5 Cheap, Simple Ways To Deploy AI In Your Construction Business

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for tech companies and multinational corporations. With tools like ChatGPT, smaller builders and contractors can use AI effectively to save time on everyday tasks with little investment and no new software or IT support.

Following are some practical ways to put an AI chatbot to work in your business right now – plus tips to “train it” to become more and more useful over time.

But first, some preliminaries:

• Easily adopted AI Chatbots like ChatGPT is referred to as “generative AI” because they create new content. Other forms of AI include predictive and rules-based automation; these are being baked into specialized construction software like takeoff and estimating tools, and scheduling/planning platforms – all potentially game-changing, but requiring a higher level of commitment and investment.
• Don’t bother with the free versions of generative AI chatbots; they have built-in limits and won’t make much of a difference in your business. Start with the lowest paid tier of whatever platform you choose. It’s affordable and offers enough power to make a difference.
• Each chatbot has its own strengths and weaknesses. You may need to try a few before finding the one you like best.
• Your chatbot is 3rd-party software on the internet – and comes with all the usual security concerns. Don’t upload sensitive information about your business or those you work with.
• Always check the work before sharing it; chatbots can make frequent and baffling errors.

Now, here are five ways a Generative AI Chatbot can help your business:

1. Turn job notes into finished reports or emails

AI can quickly turn rough notes into clean communication. After a walkthrough, you can paste in bullet points, voice-to-text transcripts or shorthand reminders and ask a chatbot to write a professional follow-up. It can summarize estimates, explain weather delays and clarify next steps in a consistent tone.

You still review everything, but instead of spending 20 minutes rewriting, you spend 2 minutes editing. For many smaller construction businesses, this is the application where AI pays immediate dividends.

2. Draft scopes of work and proposal language in minutes

Writing scopes of work is necessary but repetitive. You know what goes into a kitchen remodel or envelope upgrade; typing it out each time is the slow part.

AI can draft structured, readable scope language based on the job type, square footage and materials you provide.

First, train your AI chatbot by uploading a few of the better proposals and scope documents that you’ve created on your own, and tell it to use them as models.

It may not copy your template exactly, but it will get close – becoming a flexible template generator that adapts to each project, saving hours and reducing copy-and-paste errors. For multi-layered systems and tasks like specs for building envelopes, AI can remind you about sequencing or compatibility issues that often lead to callbacks if missed.

3. Automate daily logs, punch lists and safety notes

Documentation protects your business, but it’s a pain in the neck. A quick voice memo about the day’s work can become a formatted daily log with weather, crew size, progress and next steps. The same applies to punch lists: you describe the issues and AI organizes them by trade or location.

For safety reminders and training, you can feed the AI your policies and ask for toolbox talks tailored to specific tasks. Small companies without full-time office staff get cleaner, more consistent documentation with far less effort.

4. Produce your own marketing content

You probably didn’t go into construction business because you’re a gifted marketer or a confident writer. Give the assignment to AI. Train your chatbot by feeding it any existing marketing materials and by telling it your selling points.

Then you can have it generate drafts of website copy, brochures, referral follow-ups – whatever you need. You’re still in control of the final product; AI handles the barrier of starting from a blank page – letting you polish instead of starting from scratch.

5. Build a “company brain” your team can reference anytime

Generative AI becomes more useful as it learns more about your business. You can store a small set of materials — service descriptions, preferred products, example proposals, safety expectations and the types of work you do (and don’t do). From there, the AI can draft checklists, answer internal questions and help maintain consistency across projects.

This is especially valuable for growing teams. New employees can learn how your company works faster, and seasoned staff spend less time repeating the same explanations.

Training AI for your business

Treat your chatbot like a new hire: You can upload PDFs, spreadsheets and text documents to teach it about your business.

Share the basics – services offered, service area, typical projects and types of customers – along with a few strong examples of proposals, emails and project summaries. Add simple rules about tone (“plain language, no jargon”), what to avoid (“don’t promise exact dates or prices”), and your preferred vocabulary.

Prompt it with clear instructions, just as you would a new employee. Update your instructions as the AI learns and corrects its mistakes by showing it your edited versions.

Do not upload sensitive customer data, legal documents or anything requiring an engineer’s or inspector’s sign‑off. Start small, refine as you go, and let AI handle drafting while you make the final call.

Generative AI Chatbots to consider

Source: PC Magazine, The Best AI Chatbots for 2025, Oct. 27, 2025

Put your human intelligence to work

Best Supply is your intelligent supply chain partner – helping to select the right materials in the right quantities, delivering them to your jobsite on time, and shaking them out neatly, for safety and efficiency. Contact us for your next job and see what we can do.