Posted by Wall ToolsAI Tools are everywhere, and they all promise to do everything for you. But, you work in a hands-on industry, so what can AI really do to help you and your business?
There aren’t any AI tools ready to take on your next drywall project (yet), but there are plenty of tools available to help you do almost everything else for your business. Artificial Intelligence improves every day, but for your basic business needs, it can already help you out a lot.
We found several practical ways you can use AI tools to help you run your business, so you can focus on the work. You should keep in mind that these tools are rather new and change very quickly, so it is important to double-check everything before you accept it as correct. AI tools can make mistakes, so make sure you check the details for accuracy.
Calculations
If you’re old enough, you remember hearing the phrase, “you won’t always have a calculator in your pocket.” Now, we really do carry a calculator with us everywhere, but sometimes, even a calculator isn’t enough.
For drywall contractors, calculations are a part of daily life. You can calculate costs, labor hours, square footage, material costs, fuel costs, and much more – and that’s in just one workday. That’s where AI can step in and make your life easier. Simple tools, like ChatGPT, are great for doing these types of calculations.
Bonus Tip: AI agents keep history logs, so you can revisit your chat logs later and pull up your notes, and you never have to worry about forgetting information or jobsite measurements.
Invoicing & Proposals
You’re not always in a convenient location to pull out a computer and prepare an invoice or work on a proposal. If your computer skills aren’t the best, or you don’t have regular access to a computer, an AI tool can be a huge help. Most AI tools are easily accessible from your phone, so you can create professional-level documents on demand. AI tools have advanced far enough that you can give the basic details and ask it to provide you with an invoice or proposal that looks like you spent hours on it.
Another bonus AI tools provide is professional writing – especially for formal proposals. Most popular AI tools have adapted their grammar and writing to be on par with most people, and you likely won’t have to worry about misspellings or punctuation errors. You can also add you own logo and business information, calculate taxes, or even ask for multiple design options.
Bonus Tip: The AI tool never gets tired, but pricing plans may vary, so be careful about asking too many requests.
Visualizing Spaces & Remodeling Ideas
Customers can often have a difficult time making design choices for their walls, but helping a customer visualize their options could help. Photo AI tools are more developed now, and many have the ability to visualize spaces from just a picture of the room.
Many photo AI tools allow you to upload your own photo and then change just parts of the picture, like the walls. You can take a picture of a room or space and then show different paint colors, finishes, wallcoverings, and more. You don’t have to have any special skills, and you can be as specific as giving a color code for paint or as vague as giving a general vibe and asking for suggestions.
Bonus Tip: Test out a couple of photo tools at home first, to see which AI app or tools works best for you. Your regular paint or wallcovering supplier might have a good app recommendation for you.
Translations & Explanations
In a global marketplace, we have access to products from all over the world, but finding readable instructions may sometimes be the hardest task. Also, at least half of the construction professionals in the US are foreign-born, so language barriers can come up often.
Many AI applications now have language translation abilities, which can be helpful for reading and creating documents and communicating effectively with workers on the jobsite. You can type or speak a set of instructions once, and it can be translated into multiple languages almost instantly. It also makes reciprocal communication easier, so you can answer questions and provide details.
Sometimes, you need more information or more detailed instructions, but basic search engines require a lot of clicking and digging to find the right information. AI agents are able to gather and compile information from many places on the internet, so it can be a more thorough resource than just a normal search engine. Most AI apps can provide you with multiple sources of relevant information, links to applicable instruction videos, and ask detailed follow up questions. Search engines can’t really do all that at once – at least, not yet.
Repair & Replacement Parts
Tools get used, and name brands wear away. So, how are you supposed to know what parts you need to repair your tools? So far, Google has the best tool for this with Lens. You can take a picture of practically anything and upload it to Google Lens. Google will then search the web for the closest match and identify it (with impressive accuracy).
You can take a picture of any tool, search Google to find the tool, and (most likely) find links to user and repair manuals, drawings, and parts lists. You no longer have to search for the drawings, search for the part, and then go from store to store looking for the right thing. Google gives you the shortcuts and does all the leg work for you.
Bonus Tip: You can ask your favorite AI agent for repair instructions and videos for your tools, so you’ll already know how to fix you tool when the parts arrive.
