Example projectWeb appAIOpen-source model
Specifications and RFI assistant
Hypothetical. Not a client, not a result.
// The problem
Project engineers spend hours finding the clause, addendum or past RFI that answers a question from the field, and the same questions come up on every job.
// What we would build
An assistant that answers from the project's specifications, addenda and past RFIs and cites the section, on an open-source model served on GPUs the contractor controls, so tender documents and pricing stay private.
// What is in it
- Specifications, addenda and RFIs indexed per project, with superseded sections marked
- Answers that cite the section and the addendum that changed it
- Suggested RFI wording when the documents do not answer the question
- An evaluation set of real field questions, run before every change
- An open-source model on rented GPUs, with no documents sent to a model provider
// Stack
- Llama or Qwen (open-source)
- vLLM
- PostgreSQL with pgvector
- Next.js
- DigitalOcean GPU
// estimate
- Build
- ≈ US$96,100 to US$147,000, delivered within 22 weeksCAD 136,800 to 209,100
- Hosting
- ≈ US$4,360 a monthCAD 6,210 a month
- Support
- ≈ US$1,000 a monthCAD 1,425 a month
Prices in your currency are estimates from today's Bank of Canada rate. All invoicing is in CAD or USD.
- AI route
- Open-source model
- Model running cost
- ≈ US$4,190 a monthCAD 5,960 a month
Timeline by milestone
- Discovery
- 2.9 to 3.4 weeks
- Specification and evaluation plan
- 0.4 weeks
- Design approved
- 2.4 to 3.4 weeks
- Core features
- 1.4 to 1.9 weeks
- Full build
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
- Working pilot
- 3.9 to 6.9 weeks
- Testing and fixes
- 0.9 to 1.9 weeks
- Launch
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
- Production
- 0.9 to 1.4 weeks
How it is paid
- Deposit 20%
- CAD 27,300 to 41,760
- Discovery 1.8%
- CAD 2,457.00 to 3,758.40
- Specification and evaluation plan 10.5%
- CAD 14,332.50 to 21,924.00
- Design approved 1.8%
- CAD 2,457.00 to 3,758.40
- Core features 5.6%
- CAD 7,644.00 to 11,692.80
- Full build 3.7%
- CAD 5,050.50 to 7,725.60
- Working pilot 31.7%
- CAD 43,270.50 to 66,189.60
- Testing and fixes 1.8%
- CAD 2,457.00 to 3,758.40
- Launch 1.8%
- CAD 2,457.00 to 3,758.40
- Production 11.3%
- CAD 15,424.50 to 23,594.40
- Holdback, 30 days after launch (10%)
- CAD 13,650 to 20,880
- GPU time for training and testing, at cost
- CAD 300. Billed up front, at cost, outside the milestones