The Cubit Estimating 2026 October Release introduces the ability to connect AI models and tools to your data via an MCP (Model Context Protocol) Connector, as well as giving you faster plan loading.
Here’s a look at what’s new.
The release at a glance
What’s new in the AI Estimating module
We’re continuing to expand the capabilities of our AI Estimating add-on to deliver more ways to enhance how you work. In this release, we’re taking AI Estimating beyond takeoff with a powerful new way to interact with your estimating data.
Introducing the MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating
Put your estimating data to work in the AI models and tools you already use.
The MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating gives AI models and tools read-only access to your estimating data, so they can analyse your jobs, explore costs, build reports and answer questions about an estimate. Just prompt them in plain language, and they’ll draw on your own rates, quantities, and jobs.
Our guide: What is MCP in construction software, explains in plain terms what MCP is, in detail.
We’ve been talking with customers about how they use their estimate data, and a clear theme came through. Many of you already turn to AI for the work around the estimate, such as reviewing an estimate before tendering, or comparing different jobs. But an AI model is only as good as the data you give it, and getting that data across means exporting, copying and pasting, one job at a time. Miss something, and AI either overlooks it or fills the gap with a guess; and when it’s your rates on the line, that can be a costly mistake.
Ask, follow up, dig deeper.
The MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating gives you a powerful new way to interact with your estimate data. Instead of running reports, exporting to spreadsheets, or searching through a job for a number, you just ask. Follow up with another question, compare the answer with your other jobs, or turn it into a table or summary, all in the same conversation. You get to the answers faster, with more confidence in the numbers you put your name to.
AI powers your analysis; you make the calls.
The MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating is read-only, and that’s intentional. AI models and tools can read your data, but they can’t create, modify, or delete anything in Cubit Estimating, so it protects your data integrity.
So, you can hand AI the heavy lifting on analysis, while the judgement, decisions, and actions remain yours. You decide whether a rate is right, whether an item needs another look, and what goes into your tender. And like any AI, it can get things wrong, so having it read-only also allows you to check what comes back before you act on it.
Use the AI model or tool that suits your team.
The MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating works with some of the most common AI models and tools that construction companies use today, that support local MCP connections, such as Anthropic’s Claude, through Claude Desktop and Claude Code; OpenAI’s GPT, through Codex; and Cursor, Anysphere’s AI code editor.
It’s built on MCP (Model Context Protocol), an open standard that lets AI models and tools connect to other software and work with its tools and data.
Available on every edition of Cubit Estimating.
Every estimating team deserves faster answers from their data, whichever edition of Cubit Estimating they use. That’s why the MCP Connector is included with the AI Estimating module on every edition, ready to connect to the AI model or tool you prefer.
Five ways to get started with the MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating
Here are a few examples of things you can do with the MCP Connector today. Each prompt is a starting point, so swap in your own job names, items and units.
Check an estimate before you submit it.
Before a tender goes out, it’s worth a second set of eyes on the numbers. Ask your AI model or tool to review the estimate, and you’ll get back a list of items worth a closer look, each one traceable to the estimate.
“Review the estimate for [job name] before I submit it. Flag items with no rate, zero or unusually large quantities, duplicates, and rates that differ a lot from my other jobs. List each item so I can check it.”
Check the finishes schedule against your estimate.
Finishes are easy to miss when the schedule and the estimate live in separate documents. Attach the finishes schedule to your chat, and you’ll get a list of finishes that aren’t priced, are priced in a different quantity, or are in the estimate but not on the schedule. Then follow up to put a cost on the gaps.
“Here is the finishes schedule for [job name]. Check every finish against the estimate in Cubit Estimating and list anything not priced, priced in a different quantity, or in the estimate but not on the schedule. Start with how many finishes are on the schedule and how many match the estimate.”
Draft a scope of works from your estimate.
Once the numbers are settled, turn them into a scope of works for your client. You’ll get the inclusions, exclusions, assumptions and provisional sums from the notes in your estimate, grouped by trade, with no prices. The prompt asks it to mark anything your estimate doesn’t cover as to be confirmed, so review the draft before it goes to your client.
“Draft a scope of works for [job name] from the scope notes of the estimate in Cubit Estimating: inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, and provisional sums, grouped by trade. Mark anything the estimate doesn’t cover as to be confirmed. No prices, margin, or contingency. Reply here in the chat.”
Compare two versions of a job.
When a revision is made for the estimate, you need to know what moved and why. Ask your AI model or tool to compare two revisions, and you’ll get the changes in quantities and cost by trade, including items that were added or removed.
“Compare [Revision A job name] with [Revision B job name] in Cubit Estimating. What changed in quantities and cost, by trade, and why did the total move?”
Ask questions and get quick answers about a job.
This one isn’t just for estimators. Project managers and directors can get an answer in plain language, with the figures behind it, without opening the estimate themselves. Then keep going with follow-up questions, like which items drive the difference.
“How much have we allowed for plasterboard on level 2 of [job], and how does it compare with [other job]?”
What’s new in Cubit Estimating
Faster Plan Loading: Start your takeoff sooner
Large vector PDF plan sets can take a while to load, and until now, you had to wait for the whole file before you could get started. Now, you can start takeoff on the pages that are ready while the rest of your plans come through. Need a particular page first? Select it and it loads next, and clearer progress messages show you how your drawings are tracking.
It may sound like a small change, but if you regularly work from large plan sets, it means less time waiting and more time on takeoff.
Other Improvements
You can find more detailed information about the other improvements and fixes in this release by checking out the Release notes in our Help Centre.
The update is available to customers with an active subscription or a current software assurance agreement. You can update by contacting our Australian-based support team at support@buildsoft.com.au
Not yet using AI Estimating?
AI Estimating is an add-on module for Cubit Estimating that uses AI to automate repetitive takeoff tasks, so you can produce estimates faster. It’s available as an account-level add-on subscription for every edition of Cubit Estimating, built to work exactly where you already work, so there’s no new platform to learn and no disruption to your existing workflow.
With this release, it also puts your estimating data to work in the AI models and tools you already use. You can see what was added to our AI takeoff tools in the Cubit Estimating 2026 July Release.
Book a demo with our team to see how AI Estimating can help you on your next job.
Frequently Asked Questions about this release
Is the update included in my subscription?
Yes. If you have an active subscription or a current software assurance agreement, the Cubit Estimating 2026 October Release is available to you now.
Do I need AI Estimating to use the MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating?
Yes. The MCP Connector is part of the AI Estimating add-on, which is available on every edition of Cubit Estimating.
Which AI models and tools work with the MCP Connector?
The MCP Connector for Cubit Estimating works with AI tools that can run a local MCP server on your PC, such as Anthropic’s Claude, through Claude Desktop and Claude Code; OpenAI’s GPT, through Codex; and Cursor. Browser-based AI apps, such as ChatGPT and Gemini on the web, can’t run a local MCP server, so they can’t connect to Cubit Estimating.
Does using the MCP Connector use AI tokens?
Yes. Each time your AI model or tool looks something up in Cubit Estimating through the MCP Connector it requires tokens through both Cubit Estimating and your linked AI tool.
Can an AI model or tool I connect change my estimate?
No. The MCP Connector is read-only, so AI models and tools can read your Cubit Estimating data but can’t add, edit or delete anything in your job. What you do with the answers, and the judgement behind your estimate, stays with you.
Can I use the MCP Connector with Cubit Estimating Cloud or a terminal server?
Not in this release, however this is on the roadmap for a future release.
How do I connect my AI tool to the MCP Connector?
We’ve put a guide together to help you through the process: How to connect Cubit Estimating to Claude desktop, ChatGPT desktop, and other AI assistants.
How do I get the update?
Get in touch with our support team at support@buildsoft.com.au
