Could AI provide the extra manhours you need?

Is construction AI on your 2026 to-do list? A recent Dodge Construction Network survey found that most contractors like the idea of AI, but more than half of them are still just exploring options. That presents an opportunity to get a leg up on competitors with a 2026 integration. We asked Ziv Levi, CEO and founder of LeanCon, for details on how small- and mid-sized firms can use this advanced technology to operate more efficiently and win more bids. 

—Interview by Margot Lester, edited by Bianca Prieto

What do you wish more contractors understood about AI?  

I wish more contractors understood that AI isn’t here to replace their expertise—it’s here to remove costly and time-consuming parts of the job. It’s still the engineer or contractor’s knowledge that guides the project. AI just makes that knowledge more effective. 

Are more contractors moving toward adopting construction AI?

2025 made it clear that the industry has reached a breaking point with traditional planning methods. Teams are stretched, projects are more complex and mitigation and sustainability efforts have grown. Heading into 2026, we expect faster adoption. 

What's one reason even small firms should make an AI investment?

The complexity of construction projects doesn’t scale down just because a company is small. Small firms often carry the same responsibilities with fewer people. Construction planning has become too complex for manual processes to keep up. AI simply gives teams a streamlined means and technical tool to evaluate thousands of scenarios instantly, so decisions can be made with data and clarity. AI [provides] the bandwidth to compete, plan confidently and avoid costly mistakes—without expanding headcount. 

 Tell us more about that. 

Many teams do not have the bandwidth to review countless scenarios, re-price revisions and revise schedules and plans. An AI engineering platform is essentially a digital version of a pre-construction engineering team. You feed the platform a building model and it will—in minutes—evaluate cost, schedule, logistics, sequencing and different ways to build. This process saves months of time and, on average, $2 million in project planning losses. By automating that heavy lift, companies can do more with their existing team members and elevate them into oversight roles.  

Does AI improve the bidding process?

It reduces wasted effort. In pre-construction, teams often spend months on bids that never materialize. If those months turn into minutes, teams are saving enormous amounts of time and associated costs while increasing the number of qualified bids they can pursue. The result is more efficient operations, higher win rates and significantly lower pre-construction spend.

Learn more about why contech isn’t just for the big firms.

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The Level is curated and written by Margot Lester and edited by Bianca Prieto.