About CivilTakeoff
The people who build our world deserve to spend their energy on work that only humans can do
For too long, skilled contractors have been overcharged, underserved, and left to figure it out alone. We believe that ends here.
Our Story
In 2023, Mark Schwab and Andrew Backlund were working together at an earthwork grading contractor. They watched skilled people spend their days buried in paperwork and bid admin. These were people who could read a site, price a job, and manage a crew. They decided that was wrong.
What started as a mission to automate civil quantity takeoffs has grown into a full platform: Bidscreen Cloud for quantity takeoff, Nanodoc for document intelligence, and Pursuit CRM, a command center for managing bids end to end. AI synthesizes project information, surfaces customer insights, and drafts the documents that slow bidding down. Expertise and relationships move to the front.
“The contractors we serve got into this to build. So did we. A 5-person shop deserves the same tools as a 500-person firm.”
Meet the Founders
Two builders who saw firsthand what the industry does to small contractors, and decided to do something about it.
Mark Schwab
Co-Founder / CEO
Creator of CivilTakeoff, Nanodoc, and BurgerQuest. Mark brings a diverse skill set spanning creative direction, video production, design, and full-stack development. His journey through HR and IT gave him deep insight into streamlining processes and shaping business strategy; skills he channels into building products that solve real-world problems.
Andrew Backlund
Co-Founder / President
A seasoned project manager specializing in accounting, project management, and estimating. Andrew has spearheaded numerous multi-million dollar projects, managing assets, employees, budgets, and profits with precision. His firsthand estimating experience drives CivilTakeoff's product direction.
What We've Built
Three products designed to help contractors bid smarter, move faster, and win more work.
Bidscreen Cloud
Professional measurement tools for civil takeoffs. Upload PDFs, measure with precision, and export to Excel. Free to start.
Learn more NewPursuit CRM
Your bid command center. RFQ emails, AI templates, customer insights, email tracking, checklists, follow-up reminders, document signatures, and dashboards.
Learn moreNanodoc
Cloud-based PDF editing and AI-powered document Q&A. Ask questions about your plans and get instant, cited answers.
Who We Fight For
Our customer is not a demographic or a persona. They are real people carrying real weight.
The Estimator
Skilled strategist buried in paperwork and bid admin.
Too many bids, not enough time. Deserves to lead; not to be buried in paperwork. Spends hours drafting RFQs, chasing project details, and managing bid documents that AI can handle today.
The Owner
Built this on relationships and instinct. Wants to grow and leave a legacy.
Knows every client by name. Worries that when the senior estimator leaves, the company's knowledge walks out too. Can't afford $8,000/year software.
The Next Generation
Hungry and capable, but walking into a knowledge gap.
Skilled and eager, but the wisdom of 30 years lives in one person's head. Needs institutional knowledge made accessible; not locked away.
You're not replacing the expert. You're making sure the expert never truly leaves.
Our Journey
Company Founded
Mark Schwab and Andrew Backlund launch CivilTakeoff.ai
Research & Development
Deep dive into AI capabilities and industry needs
Initial Testing
First prototype testing with industry professionals
Team Expansion
Developer joins to expand technical capabilities
Algorithm Completed
Major milestone in AI development
AI Model Training
Training our models with real-world construction data
Platform Launch
Official launch of the CivilTakeoff web platform
Bidscreen Cloud
Self-service annotation software for contractors
Nanodoc Released
Cloud-based PDF editing and document Q&A tool
Pursuit CRM & AI Features
Pursuit CRM, RFQ templates, customer insights, email tracking, checklists, reminders, signatures, bid timeline, report builder, soils extraction, and Nanodoc Q&A
Our Belief
The people who build our world deserve to spend their energy on work that only humans can do.
AI synthesizes project information, surfaces customer insights, and drafts the documents that slow bidding down. Expertise and relationships move to the front. Automated takeoffs are where we're headed. Right now, we're making everything around the bid smarter.
Built to build. Not to stare at PDFs.
Built to Build. Not to Stare at PDFs.
Free to start. No credit card required. A 5-person shop deserves the same tools as a 500-person firm.