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Certificate of Completion
Practical AI Skills for Estimating, Inspection, Safety, and Business Operations
Every hour spent writing proposals, searching for code information, documenting inspections, managing schedules, or responding to emails is time you could be spending building projects, serving customers, and growing your business.
Artificial intelligence is changing the construction industry—but most AI training is designed for office workers and software engineers. This course is different.
This is practical AI training built for people in the trades. Over seven modules, you'll learn how to use AI to estimate jobs faster, improve inspection and documentation processes, navigate code and safety requirements, and manage the business side of your trade with less paperwork.
No coding. No complicated software. Just real-world AI tools you can put to work the next day to save time, improve accuracy, and work more efficiently.
Launching in July 2026! Join the waitlist below today.
The course is organized around four practical pillars.
- Estimating and Bidding. Generate a material takeoff from a project description, cross-check the quantities against your own experience, apply current pricing, and write a professional bid proposal. You build a reusable library of prompts for the estimate types you repeat most.
- Visual Inspection and Quality Control. Turn your phone into an inspection tool. Measure dimensions, check level and plumb, identify materials, flag defects, and build photo-based inspection reports. You also learn what phone-based AI catches and what it misses, because knowing the limit is what keeps you safe.
- Safety and Compliance. Look up applicable codes and permit requirements, generate job-specific safety checklists and toolbox talks, and draft incident reports in OSHA-compliant format. You verify every AI code reference against an official source. AI assists. You decide.
- Business Operations. Set up AI-assisted scheduling, invoicing, and client communication. Convert job site voice notes into client-ready updates. Build a week of social media content, optimize your Google Business Profile, and respond to reviews in your own voice.
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the fundamentals of AI and the ethical and security considerations
- Use AI tools to generate material estimates, cost calculations, and professional bid proposals
- Perform visual inspections and create photo-based quality control reports using smartphone AI apps
- Look up applicable codes, generate safety checklists, and produce compliance documentation with AI assistance
- Set up AI-assisted scheduling, invoicing, and customer communication workflows
- Create marketing content, manage online reviews, and maintain a professional web presence
- Evaluate new AI tools critically using a structured buyer's framework
- Build and begin executing a personalized AI Action Plan with 30/60/90-day milestones
Online | Self-Paced | Interactive
Students complete a sequence of online modules at their own pace, as their schedule permits. Each module may include assigned readings or media, online quizzes, discussion boards, and more. The instructor will guide you through the course, provide feedback, and assessments of your learning.
- Independent carpenters.
- Employees at contracting firms.
- Small business owners in the trades.
- Anyone who spends hours on estimates, paperwork, and admin and suspects a tool could give some of that time back.
Format
Online | Self-Paced | Interactive
Seven modules, delivered online and self-paced, with weekly deadlines that keep the cohort moving together and the discussion active. You watch short videos, run hands-on exercises with your own projects, post to the discussion board, and submit weekly work.
You can work with TradeSmith, a free app for this course, or with AI tools you choose yourself.
Time Commitment:
14 Hours
You can expect to commit up to approximately 90 to 120 minutes per module on activities, exercises, and assignments.
Built on National AI Workforce Standards: This course aligns with the U.S. Department of Labor's AI Literacy Framework, helping professionals develop practical, workforce-ready AI skills while understanding responsible use, data privacy, ethical considerations, and the limitations of AI in real-world decision-making. Learn more about the AI Literacy Framework
Built Specifically for the Trades: Every example, exercise, and demonstration uses real construction and carpentry scenarios, not generic office workflows.
Practical and Hands-On: You will leave every module with tools, templates, and workflows that you can use immediately on the job.
Designed for Real Working Conditions: The asynchronous format allows you to complete modules around active projects, varying workloads, and family responsibilities.
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Jerry Gupta
Adjunct Instructor, Business Management, School of Management
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Arthur Lever
Lecturer, Business & Project Management, School of Management
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