IBS 2026: From the Magic of Orlando to the Reality of AI Implementation

One month ago, the Quotr team was on the ground at the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2026 in Orlando. Walking through the Orange County Convention Center, surrounded by nearly 75,000 industry peers, one thing became crystal clear: The “future of construction” isn’t a distant concept anymore. It’s sitting on our laptops, integrated into our toolbelts, and redefining our bid sheets.

At Booth 2014, we had hundreds of conversations with builders and developers. Now that the Orlando humidity has settled and the “show high” has transitioned into the spring building season, we’re looking back at the three massive shifts that are officially reshaping our industry—and how Quotr is evolving to meet them.

1. The Death of the “Point-and-Click” Era

The debut of the AI & Tech Studio at IBS 2026 proved that estimators are tired of manual work. The industry is moving toward “Intent-Based” workflows—where you describe what you need, and the AI handles the repetitive measurement and labeling.

This is exactly why we are evolving. Our focus is squarely on this “Agentic AI” future. We aren’t just giving you a digital ruler; we’re building a system that understands your blueprints as well as you do.

• The “Aha!” Moment: When we showed attendees our “Talk to Your Blueprints” feature, the reaction was immediate. Builders weren’t just asking “How do I measure this?” they were asking, “How does your AI know the specific data behind these materials?” By explaining the scale of our unique dataset, we showed that Quotr isn’t just a tool—it’s a smarter partner for your entire workflow.
• For Developers: Experience this next generation of interaction. Stop digging through PDFs and start talking to your blueprints here to extract data instantly.

2. Speed is the New Currency

The Best of IBS™ 2026 Awards highlighted a common theme: Efficiency. A standout example was Muddskip, the 2026 Best in Show Winner. Their revolutionary drywall finishing technology eliminates the sanding step entirely—a massive win for cycle times. This obsession with speed and labor-saving was everywhere in Orlando.

In the bidding world, “time” is often lost in the gap between a takeoff and a material quote. One month after IBS, the builders we spoke with are already implementing unified platforms to close this gap. We saw this firsthand at the booth, connecting with over 220 prospects and booking 20 deep-dive follow-up meetings in just the first week after the show.

• For Contractors: Stop wasting hours on manual entries. Our Contractor Estimating & Procurement Tools allow you to move from a set of plans to a finalized, material-accurate bid with unmatched speed.

3. Sustainability vs. Attainability

The New American Home 2026 in Winter Park showcased incredible sustainable innovations, but the quiet conversation in the hallways was about cost. How do you build a net-zero home while material prices fluctuate daily?

The answer we found at IBS was Data Stewardship. Top-performing firms are no longer guessing on material costs; they are using AI to tap into real-time procurement networks.

To add, our booth became a hub for discussing how AI-driven data bridges the gap between estimating and the jobsite.

• Lowe’s Pro & Integrated Procurement: We hosted the Lowe’s Pro team to demonstrate how Quotr moves builders beyond simple transactions to a smarter, fast, and margin-protective supply chain that syncs real-time material costs with active bids.
• Sage & AI-Driven Takeoffs: We joined Glen from Sage to explore the intersection of traditional construction management and the new era of AI takeoffs, focusing on reducing friction from plans to finalized projects.
• Vanderbilt & Global Engineering Expertise: We were honored to host Professor Minh (Minh Nghiem, P.E., M.E.), a Vanderbilt University professor and COO of a leading Vietnamese general construction firm. Our collaboration highlights how rigorous engineering principles and AI-driven data solve complex, large-scale construction challenges.

Expert Insight: Discover how Professor Minh is leveraging Quotr’s dataset to modernize both international workflows and university-level engineering education. Watch the Case Study Interview here.

Reflecting on the Orlando Legacy

IBS 2026 was Orlando’s final bow before the show moves permanently to Las Vegas in 2027. It was a fitting finale—a moment where “Construction Tech” finally dropped the “Tech” and just became “Construction.”

The feedback from our peers was clear: you don’t just want an “estimating tool” like Stack or PlanSwift; you want a procurement service platform that actually impacts your bottom line. Whether it was discussing potential collaborations with our neighbors in the financial lending sector or showing builders how much they can save on materials, the sentiment was the same: Quotr feels “much smarter.”

Whether we met you at Booth 2014 or you’re just now looking to modernize your workflow, the message is the same: The builders who embrace AI today are the ones who will be leading the keynote stages tomorrow.

Ready to see what the future of bidding looks like in action?

• Contractors: Build more accurate bids and source materials here.
• Developers: Talk to your blueprints and get instant answers here.

• Book your Demo Here

Published on the Quotr.ai blog. Quotr is an AI-powered construction estimation, takeoff, and procurement platform based in Berkeley, California.