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⚡️ Free n8n Workflow
PROJECT (REVIT) TO BUDGET
AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATION POWERED BY
DECADES OF INDUSTRY STANDARDS
Hi [subscriber:firstname | default:reader],
we have published a free open-source n8n pipeline that turns CAD (Revit 2015-2026) files into full cost and time estimates - using AI (LLM) and a vector database with over 55,000 construction work items across 9 languages.
DDC CWICR (Construction Work Items, Components & Resources) is an open database for construction cost estimation, covering the full spectrum of construction activities—from earthworks and concrete placement to specialized installation work.
Traditional roles - BIM manager, estimator, PM - are gradually ceasing to be “manual data operators.” The key competency is no longer how to manually check a table and find the right group, but how to correctly compile a prompt, adjust workflow parameters.
How it works:
1️⃣ Your BIM model converts to structured data
2️⃣ AI classifies elements and decomposes them into construction works
3️⃣ Vector search finds the most relevant pricing from the DDC CWICR database
4️⃣ Cost and time estimates generate instantly
Processing speed: 3-10 seconds per element group
Real-life example:
Using ChatGPT, it took about 30 minutes to estimate the cost of a standard Revit project from Autodesk (rac_basic_sample.rvt) (HTML estimates report can be found in our telegram group ⬇️).
📁 Output Files
Reports are saved to the project folder:
project_YYYY-MM-DD.html ← Interactive report with cost and time estimates (opens in browser)
project_YYYY-MM-DD.xls ← Excel-compatible spreadsheet
🌍 Supported Languages & Price Levels
| Code | Language | Price Level | Currency |
|---|---|---|---|
| AR | Arabic | Dubai | AED |
| DE | German | Berlin | EUR |
| EN | English | Toronto | CAD |
| ES | Spanish | Barcelona | EUR |
| FR | French | Paris | EUR |
| HI | Hindi | Mumbai | INR |
| PT | Portuguese | São Paulo | BRL |
| RU | Russian | St. Petersburg | RUB |
| ZH | Chinese | Shanghai | CNY |
⬆️ This example is fully functional and ready to use right now - no additional setup required beyond API keys. Run it, explore the outputs, and understand how each stage works. But this is just the beginning.
n8n provides 400+ native integrations with platforms like Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, Airtable, databases (PostgreSQL, MongoDB), cloud storage, and more. Every node in this workflow is modular - you can:
🔄 Swap LLM providers (OpenAI ↔ Claude ↔ Gemini ↔ Grok)
📊 Connect to your ERP or project management system
📁 Export results to any destination (cloud storage, email, dashboards)
🔧 Modify any stage to match your estimation methodology
The workflow is yours to adapt. No restrictions.
No licensing fees. Full control.
If you want to see more workflows, follow our official channels, star this repository, and feel free to share your ideas or your own n8n solutions with the community.
📥 Download Workflow from GitHub
⭐ Star the repo if this saves you time
License
Database (DDC CWICR) - CC BY 4.0. Free to use, share, and adapt commercially. Attribution: "DDC CWICR by DataDrivenConstruction"
Code (workflows, scripts) - MIT. Free to use, modify, and distribute without restrictions.
Professionals who ignore workflow automation and AI-agents today have roughly 5 years before the construction industry moves past them. The tools are free and open. The data is open. The only question is who learns to use them first.
♻️ Feel free to share this post with colleagues who are facing data quality and calculation issues. This workflow might save hours of manual work - and it's completely free
We are gradually expanding a library of ready-to-use n8n workflows for automated construction cost estimation:
Image-based cost calculation
Upload drawings, details or site photos, and the workflow will automatically extract structured data and match it with work items and resources from the DDC database.Text-to-estimate (project description → cost breakdown)
Provide a short natural-language description of the project, and the workflow will generate a structured cost estimate with work items, quantities and resource groups.Anything related to data-driven construction workflows
From file conversion and validation to syncing estimates with other systems, notifications, dashboards and custom integrations – any repetitive task in your cost and project data pipeline can become an n8n workflow.
🔗 Try the OpenConstructionEstimate app (free access to the database):
https://openconstructionestimate.com/
🔗 Discussion of the topic of calculating cost and time in Telegram channel:
https://t.me/datadrivenconstruction
🔗 n8n workflow for automating CAD–BIM → data (open-source):
https://github.com/datadrivenconstruction/cad2data-Revit-IFC-DWG-DGN-pipeline-with-conversion-validation-qto
