15 Best Home Builder Contractors Software and Apps (Construction Management)

When San Francisco general contractor Dan Smith grew frustrated because his business wasn’t being run as efficiently as he knew it could be around 1980, he concluded that the emerging field of personal computers was exactly what he needed to help his business.

After buying an Apple II computer, Dan realized that there was no proper software on the market so he set out to write his own.

Smith mastered programming that lead to today’s massive selection of contractor and home builder software products.

The following 15 options are just the tip of the iceberg but make a great start. Smith launched a revolution. You’re the beneficiary.

In this article we will describe some of the top home builder and contractor software apps, so let’s get started:

1) BuilderTrend

Is your biggest goal finding new clients? BuilderTrend is the tool you can use “before the concrete is poured and windows are framed,” say the company’s software developers.

BuilderTrend helps you handle bid requests, estimates and proposals, engage in lead-building and client relationship management and it sorts and stores all data.

Take advantage of this product’s powerful e-mail marketing help and tips that interface with mobile devices.

Try the demo risk free or go directly to the pricing page to choose between two introductory Core options at $99 a month for the first two months ($299 thereafter) or go directly to the Pro option that will be $299 for the first two months and then ultimately run $499 monthly after that.

Try the free demo before you buy.

2) Contractor Foreman

This highly-targeted software was written for small- and medium-size construction firms. Try it out for 30 days to see how it works for you and then contract with the company at a starting price of $49 monthly.

Marketed as the “all-in-one solution to manage your construction company without it managing you,” users tackle estimating, invoicing and 35 more features, including the ability to accurately track employee work times and locations.

The QuickBooks integration feature helps you avoid costly double entry errors, but the claim you may find most compelling is that Contractor Foreman offers users this commitment: “Unlimited projects and no price increases – ever.”

3) Houzz Pro Business Software

Houzz.com has added a pro-business software product engineered for design professionals. Receive a “suite of software tools” that manage project’s life cycles, attract, convert and communicate with new clients and handle billing.

Architects and other remodeling professionals have found value in this software’s new marketing and advertising features, including enhanced analytics, new profile features, videos and featured reviews.

Find pricing options at https://www.houzz.com/houzz-pro/pricing to decide between the starter option at $55 monthly, $75 per month for the Essential package or the Ultimate at $999. Try the free 30-day demo to check it out.

4) Buildbook

Buildbook software is made to deliver essentials contractors most need and a free trial offers anyone opportunities to try it.

Manage all aspects of your projects using a single, easy-to-use platform loaded with sales and marketing tools.

Buildbook helps busy contractors juggle multiple projects and teams without breaking a sweat and clients stay in the loop via regular updates so they are continually reminded that you are on the job.

Contract with Buildbook based on the size of your company so you can start small and build big. Check https://buildbook.co/pricing to see your options and choose the most appropriate plan for your company’s size and needs.

5) STACK

STACK innovators call this product load-bearing software that “delivers power and performance throughout the entire pre-construction process.”

Specifically, STACK offers tools you need to handle project plans, specs, and other documents that are stored in the cloud.

Users eliminate blueprints and avoid difficult-to-access file servers since sorting and searching help team members find what they need quickly.

STACK replaces paper, manuals and outdated programs with cloud connectivity. Created to serve trade subcontractors, homebuilders, general contractors, suppliers and manufacturers, you can test drive STACK at no charge.

If it turns out to be the ideal product, your licensing rate will be contingent upon the number of users and access parameters best described in detail on the company’s pricing page: https://www.stackct.com/pricing/.

6) BuildIT

If you’re seeking less marketing hype, specificity and easy-to-understand language, BuildIt could make your short list.

Users appreciate the scheduling system, ability to modify existing schedules that have been preloaded and the ability to create new, customized schedules from scratch.

Had enough of spreadsheets, online personal calendars and whiteboards? BuildIT stores all your job information, files, schedules and communications in one place that’s accessible to every team member.

Make job assignments, upload files, share links, handle job-specific notifications and access 90+ pre-formatted templates.

Consider four pricing options ranging between $32 and $144 monthly if this reasonably-priced software works for you.

7) CoConstruct

Positioning itself as the company “Trusted by 100,000 building pros like you,” CoConstruct gives users the ability to master single-entry estimating, it can integrate your existing accounting system and you’ll be able to track jobsite activity and progress quickly and easily.

CoConstruct can streamline your bidding process, simplify timesheet management, create “effortless proposals,” design budgets and forecast project costs.

Further, you will be able to track change orders and expenses and enjoy improved client communications.

Expand your client base by managing and tracking leads and coordinating team schedules. All of these features enable contractors to run their projects from anywhere and invoicing clients is a breeze.

Get started with a $49 2-month trial and if you’re satisfied, full service plans run between $299 and $499 monthly.

8) eci BuildTools

BuildTools is a construction project management solution focused on the unique needs of custom home builders, remodelers and specialty contractors.

Offering various cloud-based ERP solutions BuildTools offers users the ability to download fact sheets, white papers, ebooks and infographics posted on the website, all of which are provided to assist contractors.

Favored by industries that include manufacturing, home and building supply, home builders, land developers, office technology and product vendors, this program is also used by equipment maintenance and service professionals.

If you’re a small builder/contractor, you may not need this much sophistication, but for dynamic building-related companies in need of a comprehensive approach to operating, use these links to search for pricing: https://www.ecisolutions.com/how-to-buy/

9) eci Bolt

This division of eci has been designed for a wider range of contractors than does the aforementioned eci BuildTools resource, including professionals in the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, framing, painting, flooring, drywall, insulation, concrete and landscaping niches.

Taken to its simplest descriptor, Bolt is a contractor scheduling software product that gives users communication, scheduling, job confirmation, time tracking, schedule organization, project reporting, job progress visuals and vendor suite integration tools.

Simplification is at the center of this program that automatically populates purchase orders and allows team members access for information sharing and progress updates.

Use the same link to access pricing categorized by industry: https://www.ecisolutions.com/how-to-buy/

10) Procore

The advent of cloud-based systems is at the heart of Procore’s design and the company mission can best be summed up as: “helping project teams collaborate more easily by connecting owners, general contractors, specialty contractors, architects and engineers” in one easy-to-learn system.

Claiming to be the “only real software platform in the construction industry that creates a central collaboration hub for owners, general contractors, specialty contractors, and other project collaborators across the entire project lifecycle,” Procore’s products are designed to be accessible to unlimited users so they can share documents, photos, data and “unrivaled support.”

This software’s price is determined by whether you’re an owner/developer, specialty or general contractor or government entity.

Visiting this web page is as close as you can get to figuring out what it will cost you to acquire it: https://www.procore.com/pricing

11) JobProgress

If searching the Procore website for answers left you feeling frustrated, you’re going to enjoy browsing this one because everything you want to know is simple and direct.

“Built for contractors by contractors,” JobProgress offers you a fully-customized job/workflow management system, paperless mobile app, online sales, marketing and communications help plus all of the estimating, quoting and scheduling tools you need to run your job from any location.

Cloud storage, dashboard work centers, knowledgeable professionals and templates for every type of form needed to get the job done help business owners juggle multiple projects at the same time while minimizing mistakes thanks to automated workflow.

There’s a $500 one-time set-up fee to contract with JobProgress, at which point, a $50 per month user fee kicks in. Uncomplicated? You bet.

12) Sage 100

If you are a small to mid-sized contractor in need of help managing all phases of construction jobs, this could be the integrated solution you seek to uncomplicate your business.

Features include a customizable dashboard, and industry-specific reporting methods that give team members instant access to real-time project status reports.

Easily and instantly export budgets, proposals, subcontracts and purchase orders. Use the customizable dashboard to keep tabs on all aspects of projects, produce estimates seamlessly, complete bids faster and more accurately and then export everything you’ve generated into the project work center.

Positioning itself as the “market leader for integrated accounting, payroll and payment systems,” Sage isn’t about to give up its pricing structure, you’ll have to go beyond the website if this is the software that best suits your needs.

13) Hyphen HomeFront

Founded in 1999, Hyphen Solutions is the parent company of BuildPro, “the most widely used software-as-a-service application among North American home builders, suppliers, distributors and manufacturers.”

By electronically linking all facets of jobs on the Internet, companies, contractors and parties can seamlessly communicate with each other to keep tabs on work status so resources are allocated accordingly.

By using HomeFront, lenders can stay abreast of construction status, marketing efforts and everyone involved with a project is kept in the loop.

Contractors favoring this product like the fact that they don’t have to replace their back-end accounting solutions since HomeFront works with QuickBooks, Sage 300 and Sage 100 Contractor programs.

Hyphen doesn’t disclose its pricing system but they will if you ask once you avail yourself of the free demo.

14) BrickControl

BrickControl’s parent company SHM has been in business from its Madrid, Spain headquarters since 1981.

Given its 30-year history, entering the world of cloud computing gave this international company an ability to enhance products targeted at small to large contractors, some of whom couldn’t afford ERP on their own.

Offering free test trials, no upfront fees or investment, BrickControl’s long-term objective is offering the company’s easily-integrated software to construction professionals who have searched for affordable domestic software and not found what works for you.

The company’s incentive program, called BrickPoints, introduces a unique currency that can be used to purchase items on the BrickControl menu.

There are three monthly pricing plans from which to choose: $51; $64 and $77 USD, each based upon a licensee’s business type and since there are no contracts, companies can cancel any time they like.

15) BuildXact

BuildXact targets small businesses and contractors who need simple online tools that include estimating and project management assistance that take users from first contact and quote to final invoice.

BuildXact was launched by software professionals eager to work with tradesmen, offering cloud-based and mobile software products designed to serve small and large contracting firms undertaking residential and commercial jobs.

As a global business operating in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, BuildXact offers a free demo and no hassle pricing that starts at between $149 to $399. Once an account is established, users pay as little as $59 monthly.