Field24 vs.
Panel AI
Panel AI builds an estimate and proposal from an AI takeoff of your plans. Field24 combines plan reading, local pricing and bid-board intake in one assistant you can use from a text message.
No install. No training. Send a plan set and see your first takeoff in minutes.
At a glance
| Feature |  | Panel AI | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recognizes items on the plans | Field24: Exact wall lengths from the PDF's vector layer, a wall detector for scanned sheets, openings counted, every row linked to its mark on the drawing.Panel AI: AI takeoff from uploaded plans; which items it detects on its own is not documented in detail. | ||
| Local material and labor pricing | Field24: Home Depot prices for residential work, market rates from private cost databases for commercial work, labor rates adjusted to your ZIP or postal code, your own price book first.Panel AI: Prices the estimate; the cost source and how local it is are not documented. | ||
| First takeoff in minutes | Field24: Send the plans, answer two questions, review the rows on the sheet.Panel AI: AI takeoff and estimate from uploaded plans. | ||
| No training needed | Field24: It is a conversation. Nothing to install, nothing to configure.Panel AI: A web app; nothing to install. | ||
| Works from your phone | Field24: WhatsApp, web, mobile and email.Panel AI: Web. | ||
| Pulls plans from your bid board | Field24: BuildingConnected, Merx and PlanHub invitations listed, opened and downloaded for you; public bid alerts for your area.Panel AI: Not documented publicly. | ||
| Accepts plans by email | Field24: Every account has a plan-upload address; forward the invitation and the takeoff starts.Panel AI: Not documented publicly. | ||
| Handles addenda | Field24: Send the addendum in chat; the affected sheets are re-measured, the rows re-priced, and a submitted bid can be revised.Panel AI: Not documented publicly. | ||
| Submits the bid for you | Field24: Drafts, submits and revises the bid on BuildingConnected, behind an Accept prompt you control.Panel AI: Not documented publicly. | ||
| Priced estimate and signable proposal | Field24: Priced estimate, signable proposal, invoice and change order from the same takeoff.Panel AI: Estimate and proposal documents. |
- Does it
- Partly, see note
- Does not
- Not documented by the vendor
Built for self-driving estimating
Field24 pulls invitations from BuildingConnected, Merx and PlanHub, takes plans by email, and submits and revises the bid for you.
One job, invitation to job site. Filled steps are the ones the tool does for you.
- Does it
- Partly, see note
- Does not
- Not documented by the vendor
Field24 reads the plans for you
Field24 reads exact lengths from the PDF's vector layer, detects walls on scans, and marks every quantity on the drawing so you can check it.
Exact lengths from the drawing itself
Wall lengths read straight from the PDF's vector layer, not guessed from pixels.
Walls, doors and windows on scans too
A floor-plan detector finds walls on scanned sheets and counts the openings along them.
Every row shows its work
Tap a row and the sheet opens with that measurement highlighted.
Local pricing, not a national average
Where a generic tool asks you for unit costs, Field24 already knows them: Home Depot prices for residential work, market rates from private cost databases for commercial work, and labor rates adjusted to your ZIP, with the source shown on every row.
Residential at Home Depot, commercial at market rates
Residential work is priced at Home Depot, in the US or Canada, with the product, pack size and list price on every row. Commercial work is priced at market rates from private cost databases.
Labor rates for your area
Hourly rates by trade are adjusted to your location from the 2026 National Construction Estimator, and your own saved rates always win over the market.
Your price book, your markup
Upload a supplier price list or a past estimate and Field24 prices from your book first. Overhead, profit and contingency are yours to set.
Minutes, not a training course
There is no project setup, no template to configure and no cost book to load before the first estimate. Send the plans and answer two questions.
Send the plans
Text them on WhatsApp, drop them in the web app, or forward the bid email to your Field24 address. PDFs, photos, even a voice note about the scope.
Answer two questions
Your ZIP code and the scope you are bidding. That is the whole setup. No templates to build, no cost book to load first.
Review it on the sheet
The takeoff comes back priced, with every row marked on the drawing. Adjust what you want, then send the proposal for signature.
WITH Panel AI
You run the process
A web app; nothing to install.
WITH
The process runs for you
Most contractors get their first takeoff back within minutes of sending the plans, and learn the tool by using it once. There is nothing to install and nobody to train.
Times depend on the size of the plan set. A typical residential or light commercial set is measured and priced in minutes; large sets take longer.
When Panel AI is the right call
Panel AI works well when you already have the plans in hand and want an AI takeoff turned into an estimate and proposal quickly, inside one web app. Field24 is meant for automating the entire estimating process, while making sure you verify the bid. It works well into after estimating.
Statements about Panel AI are based on Panel's public materials as of September 2026 and may change. Panel AI is a trademark of its owner, which is not affiliated with Field24.