What happened
BMI has launched PlanMaster, a digital roof measurement service designed to provide remote assessment of roofing projects. The tool uses high-resolution aerial images and 3D modelling to generate reports on roof geometry, sizes, and key features. The service is aimed at both specifiers and contractors, allowing them to gather project information before visiting a site in person, according to a report by Roofing Today on 29 October 2026.
The background
Roof specifications and project estimates typically require repeated site visits early in a project. These visits check dimensions, site conditions, and access, and often require further clarification or detail, leading to several trips. The report notes these repeated visits take up significant manpower and time, both of which are limited due to the industry-wide skills shortage.
According to the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), more than half of roofing businesses in 2025 reported difficulties in recruitment. The skills gap is further worsened by an ageing workforce. This labour shortage has put pressure on firms to improve efficiency at every stage of their work, from planning to delivery.
Benefits for planning and estimating
PlanMaster provides contractors and specifiers with detailed roof measurement data remotely. According to Roofing Today, the intention is to reduce the need for repeat site visits by allowing most initial technical information to be gathered before anyone sets foot on site.
Early access to roof layouts can enable better project viability assessments and support more confident tender submissions. With more information available beforehand, the number of on-site clarifications needed during project planning is reduced.
Specification discussions can also progress more efficiently. Specifiers and surveyors can address design, access, and condition issues earlier in the process, improving coordination between project stakeholders.
What it means for contractors
For contractors, PlanMaster offers remote access to measurements that can support quotations and material planning. The tool is positioned to minimise reliance on preliminary site measurements, which can sometimes lack detail or miss features that are only discovered after work begins.
Contractors may be able to generate more accurate quotations by using comprehensive digital data, cutting down on potential errors or underestimation of materials and labour.
Project delivery and efficiency
The adoption of digital tools like PlanMaster could help contractors stay responsive to clients despite staffing pressures. More reliable measurements enable better material estimates, which can cut down on waste and avoid the cost of over-ordering or shortages. Accurate measurements also support cost projections and work schedules, which can help keep projects on track and within budget.
Roofing Today reports that this approach is particularly relevant as trades seek to reduce inefficiencies caused by labour shortages and under-resourcing.
What people are saying
The Roofing Today article highlights comments from the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC), which has tracked recruitment challenges and workforce ageing in the sector. The report does not include direct comments from contractors or specifiers using PlanMaster but outlines potential benefits as described by BMI.
The article suggests that early-stage access to detailed measurement data can improve confidence and certainty for clients and project teams, but offers no independent data on time or cost savings at this stage.
What happens next
Roofing firms and specifiers now have the option to use PlanMaster for remote roof assessments. The tool is positioned as a way to reduce workload pressures caused by the labour shortage.
The report states that the benefits could include improved material usage, stronger cost controls, and reduced risk of project delays arising from faulty early measurements. There are no details yet on the scale of adoption, or on independent feedback from early users.
The introduction of digital measurement services could prompt wider changes in pre-construction workflows, but specific impacts and user experiences have yet to be reported.