A Practical Approach to AI in Elevation Pro

In earthwork estimating, accuracy matters. Quantity mistakes in lump-sum contracts can directly impact profitability and increase project risk.

At InSite Software, we believe artificial intelligence has the potential to help estimators work more efficiently, gain deeper insight into their projects, and identify opportunities that might otherwise be overlooked.

However, we also believe that estimating expertise cannot be replaced by software. The estimator must remain in control of the takeoff process and retain final authority over all decisions. For that reason, our approach to AI is centered on a human-in-the-loop model. AI should assist experienced professionals—not replace them.

Today, AI is already helping us improve Elevation Pro. Our development team uses AI tools to accelerate research, testing, and software development, allowing us to deliver enhancements more efficiently while maintaining the quality and reliability our customers expect.

We are also exploring ways AI can reduce repetitive tasks within the software. Areas such as contour entry, data organization, and other time-consuming workflows benefit from AI-assisted automation while keeping users firmly in control of the final results.

One area where we see particularly strong potential is job review.

Traditionally, technical support focuses on solving a specific issue reported by the customer. While that approach is effective for addressing the immediate problem, it does not always provide a complete review of the entire project.

By analyzing the broader context of a job, AI-assisted review tools can help identify inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement that might otherwise go unnoticed. In our own internal testing, we have already seen examples where AI highlighted opportunities within projects that had previously been reviewed through standard support processes.

We also see tremendous opportunity in conversational interaction with project data. Imagine being able to ask questions about a job in plain English and receive answers based on the actual takeoff, surfaces, alignments, quantities, and assumptions within that project.

Instead of manually searching through reports, layers, settings, and calculations, users could have an interactive conversation with their job. They could ask why the quantity changed, request explanations of specific calculations, identify potential problem areas, or receive guidance on workflows and best practices. By combining project-specific information with the expertise and best practices incorporated into Elevation Pro, AI can help users find answers faster, learn more effectively, and gain greater confidence in their results.

Beyond project-specific assistance, we also see AI playing an important role in training and education. Elevation Pro includes a substantial body of documentation, training materials, videos, and best practices developed over many years. AI has the potential to make this information far more accessible by allowing users to ask questions in plain English and receive guidance tailored to the task they are trying to accomplish.

Rather than searching through manuals, knowledge base articles, videos, and training materials, users could receive immediate answers, explanations, and recommended next steps. Whether learning a new workflow, understanding a feature, or troubleshooting an issue, AI can help users find information faster and become more productive with the software.

Over time, we envision these capabilities evolving into an intelligent assistant that combines knowledge of the user’s project with the expertise, training resources, and best practices incorporated into Elevation Pro. The assistant could help users understand their jobs, learn new workflows, answer questions, and identify opportunities for improvement—all while keeping the estimator firmly in control of the decision-making process.

As with all of our AI initiatives, protecting customer data and maintaining customer control remain fundamental requirements. Customer job data are isolated and handled in a controlled environment so project information is not exposed, shared, or used in a way that creates security risk. Our approach is designed to deliver the benefits of AI while preserving the confidentiality, ownership, and integrity of each customer’s data.

As these technologies continue to mature, our focus remains unchanged: helping estimators produce accurate quantities, make informed decisions, and reduce project risk. Any AI capabilities we introduce will be practical, transparent, and designed to complement the expertise of the professionals who use Elevation Pro every day.

The InSite Software Team