AI has made technology investment a strategic priority for construction, architecture and engineering firms.
According to Grassi’s 2026 Construction & Architecture & Engineering Survey, 88% of firms plan to invest in technology during the next 12 months, with artificial intelligence ranking as the leading investment category. More than half of firms are already using AI, and 86% are either actively using it today or expect to adopt it in the near future.
Technology is increasingly seen as a key driver of productivity, efficiency and growth. The more important question, however, is whether firms have the foundation needed to realize the full value of their data.
AI Adoption Is Moving Beyond Experimentation
For many construction and A&E organizations, AI is no longer limited to administrative tasks or broad productivity applications.
The survey shows that firms are applying AI across an expanding range of operational and financial functions. General contractors and subcontractors use AI to support estimating, bidding and takeoffs, while architecture and engineering firms leverage it for design support, modeling and engineering analysis. AI is also used for document management, forecasting, business development, cybersecurity and compliance support.
This supports another key survey finding: leaders are increasingly focused on improving project delivery, managing cash flow, strengthening margins and increasing operational efficiency. Technology has become a primary tool for achieving those objectives.
The Bigger Challenge Is Data Confidence
While technology adoption is accelerating, confidence in the data used to inform business decisions remains significantly lower.
Only 25% of firms report being very satisfied with the financial and operational information they rely on to run their business. At the same time, job costing accuracy, project profitability visibility, cash flow forecasting and system integration remain among the industry’s most common reporting obstacles.
This creates an important leadership challenge. AI can process information faster, identify patterns more efficiently and improve workflow automation. However, it cannot compensate for incomplete, inconsistent or disconnected underlying data.
Organizations that struggle with job costing accuracy, delayed reporting, forecasting reliability or disconnected project management and accounting systems may find that AI accelerates existing inefficiencies rather than solves them.
Technology Is Becoming a Visibility Strategy
The firms making the most progress often approach technology investments differently. Rather than treating AI, ERP modernization, reporting tools and automation as separate initiatives, they are viewing them as interconnected components of a broader visibility strategy.
The objective is to provide leadership teams with reliable, timely information to support pricing decisions, forecasting, project execution, resource allocation and growth planning.
That is why many construction and A&E organizations are investing beyond AI. Survey respondents identified project management platforms, estimating software, workflow automation tools, business intelligence dashboards, cybersecurity enhancements and BIM technologies as key priorities for the year ahead.
Building the Foundation Before Scaling AI
As AI capabilities expand, the firms that may benefit most are not necessarily those that adopt technology the fastest.
Instead, they are likely to be the organizations that first build confidence in their data, improve system integration, strengthen reporting processes and increase visibility across operations and finance. Establishing this foundation will help construction and A&E firms scale AI more effectively.
Data Confidence Drives AI Success
The question for construction and A&E firms is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to best implement it.
The organizations creating the greatest value from technology are focusing on more than AI tools alone. They are building the data, reporting and system infrastructure for faster, more informed decision-making across the business.
As technology investment accelerates, firms that pair innovation with financial and operational visibility will be best positioned to improve execution, protect margins and sustain long-term growth.
If your organization is evaluating AI, ERP modernization, business intelligence tools or data strategy initiatives, connect with a Grassi advisor to discuss how technology investments can improve visibility, forecasting and operational performance.
