Time and Material Calculator 2026: AI calculates in 30 seconds instead of 5 hours
Preparing a time & material estimate for installation work? Manually calculating person-hours from reference books, searching for rates in Excel spreadsheets, converting measurement units? In 2026, an AI calculator analyzes any materials (Excel, PDF, text) and automatically generates an estimate with labor costs in 30 seconds.
Key Facts
- Manual time & material labor cost calculation takes 5-6 hours per estimate
- AI calculator processes data from any sources and calculates in 30 seconds
- Automatic rate selection with 95%+ accuracy
- Person-hours calculation formula: Ph = N × T (workers × time)
- TimeMaterial saves 5+ hours of estimator work on each project
Comparison of methods: how to calculate time & material?
| Method | What it is | Pros | Cons | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual Excel spreadsheet | Labor cost calculation with Excel formulas | Free, full control | Slow (5-6 hours), high error risk, need to know pricing rates | Free |
| Online calculators (ToolFox, ppt.ru) | Simple person-hour calculators | Quick formula calculation | No rate selection, manual data entry, no export | Free |
| Professional software | Professional estimating program | Full rate database, all calculations | Expensive, complex interface, long training (2-3 weeks) | from 50 000 ₽/year |
| Custom development | Custom solution for estimate calculation | Integration with accounting system | Expensive, slow (from 2 weeks), needs maintenance | 80 000-150 000 ₽ |
| TimeMaterial AI | AI bot in Telegram with automatic calculation | Analyzes any formats, selects pricing rates, calculates in 30 sec | Currently only Russian standards | 5 000 ₽/month |
How to calculate time & material in 3 steps?
Instead of 5 hours of manual Excel work — upload materials to Telegram bot and get a ready estimate with labor costs.
Step 1. Send data in any format
Open @timematerial_bot and send source data: - Excel spreadsheet with work list - Google Docs with technical specification - PDF with project documentation - Screenshot or text description: "Ventilation installation 150 m2, Armstrong ceilings 80 m2"
Step 2. AI selects pricing rates and calculates labor costs
The system automatically: 1. Analyzes each work item 2. Finds suitable pricing rates from the reference database 3. Calculates labor costs using formula: Ph = N × T 4. Converts measurement units (if the standard rate is per 100 m2 and you have 15 m2 — applies coefficient 0.15)
Example bot response:
Ventilation installation 150 m2:
→ Rate code: 15-06-023 (Ductwork installation)
→ Labor costs: 45.2 person-hours
→ Work cost: 28 625 ₽
Armstrong ceilings 80 m2:
→ Rate code: 15-01-041 (Suspended ceiling installation)
→ Labor costs: 18.4 person-hours
→ Work cost: 11 680 ₽
Total labor costs: 63.6 person-hours
Total cost: 40 305 ₽
Step 3. Get ready estimate in Excel
The bot generates an estimate according to your template with formulas and exports to Excel. Done — 30 seconds instead of 5 hours of manual calculation.
TimeMaterial Telegram bot: automatic time & material labor cost calculation in 30 seconds
What else can TimeMaterial do?
The AI calculator automates not only labor cost calculation — it replaces the entire manual time & material estimate preparation process.
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Data collection from any sources | Accepts Excel, Google Docs, PDF, screenshots, text descriptions — analyzes all formats without manual data transfer |
| AI rate selection | Finds needed rate codes by work description: "wall plastering" → automatic rate match in 3 seconds |
| Automatic labor cost calculation | Applies formula Ph = N × T, converts measurement units (m2 → m, pcs → set), accounts for adjustment coefficients |
| Excel export by template | Generates estimate with formulas according to your template — preserves structure, formatting, columns, cell format |
| Matching history | Remembers your preferences — for repeat work rate selection happens instantly without operator involvement |
The time & material methodology requires detailed tracking of labor costs and materials. TimeMaterial automates the most labor-intensive part — calculating person-hours according to standards and selecting current pricing rates.
See also
- Pricing Rates 2026: how to find in 3 seconds without software
- Estimate Pricing Rate 2026: AI selects in 3 seconds
Frequently Asked Questions
What formula is used to calculate labor costs in person-hours?
Basic formula: Ph = N × T, where N is the number of workers, T is work completion time in hours. The AI calculator automatically applies this formula to each estimate item and accounts for standard norms.
What pricing rate databases does the calculator support?
In the basic version — Russian construction standards (528+ items). In the "Professional" tier, you can upload your company's local pricing rates.
Can the calculator be used for design work?
Yes, the system is suitable for time & material calculation for any type of work: installation, construction, design, engineering. AI analyzes work descriptions and selects relevant pricing rates.
How much time does calculation automation save?
On average 5+ hours per estimate. Manual calculation takes 5-6 hours, automatic — 30 seconds. ROI pays off in 10-15 estimates.
Stop spending 5 hours on manual labor cost calculation in Excel.
TimeMaterial automatically analyzes your materials, selects pricing rates, and generates time & material estimates in 30 seconds in 2026 — no software, no training, no errors.
Two payment options: - 5 000 ₽/month — subscription, customization for your rate databases + all updates - 30 000 ₽ — one-time payment, year access + updates
Learn more about features on the page TimeMaterial — Estimate Automation with AI.
Article prepared by the TimeMaterial team. Updated: 2026-02-17.
Sources: - https://bitcop.ru/blog/trudozatraty-sotrudnikov-na-predpriyatii - https://planado.ru/blog/articles/trudozatraty-na-vypolnenie-rabot - https://ppt.ru/art/rabota/cheloveko-chasy - https://www.kdelo.ru/art/384737-qqq-17-m8-raschet-cheloveko-chasov-formula - https://toolfox.ru/tools/man-days-calculator - https://gk-adept.ru/pir_blog/metodika_sostavleniya_smet_na_pir/raschet_trudozatrat/ - https://gectaro.com/blog/tpost/1u7rkdt5f1-fot-v-smete-na-stroitelstvo-chto-eto-i-k
About the service "TimeMaterial — AI-powered estimate automation"
AI system for automatic estimation from any materials: Excel, Google Docs, PDF, text descriptions. Works with GESN (State Elemental Estimate Norms) price catalogs. Saves 5+ hours of estimator's work on each project.
Key Benefits:
- Saving 5+ hours of estimator's work on each project
- Calculation accuracy 95%+ thanks to AI
- Reduction of human errors by a factor of 10
- ROI pays off in 10-15 estimates