Bobyard Launches Electrical Estimating AI Solution

Proud to share what our team has been building — Bobyard is now available for electrical contractors. Electrical estimating is some of the most labor-intensive work in the industry. Tracing wire runs, counting fixtures, flipping between sheets to verify a single circuit — it adds up fast. We built AI that reads electrical drawings the same way an estimator does, just faster and all at once. This is our first move beyond landscaping, and proof that we can bring the same approach to every trade in construction. Stoked to see electrical contractors put it to work.

We just launched Bobyard for electrical and I cannot stop smiling!! 🎉⚡ As someone who talks to electrical contractors every single day, I KNOW how painful estimating is... the wire runs, the fixture counts, the endless sheet flipping 😩 And now we have something built specifically for you!! Custom AI trained on electrical drawings. Takeoffs in minutes. It's the real deal 🤖⚡ This is just the first MEP trade and more are coming and it's only going to get better from here 👀🔥 Electrical subs, DM me!! I would love to walk you through it and show you what this looks like for your team 🙌👇

I made a thing! 😝 And I’d genuinely like some honest feedback on it. If you work with helical pile projects, you know as well as I do that closeout documentation can become its own little job. We always assume it’s going to take 15–20 minutes, but then it turns into multiple 15–20 minute sessions, five emails, two text messages, a phone call, and a partridge in a pear tree. So I built a tool I’ve been using personally for months, and because I’m genuinely passionate about helical piles, I wanted to build it out further and share it. The goal is simple: take some of the pain out of the traditional helical pile conformity process, save time, and make the documentation process cleaner and more traceable. The basic flow is: The engineer creates a project in PileConnect using information from their drawings. PileConnect generates an Installation QR that can be placed on the project drawings or shared directly with the installer. The installer scans the QR on site and submits the field data from a mobile-friendly web app. The engineer reviews the contractor-submitted record. If the engineer is satisfied, you can print out a pre-drafted / templated helical pile general conformity report that remains fully editable by the engineer before it is printed, sealed, and issued, or use your own template. To be clear, this does not replace engineering judgment, inspection, or review. It is designed to turn the messy field-record process into something structured, traceable, and easier to work with. It is still in beta, but it currently works end-to-end and it is completely free. After 15+ years of designing helical piles, I wanted to share part of my process with the industry and build something that engineers and installers can actually benefit from. So try it out! I genuinely believe this can add a lot of value for engineers and installers, and I’d love to hear what works, what breaks, and what would make it better. Link in the comments. If you try it, tell me what breaks, what feels clunky, or what you wish it did. #helicalpiles #screwpiles #engineering #constructiontechnology

Cory is a wonderful helical pile engineer - check out how he is making it easier to record data and process conformity reports.

One thing I've learned over the years is that equipment pads can be surprisingly easy to miss during a takeoff. Rooftop units, generators, compressors, and other equipment often require concrete pads, but those pads aren't always shown where you'd expect. Sometimes they're buried in mechanical details, called out in notes, referenced in specifications, or shown only on mechanical sheets with no corresponding architectural detail. I've seen situations where someone reviewed the architectural set thoroughly and still missed scope because the information lived somewhere else entirely. That's why estimators need to review the complete drawing set, not just the sheets associated with their trade. Cross-reference architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, details, schedules, notes, and specifications. The plans tell part of the story. The scope is usually hidden in how all the documents work together. That's today's lesson in my Estimators Series.

The best trade contractors in the country have eliminated 90% of their rework and quality issues with VDC and prefab. The other 10% happens in the field. And it’s their most expensive. I was on a jobsite yesterday with a Senior PM at an electrical contractor. His crews were, in his words, “flying through installs” with kitted pallets of their prefabbed parts. But only when their layout hit exactly where it was supposed to. When it didn’t, his foreman was walking the slab re-shooting points and pulling a tape off columns trying to find where it went wrong, while his crew stood next to a pallet waiting on direction. Your shop got smarter. Your field is trying to keep up using tools that existed well before your BIM and prefab departments did. That gap costs you money on every job you run, leaves your VDC and prefab investment half paid back, and hands an advantage to whoever figures it out first. You’ve engineered out the variables on your projects in the shop. Why let your field layout tools add them back in?

What makes a rooftop plant support project a good fit for MX-R? For M&E contractors, the answer usually starts with the plant, the roof and the installation conditions. MX-R Modular Roof Supports are designed for configurable, non-penetrative rooftop plant support. They suit projects where a channel-based frame can be set out clearly, adjusted for the roof, and assembled on site from documented components. The project information needs to show: - plant weight and footprint - required frame height and rail spans - foot positions and roof bearing zones - membrane protection - roof pitch and adjustment range - access and service clearances around the unit When those inputs are clear, MX-R gives the project a practical way to use off-the-shelf components, reduce welding or late fabrication work, and give M&E installers drawings, component information and assembly guidance to follow. If the plant weight, span, geometry or roof condition needs something outside a suitable MX-R configuration, that is useful to know early too. It helps the support requirement move into design input, a different support configuration, or heavier secondary modular steelwork before site is left trying to solve it late. Confirming those inputs early keeps the support frame matched to the roof, the plant and the installation method. For projects that suit a configurable, non-penetrative channel-based frame, MX-R gives M&E contractors a clear rooftop support system from specification through to assembly.

**Design Lesson: Under-Tile Conduit - The 20-Year Wiring Argument*" Video shows conduit rough-in on slab before screed. This is “floor routing”, not roof or wall-only. 3 technical realities most teams miss: 1. Wall chase still exists → Floor conduit gets power to the room. You still chase the wall vertically to the socket/switch height. The floor doesn’t remove wall work. It changes where the long horizontal runs live. 2. Wire stays cooler under earth → Screed + soil + tile act as heatsink. Cables in the floor derate less than cables in 50°C+ roof voids. Result: Insulation lasts longer, pulling new wire in Year 10 is easier because PVC didn’t get brittle from heat. 3. Earth quenches fire → Electrical fault creates arc/heat. Floor: Screed + tiles smother + contain it within 1 room. Roof void: Oxygen + open space spreads fire + smoke to 3 rooms. Containment vs propagation. The catch - Year 20 thinking: Floor conduit only works if 2 things are detailed: 1. As-built drawing → Technicians in Year 10 must know where NOT to drill. No drawing = broken pipe + broken trust. 2. **Sleeves at doorways** → High-risk drill zones must have pipe-in-pipe protection. Otherwise “cool wire” becomes “cut wire”. Principle for contractors: Choose floor routing for thermal + fire safety, not just aesthetics. But design it like it will be repaired blind in Year 15. Principle for developers: Life cycle safety > install speed. A cool wire that survives 20 years costs less than a “fast” wire replaced every 5 years. Design for the resident who drills in Year 8 + the electrician who rewires in Year 15. Electricians/Engineers: Do you specify as-built drawings for floor conduit on your projects?

Brad’s watching this electrical setup like… hold on, what is going on here? 👀⚡ At first glance, it looks like a normal electrical inspection, but then Brad gets closer and notices something unusual—three wire nuts sitting right next to each other in a configuration you don’t normally see every day. He starts breaking it down by wire color, pointing out the red, blue, and green wiring, and confirms that the green wire is the ground. It’s one of those moments where the setup technically tells a story, but you still stop and stare because the layout feels unconventional. For homeowners in Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin, and Safety Harbor, this is exactly why electrical work, wiring inspections, and remodel projects should always be done with attention to detail. The little things inside a box can tell you a lot about the quality, organization, and logic behind the install. Because when wiring starts looking unusual, that’s when homeowners need to start paying attention. Video from: @elec.carolina #reaction #construction

Planning for electrical installations requires careful consideration of pipework, especially for accessible areas. For visible conduits, like those in living spaces or entryways, using 20 mm conduits is a standard starting point. This ensures sufficient space for wiring while maintaining a clean aesthetic. The focus is on protecting cables and ensuring safety, particularly in areas where privacy or convenience for residents is paramount. Proper planning prevents disruptions and ensures a professional finish. #ElectricalInstallation #HomeRenovation #WiringTips #Construction #ProjectManagement