Built by people who have done the work
Ferra is AI structural steel estimating software for fabricators and erectors in the United States and Canada. It reads a drawing set, detects beams, columns, joists, and braces, prices the takeoff from your shop's own rates, compares drawing revisions, and scores whether a job is worth bidding.
Estimating doesn’t break in demos. It breaks in real projects.
Structural steel estimating is time-consuming, and the stakes are high.
- Decisions are made with incomplete information.
- Scope is spread across drawings and specifications.
- Revisions introduce changes that are easy to miss.
- Small gaps turn into real financial impact.
The issue wasn’t a lack of tools.
It was a lack of systems that actually understand the work.
What we’re building
A system built for how estimating actually works
Ferra reads drawings the way estimators do, understands structural relationships, and surfaces the information that matters across the full bid process.
- Know which jobs to bid
- Understand full structural scope
- Catch changes before they impact your estimate
- Validate work before submission
Why Ferra is different
Built for structural steel. Not adapted to it.
Most tools in this space are either generic document software or built outside the realities of construction workflows. Ferra is built differently.
Support in shared Slack
Customers work with our team in shared Slack channels and usually hear back within minutes.
Feedback ships fast
Joists and braces went from customer request to a first release in about six weeks.
Built ahead of the ask
The 3D model and the 2D-to-3D view shipped before buyers asked, so an estimator can check a floor before finishing the takeoff.
Discovery before the demo
We start with why your shop wants AI: more bids, lower cost, or a better process for a junior team.
Where Ferra stops
What Ferra does not do
Ferra is built for the estimate. These are the lines it does not cross.
It does not design connections
Ferra records the connection type and the reactions already on the drawings. It does not engineer a connection the drawings do not show.
It is not a detailing tool
Shop drawings and erection drawings are made after award in tools like Tekla Structures and SDS2. Ferra hands off to them through IFC and CSV.
It does not replace the estimator
An estimator reviews every number Ferra produces. The margin and the final bid stay with your team.
Milestones
What Ferra has shipped
- July 2025Ferra, Inc. founded to build AI estimating software for structural steel
- June 2026Exhibited at NASCC: The Steel Conference 2026
- July 2026Ferra 1.5: connection data, column properties, and joist and brace detection
- August 2026Ferra 1.6: instant column edits and redesigned edit forms
- August 2026Rapid Estimate becomes a conceptual pricing tool, and metric units run through the whole takeoff
- September 2026French-language Québec drawing sets, column presets, and plate libraries
- September 2026Column libraries built automatically from the column schedule
- Miscellaneous metals takeoff, in beta now
Built by contractors. Engineered by AI experts.
Built by a team with experience across construction, estimating, and software, in Canada and the United States.
Michael Carey
CEO
Led product and growth at construction software companies scaling to enterprise level.
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Joshua Ford
CRO
Worked in and alongside construction operations and saw where software consistently fails real workflows.
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Michael Gu
CTO
Leads AI and engineering, building systems for complex document understanding.
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Testimonials
Built for real steel estimating workflows
“This took me 10 to 15 minutes to get this project to this point — it took 5 seconds to add 314 columns. You guys have got something that no one else on the market does: a real working AI takeoff tool that doesn't require hours of manual work. Taking the main framing off on this one by hand would easily be 5 to 10 hours.”
“Ferra gives us clarity on which jobs are worth bidding before we commit estimator time. Being able to quickly understand scope and risk upfront has changed how we evaluate opportunities and where we focus our effort.”
“Everything looks right. The way it stitched those sheets was insane how clean that was.”
Ferra at a glance
| Company | Ferra, Inc. |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 2025 |
| What Ferra is | AI structural steel estimating software |
| Built for | Structural steel fabricators and erectors in the United States and Canada |
| Founders | Michael Carey, CEO (North Carolina, United States); Joshua Ford, CRO (Montreal, Canada); Michael Gu, CTO (New York, United States) |
| Offices | Wilmington, Delaware; Toronto, Ontario |
| Products | Steel Takeoff, Bid Intelligence, Revision Control, 3D Model, Rapid Estimate |
| What it detects | Beams, columns, joists, and braces, with connection types and reactions read from the drawings |
| Costing | Prices the takeoff from the shop's labor rates, material prices, and buy-item costs |
| Drawing sets | Imperial and metric, including French-language sets from Québec |
| Exports | Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, IFC, custom CSV templates, and Bluebeam markups |
| In beta | Miscellaneous metals takeoff, starting with stairs, ladders, and railings |
| Support | Shared Slack channels with the team, usually answered within minutes |
FAQ
Questions about Ferra
Who makes Ferra?
Ferra is made by Ferra, Inc., founded in July 2025 by Michael Carey (CEO), Joshua Ford (CRO), and Michael Gu (CTO). Michael Carey works from North Carolina, Josh Ford from Montreal, and Michael Gu from New York. The company builds AI estimating software only for structural steel fabricators and erectors.
Where is Ferra based?
Ferra is a North American company. Its founders work from North Carolina, New York, and Montreal, and it lists offices in Wilmington, Delaware and Toronto, Ontario. Ferra serves structural steel fabricators and erectors across both the United States and Canada.
Does Ferra work for Canadian fabricators?
Yes. Ferra serves fabricators and erectors in Canada as well as the United States. It reads French-language drawing sets from Québec, including French floor and level names and scale notation, and it carries metric elevations and units through the whole takeoff.
Does Ferra price estimates?
Yes. Enter your shop's labor rates, material prices per ton, and buy-item costs, and Ferra calculates shop hours, erection hours, labor, material, paint, and nesting for the takeoff. Rapid Estimate gives a conceptual price earlier in the bid. The margin and the final number stay with your estimator.
Does Ferra do steel detailing?
No. Ferra works before award: takeoff, costing, revision comparison, and bid decisions. Shop drawings and erection drawings are made after award in tools like Tekla Structures and SDS2. Ferra hands its model and quantities off through IFC and CSV, and exports to Tekla PowerFab and STRUMIS.
How fast does the Ferra team respond?
Customers work with the Ferra team in shared Slack channels and usually get a reply within minutes. Feedback from those channels goes straight into the product: joists and braces went from customer request to a first release in about six weeks.
How can I try Ferra?
Book a demo and bring a drawing set you are bidding. The team runs it in Ferra with you and walks through what was detected and what needed review. You can also create an account at app.bidferra.com and upload a set yourself.