Lowe's debuts AI tool for Pro material lists

Lowe's said on May 21 that it launched Material Lists, an artificial-intelligence tool for professional customers that converts handwritten notes, photos, spreadsheets and other files into quote-ready product orders. The company said the tool supports English and Spanish and is designed to shorten the estimating process for contractors and other Pro buyers. The release came a day after Lowe's reported first-quarter sales of $23.1 billion and said Pro sales remained a source of strength. ### What does the new Lowe's tool actually do? Material Lists takes job information that contractors often collect in unstructured formats and turns it into an order draft tied to Lowe's products, the company said. Lowe's said users can upload handwritten lists, photos, spreadsheets and other supported file types, then review a generated materials list and pricing before converting it into a quote-ready order. (corporate.lowes.com) English and Spanish support is part of the launch. Lowe's said that feature is meant to help Pros who work across bilingual crews and customer bases, while keeping the quoting workflow inside Lowe's system. ### How fast is Lowe's saying this works? Lowe's used a roofing example in its announcement to show the speed claim. (corporate.lowes.com) The company said a contractor could upload a photo and handwritten measurements and receive a contractor-ready materials list and price estimate in less than a minute. The May 21 release described the product as a way to save time on estimating and help Pros respond faster to customers. Lowe's did not disclose pricing for the feature in the announcement. ### Where does this fit in Lowe's broader Pro push? February 17 was the date of another Lowe's Pro update, when the retailer said it was expanding digital tools for quoting, spend management and product access for small- to medium-size professional customers. (corporate.lowes.com) That package included Pro Extended Aisle and MyLowe's Pro Rewards, according to the company. Marvin R. Ellison, Lowe's chairman, president and chief executive, said on May 20 that Pro, appliances, online and home services helped support the company's fourth straight quarter of positive comparable sales. Lowe's reported comparable sales growth of 0.6% and online sales growth of 15.5% in the first quarter. (corporate.lowes.com) ### Why is Lowe's emphasizing contractors now? First-quarter results released on May 20 showed Lowe's leaning on categories and customer groups that have held up better in a difficult housing market. The company said total sales rose to $23.1 billion from $20.9 billion a year earlier, while reaffirming its full-year 2026 outlook. (corporate.lowes.com) The same earnings release said Pro sales showed continued strength. Lowe's has also said it is investing in tools and services that simplify purchasing and day-to-day operations for contractors, a group the retailer has been trying to win more aggressively. ### What comes next for contractors using Lowe's tools? (corporate.lowes.com) Lowe's said Material Lists is available as part of its Pro workflow, alongside other digital tools such as Blueprint Takeoff. The next test will be adoption by contractors who already use Lowe's quoting and purchasing systems for repeat jobs and customer estimates. (corporate.lowes.com) Lowe's next major public checkpoint is its fiscal 2026 reporting cycle after the May 20 first-quarter release. For now, the company is presenting Material Lists as a live tool for Pro customers rather than a pilot, with uploads from notes, photos and spreadsheets feeding into quote-ready orders. (corporate.lowes.com)