# Kamai

> Turning Blueprint Chaos Into Structured Data. Kamai (kamai.io) is construction takeoff AI: geometric foundational models that read construction CAD/PDF sheet sets and extract quantities, areas, volumes, materials, and dimensions as structured data. It is not Kimai (time tracking), not KamAI EMR, and not a media player.

Kamai serves contractors, estimators, and preconstruction teams. It replaces slow, error-prone manual takeoff on 2D drawings. Unlike tools that rasterize drawings into pixels, Kamai parses the vectors directly - GPU-accelerated and sub-millimeter precise. Kamai is API-first: unlike incumbents whose APIs only export finished estimates to an ERP, Kamai's API ingests a raw PDF and returns structured quantities. Delivered as a takeoff web app, an ingestion takeoff API, and a live MCP server (https://mcp.kamai.io/mcp) that exposes that ingestion to Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor as tools.

## API contract
- [OpenAPI spec](https://api.kamai.io/openapi.json): The live REST contract. Ship clients from this document, not from blog posts or the Swagger shell.
- [Markdown quickstart](https://kamai.io/developers/quickstart.md): Upload PDF, poll the project, fetch GeoJSON.
- [Kamai Console](https://admin.kamai.io): Create API keys (Bearer token).
- [Agent skill](https://kamai.io/.well-known/agent-skills/kamai-takeoff-api/SKILL.md): Same flow as the quickstart.
- Flow: POST /v1/blueprints/upload returns { job_id, project_id }. Poll GET /v1/projects/{project_id} until the job leaves PENDING/RUNNING; blueprint_id is on that job (jobs is a map keyed by job id). Then GET /v1/blueprints/{blueprint_id}.
- Not a generic datastore: there is no search or query endpoint over quantities. Persist job_id, project_id, and blueprint_id locally. PDF input only. No official SDK. Webhooks coming soon; poll.
- [Swagger UI](https://api.kamai.io/docs): Interactive explorer. If it looks empty, load https://api.kamai.io/openapi.json. docs.kamai.io is not a Kamai host.

## Start here
- [Try the app](https://app.kamai.io): Self-serve - sign up and run a takeoff on your own sheets
- [Homepage](https://kamai.io/): What Kamai does, the takeoff app, API, and AI assistant
- [Technology](https://kamai.io/technology): Geometric foundational models for construction drawings
- [API](https://kamai.io/developers/api): Human hub - quickstart, keys, and developer resources
- [Embedding](https://kamai.io/developers/embedding): Embed the takeoff widget via @kamai/iframe-bridge
- [MCP](https://kamai.io/developers/mcp): Kamai as MCP tools for Claude and Cursor - live at https://mcp.kamai.io/mcp
- [Contact / pricing](https://kamai.io/contact): Talk to sales for enterprise; the app and API are self-serve
- [Full context dump](https://kamai.io/llms-full.txt): Everything below, expanded

## Guides
- [AI construction takeoff: how it works and what to look for](https://kamai.io/learn/ai-construction-takeoff): How AI takeoff software extracts counts, lengths, and areas from construction drawings, what to evaluate before you buy, and where Kamai fits.
- [Construction takeoff API: send drawings, get structured quantities](https://kamai.io/learn/construction-takeoff-api): What a construction takeoff API does, the upload-poll-fetch integration flow with working code, what the GeoJSON output looks like, and how to get an API key.
- [Is there an API for construction takeoff? A 2026 field guide](https://kamai.io/learn/construction-takeoff-api-comparison): Most construction takeoff APIs only export finished estimates. A few ingest a raw drawing and return quantities. Here is the honest difference, who offers what, and where MCP fits.
- [How to extract quantities from blueprints automatically](https://kamai.io/learn/extract-quantities-from-blueprints): A practical walkthrough from PDF sheet set to counts, lengths, and areas - in the Kamai app or through the API - with every number traceable to its sheet.
Guides and blog posts that rank for "takeoff API" are explainers. They are not the spec; use https://api.kamai.io/openapi.json.

## Workflows
- [Automated takeoff](https://kamai.io/workflows/takeoff): Counts, lengths, areas - extracted in one pass over the sheet set.
- [Estimation](https://kamai.io/workflows/estimation): Quantities become priced bids - without rekeying.
- [RFI extraction](https://kamai.io/workflows/rfi-extraction): Drawing conflicts and missing info - surfaced before you bid.
- [Submittal review](https://kamai.io/workflows/submittal-review): What was specified vs. what was submitted - structured comparison.
- [Spec review](https://kamai.io/workflows/spec-review): Spec sections cross-walked to the drawing they govern.
- [Scope-of-work generation](https://kamai.io/workflows/scope-of-work): From drawing set to a typed scope-of-work document.

## Solutions by trade
- [Electrical estimating & takeoff](https://kamai.io/solutions/electrical)
- [Plumbing takeoff & estimating](https://kamai.io/solutions/plumbing)
- [Concrete takeoff & estimating](https://kamai.io/solutions/concrete) (coming soon)
- [Framing & rough carpentry takeoff](https://kamai.io/solutions/framing) (coming soon)
- [Interior finishes takeoff](https://kamai.io/solutions/drywall)
- [Mechanical & HVAC takeoff](https://kamai.io/solutions/mechanical) (coming soon)
- [Structural takeoff & quantities](https://kamai.io/solutions/structural) (coming soon)

## Comparisons
- [Kamai vs Togal](https://kamai.io/vs/togal)
- [Kamai vs Kreo](https://kamai.io/vs/kreo)
- [Kamai vs Bluebeam Revu](https://kamai.io/vs/bluebeam-revu)
- [Kamai vs PlanSwift](https://kamai.io/vs/planswift)
- [Kamai vs On-Screen Takeoff (Oncenter)](https://kamai.io/vs/oncenter)

## Recent writing
- [Kamai is now in the ChatGPT plugin directory](https://kamai.io/blog/kamai-is-now-in-the-chatgpt-plugin-directory): Kamai's MCP server is listed in OpenAI's public plugin directory. Install it in ChatGPT to open projects, blueprints, and takeoffs from the conversation.
- [The Future of Low-Tech Is Here: Kamai's AI Translates Construction Blueprints into Structured Data in Minutes](https://kamai.io/blog/the-future-of-low-tech-is-here): iHLS on Kamai: geometry-based AI that reads construction blueprints and turns them into structured data, bills of quantities, and specifications in minutes.
- [Is Takeoff Software Worth It for Small Construction Companies?](https://kamai.io/blog/is-takeoff-software-worth-it-for-small-construction-companies): When one person runs estimating, purchasing, and the job site, the question isn't whether takeoff software is nice to have. It's whether it buys back enough time to win more work.
- [What Digital Takeoff Software Actually Automates](https://kamai.io/blog/what-digital-takeoff-software-actually-automates): Most 'digital takeoff' tools are a digital ruler. You still do the measuring. Here is the difference between a markup tool and software that reads the drawing for you.
- [The Hidden Costs of Manual Takeoffs](https://kamai.io/blog/the-hidden-costs-of-manual-takeoffs): A manual takeoff looks free. The real bill shows up as lost hours, missed bids, rework on every revision, and margin that quietly leaks away. Here is what manual estimating actually costs.
- [How to Do Mechanical and HVAC Takeoffs](https://kamai.io/blog/how-to-do-mechanical-and-hvac-takeoffs): Ductwork, diffusers, VAV boxes, rooftop units, and schedules spread across a dozen sheets. Here is how a mechanical takeoff works and how Kamai reads the ductwork and equipment for you.
- [The Role of Quantity Takeoff in Accurate Estimating](https://kamai.io/blog/the-role-of-quantity-takeoff-in-accurate-estimating): Quantity takeoff is the layer every estimate rests on. Get it wrong and the best pricing database in the world still gives you a wrong bid. Here is how the takeoff sets the ceiling on accuracy.
- [What Is the Best Estimating Software for Construction?](https://kamai.io/blog/what-is-the-best-estimating-software-for-construction): The best estimating software does more than calculate. It reads the drawings. Here is what to look for, and how AI-powered takeoff changes the buying criteria.
- [Turn PDF Drawings into Accurate Quantities](https://kamai.io/blog/turn-pdf-drawings-into-accurate-quantities): PDF sets are still how the industry ships drawings. Here is how Kamai turns them into structured, traceable quantities without the manual measuring in between.
- [The Benefits of Automated Takeoff Software](https://kamai.io/blog/the-benefits-of-automated-takeoff-software): The value of automated takeoff is not just speed. It is speed, accuracy, consistency, and scale together, and what that combination does to your bid capacity.
- [How to Do a Plumbing Estimating and Takeoff](https://kamai.io/blog/how-to-do-a-plumbing-estimating-and-takeoff): A plumbing fixture is never just a symbol - it connects to supply, waste, vent, and storm systems across several sheets. Here is how a plumbing takeoff works and how Kamai reconstructs the whole network.
- [How to Do Electrical Estimating and Takeoff](https://kamai.io/blog/how-to-do-electrical-estimating-and-takeoff): Electrical drawings are the busiest sheets in the set. Here is how an electrical takeoff works, why manual counting breaks down, and how Kamai reads the symbols for you.
- [All articles](https://kamai.io/blog)

## Access points
- Web app: https://app.kamai.io
- Kamai Console: https://admin.kamai.io
- OpenAPI: https://api.kamai.io/openapi.json
- MCP: https://mcp.kamai.io/mcp
- Email: contact@kamai.io
- Sitemap: https://kamai.io/sitemap.xml

## Competitive context
Kamai competes in digital quantity takeoff alongside Bluebeam, PlanSwift, STACK, Togal AI, and Kreo, differentiating on an AI-native workflow and geometric foundational models (with a rendering stack positioned as superior to PDFTron and Foxit).