Technician unspooling a strap beside a wrapped rooftop unit
How to Use AI
Purpose-Built
for Construction
01 / 21
02 / 21

Agenda

01The GameTHE USE CASE
02The FileTHE BRAIN
03Real CompaniesTHE PROOF
04Live BuildTHE SKILL
05Next StepsTHE PLAN

Bonus

  • A skill-building prompt to start building skills you can use in ChatGPT or Claude
  • Skill file example downloads
  • AI for Contractors Community invite
03 / 21

Same Nails, Same Lumber,
Different Rules of the Game

Framer using a Paslode nail gun on a wall frame
A nail gun for every framer is a faster tool for 20% productivity increase.
Panelized wall sections lifted by crane into place
Prefabricated walls is a faster system for 1000% productivity increase.
04 / 21
More nail guns, a pile of separate AI tools, compared with playing by new rules: one skill that reads the signed estimate, creates the job, flags items to confirm, and drafts the kickoff email.
05 / 21

The mistakes of playing by the "same rules"

Foreman talking with a colleague on a steel erection site
  • Only a chat to read and write docs
  • Starting from scratch every chat
  • Using AI independently from the team

Result

Small efficiencies that competitors can easily replicate.

06 / 21

The secret to playing by new rules

Two people reviewing a phone together at a conference table
  • AI Skills
  • Connectors
  • AI-first project management software

Result

Compounding advantages that competitors cannot easily copy.

Let's run through what these three things are

07 / 21

Playing by new rules: Four Leaf Homes

Shamus McCabe, President of Four Leaf Homes, on a job site
Shamus McCabe · President, Four Leaf Homes
  1. 1AI Skill
    Built across sales, estimating, admin, finance, project management.
  2. 2Connectors
    Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, local files.
  3. 3AI-first PM software
    Projects, schedules, expenses, RFIs, change orders, materials, daily logs, timesheets managed through AI.
RESULT
Doubled revenue in 4 months
185 manual steps per week saved
Same size team
08 / 21

An AI Skill is an instruction set for one workflow

Job setup from estimate

  1. 1
    Reads the signed estimate
    Google Drive

    Pulls the client, scope, line items and totals from the signed estimate.

  2. 2
    Creates the job
    JobTread

    Sets up the job with budget by cost code and a draft schedule from the scope.

  3. 3
    Flags items to confirm
    Claude logic

    Lists allowances, exclusions and long-lead items the PM needs to review.

  4. 4
    Drafts the kickoff email
    Gmail

    Drafts a kickoff email to the client and crew with start date and next steps.

What AI reads behind the scenes

estimate-to-job.md
# Estimate To Job ## START - A signed estimate lands in Google Drive ## PROCESS 1. Read the client, scope, line items and totals 2. Create the job in JobTread with budget by cost code 3. Build a draft schedule from the scope 4. Flag allowances, exclusions and long-lead items 5. Draft the kickoff email for the client and crew ## OUTPUT **Job set up and kickoff email ready to review** - you hit send.
  • It lists your workflow step-by-step
  • It knows what tools to use and how to use them
  • It asks your permission and review along the way
  • Behind it is what's called a markdown file
09 / 21

A connector is how AI accesses the apps you use

Instant

  • Gmail
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Drive
  • Granola
  • Notion
  • Microsoft 365
  • Monday.com
  • QuickBooks

Custom

  • Facebook
  • Scelta
  • JobTread
  • Procore
  • Smartsheet
  • It can read information and write information
  • You control permissions
  • Some come with AI, some need custom connections
10 / 21

AI-first project management software means it is fully accessible by AI

Phone app showing an AI chat inside project management software
  • AI can read data
  • AI can write data and take actions
  • AI can benchmark and identify patterns across historical jobs
11 / 21

These 3 ingredients multiplied across your company divisions is your purpose-built "Company Brain"

0 files. That is a company brain.
You’re really only 60 documents away from creating your Company Brain.
12 / 21

Job Costing: 30 minutes became 30 seconds

Render Construction

1. Connected to the AI-first PM software. Pull budgets, committed costs, actuals and reported percent complete for every active job.

 2. Compares. Reported percent complete vs. what the cost numbers say it should be.

 3. Flags. Rank the jobs and line items with the biggest gaps.

 4. Builds the dashboard. One view across all jobs, then a breakdown per job: reported %, cost-implied %, what to look for.

 5. Adds follow-up actions. Who to call and what to ask, per flag.

 6. Searches email. Find threads tied to each flagged job (change orders, delays, disputes, vendor issues) and attach a short explanation to each gap.

“That’s crazy. All we have to do is throw that tender file into this skill.” — Render Construction
13 / 21

An hour-long estimate, down to minutes

Greenwood Contracting

1. Pulls the transcript. Claude reads the client meeting from Granola and extracts the scope: work items, quantities, materials and site conditions.

 2. Fills the template. Using Cowork, Claude opens his estimating template and fills it in line by line from that scope.

 3. Applies his numbers. Claude checks his local labour rates for each team member and his material price list, then calculates hours, material costs and totals.

 4. Flags the gaps. Anything missing, vague or assumed gets listed: no quantity stated, material not on the price list, unclear scope.

 5. Reviews the draft. He gets the filled template and the flag list, and he confirms the final numbers before sending to the client.

“It seems to be down to minutes now, which is incredible.” — Greenwood Contracting
14 / 21

Three hours a week on a $100M development

Alfonso Balassone

1. Connected the files. Project documents, drawings and reports sit in one Claude project.

 2. Connected the transcripts. Meeting and site conversations from Granola give Claude what was said and decided.

 3. Connected the email. Claude reads the threads tied to the project, so answers include the history behind them.

 4. Connected the calendar. Claude knows what is coming up and what already happened, so it can place questions along the project timeline.

 5. Added the development checklist. His standard list of actions during development goes in as context, so Claude knows what should be happening at each stage.

 6. Asks anything. He asks open-ended questions and every answer ties back to his project, because Claude draws on all four sources plus the checklist.

“It’s taking all these great systems, piecing them together, and feeding [Sugo] so it can start to think like a seasoned professional.” — Alfonso Balassone, Consult4Construct
15 / 21

AI Skills by category

Estimating, bids and proposals
Estimate to proposalPriced proposal and site-input quotesTakeoff to master estimateSpec and drawing reviewEstimate QAHistorical benchmarkingBid levelingTender scan and go/no-goWeekly bid-source sweepAddenda and RFI triageQuote follow-upScope of work generationSite-visit sourcing listMaterial takeoff and order conversionClient call to proposalPrice-list quotingEstimator training
Field reporting and site communication
Voice to daily logsChat to crew tasksAudit to crew tasksDeficiency cardsDaily trade progressNext-trade alertsEquipment daily summaryJob document Q&AQR site knowledge baseClient progress reportsDigital site logbookService-call records
Meetings, email and admin
Meeting Transcript into actionable plansEmail inbox sorterMeeting minutesDaily action digestEmail and contract triageTender email summariesRFI drafting and chasingProject email taggingDaily top-ten issuesCRM and expense automationSales note captureContract templates and lookupJob descriptions and trial plans
Scheduling and dispatch
Quote to scheduleNext-day crew scheduleSchedule to calendarAssignments to appSchedule version diffService reschedulingMaintenance scheduling interfaceTruck routing and ticketsDriver route optimization
Payroll, invoicing and job costing
Payroll spreadsheet fillHours summary without ratesSupplier invoice job costingInvoice codingInvoice intake to accountingPO matchingWork order invoicingCard categorizationDaily estimate vs. actualBudget and productivity reportsBalances and AR/APProgress-pay reconciliationInvoice remindersEstimate to cost codesChange order draftingChange order trackingRevenue forecastingSupplier price alertsScheduled aging reportsAccountant-ready reportsUnified job reporting
Safety, HR and compliance
Toolbox talks and hazard plansMissing-talk alertsCertification trackingMultilingual safety docsTime-off and forms engineSDS data extraction
Developers, pro forma and property management
Package to pro formaPro forma traceabilityLive scenario modellingBuyer mortgage calculatorConsultant estimate checkPro forma variance reportsProject postmortemInvestor progress portalPayment matching and rental researchLeasing lead routingLeasing and sales toolsPer-unit shareable pages
Customer follow-up and marketing
Searching for leadsPost-job follow-upProfile audit and reviewsRealtor database outreachPersonalized outreach videoInbound call to proposal
16 / 21

Let's run a few examples of AI Skills in Claude

  • Cover where skill files go
  • Cover turning off training
  • Cover claude projects
  • Cover setting up connectors
  • Cover example where project management software is connected
  • Cover cowork
  • Custom security report for vendors
17 / 21

What this all adds up to . . . .

  • This is what your company knows, packaged as digital assets that increase the value of your business
    • 18 / 21

    Where do skills come from

    Team meeting around a conference table
    • Meeting transcripts. Record how your team talks through the work.
    • Past job folders. Existing project files become examples for Claude to pull skills from.
    • Your inbox. Have Claude read your email for benchmarks and patterns.
    • Job role descriptions. Clear descriptions of each role show Claude who does what.
    19 / 21

    You will not build this by hand

    We built a skill that builds the brain with you. It interviews you like a colleague - what is your role, what do you actually do all day - then maps your divisions and writes the files.

    1Download the skill. One file, right from this page.
    2Drop it into Claude. Drag and drop, any conversation.
    3Answer the interview. Your role, your people, how work flows.
    4Tweak the map. It proposes your divisions and processes. You correct it.
    5It writes the brain. Every file - plus the index that links them.
    company-brain/FILES + INDEX
    company-brain/ ├─ CLAUDE.md ← the index ├─ sales/ │  └─ quote-follow-up.md ├─ operations/ │  ├─ daily-log.md │  └─ change-order-log.md ├─ accounting/ │  └─ invoice-run.md ← linked from change orders └─ field/    └─ photo-upload.md

    The one prompt maps your company’s skeleton - divisions and processes only, no files. The skill builds the whole brain.

    20 / 21

    Define it today

    1Run the prompt we gave you. Map your company’s skeleton this week.
    2Build the first docs and skills. Interview your team on who already uses AI. Put a company guideline in place.
    3Book Scelta. Sit down with our team and we will build your company brain with you.

    David Mill

    Founder & CEO, Scelta

    dmill@scelta.ca  ·  226 347 6758

    John Langlois

    CTO, Scelta

    scelta.ca

    21 / 21

    Q&A Time

    Scan to join the AI for Contractors community