While the Estimate Generator helps you create your initial estimate, the Estimate Assistant helps you keep working with it by adding detail, making changes, checking information, using your documents and plans, and building your schedule.
You can ask Blu questions or give it instructions in plain language. Blu uses the information in your estimate, documents and plans to suggest changes, and nothing changes until you approve it.
Important: Turn on the Estimate Assistant
The Estimate Assistant is a Preview Feature. If you don't see it in your account, you'll need to turn it on:
Go to Preview Features in the left-hand main menu.
Turn on Access Blu: Estimator.
The Estimate Assistant is still being rolled out, so functionality and availability may change as the feature develops.
Where to find the Estimate Assistant
Open any estimate, then go to Estimate Costings. If the Assistant isn't open automatically, click the blue Assistant button in the top right.
What can I use the Estimate Assistant for?
You can use the Assistant to:
Edit your estimate - change materials, quantities, finishes or pricing, or add further detail. Blu suggests the changes for you to approve.
Load and work with documents or plans - ask questions about them, or use information from them in your estimate.
Create resources - generate Scopes of Work, quote packages, RFIs and construction schedules.
Check information - review your estimate against your plans and documents and identify missing or conflicting information.
Set up how Blu works for you - save your preferences so Blu's suggestions reflect the way you build.
The idea is simple: tell Blu what you need, review what it suggests, and approve the changes you want.
Edit your estimate
Once your estimate has been created, you can ask Blu to make changes to it, or add information that wasn't included when the estimate was first created, such as additional materials, finishes, fixtures or other project requirements. Blu suggests the changes, and you approve or reject them before they're applied.
For example:
Swap the tiling to 12 x 12 inch tiles.
Find items that could be downgraded to bring the total price down.
Add the specified fixtures and finishes to my estimate.
How to:
Open your estimate and the Estimate Assistant.
Type your change or addition in plain language.
Review the changes Blu suggests, then approve or reject them.
Blu works out which parts of the estimate are affected and suggests the relevant changes. You can keep asking for changes if you need to.
Load documents or plans
You can load plans or documents into the Assistant, then ask Blu to work with them. Documents include supplier quotes, additional specifications, client selections, and many other project documents.
How to:
Select the attachment icon at the bottom left of the Assistant.
Choose the plan or document to load.
Ask Blu about it, or ask it to use the information in your estimate.
You can use loaded plans and documents to:
Answer questions, for example: What's the specified cladding on the western elevation?
Suggest estimate updates, for example: Update the estimate using the latest supplier quote for the roofing.
Add items from a schedule, for example: Add the window and door schedule to my estimate.
Pull in specified items, for example: Add the specified fixtures and finishes.
Check against your estimate, for example: What have I missed in this estimate compared to the plans?
Blu shows you each suggested change so you can approve it. If Blu can't make a change, it will tell you why.
Create Scopes of Work, quote packages and RFIs
The Assistant can use information from your estimate and loaded plans to create trade-specific documents and draft RFIs.
For example:
Create a Scope of Work and a quote package for the framing carpenter.
Draft RFIs for anything unclear or conflicting in the plans.
Scopes of Work and quote packages are trade-by-trade documents you can use when requesting pricing from subcontractors. RFIs can be sent to the relevant architect or designer. These are documents created by the Assistant, rather than documents that the Assistant reads as source material. Review every document before you send it.
How to:
Open the Estimate Assistant.
Ask for the Scope of Work, quote package or RFIs you need.
Review the generated document before you send it.
Create a construction schedule
Blu can suggest a draft construction schedule from your estimate, so you don't have to translate your estimate into activities, durations and dependencies yourself.
Blu uses the scope in your estimate to identify the construction activities, sequence them, and apply durations where it has reliable information or defined assumptions. You review and adjust the activities, durations and dependencies before you approve the schedule.
How to:
Open the estimate and the Estimate Assistant.
Ask Blu to make a schedule for the estimate.
Review and adjust the activities, durations and dependencies, then approve the schedule.
Which schedule you get:
If the estimate has no connected job, Blu creates an estimate schedule.
If the estimate has a connected job, Blu creates a job schedule.
The schedule is saved in your existing Buildxact scheduling workflow. Blu creates a starting point, so please check the result before using it.
Set your Blu preferences
Blu Settings let you set how you work, including preferred materials, suppliers, allowances, margins and how you organise your work. When Blu suggests changes to any estimate you work on, it takes your settings into account. You still approve every change.
You can:
Save preferences explicitly in Blu Settings, in plain language.
Review and update your preferences whenever you need to.
Set project-specific instructions for an individual estimate. These take priority over your general preferences where they conflict.
How to:
Click Blu Assistant at the top of the screen.
Click Blu Settings in the window that opens.
Add or edit your preferences in plain language, then save.
Your saved preferences are kept separate from the documents you load into a project.
Blu Estimate Assistant uses credits
AI features use computing resources for every request. Blu Credits let us include the Estimate Assistant in eligible plans while keeping its cost in line with how much you actually use it. Each plan includes a monthly allowance, and you can buy more if you need it.
For allowances, what happens when you run out, and answers to common questions, see the article below.
A quick reminder
Blu Estimator can help you work through a lot of the estimating process, but it's still important to review what it suggests before you approve it, and check the final estimate or schedule before sending your quote.
Use the Assistant to help you find information in your documents, get suggestions, catch potential gaps and build your schedule, then give the estimate and schedule a final check yourself.