, bid calendars, analytics, and more—all from a name that defines the construction industry. With ConstructConnect’s solutions, you can collaborate with your team and move your projects forward in record time. Get instant ROI, often from your very first project win.

Feature Comparison:

On-Screen Takeoff vs. Beam AI: What’s the Difference?

This table reflects each platform’s capabilities as documented and observed in current product versions.
Feature On-Screen Takeoff Beam AI
Workflow Model Self-operated desktop software; estimator controls all measurements in real time. Self-serve software option + done-for-you (DFY) service; DFY model delivers quantities in 24–72 hours via AI + human QA team.
Trade Coverage All CSI MasterFormat divisions, including concrete, drywall, MEP, roofing, flooring, masonry, firestopping, electrical, plumbing, walls and ceilings. 15+ trades including HVAC/Mechanical, Concrete, Electrical, Plumbing, Structural Steel, Civil, Roofing, Landscaping, Paving, and Demolition.
Deployment Windows desktop application. Installed locally for high-performance rendering of large, complex plan sets. Not specified on Beam AI's public website.
AI-Assisted Takeoff Takeoff Boost suite: Auto Takeoff detects and measures areas, linear dimensions, and counts across up to five plan pages simultaneously. Also includes Auto Count, Auto Name, and Auto Link. Users report up to 95% time savings vs. manual takeoff. Auto Count (symbol and item detection), Auto Area Measurement, Auto Length Measurement. Done-for-you model applies human QA to all deliverables; ±1% accuracy claimed. Customers report up to 90% time savings.
Turnaround Time Real-time (estimator-controlled; no delivery window). Immediate for self-serve; 24–72 hours for DFY service.
Multi Condition Takeoff Patented Multi-Condition Takeoff allows estimators to measure multiple items (framing, drywall, insulation, paint) in a single pass over a plan. Not offered.
Estimating Integration Native integration with Quick Bid®; also connects with Microsoft Excel® and ConstructConnect® Project Intelligence (access to 800K+ active construction projects). Built-in estimating templates with custom formulas and historical cost database; export functionality. Specific third-party integrations not publicly documented; integration friction flagged in user reviews.
Where On-Screen Takeoff Stands Out Where Beam AI Stands Out
Real-Time Estimator Control
On-Screen Takeoff puts the estimator in the seat. You run an AI-powered takeoff with Takeoff Boost, review measurements as they happen, and catch anything that needs a second look before it reaches the estimate. No turnaround window, no queue, no third-party team making measurement calls on your behalf.

What this means for you: When a late addenda lands the evening before bid day, you re-run takeoff immediately. You're never dependent on a delivery window to respond to plan changes. 		Done-For-You Takeoff Service
Beam AI's DFY model removes the measurement burden entirely from your team. You upload plans, then Beam AI's team uses AI plus a human QA layer to process results and delivers quantities within 24–72 hours. The company claims ±1% accuracy on delivered takeoffs.

What this means for you: If your operation is volume-focused and you'd rather spend estimating hours on pricing and scope review than in-house measurement, the DFY model takes that task off your plate.
Takeoff Boost: A Full Suite of AI Tools
Takeoff Boost is the AI suite built into On-Screen Takeoff. It includes Auto Takeoff, Auto Count, Auto Name, and Auto Link. These AI features are designed to reduce manual work across the takeoff process.

What this means for you: The AI works on your schedule, in your environment, across the trades you work. It's built directly into On-Screen Takeoff, so you don’t need a separate subscription or service to automate your takeoffs. 		Active Investment
Beam AI raised a $48M Series B from Insight Partners, bringing it into a well-funded, active development phase across 15+ commercial trades.

What this means for you: For contractors evaluating newer platforms, the funding reflects a company investing heavily in product development.
End-to-End Preconstruction Integration
On-Screen Takeoff connects natively with Quick Bid for estimating, Microsoft Excel for cost modeling, and ConstructConnect Project Intelligence for access to 800,000+ active construction projects. Your takeoff doesn't sit in isolation, but instead flows from project discovery through takeoff and into the estimate.

What this means for you: Less re-entering data between systems, fewer errors, and a complete picture of every bid opportunity from first lead to final number.

Making the Right Call

Trade-offs to Consider

No platform is the right fit for every team. Here are the honest tradeoffs each platform asks you to make.
If you choose On-Screen Takeoff If you choose Bobyard
You get real-time estimator control and the ability to respond to addenda immediately, but you're operating a feature-rich Windows desktop application that takes investment to learn. You get done-for-you takeoff with a human QA layer, but your estimator is removed from the measurement loop, and the DFY model's 24–72 hour window is unusable on same-day addenda.
You gain native integration with Quick Bid, Project Intelligence, and Excel, but you're working within a desktop environment, not a browser. You gain a highly rated platform with strong recent reviews, but billing complexity has been flagged in user reviews and output format mismatches have required manual re-entry for some customers.
You get patented Multi-Condition Takeoff and depth that scales to complex multi-trade jobs, which requires more upfront configuration than a simpler tool. You benefit from $48M in Series B funding and active product development, but this is a company a fraction of the age of On-Screen Takeoff, still expanding its integrations with existing estimating systems.
You get a full suite of AI tools with Takeoff Boost that runs on your schedule, in your workflow. Your estimator reviews and approves every measurement before it reaches a bid. You get a service that offloads takeoff from your team, but the quantity deliverable doesn't include pricing, so it connects to your estimating workflow only as an import step, not a native integration.

Choosing the Right Tool

Which Platform Fits Your Workflow?

The right choice depends on your team size, project complexity, and how connected you need takeoff to be to the rest of your preconstruction workflow.
Choose On-Screen Takeoff if: Choose Beam AI if:

➔ You bid commercial work across one or more CSI MasterFormat trades and need real-time, estimator-controlled takeoff with no delivery window 

➔ Addenda response time is critical and you need to re-run takeoff on late revisions the same day they arrive 

➔ You require Multi-Condition Takeoff to manage multi-trade jobs efficiently 

➔ You need takeoff connected to a full preconstruction ecosystem: Quick Bid for estimating, Project Intelligence for lead generation 

➔ Your operation is volume-focused and you want to outsource measurement to a done-for-you service rather than run takeoff in-house 

➔ You're evaluating a managed service model where AI plus human QA produces the quantity deliverable 

➔ Addenda turnaround time is not a constraint and your bid cycle accommodates a 24–72 hour delivery window 

➔ You prioritize being on a well-funded, actively developing platform and are comfortable adopting a newer product 

Don’t just take our word for it

“On-Screen Takeoff to our business in the pre-construction phase of the business is our biggest asset. You could spend a couple days doing an accurate takeoff that you can now do in a matter of hours using On-Screen Takeoff.”
Mike PhillipsVP-Preconstruction, Miller Tippins Construction
"Using ConstructConnect's On-Screen Takeoff and Takeoff Boost, yesterday, I did three projects in 20 minutes. And that probably would have taken me a couple of days if I was doing them all from scratch."
Sherri WinslowLead Estimator, AKS Interior Systems
“I consider Takeoff Boost and OST pretty critical - they're the footer of our foundation. They hold up our estimating department, which is the forefront of our company. We've built a lot of our business with the help of ConstructConnect, OST, and now Takeoff Boost.”
Shane MillsEstimating Manager, Klover Contracting
“Being able to [use Multi-Condition Takeoff] and do multiple measurements simultaneously is fantastic.”
Andrew SkidmoreCost Specialist, Connico
“I've used this product since 2004. Having done so, I've watched it evolve over the years in a very consistent pattern yet remain very friendly and true to its original interface. And that's given me a great comfort to use... And it’s my best friend.”
Richard Millerformer Lead Estimator, American Home Builders
“The Auto Name feature is spectacular - simple, short and sweet. That was a game changer in my opinion. We picked up decent time with that feature alone, and the accuracy of it made it a big win.”
Shane MillsEstimating Manager, Klover Contracting
“Before using On-Screen Takeoff, my experience was inefficiency.”
Andrew SkidmoreCost Specialist, Connico

Frequently Asked Questions

How On-Screen Takeoff Compares to Beam AI (Attentive.ai)

On-Screen Takeoff is a professional construction takeoff software developed by On Center Software, now part of the ConstructConnect suite. It is used by estimators and contractors to digitally measure and quantify construction plans, replacing manual, paper-based takeoff methods.

On-Screen Takeoff supports linear, area, count, and volume measurements directly on digital plan sets. It is widely used by commercial general contractors, specialty trade contractors, and estimating firms for bid preparation, particularly on complex or high-volume projects. Key capabilities include Multi-Condition Takeoff, AI-assisted takeoffs with Takeoff Boost, plan version comparison overlays, and direct integration with Quick Bid estimating software.

Beam AI is the construction takeoff product from Attentive.ai, a venture-backed company based in Menlo Park, California. Attentive.ai operates across multiple verticals. Its construction takeoff product is marketed under the Beam AI brand, while its field services product operates under a separate brand.

The most important difference is workflow model. On-Screen Takeoff is a self-operated desktop tool: you open plans, run Takeoff Boost, and get measurements in real time with no delivery window, no handoff, and no third party making measurement decisions on your behalf. Beam AI offers both a self-serve software option and a done-for-you service where their team processes plans using AI plus human QA and delivers quantities in 24–72 hours.

That workflow difference shapes everything else. On-Screen Takeoff is built for estimators who need to respond to late addenda the same day they arrive, run complex multi-trade scopes in a single pass using patented Multi-Condition Takeoff, and move directly from takeoff into pricing via native Quick Bid® integration. Beam AI is built for teams that want to offload measurement entirely, trading real-time control for a managed service with a human accuracy layer.

If your estimators need to be in the seat controlling measurements, On-Screen Takeoff is the stronger fit. If you’re evaluating a managed service that delivers quantities on your behalf, Beam AI is purpose-built for that model.

Takeoff Boost is the AI suite built directly into On-Screen Takeoff. It includes four tools:

  • Auto Takeoff: detects and measures areas, linear dimensions, and counts across up to five plan pages simultaneously. Users report up to 95% time savings vs. manual takeoff.
  • Auto Count: identifies a symbol once and counts every matching instance across selected pages, eliminating click-by-click counting on repeating elements.
  • Auto Name: automatically names and organizes plan sheets across the full plan set, removing one of the most repetitive setup steps.
  • Auto Link: automatically creates Named Views and Hot Links so estimators can navigate between plan pages and detail sheets with a single click.

Beam AI’s AI tools include Auto Count (symbol and item detection), Auto Area Measurement, and Auto Length Measurement, available in both self-serve and DFY modes, with human QA applied to all DFY deliverables.

Beam AI’s done-for-you service operates on a 24–72 hour delivery window. If a plan revision or late addenda arrives the evening before bid day, the DFY model cannot deliver updated quantities in time for a same-day turnaround. Beam AI does offer a self-serve software option, though turnaround times for self-serve re-runs are not publicly documented. On-Screen Takeoff handles plan version updates in real time; the estimator re-runs Takeoff Boost or uses the plan version overlay tool and has updated quantities immediately.

If your team bids commercial work and needs real-time, estimator-controlled takeoff connected to a full preconstruction ecosystem, with the ability to respond immediately to addenda and plan revisions, On-Screen Takeoff is the stronger fit. If you’re evaluating a done-for-you service where a managed team handles measurement and delivers quantities in 24–72 hours, Beam AI is purpose-built for that model. The right choice comes down to whether you want your estimators operating the takeoff tool directly or outsourcing that measurement step to a managed service.

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