Briggs AnalyticsCan you sell CAD files to AI companies? Who pays, what qualifies and who owns them
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In this article
Who pays for CAD filesWhat qualifiesWho owns the drawingsWhat moves the priceHow a firm startsWho pays for CAD files
| Who is selling | What is published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| One person, file by file | Up to €10 per approved building dataset, paid weekly | CADpay |
| A 70-person engineering firm | One example deal at $450,000 | Pewter |
| A company licensing its records | $100,000 to $2 million+ for a defined-term license, and its list includes design files | Polyshares |
| A construction or architecture firm | "Six figures," no rate card | Troveo |
The gap between €10 and $450,000 is the whole story. A lone drawing teaches a model very little. A firm's archive shows how real projects move from first sketch to issued set: every revision, the calculation behind it, the RFI that caused it and the markup that fixed it. That trail is what AI companies are paying for. Checked October 30, 2026.
Before you apply anywhere, check your fit with every buyer first. Once you apply to one buyer you are in its process. Our estimate takes about a minute, never asks for a file, and tells you which buyers your company fits. It costs nothing. See which buyers fit your company.
What qualifies
- Native files beat exports. SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo, NX, AutoCAD DWG and Revit files with their history are worth more than PDFs.
- Revisions and the reasons for them. Version history, change orders, RFIs, redlines and review comments.
- Calculations and specs tied to the drawings they support.
- Years of projects. More finished projects across more types usually means a higher price.
- What usually stays out: files under a client NDA that forbids it, export-controlled work (ITAR or EAR), and anything a client owns outright.
Engineering, design or architecture firm? Check your fit in about two minutes. It asks about your records, never asks for a file, and costs nothing. Check initial fit.
Who owns the drawings
This decides most CAD deals, so check it first. Three common cases:
- Your firm's own products and standard details. Usually yours. These are the easiest to license.
- Work for clients. It depends on the contract. Under the standard AIA owner and architect agreement, the design firm usually keeps copyright in its drawings and models and the client gets a license to use them for the project. Many engineering and manufacturing contracts say the opposite and hand the client the IP. Read your own contracts.
- Work done by employees. It normally belongs to the employer, which is why individuals selling file by file are told to get the firm's permission (CADpay).
Buyers check this too. A firm that already knows which projects it owns gets a cleaner offer, faster. Is it legal to sell company data?
What moves the price
- How many years and projects the archive covers.
- Whether the files are native and open with their history intact.
- Whether drawings link to the calculations, RFIs and change orders behind them.
- Exclusivity. An exclusive license pays more but can only be sold once. Exclusive vs. non-exclusive.
See what your company's operating history could be worth.
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See what my data is worth →How a firm starts
- List the systems that hold your drawings (vault or PDM, file server, Revit cloud, ticketing for RFIs).
- Mark which projects you own and which clients own.
- Get a range before you talk to any buyer, so the first offer is not the only number you know.
- Compare buyers before you apply. Once you are in one buyer's process, it is harder to shop the deal.
What an architecture or engineering firm's data is worth. Selling Revit and BIM models.
Briggs Analytics is independent. Some buyers named on this page may pay Briggs Analytics a referral fee, and owners never pay us anything. Every figure comes from the buyer's own page or the source linked next to it, checked October 30, 2026. Buyers change their terms often, so confirm on their page before you sign. Disclosures
In short
- AI companies license CAD files and engineering drawings. Firms with years of native files and revision history are paid the most.
- Published figures run from up to €10 per file for individuals to a $450,000 example deal for a 70-person engineering firm.
- Ownership decides most deals: client contracts, NDAs and export controls can rule files out.
Questions owners ask.
Can I sell my company's CAD files to AI companies?
Yes, if your company owns the rights. Firms license archives of drawings, models and the revisions behind them. Files a client owns, files under an NDA that forbids it and export-controlled work usually stay out.
How much are CAD files worth to AI companies?
For individuals, one published buyer pays up to 10 euros per approved building dataset. For firms licensing an archive, published examples reach six figures, including a $450,000 deal for a 70-person engineering firm. Final price is set by the buyer after review.
Do I need native CAD files?
Native files with their history are worth more than PDFs or flat exports, because they show how the design changed.
Who owns drawings made for a client?
It depends on the contract. Under the standard AIA owner and architect agreement the design firm usually keeps copyright and the client gets a license. Many engineering and manufacturing contracts give the client the IP. Check yours first.
Can I sell CAD work I did as an employee?
Usually not without permission, because work made as an employee normally belongs to the employer.
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