SnapCOST — AI cost estimating from drawings to BOQ and quantity takeoff

1.What is SnapCOST?

SnapCOST (스냅코스트) is a web-based AI cost estimating platform developed and operated by DESIGN INSIGHT. It divides a project into buildings, floors and rooms and links the drawings, bill of quantities (BOQ), quantity takeoff, specifications and CXD evidence of the same room as one set of project data. Design proposal decks and color plans are produced with SnapPPT, a feature of the same platform.

2.What problem does it solve?

It addresses having to revise takeoffs, BOQs and ordering documents separately every time the design changes, and the difficulty of explaining which drawing a quantity came from. The takeoff records the formula, variables and drawing source for each room, and BOQ lines, specifications and CXD capsules are linked by the same room so the evidence can be traced. Materials verified (VERIFIED) on other projects are proposed again as candidates for finish slots.

3.How is it different from existing CAD tools?

CAD tools are for drawing; SnapCOST reads those drawings and carries them into quantity takeoff and the BOQ. From a DXF drawing it treats closed polylines on the floor-finish layer as room boundaries, groups them by ROOM TAG text and extracts each room's area and finish surfaces (ROOMTAG extraction). Rooms with open boundaries or abnormal areas are not applied automatically and are passed to a person for review with the reason.

4.Who is it for?

It is for architecture and interior design firms that prepare their own BOQs and takeoffs, contractors and custom furniture makers that need to document estimate evidence and furniture costs, public clients and auditors who must explain quantity evidence, and cost estimating offices that review unit prices and finishes. DESIGN INSIGHT refines the features by using them on its own public library and school interior projects.

5.How can I commission development or collaborate?

For SnapCOST adoption and for commissioning AI agents or workflow automation in architecture and construction, email ceo@desinsight.com or call +82-2-2603-7252. To check results on your own drawing first, request a trial takeoff with one drawing and your finish specifications; we accept 10 requests per month on a first-come basis and reply within 7 business days. DESIGN INSIGHT runs several AI agents together in its own practice on the SnapGRID environment.

6.What does it produce?

It produces the construction cost BOQ, quantity takeoff, specifications (finish slots), CXD capsules, design proposal decks, color plans and a per-material room usage and purchase order draft. Each output is confirmed by a person before it is finalized.

7.How does the Jev finish recommendation work?

An agent asks TypeSafe's Jev model how well candidate materials fit a specification item and shows the judgment as a reference panel in front of the existing approval button. The server chooses candidates from the organization's verified (VERIFIED) products and suppliers, and code separately performs unit price and unit comparisons and hard specification conflict checks. Only allowed fields such as item name, specification, unit and room name are sent out; unit prices, amounts, customer names and contact details are blocked by a check right before the request. When confidence is below 0.6 or required information is missing, the item goes to human review instead of a recommendation, and the feature currently runs as a pilot on one designated project.

8.Is my data safe?

Without signing in, no screens or APIs other than the public about and sample pages are accessible, and project data is separated by organization and opened only after permission checks. Requests to the external AI model (Jev) are checked right before sending so that only allowed fields pass, and CXD capsule search is computed on the server without any external transmission. Public sample files have the project name and client anonymized and unit prices ratio-converted.

9.Can I see actual outputs?

You can download the sample BOQ and quantity takeoff (Excel and PDF) of the anonymized project 00 Library Remodeling without signing in, and each file is published with its SHA-256 value. Amounts in the sample are ratio-converted and are not actual construction costs. Screens of the features in operation are shown in the SnapCOST videos on the DESIGN INSIGHT YouTube channel (@desinsight).

View the sample BOQ and takeoff

10.What kind of company is DESIGN INSIGHT?

DESIGN INSIGHT (디자인인사이트 주식회사) is an architecture and interior design firm in Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, that carries out interior design for public projects such as public libraries and schools. Its YouTube channel @desinsight publishes project videos including Sanggye Library, Jungbong Library, Hamyang Library, Miryang Municipal English Library, Taereung Eoullim Library, the Hwaseong reading culture space, Daegok High School, Eco 1 Elementary School, Ungchon Elementary School and Seosa Middle School. The team that does the design work develops and operates SnapCOST and SnapGRID for its own practice.