Construction’s AI Moment — Why Contractors Are Increasingly Optimistic

A new industry research report from Dodge Construction Network in partnership with CMiC reveals a striking level of optimism among contractors about the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in construction.

According to the survey, 87% of contractors believe AI will meaningfully transform their businesses, even though current adoption remains relatively low. This optimism reflects a growing recognition that AI isn’t just a buzzword, but a set of capabilities beginning to deliver tangible operational value across the built environment. 

Evolving roles

One of the most interesting shifts the report highlights is how contractors envision their own roles evolving. Instead of being bogged down in repetitive administrative tasks, project teams expect AI to enable them to work more strategically, focusing on predictive insights rather than reactive fire-fighting.

The anticipated benefits extend across several tasks:

• 85% of contractors expect they will spend less time on repetitive, mundane tasks.
• Over 70% believe they can make better decisions because AI offers insights they might not arrive at on their own.
• 75% look forward to AI helping them learn from past projects by mining historical data

In areas such as scheduling optimization, cost control, and delivery quality, contractors see AI not as an incremental tool but as a foundation for next-generation project execution. 

For decades, construction firms have lacked the tools to transform the data they’ve collected into action. AI-enabled solutions are changing that,” says Gord Rawlins, president and CEO of CMiC. “In fact, this research highlights the high-impact results contractors are achieving today; 92% effectiveness in automated proposal generation and 86% in contract risk review. What makes these findings truly remarkable is that they represent real outcomes our customers and peers across the industry are experiencing today.”

Top AI capabilities of interest

Contractors expressed firm interest in several emerging AI functionalities.

For Project Management:

• 81% recognize the benefit of automated constructability analysis to identify potential field issues during design
• 80% express interest in intelligent permit submission with automatic compliance checking
• 79% note strong potential for autonomous project optimization that adjusts schedules and resources in real time

For Company Management:

• 76% identify opportunities in dynamic pricing optimization based on market conditions and risk factors
• 92% acknowledge the value of automated contract creation and management
• 79% value intelligent bid-no-bid decision support

Adoption challenges

Despite this positive outlook, the research also underscores critical readiness gaps.

More than half of the surveyed companies are still in exploratory phases, with only 40% allocating dedicated AI budgets and 38% creating implementation teams.

Concerns persist about data accuracy, data security, legacy workflows, and internal resistance to change, and only a quarter of respondents rate their current data quality as high. Yet, the experience of early adopters is telling: among contractors already using AI-enhanced project and company management functions, 70 % or more report they are highly effective compared with previous methods.

This suggests that while industry-wide transformation is still emerging, the value potential of AI is already being unlocked where it’s being used.

Request the report brief at https://www.construction.com/resource/ai-for-contractors/

Source: Business Wire, December 5, 2025