Ferra

Ferra vs SketchDeck

Both are AI takeoff built only for structural steel. The difference is what happens after the count: Ferra prices the job on your shop rates and tells you which jobs are worth bidding.

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Ferra and SketchDeck, side by side

What each tool does today, row by row. Bring one of your own sets to a demo and test the rows that matter to your shop.

Built for
FerraStructural steel only. Built and tested by Ferra's in-house structural steel estimators.
SketchDeckStructural steel.
Takeoff scope
FerraBeams, columns, joists, and braces, plus base plates, cap plates, anchor bolts, and studs. Column properties come off the schedule, each linked to where it was read.
SketchDeckBeams, columns, braces, and joists, with connection material added right in the takeoff.
Misc metals
FerraIn beta, starting with stairs, ladders, and railings.
SketchDeckIts product page lists misc and ornamental metals as not its focus today. Its blog describes basic misc steel and saved stair assemblies.
Revisions
FerraCompares two sets side by side. The estimator confirms each change, so nothing gets double-counted into tonnage.
SketchDeckCompares two sets member by member, with a delta report for PowerFab import.
Pricing the job
FerraEnter your labor rates, material prices per ton, and buy items. Ferra works out shop hours, erection hours, labor, material, and paint. Rapid Estimate gives a conceptual price before the takeoff.
SketchDeckApplies your labor codes and man-hour rules for PowerFab or your spreadsheet. SketchDeck says it doesn't price your labor.
Which jobs to bid
FerraBid Intelligence reads the ITB, specs, and drawings for scope, risk, and fit, so you can make the go or no-go call before committing estimator hours.
SketchDeckBid tracking shows where every bid stands. No go or no-go scoring is published.
Exports
FerraTekla PowerFab CSV, custom CSV formats, Excel, STRUMIS, IFC for Tekla Structures and SDS2, and Bluebeam markups.
SketchDeckTekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, E.J.E., FabTrol, Excel, or your own BOM template.
How you buy it
FerraSoftware your estimators drive. Plans are tiered by shop size, and the standard plan has unlimited users and sets.
SketchDeckSoftware you drive. Pricing isn't published; plans are walked through on a demo.

SketchDeck details come from SketchDeck’s own website, checked . Something out of date? Tell us at hello@bidferra.com.

Where SketchDeck is strong

  • It's the longest-running name in AI steel takeoff, with fabricator case studies in Modern Steel Construction.
  • It exports to the fab-management systems shops already run: Tekla PowerFab, STRUMIS, E.J.E., FabTrol, and Excel.
  • Revision comparison works member by member, with a delta report for PowerFab import.

What you get with Ferra

Ferra job pricing: the shop's labor rates and material prices per ton on the left, and the shop hours, erection hours, material, and paint Ferra calculates on the right

Priced on your rates

Your labor rates and material prices per ton turn the takeoff into shop hours, erection hours, and dollars. The margin stays your call.

Ferra Bid Intelligence for a distribution center: a risk score, scope findings with their source sheets and spec sections, and a go recommendation

Know which jobs to bid

Scope, risk, and fit pulled from the ITB and specs, each finding linked to its source, before anyone starts counting.

Ferra column library read from the column schedule: each mark with its section, base plate, anchor bolts, and source sheet, including a column spliced at level 3

Columns on real sets

Column properties come off the schedule, splices included, each linked to the sheet it was read from.

Ferra revision compare between two drawing sets: added, resized, and removed members with their grid location and tonnage change, each confirmed by the estimator

Revisions without recounting

Two sets side by side. Ferra surfaces what changed and the estimator confirms each change, so tonnage stays clean.

Which one fits your shop

Pick SketchDeck if

  • Your estimate is already priced in PowerFab or STRUMIS and you only need quantities.
  • You run E.J.E. or FabTrol and need a direct export.

Pick Ferra if

  • You want the takeoff turned into a priced job on your own rates, in the same tool.
  • You need a go or no-go read on a job before committing estimator hours.
  • You want support from the team in a shared Slack channel.

From a Ferra customer

“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.”

PK
Peyton Kline
Senior Estimator, Gridiron Steel

FAQ

Ferra vs SketchDeck questions

What is the main difference between Ferra and SketchDeck?

Both do AI takeoff built only for structural steel. SketchDeck applies your labor codes and man-hour rules and hands off to PowerFab or a spreadsheet; it says it doesn't price your labor. Ferra turns the takeoff into a priced job on your shop's labor rates and material prices, and its Bid Intelligence scores scope, risk, and fit so you can decide which jobs to bid.

What support do Ferra customers get?

Ferra customers work with the team in a shared Slack channel, and answers usually come within minutes. Ferra's in-house structural steel estimators build and test the product.

Does Ferra export to PowerFab and STRUMIS like SketchDeck?

Yes. Ferra exports Tekla PowerFab CSV, custom CSV formats, Excel, and STRUMIS, plus IFC for Tekla Structures and SDS2 and Bluebeam markups. SketchDeck also exports to E.J.E. and FabTrol, which Ferra does not list.

How do I compare Ferra and SketchDeck fairly?

Take the last job you ran through SketchDeck, ideally a messy one, and run the same set through Ferra. Compare columns, connections, and a revision, member by member. Book a demo and bring the set; we run it with you on the call.

Bring a set you know

Send us a job you already ran through SketchDeck, or one you're bidding now. We'll run it in Ferra with you on the call.

JF

Send me a drawing set. We’ll run it and show you what Ferra found.

Josh Ford · Co-Founder, Ferra