---
title: Steel Genie eBook | Growing Cost of Manual Steel Estimating and the Rise of AI-Powered Takeoffs
description: A practical guide to breaking through the estimating bottleneck with AI.
---

[Skip to content](https://go.sds2.com/ebook-growing-cost-of-manual-steel-estimating#main-content)

Close

[![SDS2 by ALLPLAN](https://go.sds2.com/hubfs/sds2-01.svg)](https://sds2.com/)

### \\   A STEEL GENIE E-BOOK

# Break Through the Steel Estimating Bottleneck

### How AI-Powered Takeoffs Help Fabricators Increase Capacity and Win More Work

![Untitled design (6)](https://go.sds2.com/hubfs/Graphic%20Elements/Untitled%20design%20(6).png "Untitled design (6)")

Download the Free Guide

**Manual Estimating is Costing More Than You Think**

Most estimating teams don't struggle because they lack expertise. They struggle because experienced estimators spend too much time performing repetitive manual takeoffs tasks. As project volumes increase and bid deadlines become tighter, manual estimating creates hidden costs that impact far more than productivity.

The practical guide explores:

- Why manual estimating has become a business bottleneck.
- The hidden costs that reduce bid capacity and slow decision-making.
- How AI-powered takeoffs automate repetitive estimating tasks.
- How fabricators can increase estimating capacity without adding headcount.
- What a modern AI-assisted estimating workflow looks like.

![quote\_2 (1)](https://go.sds2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Graphic%20Elements/quote_2%20(1).png?width=1000&height=913&name=quote_2%20(1).png "quote_2 (1)")

## Proven Results in the Field

AI-powered estimating isn't just about saving time. It's about increasing the number of projects your team can evaluate and helping your business pursue more opportunities.

Master Steel achieved measurable improvements to its estimating process with AI-powered takeoffs: 

- 67% increase in estimating throughput.
- 54% more steel tonnage estimated.
- 58% more fabrication labor hours quoted.

- What once took nearly an hour can now be completed in seconds.

![statistics\_1 (1)](https://go.sds2.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Graphic%20Elements/statistics_1%20(1).png?width=1000&height=1159&name=statistics_1%20(1).png "statistics_1 (1)")

[![ALLPLAN](https://go.sds2.com/hubfs/allplan-01-1.svg)](https://sds2.com/)

 ALLPLAN is a global provider of AEC software with BIM solutions for architecture, civil engineering, detailed design, fabrication and construction. True to our "design to build" claim, we offer tools that enable earlier data-driven design decisions, support digital fabrication and make information usable throughout the entire construction process. 

- [Home](https://sds2.com/)
- [Legal Notice](https://www.allplan.com/us_en/legal-notice/)
- [Terms of Use](https://www.allplan.com/us_en/legal-overview/)
- [Data Protection](https://www.allplan.com/us_en/data-protection/)

```json
{
  "@context" : "http://schema.org",
  "@type" : "Organization",
  "address" : {
    "@type" : "PostalAddress",
    "addressCountry" : "",
    "addressLocality" : "Lincoln",
    "addressRegion" : "Nebraska",
    "postalCode" : "68516",
    "streetAddress" : "8333 Glynoaks Drive"
  },
  "email" : "hello@power.com",
  "knowsLanguage" : "",
  "name" : "SDS2 by ALLPLAN",
  "telephone" : "+49 (0) 89 123 456",
  "url" : "https://go.sds2.com/ebook-growing-cost-of-manual-steel-estimating"
}
```