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Ask Donnie is coming to iPhone, iPad & Android

By Donnie Proctor · · 4 min read

I've spent decades on job sites, and the same two questions never go away: "Does the code actually allow this here?" and "What's this going to cost?" The honest answer used to mean digging through a code book for the right edition, calling the building department, and rebuilding a takeoff by hand. Ask Donnie does that work in seconds — and the native apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android are built and on their way to the App Store and Google Play. You can put Donnie to work on the web right now.

What it does

Ask Donnie is an AI construction estimator and building-code expert. You ask a question or drop in a plan, and it does the part that takes a builder's judgment:

Who it's for

It's built for the trades first — contractors, builders, and subs who need a cited answer and a defensible number faster than a code book and a spreadsheet can give it. But it answers a homeowner planning a deck or a basement just as plainly, with the same sources shown and the same honest "check this with your AHJ" at the end.

We keep it honest

An estimating tool is only worth carrying if you can trust what it tells you. So Donnie shows its sources — it quotes the verbatim code section and links it, instead of asserting a rule and hoping you take its word. The estimate math is deterministic and reproducible: the same scope produces the same number, with an accuracy range attached, so it reads like an estimate and not a magic figure.

Donnie is AI assistance to verify — not a license, not a stamp, and not legal advice. It tells you to confirm the adopted edition, any local amendments, and the critical details with your local building department and a licensed professional before you build. That line stays in every answer on purpose.

Pricing

Free to start — a $5 wallet, no credit card. You only pay for what you use after that. Membership unlocks watermark-free white-label documents, higher limits, and a monthly wallet allowance: Pro is $150/mo and Business is $250/mo. You can top up the prepaid wallet anytime ($20 / $50 / $100). Same account, same data, across the apps and the web.

Where to get it

Ask Donnie is live on the web today — ask it a code question or rough out an estimate right now. The iPhone, iPad, and Android apps are coming to the App Store and Google Play; the download page is where they'll land, and the smart-banner and store badges go live the moment each listing is published. As always: verify before you build.

Try Ask Donnie

Ask a building-code question or rough out an estimate. Free to start — $5 wallet, no card.

Get the app →

Ask Donnie is AI assistance to verify — not legal advice. Confirm the adopted edition and any local amendments with your local building department (AHJ) and a licensed professional before you build.