Means & Methods Lab, home
Facts: desk research, not tested · Reviews: members' opinions

InspectMind vs Firmus

Two AI drawing review tools sold in very different ways. InspectMind is a pay-per-page plan check bought online: it checks drawings and specs against building codes, specs and other disciplines and cites the sheet snippet and code or spec reference for each finding. Firmus, now part of Bluebeam, runs computer-vision analysis of PDF drawing sets for incomplete design, scope gaps and discrepancies across design stages, sold as annual plans by number of analyses with no published figures. Vendor pages read Oct 21, 2026; desk research, not tested, no winner.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed InspectMind Oct 21, 2026; Firmus Oct 22, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

In short: InspectMind (Drawing review & QA; vendor publishes prices) vs Firmus (Drawing review & QA; no public prices (quote / sales)). Facts last checked InspectMind Oct 21, 2026; Firmus Oct 22, 2026. No winner declared; not tested.

Side by side

InspectMind vs Firmus: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowInspectMindFirmus
CategoryDrawing review & QADrawing review & QA
AI role (our label)AI-firstAI-first
What it doesAI plan check for drawings and specs covering code compliance, cross-discipline coordination, spec-vs-drawing conflicts, and constructability. Code checks named include IBC, ADA and IECC, plus uploaded local ordinances. Findings are prioritized by severity with sheet snippets and code references. The vendor states AI findings can be wrong or incomplete and should be verified. Vendor-stated turnaround: usually hours, same day. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the homepage and pricing page still list the same per-sheet and tier prices, and now also state "5+ issues or full refund" (and "Files deleted on request"); volume pricing for 250+ sheets per month and the $100 first-check credit for eligible work emails remain. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: pricing changed (see Pricing). The homepage still describes cited findings with the drawing snippet and code or spec reference, codes including IBC, CBC, FBC, ADA, NFPA, Title 24 and local amendments, and turnaround of around an hour for small checks, a few hours for 100-500 pages and usually same day for larger sets. Its 3,800+ customer accounts, 259+ issues per project, completed-check counts and manual-review savings table are vendor figures and are not used here.AI design review for preconstruction that uses computer vision on PDF drawing sets to find incomplete design, scope gaps and discrepancies. It analyzes PDF construction drawings to find incomplete design, scope gaps, missing information, and discrepancies across hundreds of sheets, with a dashboard to filter, assign, and track issues. Analysis is iterative across design stages (100% DD, 50% CD, 90% CD, IFP, IFC). Firmus's site now says it is part of Bluebeam. Vendor says it complements, not replaces, human review. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the homepage still says Firmus is now part of Bluebeam and describes AI-REVIEW (computer-vision drawing analysis), AI-MATCH and a Procore integration; the FAQ still describes iterative analysis from 100% DD through IFC. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: homepage and FAQ unchanged in substance (now part of Bluebeam; AI-REVIEW, AI-MATCH and Procore integration; iterative analysis from 100% DD through IFC). Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: homepage, FAQ and pricing page unchanged in substance (now part of Bluebeam, and the footer says Bluebeam is part of the Nemetschek Group; AI-REVIEW, AI-MATCH and Procore integration; iterative analysis from 100% DD through IFC).
Who it's forDesign and construction teams doing plan check, QA/QC, and RFI prevention.General contractors, construction managers, architects, and owners/developers in preconstruction.
Pricing (as publicly stated)Usage-based, bought online. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: the pricing page now lists one rate per drawing page, with spec, report and supporting pages included (changed later the same day; see below): Free quick look $0 on up to 20 sheets (not a full code check; free checks let InspectMind use the files to improve its product), Standard $3 per drawing page with 1 building code ($50 minimum), Pro $4 per page adding an engineering design review and up to 3 codes ($100 minimum), and Max $6 per page on every code ($200 minimum). Up to $100 is covered on a first check for eligible work emails (7 days, one per company), the page states 5+ issues or full refund, volume and monthly pricing are by contact, and existing prepaid and contract customers keep their current pricing. Vendor-published. Earlier listing (Oct 16 and Oct 19, 2026): $1 per drawing sheet, $0.25 per spec page, plus $0.25 per sheet per code check, rounded up to tiers of $50, $100, $250 and $500. Re-checked again later on Oct 21, 2026: changed. Spec, report and reference pages are now charged separately at $0.35 (Standard), $0.50 (Pro) and $0.75 (Max) per page on top of the $3, $4 and $6 drawing-page rates; the free quick look now covers up to 10 sheets; Pro and Max add a full refund if the design review finds nothing. Minimums ($50, $100, $200), the up-to-$100 first-check credit, 5+ issues or full refund and volume pricing by contact are unchanged, and the page says there is no per-seat cost.No public prices (checked Oct 16, 2026): the pricing page ("Firmus Plan Options") lists Basic (5 analyses/year), Advanced (20 analyses/year), Premium (100 analyses/year; adds an enterprise SLA, AI-MATCH Premium full set-to-set drawing comparison, white-label reporting and SSO/enterprise controls) and Enterprise (customized), all with unlimited users and unlimited exports, each with a "Get Started" button and no figures; it refers to annual subscription plan options. Unchanged Oct 19, 2026 (Basic and Advanced list Standard SLA and self-service AI-MATCH; AI-MATCH full set-to-set match is included with Premium and Enterprise). Confirm current pricing with the vendor. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged (Basic 5, Advanced 20 and Premium 100 analyses a year, Enterprise customized, unlimited users and exports, no figures). Re-checked Oct 22, 2026: unchanged (Basic 5, Advanced 20 and Premium 100 analyses a year, Enterprise customized, unlimited users and exports, no figures; full set-to-set AI-MATCH included with Premium and Enterprise).
User reviewsNo reviews yet. Read or writeNo reviews yet. Read or write
Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: InspectMind Oct 21, 2026; Firmus Oct 22, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

  • Who each names: InspectMind names architects and engineers, owners and developers, building departments, contractors, owner's reps and plan checkers, from solo firms upward. Firmus names general contractors, construction management firms, architects and owners in preconstruction.
  • What gets checked: InspectMind lists building code compliance (IBC, CBC, FBC, ADA, NFPA, Title 24 and local amendments, plus uploaded local ordinances), spec-versus-drawing review, cross-discipline coordination, plan check before permit submission and shop drawing review, across architectural, structural, civil, MEP, fire and landscape sheets, scanned or native PDFs. Firmus AI-REVIEW scans hundreds of sheets for incomplete design, scope gaps, missing information and discrepancies; AI-MATCH compares drawing sets between phases for changes in drawings, notes, schedules and sheets.
  • Across design stages: InspectMind suggests checks at 30%, 60%, 90% and 100% and prices re-checks as new runs. Firmus says analysis is iterative, with sets re-uploaded at 100% DD, 50% CD, 90% CD, IFP and IFC so resolved issues are tracked and new ones found.
  • Output and follow-up: InspectMind prioritizes findings by severity with page references and code citations and exports to Excel or Procore; it states AI findings can be wrong or incomplete and should be checked against the evidence before acting. Firmus shows results in a dashboard where users filter, assign and track issues, and its Procore integration groups selected issues into an RFI that opens in the Procore project; it says it complements, not replaces, human review.
  • Turnaround and buying: InspectMind says small checks often return in about an hour, 100-500-page projects in a few hours and larger sets usually the same day, with the exact quote shown before you pay by card, or invoice, PO or ACH for enterprise. Firmus routes buyers to Get Started and Book a Demo.
  • Pricing (checked Oct 21, 2026): InspectMind lists a free quick look on up to 10 sheets, Standard $3 per drawing page plus $0.35 per spec page (1 code, $50 minimum), Pro $4 plus $0.50 (design review, up to 3 codes, $100 minimum) and Max $6 plus $0.75 (every code, $200 minimum), up to $100 covered on a first check for eligible work emails, no per-seat fees and volume pricing by contact. Firmus lists Basic (5 analyses a year), Advanced (20) and Premium (100, adding an enterprise SLA, AI-MATCH Premium full set-to-set comparison, white-label reporting and SSO) and a customized Enterprise plan, all with unlimited users and exports and no figures.
  • Not used here: InspectMind's company count, issues-per-project, hours-saved and manual-review cost figures and customer quotes; Firmus's customer logos and case-study results (vendor claims). Neither tool has been tested by Means & Methods Lab.

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What users say

The facts above come from vendor websites. Whether either tool is any good for your work is something only people who use them can say. These are member reviews, all ratings shown, never edited or removed for being negative.

Used either of these? Share your take

Good or bad, an honest review from an estimator, PM or super helps the next team more than another vendor demo. You post under a handle; your email is never shown.

Questions to ask in your review

  • How many findings from each on the same issued set your team would actually act on
  • What a Firmus analysis costs, and how that compares with InspectMind's per-page rate on a set your size
  • Whether code-compliance checks or scope-gap and discrepancy detection matter more at your stage of design
  • How issues from each reach your RFI log without re-entry
  • What did you use it for, on what kind of work and project size?
  • How long did setup and training take, and who on your team did it?

How reviews work: review guidelines and methodology. All reviews: reviews hub.

Related