Parts Advisor · AutoCAD plugin

Real-time material and cost intelligence inside your design workflow.

Caident Parts Advisor brings live pricing and component insight directly into AutoCAD, helping teams make informed design decisions earlier in the process.

Contact our team → See how it works
Caident Parts Advisor interface showing live material costs and component totals inside AutoCAD
The challenge

A gap between design and cost.

In traditional fire sprinkler workflows, designers make material decisions long before pricing is visible. Cost impacts are often discovered later during estimating, leading to rework, budget misalignment, and last-minute compromises.

Parts Advisor shifts that visibility forward, giving designers and teams financial context while designs are still taking shape.

Our solution

Live material insight as you design.

Parts Advisor turns your drawing into a living bill of materials. As you design, every pipe, fitting, valve, head, and accessory is tracked automatically.

System totals update in real time as layouts change, showing:

  • Cost differences between component alternatives
  • The financial impact of design adjustments
  • How individual choices affect the overall system

Design changes no longer require manual recalculation or delayed feedback.

Living BOM

Every component in the drawing rolls up to live cost totals — so design and estimating stay aligned from the first layout.

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Integrated cost visibility

Designers typically do not see pricing until a project reaches estimating. Parts Advisor brings that visibility into the design phase.

With Parts Advisor, designers can:

  • Compare component costs instantly
  • Select pumps, valves, and piping more efficiently
  • Deliver designs better aligned with project budgets

Accurate, current material pricing

Material pricing changes frequently. Parts Advisor stays aligned with current vendor pricing so design decisions reflect real market conditions.

This helps eliminate:

  • Manual spreadsheet updates
  • Outdated pricing assumptions
  • Cost surprises later in the project lifecycle

Visibility for contractors and design leads

Parts Advisor provides a management-level view into how design decisions affect project costs across teams and projects.

Leaders can:

  • Compare how designers approach material selection
  • Identify patterns of overengineering that increase system cost
  • Encourage consistent, cost-aware design standards
  • Track how revisions impact budgets throughout the workflow
A lightweight plugin

Built to fit your workflow.

Parts Advisor integrates directly into AutoCAD with minimal setup, with Revit support planned. It automatically detects components, generates live cost rollups, and provides exportable snapshots for estimating and proposals.

1

Install plugin

Add Parts Advisor directly to AutoCAD with minimal setup and no workflow changes.

2

Design with insight

Components and material costs update automatically as you work.

3

Export results

Generate cost snapshots for estimating and decision-making.

Get in touch

Design with confidence and cost visibility.

Parts Advisor helps teams design fire sprinkler systems that are structurally sound, cost-aware, and more predictable from the start.

Contact our team → Talk to us