AI Construction Estimate
Pro tier only
This command is Pro-only (flag QuoteAi). Standard-tier users see a 🔒 lock icon when clicking.
Auto-generates a construction estimate from a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) using AI + the TT10/2019 and ĐM1776 norm databases. Unlike AI Translate / AI Chat (which also use user-supplied API keys), AI Estimate has proprietary added value: the NormLookup engine + Vietnamese-construction-specific prompt engineering.
Open the dialog
DVD Cons → group QS → click AI Construction Estimate.
4-step workflow
Step 1 — Prepare the BoQ sheet
The sheet must have at minimum:
| Column | Content | Required |
|---|---|---|
| No. | Sequential | ✓ |
| Norm code | e.g. AB.11110, SC.16110 | (helpful) |
| Task name | e.g. "Excavate foundation pit" | ✓ |
| Unit | e.g. m3, kg, m2 | ✓ |
| Quantity | Number | ✓ |
Step 2 — Select the BoQ range → click "AI Construction Estimate"
The Construction Estimate dialog opens with:
- Preview of selected range (row count, detected norm codes)
- Norm-source toggle: TT10/2019 / ĐM1776 / Both
- "Use AI to fill missing norm codes" toggle
Step 3 — AI runs NormLookup + estimate calculation
For each BoQ row:
- If norm code is present → look up TT10/ĐM1776 → fetch VL+NC+M (material + labor + machinery costs)
- If no code yet → AI suggests a code based on task name (text similarity + construction context)
- Calculate: Quantity × (VL + NC + M)
- Apply overhead + profit coefficients from project settings
Step 4 — Generate result sheet
The AI Estimate sheet is created with layout:
| No. | Code | Task name | Unit | Qty | VL price | NC price | M price | Unit price | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AB.11110 | Excavate foundation pit | m3 | 50 | 0 | 12,500 | 8,700 | 21,200 | 1,060,000 |
| 2 | AF.11110 | M250 foundation concrete | m3 | 8 | 950,000 | 180,000 | 75,000 | 1,205,000 | 9,640,000 |
| ... | |||||||||
| TOTAL | xxx | ||||||||
| Overhead 6.5% | xxx | ||||||||
| VAT 8% | xxx | ||||||||
| FINAL ESTIMATE | xxx |
Norm databases
DVDAddin ships 2 databases in C:\DVDAddin\Library\:
| File | Type | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Dinh Muc TT10.2019.xlsx | Circular 10/2019/TT-BXD | 2019 construction-work norm database |
| Dinh Muc 1776.xlsx | Decision 1776/BXD-VP | Older 2007 norms — still common for legacy contracts |
NormLoader reads these files at startup → caches in RAM → fast queries.
AI provider selection
In Preferences → AI tab → pick one of:
- Gemini (Google — generous free quota)
- ChatGPT (OpenAI — more accurate for complex prompts)
- Cerebras (free + fast inference)
All require user-supplied API keys. DVDAddin does NOT provide an API key — it's purely a client.
WARNING
Without an API key, the dialog only does NormLookup (no AI). The "suggest norm code for missing rows" step is skipped.
Tips
- Missing norm codes in DB: AI suggests the closest match + highlights in yellow for user verification
- Overhead/profit defaults: edit Preferences → Estimate tab → set company-standard overhead/profit %
- Export PDF estimate: after generating the sheet → DVD Addin → Print → Selected Sheets to PDF → save PDF
- Compare vs partner estimate: copy sheet to partner file, use Sheet Compare for unit-price deltas
Related
- Test Plan — plan tests in parallel with BoQ
- Gantt Chart — schedule from BoQ
- Cost estimation workflow — full flow