Practical AI and visualizationfor builders & contractors
Written for small builders, remodelers, and design-build shops. Builder and data scientist, same person — that’s the differentiator.
What a deck costs this week
Real shelf prices from Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards and local suppliers, tracked weekly.
- Since last price check
- No change
- Last 30 days
- ▼ −2.9%
- Year to date
- ▲ +3.1%
Materials for a 12×16 composite deck with railing and stairs — framing, footings, Trex Enhance decking, and Trex railing — priced at the cheapest store carrying each item.
See the full materials list →Prices are collected from public retailer websites for a specific store location and date, may not reflect current in-store or contractor pricing, and are provided for information only. Queen City Analytics is not affiliated with or endorsed by any retailer named.
Three pillars
ArchViz
Visualization for builders & contractors.
Buildings, furniture, landscape. Not consumer-product rendering.
Construction
Materials, methods, and practical AI for small builders.
Lumber, concrete, decking, and fasteners — plus estimating, permits, scheduling, and lead intake.
AI for Media & Marketing
AI-powered marketing for small companies.
Content, ad creative, local SEO, and lead nurture — especially for construction.
Latest insights
See all →Where does your lumber come from?
From forest to job site.
Welcome to the new Queen City Analytics
A short note on what QCA is now — practical AI and visualization for builders & contractors — and how the site is organized around three pillars.
AI-assisted estimating: a first look for small builders
What actually works today for takeoffs and rough estimates when you're a two-person office — and what still needs a human eye.
Running a local SEO audit on a real remodeler
Walking through a local SEO audit for True Craft Renovations — what we found, what moved the needle, and what didn't.
Builder and data scientist
Russell runs True Craft Renovations by day and writes about AI and analytics by night. That dual credibility is why the advice here works on real jobsites, not just in demos.
More about QCA →Get the QCA dispatch
Short weekly notes on AI, visualization, and material prices for builders. No fluff, no lists of tools you already know.