Home Depot AI Feature Lets Contractors Predict Project Costs

The Home Depot has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered feature that helps professional renovators, remodelers, builders and specialty tradespeople create a list of the materials they will need for a project.

With the new Material List Builder AI, these professionals can input details of the project and then receive a draft material list that they can edit before accepting, the company said in a Jan. 26 press release.

Once they accept the list, the AI tool will deliver product recommendations together with pricing and inventory availability, according to the release. They can then select and order the products they need for the project.

Master List Builder AI enables users to input the project details by typing them in natural language, using voice-to-text, pasting an existing list from other documents or leveraging one of the AI tool’s starter templates for common projects, the release said.

Once they’ve done this, and the AI tool has generated the product recommendation, users can save the material lists and return to them whenever they begin a similar job, per the release.

The tool is designed to save these professionals the time they would otherwise spend manually creating a list of products, searching for the right ones and comparing prices, according to the release.

Material List Builder AI is available to members of The Home Depot’s loyalty program for professionals, Pro Xtra, and can be accessed within the company’s Project Planning digital platform, per the release.

“Pros often tell us that their most valuable resource for any job is time, so we’re focused on delivering solutions that empower Pros to work smarter and faster,” Mike Rowe, executive vice president of Pro for The Home Depot, said in the release.

PYMNTS reported in August that The Home Depot told investors during an earnings call that contractors, remodelers and other pro customers make up the key base that will shape the company’s market positioning for the next decade.

In September, The Home Depot launched its Project Planning digital platform, saying it helps professional renovators, remodelers and specialty tradespeople plan, manage and execute complex projects. The company said the platform helps these pros manage their projects through a single supplier and collaborate with Home Depot staff in real time.