Common Builder Problem
Stop Guessing the Plans
Builders lose hours digging through drawings. Ask the plans and get the answer instantly.
The average residential builder wastes $20,000+/year chasing answers buried in plans.
The last thing you want is to build it wrong because you missed a detail.
AskThePlans gives your whole team — builders, tradies, certifiers, clients — source-backed answers from your actual project documents. Ask by text or voice, get a second opinion from another AI agent, see the exact page it came from. On the web or in your pocket.
Web App
iOS App
Siri Shortcuts
One avoided rework event pays for two years.
Built for fast site decisions
7 costly moments where AskThePlans gives builders answers in seconds
Common Builder Problem
Plans Are 500 Pages. Answers Shouldn't Be.
Ask any question from your plans and get the answer in seconds.
Common Builder Problem
Don't Call the Engineer.
Get answers from your drawings before picking up the phone.
Common Builder Problem
Avoid a $50,000 Mistake
Small details buried in drawings can cost thousands. AskThePlans helps you catch them before you build.
Common Builder Problem
Google Doesn't Know Your Plans
Search engines don't understand your project documents. AskThePlans does.
Common Builder Problem
Before You Build, Ask.
Confirm critical details before pouring concrete or framing.
Common Builder Problem
Standing on the Slab. Laptop in the Car.
The framer asks about the beam spec. By the time you find the drawing, they've already guessed and moved on. The iOS app with Siri means you answer in 10 seconds — without leaving the slab.
Showing slide 1 of 7: Stop Guessing the Plans
Built for Australian residential jobs
Answers linked to source context
Catches details you'd miss before you build them wrong
Designed for confidence, not guesswork
What builders use it for
Ask the job. Get the answer. Keep the project moving.
AskThePlans combines plans, approvals, specs, codes, and project communications so your team can make faster decisions with evidence.
10 questions builders ask every day.
AskThePlans answers all of them in seconds.
1.
“What's the footing depth here?”
2.
“How thick is the slab?”
3.
“Is there a retaining wall required on this boundary?”
4.
“Where does the stormwater pit go?”
5.
“What's the boundary setback?”
6.
“What beam type goes in this opening?”
7.
“What reinforcement goes in this section?”
8.
“What's the driveway slope to the street?”
9.
“Where are the power points in this room?”
10.
“Does this wall need a fire rating?”
Plan questions
- •Where is the stormwater pit?
- •Is there a retaining wall here?
- •What beam goes here?
Answer: Structural drawing shows UB 250 beam at Grid C3.
Source: Structural drawing
Compliance and code questions
- •What is the setback requirement?
- •Does this wall need fire rating?
- •Minimum ceiling height here?
Answer: Referenced NCC clause and approved drawing note.
Source: NCC + project approval
Project memory
- •What tiles did the client approve?
- •When was deck budget confirmed?
- •Who requested the variation?
Answer: Client approved Carrara White tiles in variation thread.
Source: Client conversation
Site coordination
- •When is the plumber booked?
- •Which trade is next?
- •Latest engineer instruction?
Answer: Plumber scheduled Thursday 8:30 AM.
Source: Project schedule
iOS Mobile App
Your project plans — always on you. Voice, agents, sources and more.
The iOS app is more than a Siri shortcut. It's a full construction intelligence tool — voice queries, multi-agent second opinions, source-cited answers you can tap to open, conversation history, and team reactions. Built for people who can't stop what they're doing to find an answer.
Voice queries
Tap the mic, speak your question, hear the answer read back. Works with gloves on.
Multiple AI agents
Ask a second agent for another perspective on the same question. Safety, Compliance, Cost.
Source citations
Every answer shows the file and page it came from. Tap to open the document inline.
Conversation history
All questions and answers saved by project. Pick up where you left off.
Team reactions
React to answers. See what your colleagues marked as helpful.
Siri Shortcuts
Ask without opening the app. Completely hands-free for deep on-site use.
Siri Shortcuts — ask without opening the app
Voice command
"Hey Siri, ask AskThePlans what's the footing depth for the garage slab?"
Response from your plans
Based on your engineering drawings, the garage slab requires 450mm footings with F62 mesh. Reference: Structural Drawing S-04, Detail 3.
Voice command
"Hey Siri, ask AskThePlans if this wall needs fire rating."
Response from your plans
Yes, the boundary wall requires a 60/60/60 FRL per BCA 3.7.1.5. Your approved documents show this as a Type A construction requirement.
In-app voice mode
Tap the microphone. Speak your question. The app transcribes it live and reads the answer back aloud.
Silence detection stops recording automatically — no button press needed to finish.
Second opinion
Not confident in one answer? Ask a different AI agent the same question.
Swipe between agent responses — Plan, Safety, Compliance, Cost — on a single question without retyping.
Source citations + document viewer
Every answer shows the file name and page number it came from.
Tap any citation to open the referenced PDF page inline in the app — no browser, no downloads.
Real on-site scenario
You're on the slab. The framer is asking about the beam size for the garage opening. Your laptop is in the ute. Without stopping what you're doing, you say:
“Hey Siri, ask AskThePlans what beam goes in the garage opening.”
AskThePlans reads back: “310UB40.4 at 4.5m span. Structural Drawing S-03, Detail 7A.”
Back to work. No call. No PDF hunt. 8 seconds.
Tradies who see this show it to their builder.
The fastest way to get your whole crew on the same page is for one of them to try it on site. Builders who see it buy it.
How it works
From scattered job information to clear answers in four steps
Built for real residential projects where teams need fast answers without sacrificing confidence.
01
Upload project information
Add plans, approvals, specifications, schedules, NCC references, and project conversations.
For a PM setting up a project workspace
02
Ask naturally
Type or speak a question in everyday language while you are on site or in the office.
For a builder on site
On iOS? Say it out loud via Siri — no screen required.
03
Get a source-backed answer
See the short answer plus the supporting document, page, or conversation context.
For a supervisor confirming a detail before work starts
On iOS the answer is read back aloud with source and page number.
04
Keep building
Share the answer with your team and act quickly with less back-and-forth.
For trade coordination during active works
What AskThePlans reads
Architectural plans
Structural drawings
Specifications
Approvals
NCC references
Project messages and conversations
Schedules
Project documents and photos
5 Specialized AI Agents
One question. Five expert answers.
A footing depth question means something different to a tradie (what do I do?), a builder (what does changing it cost?), a certifier (does this meet NCC?), and a client (is this safe?). AskThePlans answers all four — simultaneously. No other product does this.
Tradie AI
Built for dirty hands1-2 sentence action answers. No fluff. Optimized for on-site, time-poor decisions.
See it in action
Same question. Different expertise.
Everyone asks:
“What happens if we change the footing depth here?”
Builder AI
responds:
“Footing change adds 2 days and ~$3,400 in concrete costs. Structural sign-off needed first. See S-04.”
Tradie AI
responds:
“Don't pour. Wait for engineer sign-off. See sheet S-04.”
Client AI
responds:
“The team is checking a detail before pouring — this protects your budget and avoids rework.”
Tradie
Built for dirty hands
Builder
Quantifies impact
Certifier
Compliance evidence
Architect
Design coordination
Client/Owner
Plain English
Source-backed answers
See the answer and where it came from
AskThePlans is built to reduce searching time and uncertainty by showing both the response and the proof.
Question
Do we need a retaining wall here?
Yes. The structural package requires retaining where level difference exceeds the nominated threshold for this boundary.
Source
Structural design package - Sheet S03, note 12
Question
What setback applies to this side boundary?
The uploaded approval references a 1.5m minimum side setback for this lot. Check local conditions before final sign-off.
Source
Approved plans + referenced planning condition
Question
What did the client approve for kitchen tiles?
Client approved Carrara White tiles with allowance confirmed in the variation thread.
Source
Client variation conversation - timestamped message
How answers are verified
- Answers are linked to source context
- Users can open the supporting page or message
- Teams can cross-check references before acting
- Designed to assist decisions, not replace licensed advice
Important project-assistance notice
AskThePlans provides fast, source-backed answers from your uploaded information and supported reference content. It should be used as a project-assistance tool and not as a replacement for licensed professional advice where formal certification, engineering judgement, or statutory interpretation is required.
Single Source of Truth — that talks back.
Plans, specs, approvals, project messages, NCC codes, and schedules — all in one place. All of it searchable. All of it answerable.
Before AskThePlans
- ✕Emails with plan attachments
- ✕WhatsApp threads between trades
- ✕PDF folders across three devices
- ✕Printed plans on the ute floor
- ✕Phone calls to chase answers
- ✕Sticky notes on the site office wall
With AskThePlans
One question box
“What footing depth for the garage slab?”
Instant answer
450mm footings with F62 mesh. Structural Drawing S-04, Detail 3.
Source: Structural Drawing S-04, Page 12
Every answer becomes permanent project memory
Channels
Organized conversations by topic, trade, or phase
Direct messages
Private threads with anyone on the project
Tasks
Assign, track, and complete — all in one place
Milestones
Key dates and deliverables visible to everyone
Growing project memory
Every question your team asks becomes searchable project knowledge. The 50th question gets answered as fast as the first — and the whole team benefits from every answer before them.
Auto task extraction from drawings
Upload your drawings and AskThePlans automatically extracts tasks, milestones, and key construction items — saving hours of manual scheduling work.
AI that joins the conversation
When someone asks a question in a channel — "What's the setback on the garage?" — AskThePlans can answer directly in the thread, with the source document attached. No copy-paste, no switching apps. The answer is where the team already is.
Australian Compliance
When a certifier questions your build, you need evidence — not a memory.
Non-compliance is a legal and financial risk. AskThePlans builds your compliance paper trail automatically — every query, every answer, mapped to the exact NCC clause and timestamped for audit.
NCC / BCA compliance checking
Answers map directly to National Construction Code clauses
BASIX and NatHERS evidence mapping
Energy and sustainability requirements tracked to source
Buildshield compliance workflows
Integrated compliance tracking throughout the project
Full audit trail
Every query, every answer, timestamped and exportable
How it's different
Already using other tools? Good.
AskThePlans doesn't replace your project management tools. It does something none of them do — makes your documents answerable.
Procore / Aconex / BuilderTrend
Manages your project workflow — schedules, RFIs, documents.
ATP:
Answers questions about your drawings. Different job. They manage the project; AskThePlans makes the documents answerable.
ChatGPT / generic AI
Knows a lot about the world — but nothing about your plans.
ATP:
Reads your actual drawings, specs, and approvals. Every answer cites the document and page. Generic AI can't do that.
Dropbox / SharePoint / document storage
Stores your documents. You still have to hunt through them yourself.
ATP:
Makes your documents answerable. Ask a question in plain English — get the answer with the source in seconds.
The cost of not having this is already on your books
Every week without AskThePlans, your team is spending hours on questions that should take seconds.
$20,000+/year wasted
5+ hours a week chasing answers buried in drawings, waiting on RFI replies, or correcting rework. At a builder's hourly rate, that's real money left on the table every single year.
$249/month vs $20,000+/year lost
One avoided rework event pays for two years of AskThePlans. Most builders recoup the annual cost in the first month.
14-day free trial — no credit card
Get full access from day one. No credit card required to start. Cancel any time.
14-day free trial. Full access from day one. Cancel any time.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to common rollout, usage, and trust questions.
Get started today
Ready to stop chasing answers across plans, codes and messages?
See AskThePlans on a real residential project and decide if it fits your workflow.
On site? The iOS app lets you ask by voice — hands-free via Siri.
- Built for Australian residential builders
- Source-backed answers
- Works with plans, approvals, specs and project conversations
- Siri-enabled for site use