Vernier
Help Center
Everything you need to know about Vernier, Contractor Consulting, and the Vernier platform. Search above or browse by category.
Vernier Platform
AI estimating, bid packages, all core estimating modes, usage, and calibration.
Contractor Consulting
4 Bubbles framework, tiers, sessions, action items, and the GP guarantee.
Plan Viewer
Upload scanned plans, run OCR, vectorize drawings, and compare overlays.
Getting Started
New to Vernier? Start here — from first login to first completed bid package.
Account & Billing
Subscriptions, user seats, fair use policy, and billing questions.
Contact Support
Direct line to your partner. No ticket queue, no bot — real answers fast.
Getting Started
Welcome to Vernier
Vernier is Aviat Group's commercial construction platform. Two products, one login — Vernier for AI-powered estimating and bid management, and Contractor Consulting for 1-on-1 business coaching.
What Is Vernier?
Vernier is the product suite built by Aviat Group, LLC for commercial contractors, GCs, specialty subs, and owners who want better bids and a better-run business.
It contains two standalone products:
Vernier
AI-powered estimating platform. Upload your project, choose a mode, receive a complete bid package with scope narrative, risk profile, schedule, BOM, RFQs, and competitive analysis.
Consulting
1-on-1 business coaching using the 4 Bubbles diagnostic framework. Financial, Quoting, Vision, and Leadership — fixed in the right order.
Who Is This For?
Vernier is built for commercial contractors and GCs preparing bids, and for owners and developers who want to independently validate a contractor's numbers before awarding.
Consulting is for GCs and specialty contractors whose business is growing faster than the systems running it — or who are working harder than everyone in the building and still can't figure out where the margin is going.
The Tagline
Know Before You Bid. Both products are built around the same principle: you should have better information going in than anyone else at the table. Vernier gives you that on the estimate. Consulting gives you that on the business.
Direct line to your partner. No layers, no support queue, no bot. If you have questions that aren't answered here, call (855) 562-8428 or email .
Getting Started
Your First Project
From login to completed bid package in under five minutes. Here's the complete sequence for running your first Vernier estimate.
Step by Step
1
Log in to your Vernier portal at vernier.io/portal. Use the email and password set during onboarding. If you haven't completed onboarding, call us first — calibration matters.
2
From the sidebar, click New Project. Enter the project name, location/address, and your estimated contract value if known.
3
Select your Vernier Mode. For a first test, use Mode B (Budget/ROM) — it's the fastest mode and returns a quick order-of-magnitude estimate with documented assumptions.
4
Set your margin target — Standard (18–22%), Aggressive (14–16%), or Protective (24–28%). This drives Vernier's bid posture recommendation.
5
Click Create & Run Vernier. The AI engine processes your project — typically 15–45 seconds depending on mode. You will see the result directly in the portal.
6
Review the output. For Mode A, you'll get a complete proposal with scope narrative, risk profile, a schedule matrix, BOM, competitive analysis, and risk register.
Learn how to read your bid package →
Start with Mode B or Mode D for testing. These are faster than Mode A and great for getting comfortable with the workflow. Save your first Mode A full bid for a real project.
What Vernier Needs to Work Well
Vernier is calibrated to your trade mix, market area, labor rates, and margin targets during onboarding. The more accurate that calibration, the better the output. The main inputs for any run are:
- Project name and location (state matters for prevailing wage)
- Estimated project value (helps calibrate scope assumptions)
- For Modes A/C/D: upload your project documents (drawings, specs, scope narrative)
- For Mode F: upload the subcontractor bids you want leveled
Getting Started
Portal Tour
The Vernier portal is your control center for both Vernier and Consulting. Here's what each section does.
Vernier Portal Sections
| Section | What it does |
| Dashboard | Overview of recent projects, activity, and quick actions |
| Projects | Full history of every project you've run through Vernier |
| New Project | Start a new estimate — name, location, mode selection, and run |
| Bid Packages | Expand your most recent project's complete proposal with scope narrative and risk profile |
| Schedule Builder | The Vernier-generated construction schedule matrix for the active project |
| Plan Review | Code flags, RFI candidates, and VE opportunities from Mode D/E runs |
| Plan Upload | Upload scanned plans for OCR text extraction and vectorization |
| Plan Viewer | Library of processed plans with overlay comparison and AI analysis |
| Documents | All generated files — proposals, BOMs, RFQ templates — available for download |
| Subscription | Plan details, usage overview, tier management |
| Team & Users | Invite users, manage seats, set roles |
| Settings | Profile, password, company settings, trade mix, market area |
Consulting Portal Sections
| Section | What it does |
| Dashboard | Engagement overview, overall progress, upcoming session |
| Sessions | Full session schedule with dates, focus areas, and status |
| 4 Bubbles | Progress tracker for each Bubble — items, completion percentage, notes |
| Action Items | Between-session tasks — create, assign, and mark complete |
| Deliverables | Custom tools built for your business — job costing templates, quoting system, cash flow model |
| Progress Reports | Formal close-out reports generated at engagement milestones |
Getting Started
Quick Start Checklist
Run through this list to confirm your account is set up correctly and ready for production use.
Before Your First Bid
✓
Complete onboarding call. Vernier output quality depends on calibration. If you haven't done the onboarding session with your partner, book it before running a real bid — use the link in your welcome email or call (855) 562-8428.
✓
Verify trade mix is correct. Go to Settings → Organization and confirm your trade mix reflects your actual scope types (electrical, low-voltage, civil, etc.). Wrong trade mix = wrong cost libraries.
✓
Verify market area. Your market area drives industry baseline regional multipliers and prevailing wage applicability. Confirm this is set to your primary operating area in Settings.
✓
Check your subscription. Go to Subscription to see your plan details and usage. All plans include unlimited projects.
✓
Run a Mode B test first. Run a quick budget estimate on a real project you've already bid. Compare Vernier's ROM range to your actual number. This gives you a baseline for how Vernier reads your market before you use it for live bids.
✓
Invite your team. If your tier includes multiple seats, invite your estimators under Team & Users. Each user gets their own login — don't share credentials.
Vernier outputs are a professional starting point, not a final bid. Always review, validate, and take professional responsibility for any numbers you submit to an owner or authority having jurisdiction. Vernier gives you the best starting point in the industry — the final bid is yours.
Vernier Platform
How Vernier Works
Vernier is an AI estimating engine powered by Claude (Anthropic), calibrated to commercial construction cost data, and configured specifically to how your business operates. Here's the full pipeline.
The Data Behind Vernier
Every Vernier run draws on the following current data sources:
- Platt.com — current electrical and low-voltage material pricing
- industry baseline 2026 — unit cost data with regional multipliers
- NECA labor units — electrical contractor labor standards
- MCAA labor units — mechanical contractor labor standards
- Washington State prevailing wage tables — for applicable projects
On top of the data, Vernier has been trained on commercial construction bid structure, code requirements (NEC, IBC, NFPA, IMC, IPC), subcontractor RFQ formats, competitive positioning strategy, and scope development methodology.
Operating Modes
Vernier doesn't run one-size-fits-all. You choose the mode that matches what you need:
A
Full Bid Package
Complete bid with comprehensive proposal, scope narrative, risk profile, takeoff, BOM, sub RFQs, schedule matrix, competitive analysis, and risk register.
B
Budget / ROM
Rapid order-of-magnitude estimate with documented assumptions. Owner-facing budget discussions and feasibility checks.
C
Scope Development
When documents are incomplete. Develops scope assumptions, produces a Scope Development Letter, and generates a budget range.
D
Plan Review
Code compliance review (NEC, IBC, NFPA), AI clash resolution, trade coordination conflict check, RFI generation, and VE opportunities.
E
VE Analysis
Value engineering with delta cost calculations and owner-facing justification language for each opportunity.
F
Sub Leveling
Upload competing sub bids. Vernier normalizes them, identifies scope gaps, flags exposure risks, and recommends award.
G
Change Orders
CO impact analysis with pricing, schedule impact, and justification documentation.
H
Payment Applications
Progress billing documentation with percent complete tracking and schedule of values.
I
RFI Response
Structured RFI responses with code references, cost implications, and recommended resolutions.
J
Sub Pre-Qualification
Subcontractor qualification scoring based on capacity, safety record, insurance, and trade fit.
K
Design-Build
Combined design and construction estimating for design-build delivery projects.
What Vernier Produces
On a Mode A Full Bid run, Vernier produces:
- Complete proposal with detailed scope narrative and risk profile
- Self-perform cost advantage quantified in dollars — what you save vs. outsourcing
- Bid posture recommendation: Aggressive, Standard, or Protective — with the reasoning
- Line-item estimate with quantities, units, unit costs, and totals
- Bill of Materials (BOM) with Platt.com sourcing
- Subcontractor RFQ templates for every major scope
- Construction schedule matrix (phased by trade)
- Risk register with mitigation recommendations
- Walk-away conditions — the circumstances under which this bid should not be submitted
Calibration is everything. Vernier is calibrated to your trade mix, market area, and margin targets during onboarding. A well-calibrated Vernier produces significantly better output than a default one.
See calibration →
Vernier Platform
Mode A — Full Bid Package
The complete bid. Mode A is the most comprehensive Vernier output — everything you need to submit a winning proposal, understand your competitive position, and document your scope completely.
When to Use Mode A
Mode A is appropriate when you have decided to pursue a project and need a complete, submittable bid package. Use it when:
- You have sufficient project documentation (drawings, specs, or detailed scope)
- The bid deadline is firm and you need a complete package
- You want the full competitive analysis and bid posture recommendation
- The project value justifies a full Mode A run (most comprehensive output)
What You Get
A complete Mode A package includes a comprehensive proposal with the following components:
| Component | Purpose | When it matters most |
| Scope Narrative | Detailed description of included work referencing specific drawings and specs | Every bid — this is what tells the owner you read the documents |
| Risk Profile | Identified risks with severity ratings and mitigation strategies | Complex projects, unfamiliar owners, high-value work |
| Competitive Positioning | Self-perform advantage, bid posture, and market context | Competitive bid situations where differentiation matters |
Vernier's bid posture recommendation (Aggressive, Standard, or Protective) applies to your primary bid number and is based on the project type, your trade mix, market conditions, and the competitive context Vernier can infer from the documents.
Processing Time
Mode A is the most comprehensive mode — typically 3–8 minutes per run depending on document complexity. Processing time is shown before you start. Simpler modes like Budget/ROM run in about a minute.
Run Mode D before Mode A on large projects. If you have full plan sets, run Mode D (Plan Review) first. Code flags and RFI candidates identified in Mode D will improve the scope assumptions in your Mode A run — and you'll know about the surprises before you price them.
Vernier Platform
Mode B — Budget / ROM
Fast order-of-magnitude estimates for owner-facing budget conversations, feasibility checks, and early-stage project discussions — before full bid documents exist.
When to Use Mode B
- Owner asks "what does something like this cost?" before hiring a designer
- Pre-design or schematic design phase — no drawings yet
- Go/no-go decision on whether to pursue a project
- Feasibility study support
- Testing Vernier quickly before running a full bid
What You Get
Mode B returns a low/high ROM range with documented assumptions behind every number. The output includes:
- Dollar range (low and high) with confidence level
- Key cost drivers — what's moving the number most
- Documented assumptions — what Vernier assumed in the absence of drawings
- Bid posture recommendation for the eventual full bid
- Self-perform delta estimate where applicable
Mode B runs in about a minute — much faster than a full Mode A. It's the best mode for testing Vernier on historical projects to calibrate your confidence in the output before using it on live bids.
Vernier Platform
Mode C — Scope Development
When you're asked to price work before the scope is fully defined. Mode C develops the missing scope, documents assumptions formally, and produces a budget range and Scope Development Letter.
When to Use Mode C
- Incomplete or preliminary project documents
- Design-build project where scope is still being defined
- Owner has a program document or narrative but no drawings
- You need to establish scope alignment before pricing
What You Get
Mode C produces:
- Formal Scope Development Letter — a professional document you can send directly to the owner or design team establishing what has and hasn't been scoped
- Documented assumptions — every assumption made in the absence of complete documents
- Budget range (low/high) tied to the documented scope
- Schedule phase structure based on scope assumptions
- List of clarifications needed before a firm bid can be submitted
Mode C protects you on design-build. The Scope Development Letter creates a paper trail of what you were and weren't asked to price. Use it to establish scope alignment with the owner before you put hard dollars on the table.
Vernier Platform
Mode D — Plan Review
Upload your drawings and specifications. Vernier reviews them for code issues, trade coordination conflicts, RFI candidates, and value engineering opportunities — before the bid goes out.
What Vernier Checks
Mode D reviews uploaded plan sets against:
- NEC 2023 — National Electrical Code compliance
- IBC 2021 — International Building Code requirements
- NFPA 72 / NFPA 101 — Fire alarm and life safety
- IMC / IPC — Mechanical and plumbing coordination
- Trade coordination conflicts between electrical, mechanical, structural, and civil
What You Get
| Output type | Description |
| Code issues | Specific violations with code reference (e.g., "NEC 210.8 — GFCI required within 6ft of sink, Sheet E-104") |
| RFI candidates | Missing information, conflicts, or ambiguities that should be clarified before bidding |
| VE opportunities | Scope alternatives with delta cost estimates and owner-facing justification language |
Mode D identifies issues — it doesn't guarantee a complete code review. Always have a licensed engineer or inspector review final documents. Vernier's plan review is a first-pass catch, not a substitute for professional plan review or permit submission.
Vernier Platform
Mode E — VE Analysis
Formal value engineering analysis with delta cost calculations and owner-ready language for each opportunity. Used standalone or as a follow-on to Mode D.
When to Use Mode E
- Owner has asked for a VE analysis alongside the bid
- Your bid came in over budget and you need to find cuts
- You want to differentiate your proposal with a formal VE exhibit
- Design-build: identifying scope alternatives before finalizing design
What You Get
Mode E returns a list of VE opportunities, each including:
- Description of the proposed change
- Delta cost (savings or addition) in dollars
- Risk assessment (Low / Medium / High) for the proposed change
- Owner-facing pitch language — ready to put directly in your proposal exhibit
- Total VE potential — sum of all identified opportunities
VE is a competitive differentiator. Submitting a formal VE exhibit with your bid shows the owner you've thought beyond the spec. Combined with Mode A's comprehensive proposal, it gives them a complete scope narrative plus a menu of value engineering reductions — which is a fundamentally stronger negotiating position than a single number.
Vernier Platform
Mode F — Sub Leveling
Upload competing subcontractor bids. Vernier normalizes them to a common scope baseline, identifies gaps and exposure risks, and recommends award with documented rationale.
When to Use Mode F
- You have multiple sub bids and need to compare apples to apples
- Low-bid sub has scope gaps you want to quantify before accepting
- Need a defensible award recommendation for an owner or CM
- GC managing multiple trades with uneven bid quality
What You Get
For each sub bid submitted, Vernier produces:
- Normalized bid amount on a common scope baseline
- Scope gaps identified — what's missing vs. the bid documents
- Exposure flags — clauses or exclusions that shift risk to you as GC
- Recommended award with written rationale
- Award risk assessment
The lowest number isn't always the right number. Mode F often identifies $40,000–$80,000 in scope gaps in the low sub bid that make the second-price sub the better economic choice. That analysis, documented and in writing, protects you if the award gets questioned.
Vernier Platform
Mode G — Change Order
Receive an extra work directive or encounter unforeseen conditions. Vernier produces a fully priced change order with markup, schedule impact analysis, and owner-ready justification — documented and defensible.
When to Use Mode G
- Owner issues an extra work directive or change directive
- Unforeseen site conditions require scope changes (rock, asbestos, concealed conditions)
- Owner-requested design changes after contract award
- Scope gaps discovered during construction that weren't in the original bid
- Subcontractor back-charges that need to be passed through with documentation
What You Get
Mode G produces a complete change order package:
- CO pricing — itemized labor, material, and equipment with your contract markup rates applied
- Schedule impact — additional days, affected milestones, and revised critical path narrative
- Justification letter — owner-facing explanation with contract clause references, drawing references, and field condition documentation
- Cost backup — detailed breakdown showing how every dollar was calculated, suitable for owner or CM review
- Time extension request — if the CO affects the schedule, a formal request with rationale
Document before you dig. The strongest change orders are built on documentation captured before the extra work begins. Upload photos, daily logs, and the directive itself — Mode G will reference all of it in the justification letter.
Vernier Platform
Mode H — Payment Application
Generate monthly progress pay apps with schedule of values, percent complete tracking, stored materials, and retainage calculations — formatted for AIA G702/G703 or owner-specific templates.
When to Use Mode H
- Monthly progress billing on an active project
- Tracking retainage and stored materials across pay periods
- Need to reconcile subcontractor billings against your SOV
- Owner or CM requires detailed percent-complete backup for each line item
What You Get
Mode H produces a complete pay application package:
| Component | Description |
| Schedule of Values | Line-item SOV with original contract amount, previous billings, current billing, and balance to finish |
| Current billing | This period's work in place with percent complete for each line item |
| Stored materials | Materials purchased but not yet installed, with invoice backup references |
| Retainage tracking | Retainage held, retainage released, and net retainage balance |
| Change order log | Approved COs rolled into the SOV with adjusted contract total |
Front-load strategically, not recklessly. Mode H will flag if your percent-complete claims outpace the actual installed scope based on the project schedule. Aggressive front-loading gets pay apps rejected and damages trust with the CM. Bill what you've installed.
Vernier Platform
Mode I — RFI Generation
Vernier scans all uploaded project documents — drawings, specs, addenda — and identifies code conflicts, drawing errors, spec gaps, and scope boundary issues. The output is a set of numbered, submittal-ready RFIs.
When to Use Mode I
- Before bidding — catch ambiguities that affect your price before you commit a number
- During preconstruction — build your RFI log before the first shovel hits dirt
- After plan review — follow up on Mode D findings with formal RFIs
- Addenda review — new addenda introduced conflicts with the original documents
What You Get
Each RFI includes:
- RFI number — sequential, ready to drop into your project log
- Drawing references — specific sheet numbers and detail callouts where the issue was found
- Code citations — NEC, IBC, NFPA, or other applicable code sections when the issue is code-related
- Issue description — plain-language explanation of the conflict or gap
- Suggested resolution — Vernier's recommended path forward for the design team
- Impact rating — Low / Medium / High based on cost and schedule exposure
RFIs submitted before bid day are leverage. RFIs submitted after award are damage control. Run Mode I during preconstruction. The issues it finds are the same issues that will cost you money if you discover them in the field.
Vernier Platform
Mode J — Sub Pre-Qualification
Vet subcontractors before awarding scope. Upload sub information and Vernier evaluates capability, insurance and bonding status, capacity, safety record, and financial stability — producing a scored recommendation.
When to Use Mode J
- Evaluating a new subcontractor you haven't worked with before
- Insurance or bonding verification before award
- Checking sub capacity — can they staff your project given their current workload?
- Owner or CM requires documented sub pre-qualification before award
- Comparing multiple subs beyond just price (Mode F handles the price; Mode J handles the contractor)
What You Get
- Scored evaluation — numerical score across safety, financial stability, capacity, insurance, and trade experience
- Red flags — lapsed insurance, EMR above threshold, pending litigation, bonding capacity concerns
- Capacity assessment — based on reported backlog and workforce size relative to your project scope
- Recommendation — Qualified / Qualified with Conditions / Not Recommended, with written rationale
- Missing documentation — items the sub hasn't provided that you should request before award
The cheapest sub who can't finish the job is the most expensive sub. Mode J exists because the award decision is about more than the number. A $40,000 savings on a sub award means nothing if they walk off the job at 60% complete.
Vernier Platform
Mode K — Design-Build
Integrated design narrative and budget for design-build projects. Start from a concept or schematic and get a combined design approach, scope definition, and budget with alternates — all in one package.
When to Use Mode K
- Concept-to-budget — owner has a program but no drawings, needs a number
- Schematic pricing — you have 30% design documents and need a budget for the owner
- Design-build proposals — you're competing on both design approach and price
- Progressive design-build — pricing evolves as design develops through phases
What You Get
Mode K produces a combined design-build package:
- Design narrative — written description of the proposed design approach, systems selection, and basis of design
- Budget with alternates — base scope pricing plus alternate options with delta costs for each
- Assumptions log — every design assumption Vernier made, documented and numbered for owner review
- Allowances — items where design isn't far enough along to price — called out separately with allowance amounts
- Scope boundary matrix — what's included, what's excluded, and what's by others — critical for DB contracts where scope boundaries are often disputed
The assumptions log is your insurance policy. In design-build, every assumption you document before award is a potential change order you won't have to fight for later. Review the assumptions log carefully and make sure the owner acknowledges it as part of the contract basis.
Vernier Platform
Reading Your Bid Package
A Mode A bid package contains multiple interconnected documents. Here's how to read each piece and what to look for.
The Complete Proposal
Every Mode A run produces a comprehensive proposal. It's not just a price — it's a complete picture of your scope, risk allocation, and professional positioning:
| Component | Philosophy | Why it matters |
| Scope Narrative | Project-specific description referencing drawings, specs, and addenda. | Tells the owner you read the documents and understand the work |
| Risk Profile | Identified risks with severity and mitigation plan. | Shows execution thinking — not just pricing, but how you'll build it |
| Walk-Away Conditions | Documented standards for when this bid should not be submitted. | Signals pricing discipline and professional boundaries |
Bid Posture
Vernier recommends one of three bid postures for your primary number:
- Aggressive (14–16% margin): Use when you need the work, competition is heavy, or you're buying into a relationship. Vernier will only recommend this if you have a real cost advantage.
- Standard (18–22% margin): Normal competitive market. Most bids should land here.
- Protective (24–28% margin): Use when risk is elevated, schedule is tight, owner is difficult, or you're at capacity and only want the job at the right price.
Self-Perform Advantage
Vernier calculates your self-perform cost advantage — the dollar amount you save vs. hiring out your primary trade scope. This number belongs in your proposal. It's your most honest answer to "why should we hire you instead of a GC who subs everything?"
Construction Schedule Matrix
The schedule matrix is phase-sequenced based on the bid scope. It's a starting point — field validate before committing to the owner. The phases, durations, and milestones are based on Vernier's scope assumptions and your market area norms.
Risk Register
The risk register lists the items that could move this bid significantly in either direction during execution. Review it before submitting. Any "High" severity items are worth a direct conversation with the owner before award.
Vernier Platform
Usage & Limits
All Vernier plans include unlimited projects and generous usage. Here's how the system works.
Unlimited Projects
Every Vernier plan includes unlimited projects. There are no per-bid charges, no per-mode fees, and no artificial caps on how many estimates you can run. Use Vernier as much as you need to win work.
Fair Use
Vernier usage is monitored to ensure quality of service for all users. If your usage is significantly above normal volume for your tier, we'll reach out to discuss whether a higher tier is a better fit — we won't cut you off mid-bid. Most contractors never come close to any limit at the tier that matches their team size.
Processing Speed by Mode
| Mode | Typical Speed | Notes |
| Mode A — Full Bid | 3–8 minutes | Scales with document complexity and scope size |
| Mode B — Budget/ROM | ~1 minute | Minimal input needed — fast and efficient |
| Mode D — Plan Review | 2–5 minutes | Depth scales with sheet count |
| Mode F — Sub Leveling | ~1 minute | Structured data, fast processing |
| Other Modes | 1–4 minutes | VE, COs, RFIs, Pre-Qual, Design-Build, SOW, etc. |
Monitoring
Your dashboard shows active projects, recent runs, and processing history. If you're approaching high-volume usage, you'll see a notification in the portal — not a hard stop.
Vernier Platform
Onboarding & Calibration
Vernier output quality is directly tied to calibration. A well-calibrated Vernier knows your trade mix, your market, your labor rates, and your margin targets. Calibration is what makes Vernier yours — not a generic tool.
What Gets Calibrated
- Trade mix — electrical, low-voltage, civil, mechanical, or combination. This determines which cost libraries and labor standards Vernier pulls from.
- Market area — industry baseline regional multipliers are applied based on your primary operating geography.
- Prevailing wage — whether your typical work is prevailing wage or open shop changes labor cost assumptions significantly.
- Margin targets — your standard, aggressive, and protective margin floors. Vernier uses these to anchor bid posture recommendations.
- Typical project scope and value — a contractor who typically bids $500K–$2M commercial electrical gets different calibration than one bidding $5M–$20M design-build.
The Onboarding Call
All new subscribers complete a calibration session with your Vernier partner before or within ten days of first platform access. This is not optional — it's what turns Vernier from a general estimating tool into a tool calibrated to how your business actually works.
If you haven't completed your onboarding call, book it here or call (855) 562-8428.
Recalibration
Your calibration settings can be updated at any time in Settings → Organization for self-service adjustments to trade mix, market area, and margin targets. For a full recalibration session with your partner (for example, after entering a new market or adding a trade), contact support — two full recalibration sessions per year are included in your subscription.
Wrong calibration = wrong bids. If your trade mix is set to electrical-only but you're bidding low-voltage and civil, Vernier will pull the wrong cost libraries. Check Settings before running any project that's outside your normal scope type.
Beyond Estimating
Quick Estimate
Type a scope description in plain English and get instant pricing pulled from your materials database. No project setup required. Use it for ballparks on the phone, sanity checks before a full run, or rough numbers during owner conversations.
How It Works
Quick Estimate is a single text field. Describe the scope — "200A panel swap in a strip mall, existing conduit, 30 circuits" — and Vernier returns a price range within seconds. The pricing comes from your calibrated materials database, your labor rates, and your market area factors.
What You Get
- Price range — low / mid / high based on scope assumptions
- Material breakdown — major items pulled from your materials DB with current pricing
- Labor estimate — hours by classification at your loaded rates
- Assumptions list — what Vernier assumed from your description (existing conditions, access, working hours)
What You Can Do Next
- Save as project — converts the quick estimate into a full project record you can run through any mode
- Run full estimate — sends the scope directly into Mode A or Mode B for a complete bid package
- Export — copy the number and breakdown to clipboard for an email or text
Quick Estimate is not a bid. It's a ballpark tool for fast decisions — should I chase this project, what's the rough number for the owner's budget meeting, is this scope worth a full takeoff? Use Mode A when the number matters.
Beyond Estimating
Bid Tracking & Map
Track every bid from pipeline to award. See your active opportunities on a geocoded map, analyze win/loss history, and monitor competitor patterns — all from one dashboard.
Pipeline Stages
Every project moves through a pipeline that you can customize, but the defaults are:
- Tracking — you're aware of the project, haven't committed to bidding
- Bidding — actively estimating, plans in hand
- Submitted — bid is in, waiting for results
- Won / Lost / No Bid — final disposition
Map View
Every project with an address is geocoded and plotted on the map. Color-coded by stage. Zoom in on a region to see project density. Click any pin for a summary card with project value, bid date, and current stage. Use the map to spot geographic clusters, identify travel radius issues, and plan workload by area.
Win/Loss Analytics
- Win rate — overall and by project type, size range, and owner
- Average margin on wins — are you leaving money on the table or pricing yourself out?
- Competitor tracking — log who you're losing to and at what spread
- Bid volume — monthly trend of bids submitted vs. opportunities tracked
Track your losses as carefully as your wins. If you're consistently losing to the same competitor by 3-5%, that's a calibration signal. If you're winning everything, you're probably leaving margin on the table. The analytics only work if you log every outcome.
Beyond Estimating
Credential Tracking
Track licenses, insurance policies, bonds, and certifications for your company and your subs. Get 30/7/1-day expiration alerts. Upload certificates and let AI extract the details.
What You Can Track
- Contractor licenses — state and local, with renewal dates and license numbers
- Insurance policies — GL, auto, workers' comp, umbrella, professional liability
- Bonds — bid bonds, performance bonds, payment bonds with bonding capacity
- Certifications — OSHA 30, confined space, first aid/CPR, trade-specific certs
- Sub credentials — same categories, tracked per subcontractor
Expiration Alerts
Vernier sends in-portal notifications at three intervals before any credential expires:
- 30 days — heads up, start the renewal process
- 7 days — this is urgent, get the renewal submitted
- 1 day — final warning before the credential lapses
AI Certificate Extraction
Upload an ACORD 25 certificate of insurance, a license document, or a bond form. Vernier's AI reads the document and extracts policy numbers, effective dates, expiration dates, coverage limits, and named insureds. Review the extracted data, confirm, and the credential is logged — no manual entry required.
A lapsed GL policy can shut down a job site. If your insurance expires mid-project, the GC or owner can stop work until you provide a current certificate. Credential tracking isn't administrative busywork — it's job continuity insurance.
Beyond Estimating
Materials Pricing Database
Your calibrated pricing library — over 1,000 items seeded by AI for your trade, editable down to the line item. Every estimate Vernier produces pulls from this database, so keeping it accurate keeps your bids accurate.
How It's Seeded
During onboarding, Vernier seeds your materials DB based on your trade mix, market area, and supply chain preferences. Pricing is pulled from industry sources (industry baseline, distributor averages, prevailing regional data) and adjusted for your local market. The result is a working price book on day one — not a blank spreadsheet.
Editing and Managing Prices
- Edit any item — change unit cost, labor hours, description, or category
- Add items — create custom line items for specialty materials or assemblies
- Add categories — organize items into trade-specific groupings that match how you estimate
- Flag for review — mark items where pricing feels outdated or unverified for periodic review
- Bulk import — upload a CSV from your distributor or supply house to update prices in batch
How Vernier Uses It
Every mode that produces pricing — A, B, E, G, H, K, and Quick Estimate — pulls material costs from this database. When Vernier references "4" EMT" in a bid package, the price comes from your DB, not a generic national average. This is why calibration matters: your database is your pricing engine.
Update prices quarterly at minimum. Material costs shift. If your last DB update was six months ago, your bids are six months stale. Flag high-volatility items (copper, steel, PVC) for monthly review and update after every major distributor price change.
Beyond Estimating
Offline Mode & PWA
Install Vernier on your phone or tablet as a Progressive Web App. View projects offline, queue estimates for when you're back online, and use on-device AI for photo analysis in the field.
Installing the PWA
On any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge), navigate to the Vernier portal and look for the "Install" or "Add to Home Screen" prompt. Once installed, Vernier launches like a native app — full screen, no browser chrome, and with offline capability.
What Works Offline
- Project list — browse all your projects, view status and summary data
- Bid packages — read any previously generated bid package, proposal, or report
- Materials DB — browse and search your full pricing database
- Credentials — view credential status and expiration dates
- Quick Estimate queue — type a scope description offline and it runs automatically when connectivity returns
On-Device AI
The PWA includes a lightweight on-device model for field photo analysis. Take a photo of a panel, a site condition, or a spec sheet and Vernier will extract relevant data — panel schedules, nameplate info, material quantities visible in the photo. The analysis runs on your device, no network required.
Sync Behavior
When you reconnect, queued actions sync automatically. Estimates you queued offline will run through the full AI pipeline and results appear in your project list. Any credential uploads or bid tracking updates made offline are pushed to the server on reconnect.
Field connectivity is unreliable — plan for it. If you're doing a site walk and want to capture conditions for a change order or quick estimate, the PWA lets you work without worrying about cell signal. Queue the work, finish the walk, and let it sync when you're back in the truck.
Plan Viewer
Uploading Scanned Plans
The Vernier Plan Viewer processes scanned construction plans — PDFs or images — through a four-stage pipeline: normalize, OCR, vectorize, compare. Here's how to get the best results.
Supported Formats
- PDF (multi-page supported, up to 50 pages)
- PNG, JPG, JPEG
- TIFF (common from large-format scanners)
- Maximum file size: 100MB
Scan Quality Recommendations
The Plan Viewer is designed to work with real-world scans, including imperfect ones. That said, better input produces better output:
- 300 DPI is the recommended scan resolution — sufficient for OCR accuracy and vectorization detail
- Grayscale or black/white scans process faster and produce cleaner vectorization than color
- Reasonably straight — the pipeline auto-deskews up to 40 degrees, but extreme skew reduces OCR accuracy
- Remove page borders and margin artifacts where possible
Processing Settings
Before processing, you can adjust three settings in the Plan Upload view:
| Setting | Default | Effect |
| Threshold | 128 | Controls which edge intensities are captured. Lower = more detail but more noise. Higher = cleaner lines but may miss fine detail. |
| Edge strength | 1.2 | Multiplies edge intensity. Increase for faint lines on low-contrast scans. |
| Line weight | 1 | Dilates detected lines for thickness. Increase if lines are hard to see in the vectorized output. |
Use Reject & Adjust to iterate. If the first vectorization doesn't look right, click Reject, adjust the threshold or edge strength, and reprocess without re-uploading. It's faster to iterate on settings than to assume the first result is the best.
Plan Viewer
OCR — Extracted Text and Search
Vernier uses Tesseract 5.x to extract all text from uploaded plans — dimensions, notes, room labels, panel schedules, callouts, and title block information. The result is a fully searchable text index of your plan set.
What Gets Extracted
OCR runs in PSM 11 (sparse text) mode by default — this is optimal for construction plans where text is scattered across the sheet rather than in flowing paragraphs. The engine identifies:
- Dimensions (detected by pattern: 12'-6", 1/4" = 1'-0")
- Room and space labels
- Panel schedules and circuit tables
- General notes and specification callouts
- Title block: project name, sheet number, scale, revision, drawn by
- Equipment tags and callout numbers
Using the Search
After processing, the OCR text panel appears below the comparison view. Type any word or phrase in the search field — the panel highlights all matches in the extracted text. This is useful for quickly finding:
- Specific room numbers or area names
- Equipment designations (e.g., "AHU-1", "PANEL MDP")
- Spec references or note numbers
- Any dimension or clearance value
OCR Confidence
OCR results include per-block confidence scores. Low confidence blocks (common on faded prints or handwritten annotations) are flagged. If OCR quality is poor on a specific sheet, try re-scanning at higher DPI or adjusting scanner contrast before re-uploading.
The full OCR result is available for download as a plain text file and a structured JSON file (with bounding boxes and confidence scores) from the Plan Viewer library.
Plan Viewer
Vectorization
Vectorization converts your raster scan into clean vector line drawings — dramatically smaller files that stay sharp at any zoom level and are easier for AI analysis to interpret.
How It Works
The vectorization pipeline uses ImageMagick's Canny edge detection algorithm to identify lines and edges in your scan, then traces them into vector paths using potrace. The result is:
- Black lines on a clean white background — scan artifacts and tone noise removed
- SVG format when potrace is available (true vector — infinitely scalable)
- High-quality PNG fallback when SVG isn't available
- Typical file size reduction: 85–95% vs. the original raster scan
File Size Impact
A typical 300 DPI scan of a full-size E-size electrical plan might be 4–8MB as a TIFF or PNG. The vectorized SVG output of the same plan is typically 200–500KB — a 90%+ reduction. For a 50-sheet plan set, that's the difference between 400MB and 20MB with no loss of line quality.
When Vectorization Works Best
- Clean black-and-white or grayscale line drawings
- Computer-generated (CAD-plotted) drawings — the most accurate results
- High-contrast scans with clear distinction between line work and background
When It Has Limitations
- Low-contrast scans with gray or faded line work — increase edge strength in settings
- Heavily annotated sheets with dense text clusters — text and line work may blend
- Pencil or hand-drawn plans — results vary significantly with scan quality
Plan Viewer
Using the Comparison Overlay
Before accepting a vectorized plan, compare it side by side with the original scan to verify the edge detection captured what matters. Three comparison modes are available.
The Three Modes
| Mode | What it shows | Best used for |
| Split | Draggable vertical divider — left shows original, right shows vectorized | General comparison — the most intuitive mode |
| Overlay | Vectorized at 50% opacity over the original | Checking alignment — confirming vector lines map to scan lines |
| Difference | Mathematical difference between original and vectorized | Identifying what the edge detection missed or added |
Using the Split Divider
In Split mode, click and drag the cyan divider bar left or right to reveal more of either the original or vectorized view. On mobile, touch-drag works the same way. The divider position is remembered during the session.
Accept or Reject
After reviewing the comparison:
- Accept & Analyze: Saves the vectorized plan to your library and immediately offers to run AI analysis (Claude Vision) on the accepted plan — extracting dimensions, identifying code flags, generating RFI candidates, and producing a takeoff starting point.
- Adjust & Redo: Returns you to the settings panel without re-uploading. Change threshold, edge strength, or line weight and reprocess.
Check the title block and dimensions first. When reviewing in Split mode, start by scrolling to the title block and a detail area with dimension text. If those read cleanly, the rest of the plan will too. If they're garbled, adjust threshold and reprocess.
Contractor Consulting
The 4 Bubbles Framework
The 4 Bubbles is our team's proprietary business diagnostic methodology. Every construction business that's bleeding margin has a leak in one of four places. The framework identifies which one — and fixes them in the right order.
The Four Bubbles
💰
Financial
True job costing, cash flow visibility, overhead recovery, pricing floor. Most contractors are running blind on the numbers that determine whether a job actually made money.
📋
Sales / Quoting
Quoting process, margin floors, qualify criteria, walk-away conditions. The bid is where the margin gets made or lost before a single tool comes out.
🧭
Vision
1–36 month roadmap, backlog and capacity plan, market niche definition. A business without direction doesn't chase the right work.
👥
Leadership
Role clarity, accountability structure, SOPs, hiring system. You can't scale a business that only works when you're in the room.
Why the Order Matters
The 4 Bubbles are worked in sequence for a reason. You can't fix Leadership if you don't know whether the business is financially viable. You can't fix Vision if your Quoting is pricing work below cost. The diagnostic finds the primary leak — the work happens in the right order from there.
Not Generic Coaching
This isn't a seminar framework or a group coaching program. It's a diagnostic — specific to your business, your numbers, and your situation. Our team has run this on commercial contractors for 20+ years. The questions asked in Session 1 are the ones that cut to where the actual problem is, not where it looks like it is from the outside.
Contractor Consulting
Consulting Tiers
Three engagement tiers, structured by scope. Each tier is a distinct engagement — not a watered-down version of the next one up.
T1
Reality Check — Contact for pricing
One-time · 10–14 days · No commitment required
All 4 Bubbles diagnosed. Written assessment + Priority Action List + your partner's direct recommendation on what to fix first. Full fee credited toward Tier 2 or Tier 3 if you engage within 90 days. The entry point if you're not ready to commit to a full engagement but want an outside read on where the business actually is.
T2
Focused 90 — Contact for pricing
3-month commitment · 1–2 Bubbles
Six bi-weekly 60-minute sessions. One custom tool built specifically for your business (job costing template or quoting system — whichever Bubble you're working). Email and text support between sessions with same-day response. 90-day close-out progress report. The right choice when you know the primary leak and want to fix it with real accountability and real tools.
T3
Full Partner — Contact for pricing
6-month commitment · All 4 Bubbles · GP guaranteed
Twelve bi-weekly sessions plus monthly strategy call. Direct call and text to your dedicated partner — not a queue, a direct line. Full tool suite: job costing, quoting system, cash flow model, role clarity document, 36-month roadmap, SOPs for key processes. Gross profit improvement guaranteed —
see full guarantee terms →
Always your dedicated partner. Never delegated. All sessions at every tier are delivered by your dedicated partner directly. No associates, no junior coaches, no recorded content. If you're talking to someone in a session, it's your partner.
Contractor Consulting
Sessions
Sessions are the core delivery mechanism. Here's how they work, how to prepare, and what to do with the notes afterward.
Session Format
Sessions are 60 minutes, 1-on-1 with your partner, via video call or phone. They're working sessions — not status updates. Something specific gets worked on, decided, or built in every session.
Scheduling
Sessions are scheduled bi-weekly on a standing schedule agreed at the start of the engagement. To reschedule, contact your partner directly at (855) 562-8428 or at least 48 hours in advance. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice count as completed sessions unless it's a documented emergency.
Preparation
Before each session, review the prep notes your partner has attached to that session in your portal. These tell you what to bring, what to have reviewed, or what decision you should be ready to make. Coming prepared is the single biggest factor in session productivity.
Session Notes
Your partner delivers written session notes within 48 hours of every session. These are in your portal under Sessions. They capture the key decisions made, work done, and action items assigned. Review them before your next session.
Between Sessions
Between sessions, your job is action items. The portal tracks these under Action Items. Mark them complete as you finish them. If you're stuck on one, reach out — don't wait for the next session date.
Contractor Consulting
The Gross Profit Guarantee
The Tier 3 Full Partner engagement includes a gross profit improvement guarantee. Here is exactly how it works — conditions, thresholds, and what happens if the threshold isn't met.
What Is Guaranteed
By the end of a Tier 3 Full Partner engagement, your Vernier partner guarantees a measurable improvement in your gross profit — either as a margin percentage improvement or a dollar improvement relative to the baseline established in Session 1.
How the Baseline Is Set
In Session 1, your partner establishes baseline metrics using your actual financial data from the prior 12 months — gross profit margin percentage and gross profit dollars. These numbers are documented and agreed by both parties before engagement work begins. You need to provide accurate financial records for this to work.
The Threshold
The guarantee triggers if measurable improvement hasn't been achieved by the end of month six. Measurable means either:
- A 5% increase in gross profit margin (e.g., from 18% to 23%), or
- A 10% increase in gross profit dollars (e.g., from $800K to $880K)
Only one threshold needs to be met — not both.
The Conditions
The guarantee applies only if all of the following are true:
- You attended at least 10 of 12 scheduled sessions
- You completed at least 75% of assigned action items
- You provided accurate financial data throughout the engagement
- You implemented the core recommendations in good faith
The Remedy
If conditions are met but the threshold hasn't been reached by month six, your partner continues providing sessions at no additional charge — monthly — until the measurable improvement is achieved. There is no cap on this continuation period.
This guarantee only exists because the framework works. If you do the sessions, do the work between sessions, and let your partner see the real numbers — the improvement happens. The guarantee is there to remove the risk from your decision, not because we expect to need it.
Account & Billing
Vernier Subscription Tiers
Three subscription tiers scale with your bid volume. All tiers include access to all core Vernier estimating modes, complete proposal outputs with scope narratives and risk profiles, and onboarding calibration.
| Tier | Monthly | Annual (15% off) | Setup | Seats | Projects |
| Essentials | $599 | $509 | $1,995 | 1 | Unlimited |
| Professional | $1,149 | $977 | $4,495 | 3 | Unlimited |
| Elite Operator | $3,495 | $2,971 | $9,995 – $18,000 | 10 | Unlimited |
The setup fee is a one-time, non-refundable charge covering account creation, onboarding, Vernier calibration to your trade mix and market area, and initial training. It is not refundable under any circumstances including early cancellation.
Which Tier Is Right For You?
- Essentials — solo estimator, individual GC, or specialty contractor. One login, unlimited projects, all 14 modes.
- Professional — active GC or specialty contracting team. Three seats, unlimited projects, full supplier database, AI clash resolution, Monte Carlo risk simulation.
- Elite Operator — contracting firm or developer organization with high bid volume. Ten seats, real-time collaboration, API/ERP integration, dedicated onboarding.
Cancellation
Month-to-month. Cancel at any time by emailing . Cancellation is effective at the end of the current billing month — no refund for the final month. Setup fee is non-refundable.
Account & Billing
Managing Your Team
Add users to your organization, assign roles, and manage who has access to Vernier.
User Roles
| Role | What they can do |
| Admin | Full access — create/delete projects, invite/remove users, update organization settings, change billing |
| Member | Create and run projects, view all organization projects, download documents. Cannot invite users or change org settings. |
Inviting a User
1
Go to Team & Users in the sidebar.
2
Click Invite User. Enter their name and email address.
3
The system generates a temporary password. Share it securely (call or encrypted message — not email). The user must change it on first login.
Never share your login credentials. Each user must have their own account. Shared credentials prevent accurate activity tracking and can cause session conflicts. Inviting a user is complimentary and takes 30 seconds.
Seat Limits
Your subscription includes a fixed number of user seats (1, 3, or 10 depending on tier). If you try to invite a user that would exceed your seat limit, the invite will be blocked. Upgrade your subscription to add more seats.
Account & Billing
Fair Use Policy
All Vernier plans include unlimited projects with generous usage. Here's how we keep the platform fast for everyone.
How It Works
We don't charge per-bid or per-mode. Run as many estimates as you need. If your usage is significantly above normal for your tier, we'll reach out to discuss whether upgrading makes sense — we won't interrupt your work or cut you off mid-bid.
What "Generous Usage" Means
Each tier is designed for a specific team size and bid volume. Most contractors never come close to any limit at the tier that matches their operation:
- Essentials — designed for solo estimators running 5–15 bids per month
- Professional — designed for small teams running 15–40 bids per month
- Elite Operator — designed for full bid desks running 40+ bids per month
If You're Running High Volume
If you're consistently above the volume your tier was designed for, you'll see a friendly notification in the portal suggesting an upgrade. No hard stops, no surprise charges, no throttling without warning. We'd rather have you on the right plan than nickel-and-dime you with overage fees.
Tips for Efficient Use
- Use Mode B (Budget/ROM) for quick go/no-go decisions before committing to a full Mode A run
- Use Mode D (Plan Review) for document analysis before the full bid
- Reserve Mode A for projects you've decided to actively pursue
Contact & Support
Get in Touch
No support ticket queue. No bot. If you have a question, you're talking to your dedicated partner or someone who works directly with them.
Direct Contact
| Method | Details | Best for |
| Phone | (855) 562-8428 | Urgent questions, troubleshooting, anything that's faster spoken than written |
| Email | | Non-urgent questions, sending files, account requests |
| Book a call | vernier.io/vernier-intake.html | Product demos, onboarding scheduling, consulting intake |
Response Times
- Phone: same business day
- Email: within one business day
- Consulting session requests: within two business days
Mailing Address
Aviat Group, LLC
PO Box 668
Onalaska, WA 98570
For Consulting Clients
If you're in an active consulting engagement, use the direct contact method your partner gave you in Session 1 for between-session questions. Don't go through the general email queue for time-sensitive engagement questions — you have a direct line for a reason.
The best first step for most questions is a call. If you're not sure whether Vernier is calibrated right, whether you're on the right tier, or whether consulting is right for your situation — call. Your partner will tell you straight.