SmartPlans — User Guide

Estimator's Review Checklist ESSENTIAL

How to Turn an AI Estimate into a Winning Bid

This section is your practical, step-by-step guide to reviewing and refining the SmartPlans AI-generated estimate before it becomes your final bid. Whether you are a junior estimator building your first proposal or a seasoned veteran looking for a systematic checklist, this guide ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

1. Understanding What SmartPlans Gives You

SmartPlans reads your drawings and specifications using a 27-brain AI engine. It counts devices, estimates cable quantities, prices materials, calculates labor, and generates a professional proposal. That is a tremendous head start, but it is not a replacement for estimator judgment.

What the AI Does Well	Where the AI Needs Your Help
Counts symbols quickly across dozens of sheets	May miscount devices shown in legends or detail callouts as actual installed devices
Catches buried spec requirements humans often skip	Cannot judge constructability, site access, or real-world labor conditions
Applies consistent pricing across every line item	May select the wrong manufacturer or product line if the spec is ambiguous
Generates RFIs from gaps in the drawings	Cannot read the general contractor's mind about schedule, phasing, or logistics
Processes addenda and layers in scope changes	May hallucinate quantities when drawings are blurry or cluttered
Identifies potential change orders from scope gaps	Cannot predict owner decisions or GC negotiation outcomes

2. Step-by-Step Review Process

Work through these seven checks in order. Each one builds on the previous, and skipping any of them is where estimators lose money.

A. Verify Device Counts (MOST CRITICAL)

Device counts drive everything downstream: cable quantities, labor hours, and material costs. If the counts are wrong, the entire estimate is wrong.

1. Open your construction drawings side-by-side with the SmartPlans Bill of Materials (BOM).
2. Use the Symbol Inventory Audit card on the Results page — it lists every device the AI found, sorted by sheet number. (See the Symbol Inventory Audit section for full instructions.)
3. Click "View on Plans" to open the Visual Symbol Map — this shows colored markers on top of your actual floor plans so you can see exactly where the AI thinks each device is. (See the Visual Symbol Map section.)
4. Pick 2 to 3 representative floors and hand-count key devices: cameras, card readers, door contacts, pull stations, speakers, WAPs, and data drops.
5. Compare your hand counts to the AI counts for those same floors. Calculate the percentage difference.
6. If the AI is within 5%, the counts are likely reliable across the full set. If the difference exceeds 15%, recount the entire drawing set carefully.

B. Check Cable Quantities

Cable is one of the highest-cost materials on any low-voltage project. A 20% error in cable quantities can swing your bid by tens of thousands of dollars.

Check	What to Look For	Typical Range
Average run length	Divide total cable footage by device count. Does the average make sense for the building size?	150 to 250 ft in most commercial buildings
Conduit quantities	AI often underestimates underground and exterior conduit. Check site plans for trenching runs.	Varies widely; verify against site drawings
Backbone cable	Compare backbone fiber and copper counts against the riser diagram. Count the number of risers and IDF-to-MDF connections.	Should match riser diagram exactly
Waste factor	Ensure a waste factor is included. Standard is 10% for cable, 15% for conduit fittings.	1.10x multiplier on cable; 1.15x on fittings

C. Review Material Specifications

The spec book is the law of the project. If the AI priced the wrong product line, you will either overbid (and lose the job) or underbid (and lose money).

• Manufacturer match — Verify the AI selected the correct manufacturer. If the spec says Axis cameras but the AI priced Hanwha, correct it before generating your proposal.
• Approved equals — Check whether the spec allows "approved equal" substitutions or is locked to a specific brand.
• Cable types — Confirm plenum vs. riser rated, Cat6 vs. Cat6A, and fiber strand counts match the spec requirements exactly.
• OFCI items — Look for spec sections that designate equipment as Owner-Furnished, Contractor-Installed (OFCI). These items should be priced at $0 for material but still carry labor hours.

D. Validate Labor Hours

Labor is typically 40% to 60% of a low-voltage bid. The AI estimates labor using industry benchmarks, but your company's actual productivity rates may differ significantly.

Task	Typical Labor Benchmark	Notes
Data drop (rough-in + trim)	1.5 to 2.5 hours	Includes pulling cable, terminating, testing
Camera install (indoor dome)	2 to 4 hours	Mount, cable, configure, aim
Camera install (outdoor PTZ)	4 to 8 hours	Conduit, weatherproof housing, aiming, programming
Card reader + door hardware	4 to 8 hours per door	Reader, REX, door contact, electric lock, wiring
Fire alarm device	1 to 2 hours	Smoke, pull station, horn/strobe
Cable pulling (open ceiling)	80 to 150 ft per hour per person	J-hooks, open plenum
Cable pulling (in conduit)	40 to 80 ft per hour per person	Pre-installed conduit with pull string

E. Check Subcontractor Scope

Common Sub Scope	Typically Provided By	Your Responsibility
120V power to devices	Electrical contractor	Verify who provides power drops to cameras, access panels, etc.
Trenching and underground conduit	Civil / site contractor	Get a real quote; AI estimates are rough percentages
Fire alarm (if separate contract)	Fire alarm sub	Confirm whether FA is in your scope or a separate bid package
Core drilling and firestopping	Specialty sub	Count penetrations from the drawings; get a per-hole quote
Painting, patching, ceiling repair	General trades	Clarify in your exclusions if not included

F. Review Pricing

• Rate Library — Apply your company's known pricing from past projects.
• High-dollar items — Individually verify pricing on servers, NVRs, head-end equipment, fire alarm control panels, and generators.
• Regional accuracy — Confirm the regional pricing multiplier is appropriate.
• Benchmark feature — Compare AI pricing against your real-world costs from past projects.
• Potential change orders — Review the AI-identified change orders in Stage 8. Factor high-probability items into your contingency.

G. Finalize Exclusions & Assumptions

1. Review the auto-generated exclusions that SmartPlans created from the AI analysis. Remove any that do not apply.
2. Add project-specific exclusions. Common examples: "Excludes work above 30 ft requiring scaffolding or lifts," "Assumes normal business hours access (7AM to 5PM)."
3. Verify your assumptions match reality. If you assumed open ceilings but the building has hard-lid ceilings, your labor estimate is wrong.
4. Review clarifications to ensure scope boundaries are crystal clear.

3. Common Pitfalls That Lose Money

#	Pitfall	How to Avoid It
1	Not reading the spec addenda	Upload all addenda to SmartPlans in Stage 5. The AI reads them, but you should too.
2	Missing liquidated damages clauses	Read the general conditions carefully. LD clauses can be $500 to $5,000 per day.
3	Underestimating travel and per diem	Use the Stage 7 Travel & Per Diem calculator after the AI analysis.
4	Forgetting permit fees and inspections	Contact the local AHJ for permit costs. Enter them in Stage 7 incidentals.
5	Not accounting for phased construction	Working around occupied spaces is 25% to 50% slower. Use Bid Phases to structure phased bids.
6	Missing prevailing wage requirements	Check for Davis-Bacon or state prevailing wage. Set the correct wage type in Stage 1.
7	Underestimating conduit and pathway	Conduit is the most frequently under-bid item. Walk the site if possible.
8	Not including commissioning and testing labor	Budget 8% to 12% of total labor hours for testing and commissioning.
9	Forgetting warranty period costs	Budget for 1 to 2 years of warranty service calls and replacement parts.
10	Ignoring AI-identified change orders	Review the Potential Change Orders card. Factor high-severity items into your contingency.

4. Before You Submit

✓	Pre-Submission Check	Details
	Device quantities verified	Used the Symbol Inventory Audit and Visual Symbol Map to verify counts on at least 2-3 floors
	Pricing is current	Material pricing reflects current distributor quotes, not stale data
	Exclusions are complete	Every scope boundary is explicitly stated
	Markups are appropriate	Material markup, labor markup, overhead, profit, and contingency are set correctly
	Travel is included	If the project is out of town, Stage 7 travel costs are calculated and added
	Bonds and insurance factored	Performance bond (typically 1% to 3%) and insurance costs are included
	Bid form filled correctly	GC's bid form is complete with all required fields, signatures, and attachments
	Change orders reviewed	AI-flagged potential change orders reviewed; high-severity items addressed
	Duplicates checked	Symbol Inventory duplicate detector shows zero unexpected duplicates
	Second-person review	Another person has reviewed the numbers independently
	Addenda acknowledged	All addenda are listed and acknowledged on the bid form

5. Using SmartPlans Features to Improve Accuracy

Feature	How It Helps Your Review	When to Use
Symbol Inventory Audit	Lists every device the AI found with sheet number, room, floor, and duplicate detection.	Always. This is your primary count verification tool.
Visual Symbol Map	Shows colored markers on your actual floor plans so you can see what the AI counted and where.	Always. This is the fastest way to visually verify counts.
Cable Pathway Analysis	Zone-by-zone cable distance breakdown showing how the AI calculated cable quantities.	When cable costs are a significant part of the bid.
Supplier Quotes	Export the BOM to vendors. Import their real pricing back in.	Always for high-value items. Ideally for the entire BOM on competitive bids.
Bid Strategy	Set confidence-based markups per category.	After you complete your review and know which categories you trust.
Rate Library	Save rates from completed projects. Apply them to new estimates.	Every project. Gets more valuable over time.
Actuals Feedback	Record what you actually spent. SmartPlans tracks variance and builds benchmarks.	After project closeout.
Bid Phases	Structure base bid plus add/deduct alternates and optional phases.	Whenever the bid documents call for alternates or phased pricing.
Editable BOM	Click any quantity or price cell to edit it. Totals recalculate instantly.	Whenever you find an error during your review.
Potential Change Orders	AI-identified scope gaps with severity ratings and estimated dollar impact.	During bid review. High-severity items should be reflected in contingency.

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Getting Started

What Is SmartPlans?

SmartPlans is a website that reads your construction drawings for you. You upload your blueprints and spec books as PDF files. The AI looks at every page, counts all the devices, figures out how much cable you need, prices everything out, and gives you a complete bid. It does in minutes what used to take days by hand.

What Do You Need?

• Your construction drawings saved as a PDF file.
• Your specification book (also called "specs") saved as a PDF file.
• Any addenda (changes to the original drawings or specs) saved as PDF files.
• A web browser like Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
• An internet connection.

Open SmartPlans

Go to https://smartplans-4g5.pages.dev/ in your web browser. You will see 8 stage buttons across the top of the page. Each stage is a step you complete in order. Just go from Stage 1 to Stage 8, one at a time.

The Header Bar

At the very top of the page, you will see a bar with some important buttons:

Button / Item	What It Does
SmartPlans logo	Shows the name of the app. Just decoration — no click needed.
BIDS counter	Shows how many estimates you have run. This is just for fun tracking.
SPENT counter	Shows how much AI processing has been used. Do not worry about this — it is for administrators.
User Guide button	Opens this guide in a new tab.
Saved button	Opens a list of all your saved estimates. Click this to reload a past project.

How the 27-Brain AI Engine Works

SmartPlans does not use just one AI. It uses 27 specialized AI brains that each focus on a different part of the analysis. Think of it like a team of 27 experts, each with their own specialty, all working on your drawings at the same time.

These brains are organized into "waves" — groups that run in sequence:

Wave	What Happens	Brains Involved
Wave 0	Reads the building layout — finds floors, rooms, zones, and IDF closet locations.	SPATIAL_LAYOUT
Wave 1	Counts every device symbol on every sheet. Also calculates cable pathway distances between zones.	SYMBOL_SCANNER, CABLE_PATHWAY, and others
Wave 1.5	Breaks down the devices by floor. Figures out which sheets belong to which floor.	PER_FLOOR_ANALYZER
Wave 2	Reads the specification book. Identifies required products, brands, and installation methods.	Multiple spec-reading brains
Wave 2.25	Calculates total labor hours and recommends crew sizes.	LABOR_CALCULATOR
Wave 3	Identifies special conditions — permits, seismic requirements, unusual constraints, and potential change orders.	SPECIAL_CONDITIONS and others
Wave 4	Final assembly — combines everything into your BOM, pricing, RFIs, and proposal.	Multiple assembly brains

Stage 1 — Project Setup

What Is This?

Stage 1 is where you tell SmartPlans about your project. Think of it like filling out a form before you go to the doctor. The more you fill in, the better the AI can help you. Every box you fill in here changes how the AI reads your drawings, what prices it picks, and how it counts your labor hours.

This page has several sections: Project Information, Prevailing Wage / Davis-Bacon, and Pricing & Rate Configuration.

Section: Project Information

Project Name Required

Type the name of your project here. This is what you will see when you look for this estimate later. Pick a name you will remember.

1. Click the box that says "Project Name."
2. Type a name that tells you what this project is. For example: Sunrise Medical Center Phase 2

Prepared For Optional

Type the name of the company or person you are making this bid for. This name shows up on your proposal cover page. You can leave it blank if you want.

Example: Turner Construction — Sacramento Division

Project Type Required

Click the dropdown menu and pick the type of project you are working on. This tells the AI what kind of building it is looking at.

Option	What It Means (Simple)	How the AI Uses It
New Construction	A brand new building being built from scratch.	Every device on the plans is new. Nothing already exists.
Renovation	An old building being fixed up or remodeled.	Looks for notes that say "keep this" or "add this new." May use less cable if wires are already in place.
Tenant Improvement	Fixing up the inside of a building for a new tenant.	Knows ceilings, walls, and wire paths might already exist. Uses less labor time.
Addition	Adding a new part onto an existing building.	Treats the new section as brand new but connects it to what already exists.
Design-Build	Your company designs AND builds the system.	Adds extra hours for engineering and design work.
Service/Retrofit	Replacing or upgrading old equipment.	Includes time for removing old devices and might reuse existing wires.

Disciplines Required

Check the boxes next to every system you are bidding on. Only the systems you check will show up in your final estimate.

Checkbox	What It Covers (Simple)
Structured Cabling	All the wires, cables, fiber optic lines, racks, and pathways that connect everything together.
CCTV	Security cameras, the computers that record video, and the software that lets you watch it.
Access Control	Card readers on doors, electronic locks, and the panels that control who can get in.
Audio Visual	Speakers, TVs, projectors, and anything that plays sound or shows pictures.
Intrusion Detection	Motion sensors, glass break detectors, alarm panels, and keypads.
Fire Alarm	Smoke detectors, pull stations, horns and strobes, and fire alarm panels.

File Format Optional

Option	Where It Came From	How Good Is It?
Vector PDF (from CAD)	Made on a computer with AutoCAD or Revit	Best — very clear lines and text
Scanned PDF	Paper drawings put through a scanner	OK — depends on how good the scan is
Photos / Screenshots	Taken with a phone camera or screen capture	Not great — the AI might miss some things

Specific Items to Count Optional

A text box where you can tell the AI exactly what to look for on the plans. The more details you give, the better the AI counts.

Example: Count all 4MP dome cameras and 8MP bullet cameras separately

Known Quantities Optional

If you already counted some items by hand, type them here. SmartPlans will compare the AI's count to your count so you can see if they match.

Example: 48 cameras, 12 card readers, 6 pull stations

Building Code Jurisdiction Optional

Type the building code that applies. Examples: IBC 2021, California CBC 2022, NFPA 72 2022

Project Location Required

Type the city and state where the project is. SmartPlans uses this for pricing (things cost more in some cities) and travel calculations.

Building Dimensions Optional

Four number fields that help the AI calculate cable distances more accurately:

Field	What to Type	Default
Floor Plate Width (ft)	How wide the building is, in feet. Measure from one side to the other.	—
Floor Plate Depth (ft)	How deep the building is, from front to back, in feet.	—
Ceiling Height (ft)	Height from the floor to the ceiling inside a room.	10 ft
Floor-to-Floor Height (ft)	Height from one floor's floor to the next floor's floor. This is always taller than the ceiling height because it includes the space above the ceiling for ductwork and cables.	14 ft

Section: Prevailing Wage / Davis-Bacon

Prevailing wage is a rule that says workers on certain government projects must be paid a minimum amount. If your project is for a school, government building, or hospital, you might need prevailing wage rates. If your project is regular private work, pick "None."

Prevailing Wage Type Required

Option	When to Pick It	What Happens
None	Private work with no government money.	Uses your own labor rates from the Pricing section.
Davis-Bacon (Federal)	Projects paid for by the federal government.	Loads the federal government's required pay rates for your area.
State Prevailing Wage (CA DIR)	California public works projects.	Loads California's required pay rates for the county you pick.
Project Labor Agreement (PLA)	Projects with a deal between owner and labor unions.	Loads PLA pay rates, which are usually higher.

California County Selector

If the project is in California, pick the county from the dropdown list. SmartPlans will automatically fill in all the correct pay rates. You do not need to look them up yourself.

Other States Selector

For projects outside California, SmartPlans has pay rates for 19 states. Pick the state, then pick the city area. The rates fill in automatically.

Labor Classifications

Worker Type	What They Do (Simple)
Comm Installer (Journeyman)	The main worker. Pulls cables, mounts devices, installs conduit.
Comm Technician (Lead)	The skilled worker who handles fiber, programming, and testing. Watches over 2-4 installers.
Foreman	The boss on the job site. Plans daily work and talks to the GC.
Apprentice	A person learning the trade. Helps with basic tasks. Gets paid less.
Electrician	A licensed electrician who runs power wires.

Blended Crew Rate

SmartPlans mixes all worker pay rates together into one average number. It assumes about 60% journeymen, 25% lead techs, 10% foremen, and 5% apprentices.

Work Shift Optional

Shift	When People Work	Extra Cost
1st Shift (Standard)	7 AM to 3:30 PM	None — normal rate
2nd Shift	Afternoon to midnight	+10% on labor
3rd Shift / Overnight	Midnight to morning	+15-20% on labor
Weekends Only	Saturday and Sunday	+50% overtime pay
4/10s	Four 10-hour days	Small extra — last 2 hours each day may be overtime

Section: Pricing & Rate Configuration

Click the Pricing & Rate Configuration section to open it up. This controls the prices, rates, and markups for your entire bid.

Material Pricing Tier Required

Tier	What It Means	Example: Camera Price	Example: Cable Box Price
Budget	Cheapest products that still meet requirements.	~$120	~$180
Mid-Range	Normal name-brand products. This is the default.	~$350	~$320
Premium	Top-of-the-line, most expensive products.	~$650	~$480

Regional Cost Multiplier Required

Area	Multiplier	What It Does to a $10,000 Material Bill
Small towns / cheap areas	0.80	Makes it $8,000
National Average	1.00	Keeps it at $10,000
West Coast (CA, OR, WA)	1.25	Makes it $12,500
Northeast (NY, MA, CT, NJ)	1.35	Makes it $13,500
Hawaii	1.40	Makes it $14,000

Labor Rates

Six boxes where you type how much each type of worker costs per hour. If you turned on prevailing wage, these fill in automatically.

Worker Type	Typical Pay Range	What They Do
Journeyman Tech	$45 – $85/hr	Standard installation work
Lead Tech	$55 – $95/hr	Supervises small crews, handles fiber and testing
Foreman	$60 – $110/hr	Manages the whole job site
Apprentice	$25 – $50/hr	Learning the trade, helps with basic tasks
Project Manager	$65 – $120/hr	Handles paperwork, scheduling, ordering
Programmer	$75 – $130/hr	Configures cameras, access control, fire alarm

Include Labor Burden Important

Labor burden is the extra cost on top of what you pay a worker — taxes, insurance, health benefits. The default is 35%.

Example: If a worker makes $50/hr and your burden is 35%, the real cost is $50 + ($50 x 0.35) = $67.50/hr.

Markup Percentages

Markup Type	Default %	What It Applies To	Example
Material Markup	50%	Everything you buy (cameras, cables, racks)	$100 cost becomes $150 sell price
Labor Markup	50%	All labor costs (after burden)	$100 loaded labor becomes $150 sell price
Equipment Markup	15%	Rental tools: lifts, cable pullers, splicers	$1,000 rental becomes $1,150 sell price
Subcontractor Markup	10%	Work done by other companies you hire	$50,000 sub cost becomes $55,000 sell price

How the Bid Price Is Calculated

1. Raw Material Cost
   Raw Materials = AI Quantities x Tier Prices x Regional Multiplier
2. Material Sell Price
   Material Sell = Raw Materials x (1 + Material Markup %)
3. Labor Cost (Loaded)
   Labor Cost = AI Labor Hours x Hourly Rate x (1 + Burden %)
4. Labor Sell Price
   Labor Sell = Loaded Labor x (1 + Labor Markup %)
5. Equipment Sell Price
   Equipment Sell = Equipment Costs x (1 + Equipment Markup %)
6. Subcontractor Sell Price
   Sub Sell = Subcontractor Costs x (1 + Sub Markup %)
7. Subtotal
   Subtotal = Material Sell + Labor Sell + Equipment Sell + Sub Sell + Travel
8. Contingency
   Contingency = Subtotal x 10%
9. Grand Total
   GRAND TOTAL = Subtotal + Contingency

Stage 2 — Symbol Legend

What Is a Symbol Legend?

A symbol legend is a special page in your drawings that shows a list of little pictures (like circles, squares, and triangles) and tells you what each one means. For example, a small circle might mean "camera" and a triangle might mean "speaker." It is like a key on a map.

How to Upload It

1. Find the legend page in your drawing set. It is usually one of the first pages.
2. Click the upload area on this stage. A file picker will open.
3. Pick the PDF page or pages that show the symbol legend. You can upload multiple files.
4. You will see a preview of what you uploaded. Make sure it looks right.

Stage 3 — Floor Plans

What Are Floor Plans?

Floor plans are the drawings that show the building layout and where all the devices go. They have little symbols for cameras, data drops, speakers, and everything else that needs to be installed.

How to Upload Them

1. Click the upload area or drag your PDF file into it.
2. Upload the full drawing set as one PDF file, or upload multiple files.
3. SmartPlans will split each page apart automatically. You will see a small picture of each page.
4. If any pages are not floor plans (like a title page or table of contents), you can remove them.

Stage 4 — Specifications

What Are Specifications?

Specifications (people call them "specs") are the written instructions that come with the drawings. The specs tell you exactly what products to use and how to install them. For example, the specs might say "Use Axis brand cameras" or "All cables must be plenum-rated."

How to Upload Them

1. Click the upload area on this stage.
2. Pick the spec book PDF from your computer. You can upload multiple spec files.
3. SmartPlans will read through all the pages and find the important requirements.

Stage 5 — Addenda

What Are Addenda?

Addenda are changes that were made to the original drawings or specs after they were first sent out. Think of them like corrections or updates. An addendum might say "Add 5 more cameras to the parking lot" or "Change the cable type to Cat6A."

How to Upload Them

1. SmartPlans will ask you: "Are there any addenda for this project?" Pick Yes, No, or Not Sure.
2. If you pick Yes, the upload area appears. Click it and pick your addenda PDF files.
3. You can upload more than one addendum. Each one shows up as a separate file.
4. If you pick No or Not Sure, just move on to the next stage.

Stage 6 — Review & Analyze

What Is This?

This is the stage where you check everything you have entered so far, and then tell the AI to start working. Think of it like reviewing your homework before you turn it in.

What You Will See

1. A summary of everything you uploaded: your floor plans, specs, symbol legend, and addenda.
2. An accuracy indicator that shows green, yellow, or red:
   • Green = You uploaded everything. The AI has the best chance of being accurate.
   • Yellow = You are missing something (like specs or a symbol legend). The AI will still work, but it might not be as accurate.
   • Red = Something important is missing (like floor plans). You should go back and fix it.
3. A text box for additional notes. Type anything else the AI should know about this project.
4. The big "Begin Analysis" button.

How to Run the AI

1. Review the summary. Make sure everything looks right.
2. If the accuracy indicator is yellow or red, think about going back to upload the missing files.
3. Type any extra notes in the notes box (optional).
4. Click the "Begin Analysis" button.
5. Wait while the 27-brain AI engine reads your drawings. This can take a few minutes depending on how many pages you uploaded. You will see a progress display showing which brains are working.
6. When the AI is done, SmartPlans automatically moves you to Stage 7.

Stage 7 — Travel, Per Diem & Incidentals

What Is This?

This stage shows up after the AI finishes its analysis. It is where you set up travel costs if your crew needs to go to another city for the project. It also has a place for extra costs like permits, insurance, and bonding.

The reason this comes after the AI analysis is because the AI needs to figure out how many labor hours the project needs first. Once it knows the hours, it can help you figure out how many workers you need and how long the project will take.

What You Will See at the Top

1. Total Labor Hours — The AI shows you the total labor hours it calculated. For example: "1,847 Total Labor Hours."
2. AI Crew Breakdown — The AI suggests how many of each type of worker you need and how many weeks the project will take.

Enable Travel & Per Diem Costs

1. Look for the checkbox that says "Enable Travel & Per Diem Costs."
2. If your crew does NOT need to travel (the project is near your office), leave it unchecked and skip to "Other Incidentals."
3. If your crew DOES need to travel, check the box. New fields will appear.

Scheduling Mode

Option A: "By Techs"

Use this if you already know how many workers you want to send.

1. Click the "By Techs" radio button.
2. Type the number of techs. SmartPlans calculates how many work days the project will take.

Option B: "By Schedule"

Use this if you already know how many days you have to finish.

1. Click the "By Schedule" radio button.
2. Type the number of days. SmartPlans calculates how many techs you need.

Travel Costs

Field	What to Type	Tips
Hotel $/Night	Cost of one hotel room per night.	For government projects, look up GSA rates at gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates.
Per Diem $/Day	Daily food money per person.	"Per diem" means "per day." The GSA standard is about $79/day.
Mileage (RT Miles)	Round-trip driving distance in miles.	Multiplied by IRS rate ($0.70/mile).
Airfare $/Person	Round-trip plane ticket per person.	Use if flying (usually 500+ miles).
Rental Car $/Day	Cost per day for a rental truck or car.	Typical: $65-120/day for a truck.
Parking $/Day	Parking cost per day.	Downtown: $25-50/day. Some places are free.
Tolls $/Trip	Total tolls per trip.	Add up all toll roads on your route.

Other Incidentals

Field	What It Is	Tips
Permits $	Fee paid to the city or county.	Call the local building department.
Insurance $	Extra insurance for this project.	Some projects require adding the owner as "additional insured."
Bonding $	Performance or payment bond.	Typically 1-3% of the project price. Government jobs often require bonds.
Equipment Rental $	Renting lifts, cable pullers, etc.	Get a real quote from a rental company.
Fuel/Transit $	Gas money for your company trucks.	Separate from mileage reimbursement.
Unexpected Buffer %	A percentage for surprises.	5-10% is typical.

Live Cost Summary

At the bottom of Stage 7, a live cost summary updates instantly as you change numbers. The last line shows the Stage 7 Total — this gets added to your overall bid in Stage 8.

Moving to Stage 8

Review the cost summary, then click the "View Results" button to go to Stage 8.

Stage 8 — Results & RFIs

This is the big results page. It has everything the AI found, plus all the tools you need to turn the estimate into a final bid. There are many sections here, so let us go through each one.

AI Analysis Text

At the top, you will see the full AI analysis — a long report explaining everything the AI found in your drawings and specs, with a table of contents so you can jump to different sections. Look for anything that seems wrong or surprising.

Math Validation & Completeness Banners

The Math Validation Banner tells you if all the numbers add up correctly (green = good, warning = investigate). The Section Completeness Banner shows how complete the AI's analysis is and which areas need extra attention.

BOM Table (Bill of Materials)

BOM stands for "Bill of Materials." This is a big table listing every single item in your estimate — the item name, quantity, cost per item, and total cost.

How to Edit It

1. Look through the table to see all the items.
2. If any number looks wrong, click on it. The number turns into a box you can type in.
3. Type the correct number.
4. Press Enter or click somewhere else. The totals update right away.

Exclusions & Assumptions Builder

Exclusions are things NOT included in your bid (e.g., "We are not doing any work above 30 feet"). Assumptions are things you are guessing to be true (e.g., "We assume the ceilings are easy to reach"). Clarifications are extra notes that explain what you mean. These protect you if there is a disagreement later.

How to Use It

1. You will see three tabs: Exclusions, Assumptions, and Clarifications. Click the tab you want.
2. Click "Load Defaults" to start with a standard list that most projects need. These are based on the disciplines you selected.
3. Click "Auto-Generate" to let the AI create items based on what it found in your drawings.
4. Read through the list. Add anything missing by clicking the add button. Remove anything that does not apply.

Bid Strategy Card

Bid Strategy lets you set different markup percentages for different categories of work, and set confidence levels for each.

1. Look at each category (like "Cameras" or "Cabling").
2. Set a markup percentage for materials and labor in each category.
3. Set a confidence level: High (you trust the numbers), Medium, or Low (add more contingency).
4. Click "Apply Strategy" to update your totals.
5. Click "Reset" to go back to defaults.

Bid Phases & Alternates

Sometimes a project is split into parts. The "Base Bid" is the main part. "Alternates" are extra things the client might want to add, remove, or make optional.

1. Your main estimate starts as the Base Bid.
2. Click to create an Add Alternate (extra work that costs more).
3. Click to create a Deduct Alternate (work that gets removed to save money).
4. Click to create an Optional Alternate (work the client might or might not want).
5. Assign BOM categories to each phase. For example, put "parking lot cameras" in an Add Alternate.
6. Toggle "Include in Proposal" for each phase. Your proposal will show a summary table of all phases.

Competitor Bid Comparison

If you have another company's bid (as an Excel or CSV file), you can upload it and compare side by side.

1. Type the competitor's name in the name box.
2. Click "Upload Bid" and pick their Excel or CSV file.
3. You will see a comparison with green rows (you are cheaper) and red rows (they are cheaper).
4. Click "Clear Comparison" when done.

RFIs (Requests for Information)

An RFI is a formal question you send to the architect or general contractor asking them to clarify something on the drawings or specs. SmartPlans generates RFI suggestions based on what the AI found.

1. Scroll down to the RFI section. You will see a list of AI-generated questions, filtered by your selected disciplines.
2. Each RFI has an ID code, the question text, and an explanation of why it matters.
3. Check the box next to each RFI you want to include.
4. Use "Select All" or "Clear All" to quickly manage selections.
5. Click "Export Selected RFIs" to download them as a text file you can email to the GC.

Symbol Inventory Audit NEW

What Is This?

The Symbol Inventory Audit is a card on the Results page (Stage 8) that lists every single device the AI found on your drawings. It shows you exactly what was counted, where it was counted, and on which sheet number. Think of it like a detailed receipt that says "I found 3 cameras in Room 101 on Sheet E2.1."

This is your primary tool for verifying the AI's device counts. Instead of guessing whether the AI counted correctly, you can see every single device in a table and check it against your drawings.

Where to Find It

1. Go to Stage 8 — Results & RFIs.
2. Scroll down past the BOM table and Exclusions section.
3. Look for the collapsible card called "Symbol Inventory Audit."
4. Click the card header to expand it. The full inventory table will appear.

What the Table Shows

Column	What It Means
Sheet	The drawing sheet number where the AI found this device. For example: "E2.1" or "T3.0."
Floor	Which floor of the building this device is on. For example: "1st Floor" or "Basement."
Room	The room name or number. For example: "Lobby" or "Room 201."
Device Type	What kind of device it is. For example: "camera", "data_outlet", "card_reader", "fire_alarm."
Subtype	A more specific description. For example: "4MP dome" or "single-gang."
Qty	How many of that device the AI found in that room on that sheet.
Status	Whether this device might be a duplicate (counted on more than one sheet). Shows a colored badge: green = OK, amber = possible duplicate.

Stats Bar

At the top of the card, you will see a stats bar with quick numbers:

• Total Devices — The grand total of all devices found across all sheets.
• Sheets Analyzed — How many sheets the AI scanned.
• Device Types — How many different kinds of devices were found (cameras, WAPs, readers, etc.).
• Duplicates Found — How many potential duplicate items were detected. (More on this below.)

Sorting the Table

You can sort the table in different ways by clicking the sort buttons at the top:

Sort Button	What It Does
By Sheet	Groups all devices by their sheet number. This is the default view, and the one you use when going through drawings one page at a time.
By Type	Groups all devices by device type. All cameras together, all data outlets together, etc. Use this to get a quick count of each device type.
By Room	Groups devices by room name. Use this to see every device in a specific room.
By Floor	Groups devices by floor. Use this to see everything on the 1st floor, then the 2nd floor, etc.

Filtering by Device Type

1. Look for the dropdown menu at the top of the card that says "All Types."
2. Click it and pick a specific device type — for example, "camera."
3. The table now shows ONLY cameras. Everything else is hidden.
4. To see everything again, switch the dropdown back to "All Types."

Duplicate Detection

One of the most powerful features of the Symbol Inventory Audit is automatic duplicate detection. The AI looks for the same device appearing in the same room on more than one sheet. This catches a common counting error: the same camera might be shown on both the floor plan sheet and the enlarged detail sheet, which would cause a double-count.

1. Look at the "Duplicates Found" number in the stats bar. If it is 0, great — no duplicates were detected.
2. If duplicates were found, look for the amber-colored "Duplicates" panel below the table.
3. Each duplicate entry shows: the device type, the room name, and which sheets it appeared on.
4. For each duplicate, decide: is this really a duplicate (the same device shown twice), or are there genuinely two separate devices in that room? If it is a real duplicate, go to the BOM and reduce the count.

Action Buttons

Button	What It Does
Copy to Clipboard	Copies the entire inventory table as tab-separated text. You can paste it into Excel or an email.
Export CSV	Downloads the inventory as a CSV file (a spreadsheet file). Includes confidence scores and duplicate flags.
Copy Duplicates	Copies just the duplicates summary to your clipboard for quick reference.
View on Plans	Opens the Visual Symbol Map — an interactive viewer that shows colored markers on your actual floor plan drawings. See the next section for details.

Visual Symbol Map NEW

What Is This?

The Visual Symbol Map is an interactive viewer that opens your actual floor plan PDFs and shows colored markers on top of them — one marker for each zone where devices were found. This is the fastest way to visually verify that the AI counted the right devices in the right locations.

Think of it like putting colored stickers on your paper drawings: red stickers for cameras, blue stickers for WAPs, green stickers for data outlets, etc. Except it is digital and shows exact counts.

How to Open It

1. Go to Stage 8 — Results & RFIs.
2. Open the Symbol Inventory Audit card (click to expand it).
3. Click the "View on Plans" button. It has a map icon next to it.
4. A full-screen viewer will open, showing your first floor plan page with colored markers on top.

What You Will See

The Visual Symbol Map has three main areas:

1. The Floor Plan Canvas (Center)

The big center area shows your actual floor plan PDF page with colored circles and squares on top of it:

• Colored circles = Device zones. Each circle is placed where a group of devices was found. The color tells you the device type (red = cameras, blue = WAPs, indigo = data outlets, etc.).
• Numbers inside circles = How many devices are in that zone.
• Green squares = IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame) locations — these are the network closets where cables connect to switches.
• Zone labels = Text labels below circles showing the room or zone name.
• Floor label badge = A label in the corner showing which floor you are viewing.
• Device count badge = A count in the corner showing total devices on this page.

2. The Header Bar (Top)

Control	What It Does
Page info	Shows "Page 3 of 24" so you know which page you are on.
Previous / Next buttons	Click the arrows to go to the previous or next page of your drawings.
Zoom + / Zoom -	Click the plus or minus buttons to zoom in or out on the floor plan.
Close button (X)	Click X or press Escape to close the viewer and go back to Stage 8.

3. The Sidebar (Right Side)

The right sidebar (320 pixels wide) shows two things:

• Device List — A list of all devices found on the current page, grouped by zone. Click any device to highlight its marker on the map.
• Legend — A color key showing which color represents which device type. For example: red circle = camera, blue circle = WAP, amber circle = card reader.

Color Legend

Color	Device Type	Marker
Red	Camera	Circle with camera icon
Indigo	Data Outlet	Circle with plug icon
Amber	Card Reader / Access Control	Circle with lock icon
Red	Fire Alarm Device	Circle with fire icon
Green	Speaker / Audio	Circle with speaker icon
Blue	WAP (Wireless Access Point)	Circle with wifi icon
Green Square	IDF Closet	Square with network icon

Clicking on Markers

Click any colored marker on the map to open a popup window that shows:

• The zone or room name.
• A breakdown of every device in that zone — device type, subtype, and quantity.
• Which sheet(s) the devices were found on.

Click anywhere else on the map to close the popup.

Keyboard Shortcuts in the Visual Symbol Map

Key	What It Does
Escape	Close the viewer and go back to Stage 8.
Left Arrow	Go to the previous page.
Right Arrow	Go to the next page.
+ (plus key)	Zoom in.
- (minus key)	Zoom out.

Tips for Using the Visual Symbol Map

Cable Pathway Analysis NEW

What Is This?

The Cable Pathway Analysis card shows you how the AI calculated cable distances. Instead of just giving you a total number of feet, it breaks it down by zone — showing how far the cable has to run from the IDF closet (network closet) to each zone on each floor.

Where to Find It

1. Go to Stage 8 — Results & RFIs.
2. Look for the collapsible card called "Cable Pathway Analysis."
3. Click to expand it.

What the Table Shows

Column	What It Means
Zone	The name of the area or room group. For example: "North Wing" or "Lobby Area."
Floor	Which floor this zone is on.
Device Count	How many devices are in this zone that need cables.
Avg Run Length	The average distance (in feet) from the IDF closet to devices in this zone.
Total Cable	Total feet of cable needed for this zone (device count x average run x slack factor).

How the AI Calculates Cable Distance

The AI uses the SPATIAL_LAYOUT brain to find zone locations and IDF closet locations on the floor plan. Then it calculates the distance between them. It adds a slack and termination factor (typically 15 feet per cable run) to account for cable going up walls, across ceilings, and the extra length needed for connecting to patch panels and devices.

Potential Change Orders

What Is This?

A change order is extra work that was not in the original plan. For example, if the owner decides to add 10 more cameras after the project starts, that is a change order. The AI looks at your drawings and specs and finds things that might turn into change orders later.

Where to Find It

1. Go to Stage 8 — Results & RFIs.
2. Look for the collapsible card called "Potential Change Orders." Click to expand it.

What the Table Shows

Column	What It Means
CO #	A number for each potential change order (CO-1, CO-2, etc.).
Description	What the change order is about.
Severity	A colored badge: Critical — Very serious. Could cost a lot. Deal with this right away. High — Important. Could affect your bid significantly. Medium — Worth knowing about. Low — Minor. Probably will not be a big deal.
Estimated Impact $	The AI's guess at how much this would cost if it happens.
Source Brain	Which AI brain found this issue.
Checkbox	Check to include in your notes. Uncheck to ignore.

How to Use It

1. Open the card and read through each item.
2. Check the boxes next to the ones you want to track.
3. Look at the Total Estimated CO Value at the bottom.
4. Click "Copy to Clipboard" to paste the list into an email.
5. Click "Export PDF" to download a formatted PDF with all change orders.

Exporting Your Work

After your estimate is ready in Stage 8, you can download your work in many different formats.

Button	What It Does
Export All (ZIP)	Downloads the BOM Excel file, a Markdown summary, and a JSON file — all bundled together in one ZIP file.
JSON (PM App Import)	A data file that other project management apps can read. Use this to import your estimate into SmartPM or other software.
Excel Spreadsheet	A multi-sheet spreadsheet with every item, quantity, price, labor, and summary. The "BID PRICE" at the bottom is your total.
Markdown Proposal	A text version of your proposal. Good for pasting into emails.
Download BOM	Downloads just the Bill of Materials as a spreadsheet.
Supplier BOM	A BLANK spreadsheet to send to vendors. No pricing — they fill in their own prices and send it back.
Supplier CSV	Same as Supplier BOM but in lightweight CSV format for emailing.
Generate Proposal	Creates a professional Word document (.docx) with cover page, scope of work, pricing, and exclusions.
Executive Proposal	A shorter version of the proposal for people who do not want a long document.
Submittal Package	Product data package with specs and certifications. Send to the GC to get products approved.
Export to SmartPM	A file you import into SmartPM to manage the project after you win it.

Supplier Pricing Workflow

What Is This?

This is how you get real prices from your vendors and put them into your estimate. The AI gives you estimated prices, but your suppliers know the actual prices.

How to Do It (Step by Step)

1. In Stage 8, click "Supplier BOM" to download a blank spreadsheet with item names and quantities, but no prices.
2. Email that spreadsheet to your suppliers. Ask them to fill in their prices and send it back.
3. When they send back their pricing (as a PDF, Excel, or CSV file), click "Import Supplier Pricing" on the Stage 8 results page.
4. SmartPlans reads their prices and updates your estimate with the real numbers. You will see which items were matched and which were not.
5. Click "Generate Proposal" again to create a new proposal with the real pricing.

Rate Library

What Is This?

The Rate Library is like a notebook where SmartPlans saves the prices from your past projects. Later, on a new project, you can use those saved prices instead of the AI's estimates. The more projects you do, the better your saved prices get.

How to Save Rates

1. After you finish an estimate in Stage 8, look for the "Save Rates from This Estimate" button.
2. Click it. All the current prices from this project get saved to your library.

How to Use Saved Rates on a New Project

1. Start a new project and go through Stages 1-8 as normal.
2. In Stage 8, look for the "Apply to Estimate" button in the Rate Library section.
3. Click it. SmartPlans replaces the AI prices with your saved prices wherever it finds a match.
4. You can also search your saved rates, delete old ones, or update them anytime.

Actuals & Benchmarks

What Is This?

After a project is completely done and all the bills are paid, you can go back and tell SmartPlans what you actually spent. Then, on future projects, SmartPlans can tell you things like "Based on 3 past projects, this item usually costs about $X."

How to Record Your Actual Costs

1. Go to your Saved Estimates (click "Saved" in the header bar).
2. Find the project that is finished.
3. Click "Record Actuals."
4. For each category, type what you actually spent on materials and labor.
5. SmartPlans compares your original estimate to the real numbers and shows you the difference.

How Benchmarks Help You

The more projects you record, the better the benchmarks get. On future estimates, SmartPlans shows messages like "Based on 3 past projects, this item averages $X." Use these to spot-check the AI's numbers.

Pricing Configuration

What Is This?

These are the settings that control how SmartPlans calculates your bid price. They live in the "Pricing & Rate Configuration" section on Stage 1.

Setting	What It Means	Default
Material Markup %	Extra you charge on top of material costs.	50%
Labor Markup %	Extra you charge on top of labor costs.	50%
Equipment Markup %	Extra you charge on rental equipment.	15%
Subcontractor Markup %	Extra you charge on subcontractor work.	10%
Burden Rate %	Extra cost of workers (taxes, insurance, benefits).	35%

Saved Estimates

What Is This?

Every estimate you create is saved automatically. You can go back to any estimate at any time, even months later.

How to Find and Open Your Saved Estimates

1. Click "Saved" in the header bar at the top of the page.
2. You will see a list of all your past estimates with their names and dates.
3. Click "Load" to open an old estimate and see all its details.
4. Click "Delete" to remove one you do not need anymore.
5. Click "Record Actuals" on finished projects to enter what you really spent.

Version History

What Is This?

Every time you save your estimate, SmartPlans creates a new version — like a snapshot of your work. If you make changes and decide you liked the old version better, you can go back to it.

How to Use It

1. In Stage 8, look for the Version History section.
2. You will see a list of all the times you saved, with dates and times.
3. Click on any two versions to compare them side by side. SmartPlans shows you what changed.
4. If you want to go back to an old version, click "Restore" next to it.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Tips

Useful Shortcuts

Shortcut	Where	What It Does
Ctrl + Shift + R	Anywhere	Hard refresh. Fixes most display problems by reloading the page completely.
Escape	Visual Symbol Map	Close the map viewer.
Left Arrow	Visual Symbol Map	Go to the previous page.
Right Arrow	Visual Symbol Map	Go to the next page.
+	Visual Symbol Map	Zoom in on the floor plan.
-	Visual Symbol Map	Zoom out on the floor plan.

Helpful Tips

• The app works offline (partially). SmartPlans saves a copy of itself in your browser. If your internet goes out briefly, you can still view estimates. You need internet to run AI analysis.
• All documents have "3D CONFIDENTIAL" in the footer. This appears on proposals, BOM exports, and other generated documents.
• 8 stages, one at a time. Go through each stage in order. You cannot jump ahead to Stage 8 without going through Stages 1-7 first.
• Unsaved changes warning. If you try to close the browser with work in progress, SmartPlans will warn you so you do not lose your work.

Troubleshooting

If something is not working right, find your problem in the left column and try the fix in the right column.

Problem	What to Do
"Analysis failed"	Check your internet connection and try again. If it keeps failing, try uploading fewer pages at a time.
"Save failed"	The database might be temporarily down. Wait a minute and try again.
Numbers do not match	Press Ctrl + Shift + R to hard refresh, then re-export your documents.
PDF will not upload	Make sure your file is under 100MB. If bigger, split it into smaller files first.
Supplier import did not match items	The item names in the supplier's file need to be similar to the names in your BOM. Check the "unmatched items" list.
Stage 7 is not showing up	Stage 7 only appears after the AI analysis finishes in Stage 6. Make sure the analysis completed successfully.
Travel costs are not in my total	Make sure you checked the "Enable Travel & Per Diem Costs" box in Stage 7.
Change orders card is empty	Not every project has potential change orders. If the AI found no scope gaps, the card may be empty — that is a good sign.
Accuracy indicator is red	Go back to earlier stages and upload the missing files. Floor plans are required. Symbol legend and specs are strongly recommended.
Visual Symbol Map shows no markers	The map requires the SPATIAL_LAYOUT brain (Wave 0) and SYMBOL_SCANNER brain (Wave 1) results. If the analysis was incomplete, markers may not appear. Re-run the analysis.
Symbol Inventory shows 0 items	The Symbol Inventory requires the SYMBOL_SCANNER brain to produce a device_inventory. If no devices were found, check that your floor plans have clear device symbols.
Markers are in the wrong location	Marker positions are estimates based on zone coordinates. They represent the general area, not exact pixel positions. Use them as a guide.

3D CONFIDENTIAL