Want to jump straight to the answer? The best construction management software for most people is Procore and CoConstruct.
Investing in construction management software is a no-brainer if you want to make the construction process more time and cost-efficient. Not only does it help contractors, builders, and other team members optimize and streamline workflows, but it also provides one-glance overviews of all stages of your project, including progress, quality, and billing.
Ranking construction management software isn’t easy because every construction business has unique needs, but that doesn’t mean you need to do everything yourself. To help you narrow down your options, I’ve listed some of the best construction management software that can enhance your workflows.
Let’s take a look.
The Top 5 Best Construction Management Software
- Procore — Best for End-To-End Construction Project Management
- CoConstruct — Best for Residential Builders and Remodelers
- Sage 300 Contractor and Real Estate — Best for Large-Scale Construction Projects
- Contractor Foreman — Best for Small Construction Firms With Strict Budgets
- Fieldwire — Best Free Construction Management Software
Now that we know my top picks, let’s take a deeper look into why these software solutions are worth your time.
Procore — Best for End-To-End Construction Project Management
- Centralized data location
- Multi-zone cloud infrastructure
- Extensive feature list
- Robust financial management
Procore is an excellent construction management software solution for construction firms looking for a platform that combines robust project management and financial management functionalities.
It runs on a secure multi-zone cloud infrastructure that ensures seamless communication and collaboration between teams, partners, and clients throughout the construction project lifecycle. Keep track of all data logs in one centralized location to minimize disputes on factors like assets and job cost.
An extensive list of features like design coordination, building information modeling (BIM), field productivity, and estimating makes Procore unbeatable when it comes to functionality. Powerful analytics further simplify identifying patterns and trends with custom reports.
The software is primarily intended for general contractors but is also a good fit for construction managers, sub-contractors, and owners. What’s more, you can also customize Procore to meet your requirements at purchase; only choose the tools you need based on your budget and requirements.
With Procore, you’ll always know what needs to be done to stay on schedule and can identify and remediate issues before they affect your project timeline or budget. While Procore is offered as an online, cloud-based app for desktops, you can also use the mobile versions for iOS, Android, and Windows devices.
Pricing
Procore doesn’t offer fixed pricing plans. It gives you a custom quote based on your requirements.
CoConstruct — Best for Residential Builders and Remodelers
- Residential and commercial construction solution
- Comprehensive feature set
- Convenient timesheet management
- Lead management tool included
Although part of the same umbrella term, residential and commercial construction are two different beasts. They use different materials and have separate financing and permitting processes.
That’s why you should look for options more suited to your particular industry.
CoConstruct is an excellent construction management solution for residential builders and remodelers, thanks to its comprehensive feature set that lets you handle all aspects of construction projects, from bid to completion. You also get access to helpful things like pre-construction tools, punch lists, and customizations.
It’s a reliable residential construction management software that lets you easily handle general project management and financial documentation (using its QuickBooks-CoConstruct budgeting integration) tasks. A handy lead management tool lets you focus on prospects ready to close.
Convenient timesheet management is another CoConstruct advantage.
Monitor your employees, including who’s clocked in, where they are, and which projects they’re working on. Your workers can also use the CoConstruct app to clock in and out, which makes things easier for them too. You can also change orders and get sign-ups from clients virtually to keep the project moving. The fact that clients can also oversee project status helps improve customer satisfaction.
Pricing
CoConstruct currently offers three plans:
- Essential — $99 per month, which will increase to $399 after two months
- Advanced — $399 per month, which will increase to $699 after two months
- Complete — $899 per month, which will increase to $1,299 per month
Note the above pricing is for monthly plans.
Sage 300 Contractor and Real Estate — Best for Large-Scale Construction Projects
- On-premise solution
- Increased visibility into projects
- Tracks compliance information
- Suitable for large-scale construction projects
Formerly known as Timberline, Sage 300 Contractor and Real Estate (Sage 300 CRE) is a powerful construction management software designed to handle all aspects of large-scale construction projects with complex workflows.
You get a comprehensive construction software solution that includes features like accounting, estimating, and project management that provide increased visibility into the entire construction process. View all important details of your projects, such as who the project manager is, what your cash flow looks like, and what are your profit estimates.
Compliance and HR are effortless with Sage 300 CRE, too. It can track compliance information (lien waivers, insurance certifications) and automate payroll, including handling variable pay rates and unionized labor. It also has several customizable HR forms to ensure you stay on top of payroll and taxes for your construction business.
As Sage 300 CRE is an on-premise solution, you have to install it on a central company server, and employees will need licensed workstations to access it. But you don’t have to install the software and train your staff on your own—just be prepared to shell out some serious money as this type of deployment is expensive. You’ll have help from a Sage vendor (for example, Plumb) who will install the right software modules on your systems based on your specific needs and train your staff.
Since Sage 300 CRE allows for high levels of customization and flexibility, it’s an appropriate choice for enterprise businesses.
Pricing
Sage 300 CRE hasn’t published pricing information on its website. You’ll have to contact the Sage team for a customized quote.
Contractor Foreman — Best for Small Construction Firms With Strict Budgets
- Suitable for small and medium-sized firms
- Affordable and user-friendly
- 35+ features
- Tons of third-party integrations
Contractor Foreman is an excellent choice for small and medium-sized residential and commercial trade and general contractors.
It’s one of the most affordable and user-friendly construction management software solutions that’s an all-in-one solution to meet all your project needs. Plus, you can set permissions for each employee to manage how they use the tool.
Contractor Foreman offers over 35 features across different categories. Project management features include daily logging, work order management, punch lists, and a client portal, whereas estimating, bid management, invoicing, and managing bills and expenses come under financials.
The fact that you can use Contractor Foreman as an extension of your existing office software practices like QuickBooks, MS Project, and Zapier is another benefit. This gives you the flexibility to continue using your standard AP/AR/GL reporting within the accounting software you already use while making estimates, managing bids, and preparing purchase orders on the construction management tool.
A robust reporting functionality comes inclusive of Gantt charts and a Calendar to keep you up to date about all your projects. Export and import the data at your convenience, as well as share it with the clients.
Pricing
Contractor Foreman currently offers four plans:
- Standard — $49 per month
- Plus — $87 per month
- Pro — $123 per month
- Unlimited — $148 per month
Note these are discounted figures and part of the annual plan.
Fieldwire — Best Free Construction Management Software
- Connects your team in real-time
- All-in-one jobsite management solution
- Standardized checklists and templates
- Ensures greater transparency
Fieldwire is an all-in-one jobsite management solution and risk management tool that’s ideal for architects, specialty contractors, general contractors, owners, and engineers. You get:
- A cloud-based construction management platform that provides real-time access to all related documents and photos
- Standardized inspection checklists and templates to simplify workflows and punch lists apps to accelerate the closeout process
And yes, all of this is part of Fieldwire‘s free plan.
With this construction management software, you can boost precision and productivity and ensure greater transparency across the different construction project stages.
Fieldwire connects the entire project team, from the sub-contractors in the field to the general contractors in the office, to facilitate efficient information sharing and communication. It uses real-time push notifications and emails to ensure tasks get completed on time while allowing you to assign tasks to improve jobsite coordination and reduce risk.
Other features include plan management, real-time progress reports, short interval planning, and progress photo capture.
Pricing
Fieldwire currently offers the following four plans:
- Basic — Free
- Pro — $29 per user, per month
- Business — $49 per user, per month
- Premier — $89 per user per month
Note the above pricing is for annual plans.
How to Find the Best Construction Management Software for You
When choosing the best construction management software for your business, you need to first understand your business’s unique requirements. Guide your evaluation process by considering the following factors:
Business Size and Type
Some construction management software solutions are designed for large businesses, while others target smaller firms and contractors. This results in a significant difference in the level of offerings, which, in turn, fluctuates the pricing.
Ensure you’re considering products that cater to similarly-sized businesses. In case you have specific project management requirements as a developer or a sub-contractor, look for solutions that offer specific workflows for your field.
User Role Configuration
You may want finance-rated users to only have access to your business’s financials. Or you may not want a sub-contractor to see your business’s overall cash flow. That’s why it’s best to look for options that support configurable user roles.
This will allow you to customize the level of access and visibility for every construction project, giving people access to only the required information when needed.
Real-Time Accessibility
Look for options built on a common data environment (CDE), which is an essential foundation for connecting my people, processes, and platforms. This will improve the accessibility of data analysis to facilitate sound decision-making and seamless collaboration and improve the flow of information across the project lifecycle.
The good news is that you’ll find several advanced construction management software tools that provide real-time analytics and reports. You can use them to better understand customer orientation and website performance and get access to project-related information you can view at any time and from anywhere.
Scalability
The ideal construction management software should grow with you.
Make sure your prospective solution supports process automation and has machine reading capabilities to quickly extract data and convert it into real-time insights for driving present and future success in strategic decision-making.
Summary
Procore and CoConstruct are our top picks for the best construction management software because of their ability to streamline workflows and automate otherwise time-consuming and tedious construction-related tasks.
While both tools offer excellent feature offerings, they may still not be the right solution for your construction business.
Factor in your unique business requirements and preferences when narrowing down options, and set up meetings with sales teams to know how a prospective construction management tool will fit within your current workflows. Choose a software tool that can genuinely simplify complicated processes, boost productivity, and reduce task errors.
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