“Cycle time is everything.” That was the message Home Depot chair and CEO Ted Decker delivered to suppliers this fall, capturing one of the most persistent pressures in construction. Professional contractors live or die by how quickly they move from blueprint to bid to build. One of the slowest steps in that chain is producing a detailed takeoff. A takeoff is the full count of materials needed for a project. It covers everything from structural lumber to interior trim to fasteners. It often requires separate estimates from multiple suppliers, with each revision adding delays and cost. The process can stretch out for weeks and tie up teams whose time is better used on active jobs.
Home Depot is trying to cut that delay with a new AI driven service called Blueprint Takeoffs. The tool reads single family residential blueprints and produces a complete materials list and quote. The company says it can deliver results in two days or less. The service costs 249 dollars per project and includes support from a Pro team that helps customers interpret the results and locate items that are harder to source. Ann Marie Campbell, senior executive vice president, told investors that Blueprint Takeoffs replaces a process that had long been manual and time intensive. She said the new workflow raises accuracy and reliability at a point where contractors need it most. The company said the tool will not replace any jobs.
Blueprint Takeoffs fits into a broader shift inside Home Depot. Professional contractors already account for about half of total sales. The retailer has spent heavily on that segment, viewing it as a major source of growth at a time when retail consumers are pulling back. The company has acquired specialty distributors SRS Distribution and GMS Inc., widened its flatbed distribution network and invested in more Pro focused delivery options. It has also expanded trade credit and increased account management resources for larger builders and remodelers. These investments reflect a company trying to handle a wider share of complex orders and give contractors fewer reasons to split purchases across several channels.
The new tool allows Home Depot to enter the construction workflow earlier than before. For decades, takeoffs were handled by builders, architects, distributors and dedicated estimating firms. Those groups used the results to guide most of the spending on a project. By moving into that step, Home Depot gains visibility into the size, type and timing of jobs long before orders are placed. The company can link a contractor’s takeoff directly to the Pro Portal, which contains pricing, delivery scheduling and order management. That creates a more immediate path from estimation to procurement. It also gives contractors a single place to review quantities, confirm availability and coordinate delivery.
The retailer has used the technology on its website for more than a decade, according to executives, but mostly in ways that supported search, recommendations and general customer assistance. In March, the company introduced Magic Apron, an online concierge powered by generative AI that answers product questions and guides customers through common project tasks. In September, it launched a digital Project Planning tool for professional renovators and tradespeople. That platform helps users plan and manage complex projects and works with Home Depot’s delivery and fulfillment services. Blueprint Takeoffs brings AI into a more technical part of the process. It reads drawings and turns them into detailed material counts that contractors can act on.
The pressure to improve workflow has been growing. Lowe’s has highlighted its own digital tools and generative AI systems on recent earnings calls. Its MyLow virtual assistant supports both online conversion and in store questions. Building materials distributors like Builders FirstSource, 84 Lumber and Ferguson have long offered their own takeoff services. These companies have used that work to secure large orders and improve the accuracy of bids. Home Depot is now competing more directly with them by offering a takeoff service that connects to a larger suite of ordering tools and logistical support.
Contractors are already responding. Jim Cheeks, founder and CEO of Fortas Homes in Atlanta, said he is integrating more of his business with Home Depot. His company focuses on infill construction and small developments in urban neighborhoods. Cheeks has pushed for affordability by building smaller homes that cost less to deliver. He was among a group of contractors invited to Arthur Blank’s Mountain Sky Guest Ranch in Montana to learn more about Home Depot’s strategy and upcoming services. Cheeks said he was familiar with Blueprint Takeoffs before launch and plans to use it. He described it as dynamic and one reason he is aligning his company with the retailer, though he still buys materials from several sources.
Executives have framed these tools as part of a larger effort to simplify the job for Pros. Mike Rowe, executive vice president – Pro, said the speed and accuracy of Blueprint Takeoffs will allow contractors to spend more time serving their customers. He said the company’s aim is to remove complexity and support projects from planning through delivery. He noted that pairing AI with the Pro team’s knowledge creates efficiency across the full workflow of single family construction.
The retailer has signaled for several quarters that it expects digital tools and expanded Pro services to play a central role in future growth. Many residential contractors have been working through a slower market marked by higher rates, limited inventory and cautious consumers. Home Depot has used this environment to pull together acquisitions, delivery upgrades, estimating tools and account support into a more coherent offering for larger jobs. Executives have described these efforts as a transformation in how the company serves Pros. At an October supplier conference, Billy Bastek, executive vice president of merchandising, said the company wants to replicate the impact its founders had on retail, only this time applied to wholesale and Pro services.
Blueprint Takeoffs is an early example of how that plan may take shape. It shifts part of the planning burden away from contractors. It connects that work to a platform that is already tied to delivery operations and purchasing tools. It gives the retailer earlier insight into the volume and nature of coming jobs. And it adds another reason for contractors to keep a larger share of their orders with a single supplier. Home Depot says the goal is to shorten the path from blueprint to delivery and help contractors move jobs forward without long delays.
