Kestrel FAQ
What is Kestrel?
Kestrel is desktop PDF takeoff software for UK construction Estimators. Load architects' and engineers' drawings, measure lengths, areas and counts straight off the page, and export an NRM2 Bill of Quantities ready to price. AI scans your drawings for the finishes on them, scale auto-detects from your title block, and projects live in a single file with drawings embedded - no cloud, no login. Runs on Windows. Built by Estimators, for Estimators.
How much does Kestrel cost?
Kestrel is £25 a month, or £250 a year (two months free), plus VAT. One flat price with every feature included, for one user on one machine. There is a 14-day free trial; a card is required, but cancel before it ends and you are not charged. Annual plans taken before 1 September 2026 get the Founders Discount: £150 plus VAT for the first year. See pricing for the full detail.
What is BYOK?
Bring Your Own Key. The AI features use Claude (Anthropic), but Kestrel doesn't bundle the AI bill into your subscription. You create your own free Anthropic account, generate an API key, paste it into Kestrel's Settings > AI panel, and Anthropic charges you directly for the AI calls at their published rates. Each AI feature has its own on/off toggle and auto/manual mode, so you control exactly when AI fires.
Is there a Mac version?
No, and not planned. Kestrel is Windows-only by design. Our users are UK construction estimators who work on Windows.
Does my project data leave my machine?
Your drawings, measurements, finishes and exports stay on your machine. The only things that leave are:
- Activation + refresh pings to our Cloudflare licence Worker (your email + machine fingerprint, no project data)
- Anonymised crash reports via Sentry (stack traces, no project data)
- The page of a PDF you opt to send when you enable an AI feature (goes to Anthropic via your own API key, never via Kestrel)
Can I move a project to another folder or machine?
Yes. PDFs are embedded inside the project file, so you can copy a .qtdb anywhere - a USB stick, a new laptop, a network share - and Kestrel opens it with all drawings intact. No separate "drawings" folder to chase down.
Can I use Kestrel offline?
Yes, for up to 5 days. After that the licence heartbeat needs to reach our Worker to confirm your licence is still active. If you'll be off-grid longer than that, email us in advance and we'll extend your grace window.
Can I move my licence to a new machine?
Yes. Your licence is bound to one machine at a time. Email info@alvesrowe.com and we'll unbind the old binding so you can re-activate on the new machine.
What does cancelling do?
Cancelling stops the subscription auto-renewing: you keep access until the end of your current billing period, then Kestrel drops into a read-only state (open and view existing projects, but no new measurements or exports). Re-subscribing at any time restores full access.
Still curious?
Email info@alvesrowe.com - real human, usually replies same-day.