Frequently asked questions

An independent SaaS platform that scores AI tools used in AEC (architecture, engineering, construction) against a 7-layer compliance framework. It combines tool compliance scores (C1), firm digital maturity assessment (C2), and project context to produce a FitScore — a ranked decision for which tools you can safely deploy on a specific project.

Two audiences: (1) AEC firms — PEs, BIM managers, Innovation Directors, and digital leads who need to verify AI tools before procurement or deployment. (2) AI tool vendors — companies whose tools serve the AEC market and want an independent compliance score to share with enterprise buyers.

No. The ACS score is an independent compliance assessment produced by editorial research — not a legal certification, regulatory approval, or guarantee of compliance. It reflects publicly available evidence at the time of assessment. Always consult your legal and insurance advisors for specific project compliance requirements.

Yes. The platform is fully responsive and accessible on desktop, tablet, and mobile. All core features — maturity assessment, FitScore comparison, registry browsing — are available on any device.

The platform was built by Marcin Kasiak — a practising structural engineer with PhD, PE (Professional Engineer), PMP, and IWE credentials and 20+ years of AEC industry experience. The methodology was reviewed independently by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok. It is part of AECO.digital — independent intelligence for the AEC technology market.

The AECO Compliance Score (ACS) is a 0–10 score produced by the C1 Scanner. It assesses an AI tool across 7 liability layers: PE Responsible Charge (22%), AI Governance (20%), Code Edition Control (16%), BIM & ISO 19650 (14%), Cybersecurity (12%), Worker Safety (10%), and Vendor Transparency (6%). Scores are evidence-based — derived from public sources, vendor documentation, and editorial research.

FitScore = ACS × 0.50 + LayerAlignment × 0.30 + MaturityMatch × 0.20. It combines the tool's compliance score with how well its compliance profile matches your project's liability priorities (LayerAlignment) and how well your firm's digital maturity matches the tool's requirements (MaturityMatch). A tool scoring 8.0 ACS may still have a low FitScore if your firm is not ready to govern it safely.

A three-state classification derived from the L1 (PE Responsible Charge) score: Stamp-Supporting (PE can place responsible charge on outputs), Conditional (PE can use with documented conditions), or Not Stamp-Safe (tool output cannot enter PE-stamped deliverables without significant additional governance). This is the first signal shown on every tool page.

A specific assessment question that checks whether a tool's publicly available Terms of Service, EULA, or Acceptable Use Policy contains language that disclaims liability or transfers risk to the user. A score of 2 or below triggers a red warning banner: the tool's legal terms may not support PE responsible charge on stamped deliverables. This reflects 2026 industry practice where vendor ToS language is increasingly cited in E&O disputes.

Hard filters (HF1–HF5) are binary checks that run before any FitScore is computed. If a tool fails a hard filter, its FitScore is computed and stored but not displayed — the result shows DoNotProcure instead. Hard filters check: jurisdiction licensure (HF1), discipline scope (HF2), E&O insurance coverage (HF3), GL coverage (HF4), and DBE requirements for public projects (HF5).

No hands-on testing. All ACS scores are produced from publicly available evidence: vendor documentation, Terms of Service, published case studies, third-party review platforms (G2, Capterra), regulatory filings, and AEC industry knowledge. Every score includes a methodology disclosure. This approach maintains editorial independence — vendor relationships and payments never influence scores.

A 40-question self-assessment that scores your firm across 7 dimensions: Data Maturity (D1), BIM & Digital Infrastructure (D2), AI Readiness (D3), Process & Governance (D4), Talent & Capability (D5), Adoption & Scaling (D6), and Supply Chain Digital Alignment (D7). It also assesses your ISO 19650 adoption stage (D2b). The output is a Firm Maturity Profile (FMP) — used by C3 to personalise FitScore rankings.

Approximately 10–15 minutes for a first assessment. Subsequent reassessments are faster as previous answers are retained for reference.

Your data is yours. If your subscription lapses, your assessment history is retained in read-only mode for 12 months. You can view your last scores but cannot run new assessments or update dimensions. Resubscribe at any time to restore full access — all historical data is preserved. After 12 months, data is archived but recoverable on request.

If your firm does not have a named person responsible for reviewing AI-assisted outputs before a PE stamp is applied (D4.6 = No), your Process & Governance dimension score is hard-capped at 4.9 (Developing band) regardless of other answers. This reflects the NSPE responsible charge requirement that a licensed professional must independently verify AI outputs before stamping.

Start with a Self-Audit ($149) — automated ACS scoring with gap report, no badge. Upgrade to Verified Certification ($1,600) for expert human review, official badge, registry listing, and 12-month validity. For federal work, the Federal Pack ($4,500+) covers multi-standard audit with FAR/DFARS documentation. Contact us at hello@aeco.digital to begin.

Self-Audit: automated, delivered within 24 hours of questionnaire completion. Verified Certification: 5–10 business days including expert review. Federal Pack: 10–15 business days.

Yes — the US Market Entry Pack ($3,500–$6,000) is specifically designed for international vendors. It maps your existing certifications (ISO 42001, EU AI Act compliance, CE marking) to US requirements (NIST AI RMF, CMMC 2.0, SOC 2, state AI laws) and produces a gap analysis with a prioritised remediation roadmap.

No. Payment covers the assessment process — not the outcome. A tool that fails the 7-layer framework will receive a low score regardless of which tier was purchased. Editorial independence is a foundational principle. Vendor relationships and payments never influence published scores.

Registry browsing, ACS scores and score bands for all listed tools, one Digital Maturity Assessment, one FitScore comparison, and 3 salary role benchmarks. No credit card required.

Unlimited FitScore comparisons, full tripartite output (Delivery Risk Score, Compliance Exposure Score, Competitive Position Score), PDF report export, scoring request queue, open-source track full access, full salary benchmarking across all roles, and Career Path Designer.

$49/month — same features as Pro, but the price is locked forever and never increases. Available to the first 100 subscribers only. Direct input on methodology updates and early access to new features.

Yes. Firm Standard ($499/month) includes 5 seats, full Platform 1 and Platform 2 access, and portfolio-level tracking. Firm Pro ($999/month) includes 10 seats, advanced Bid Intelligence, Forecasting/Premortem engine, Regulatory Watch alerts, and API read access.

All data is stored in Supabase (PostgreSQL) with row-level security. The platform is deployed on Vercel with global CDN. Your firm's assessment data is private by default — only visible to authenticated users in your account. Public registry data is visible to all users.

The platform uses Supabase authentication with row-level security policies, HTTPS everywhere, and no storage of payment card data (all payments handled by Stripe). Environment variables and API keys are never exposed client-side.

The Anthropic Claude API (claude-sonnet) powers narrative generation for FitScore reports, gap analysis summaries, and coaching recommendations. The API is called server-side only — your assessment data is not used to train AI models.