Billing Automation System (Open Source)

An AI-assisted automation tool for civil engineering billing workflows (RA billing, BOQ, BBS, and audits).

Status: Prototype-friendly — designed to be built iteratively with community contributions.
Tech stack (recommended): Backend: FastAPI (Python) | Frontend: React | Database: MongoDB | ML: PyTorch / Detectron2
License: MIT
Created: November 18, 2025

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Project Summary

Manual billing in civil construction (RA bills, BOQ preparation, BBS, etc.) is error-prone, slow, and fragmented across Excel, PDFs, and WhatsApp. This project aims to automate the heavy-lifting tasks:

• Extract quantities from PDF drawings and measurement sheets
• Generate BOQs and RA bills automatically
• Produce Bar Bending Schedules (BBS) from structural drawings
• Provide an audit engine to validate contractor bills
• Offer a simple approval workflow and export to PDF/Excel
• Provide mobile-friendly capture for on-site measurements

This repo is a starter platform — modular, extensible, and welcoming to contributors of all skill levels.

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Who should contribute?

• Backend engineers (Python, FastAPI)
• Frontend engineers (React)
• ML engineers (computer vision, OCR)
• QA/testers
• Technical writers
• Civil engineers / QS professionals (domain expertise)
• DevOps / infra contributors

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Why this project matters

• Reduces billing time (target: 70% reduction)
• Lowers disputes and payment delays
• Increases productivity for billing engineers and contractors
• Democratizes automation for small contractors in emerging markets

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What’s in this repo (high level)

• /backend — FastAPI skeleton, API stubs, database models
• /frontend — React app skeleton with pages & component scaffold
• /ml — Placeholder for models, training scripts, annotation tools
• /docs — Design docs, SRS, Architecture, Roadmap
• /scripts — Dev & deployment scripts
• Issue templates, PR template, contributing guide, code of conduct, license

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Quick Start (developer flow)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.11+
• Node 18+
• MongoDB (local or cloud)
• Docker (optional, recommended)

Run backend (dev)

cd backend
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
uvicorn app.main:app --reload

Run frontend (dev)

cd frontend
npm install
npm start

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Roadmap & How to Help

See ROADMAP.md for detailed milestones. If you're new, start with:

1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md.
2. Pick an issue labeled good-first-issue.
3. Ask questions on the issue thread or open a new issue if uncertain.

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Code of Conduct

We expect everyone to follow the Code of Conduct (CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md). Be respectful and constructive.

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Contact & Communication

• Preferred: GitHub Issues + PRs
• For quick chat: create an issue titled [discussion] <topic> and invite collaborators.

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Thank you — we welcome your contributions and ideas!