Help Centre

Everything you need to get the most out of Contraq

Getting Started

How do I sign up?

Creating your Contraq account

  1. Go to the beta signup page and fill in your details (name, company, trade, email).
  2. We'll review your application within 24 hours.
  3. Once approved, you'll receive an email with your login credentials.
  4. Sign in at the login page — you're ready to go.

Your account includes a 14-day free trial with full platform access. No credit card required.

First steps after logging in

What to do when you first see the dashboard

  1. Click "AI Quote Builder" in the sidebar — the orange button.
  2. Upload a PDF drawing — any M&E drawing you've got handy.
  3. Click "Analyse Documents" — AI will extract quantities in 2-5 minutes.
  4. Review the extraction — accept, flag, or reject each item.
  5. Click "Confirm & Create Quote" — your first quote is done.

That's the core loop. Everything else builds on it.

Inviting team members

Adding colleagues to your Contraq account

Admin users can invite team members. Contact us at [email protected] with the email addresses you'd like to add. During beta, we'll set them up manually.

Self-serve team management is coming soon.

AI Quote Builder

Uploading your first drawing

Supported file types and best practices

Supported formats: PDF (best results), DWG, scanned drawings.

For best results:

  • Use clear, legible PDFs — not photos of drawings
  • Include the drawing schedule/legend if available
  • GA (General Arrangement) drawings give the best extraction
  • Max file size: 50MB per document

You can upload multiple drawings at once — the AI will process them together.

Understanding confidence scores

What High, Medium, and Low confidence mean

Every extracted item has a confidence level:

  • High — Extracted directly from drawing annotations or matched against the specification. Standard review recommended.
  • Medium — Partially estimated. Some values inferred from industry defaults (BSRIA/BS standards). Check flagged parameters against the project spec.
  • Low — AI estimate requiring verification. Values inferred from industry defaults. Open the source document and verify before including in a tender.

Always review Medium and Low items carefully. The AI flags what it's unsure about.

Reviewing and correcting extractions

How to accept, flag, or reject items

After extraction, review each item:

  • ✓ Accept — item is correct, include in quote
  • ⚑ Flag — include but mark for further review in Quote Book
  • × Reject — remove from quote (hallucinated or out of scope)

Important: Every correction you make teaches the AI. Rejected items become learned rules that prevent the same mistake next time. The more you correct, the smarter it gets for your specific projects.

Creating a quote from extraction

Turning AI-extracted items into a formal quote

  1. Review all items (accept/flag/reject)
  2. Click "Confirm & Create Quote"
  3. The quote appears in your Quote Book
  4. From there you can assign it to a client, edit line items, and track its status

Managing Your Work

Quote Book overview

Tracking your quotes and tenders

The Quote Book shows all your quotes in one place. Each quote has a status: Draft, Submitted, Won, Lost, or Expired.

Click any quote to see its line items, attached drawings, and history.

Projects and clients

Organising your work

When a quote is won, create a Project from it. Projects track the full lifecycle: from accepted quote through to final account.

Clients are the main contractors or developers you work for. Link quotes and projects to clients to see your full relationship history.

👤 Account & Billing

Beta pricing and founding member rate

What does the beta cost?

During beta: £99/month after your 14-day free trial. This is the founding member rate — it's locked in for life. When we raise prices after beta, your account stays at £99.

Cancel anytime from your account settings. No contracts, no penalties.

Data and privacy

Where your data is stored and how it's protected

  • UK/EU hosted — your data stays in EU data centres
  • Encrypted — TLS 1.3 in transit, AES-256 at rest
  • GDPR compliant — full data export available anytime
  • No data sharing — your drawings, quotes, and project data are never shared with other users or used to train AI models
  • Backups — automated daily backups with 30-day retention

? FAQ

Which trades does the AI support?

Mechanical, electrical, insulation, and more

The AI knowledge base currently covers:

  • Mechanical/Pipework — 9/10 coverage (pipes, fittings, valves, HVAC)
  • Electrical — 8/10 (cables, containment, distribution, lighting)
  • Insulation — 7/10 (pipe, duct, equipment, fire-rated)
  • HVAC/Ductwork — 6/10 (ductwork, plant equipment)

Plumbing and Fire Protection coverage is being expanded.

Can I export my data?

Getting data out of Contraq

Yes. You can export quotes and project data. Full CSV/PDF export is on the roadmap. In the meantime, contact us and we'll export your data within 24 hours.

How accurate is the AI?

What to expect from AI extractions

Accuracy depends on drawing quality and trade complexity. On clear GA drawings:

  • High confidence items: typically 85-95% accurate
  • Medium confidence: 60-80% — always verify
  • Low confidence: treat as estimates only

The AI gets better over time as your team corrects extractions. After 10+ corrections, accuracy typically improves by 10-15%.

Never submit a tender based solely on AI extraction without human review.

Still need help?

Our team has worked on M&E sites. We speak your language.

Email us at [email protected]

We aim to respond within 24 hours (4 hours for critical issues)