Managing a construction project from start to finish requires juggling a million intersecting pieces. Keeping track of what work’s been completed, who’s responsible for what, and how much money has been spent requires strong organizational and management skills. Instead of trying to do it all by hand, use specialized construction project management software.

Today’s construction managers need more than building skills. They need to understand project management, human resources processes, accounting, and so much more. The best project management software brings together business school training and tools that visualize big projects at a glance.

1. Canvas

Canvas provides a series of apps that offer online form management for contracts, estimates, invoices, timesheets, and other paperwork. For a small company that wants to make everything paperless and store information centrally, Canvas apps are a good first step toward better project management. It’s not an all-in-one solution; for example, it can integrate invoices with QuickBooks, but timesheets still have to be entered manually. However, for small contractors, it simplifies office and project management at a reasonable cost.

2. ProContractor by Viewpoint

ProContractor is a simple project management system for small- and medium-sized contractors. It has a complete out-of-the-box accounting feature, allowing businesses to manage payroll directly within ProContractor in addition to project management functions. ProContractor customizes bids by industry, so excavators get a different set of features from masonry contractors. Employees can access centrally stored documents and photos, and a dashboard, complete with graphs, help managers to quickly analyze project metrics.

3. Co-construct

For construction companies earning less than $10 million in annual revenue, Co-construct provides Web-based project management that integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero. Builders get both a desktop portal customized with the company name and logo and a branded mobile app.

Co-construct pulls together and organizes all communications, including texts and emails, between clients, contractors, and subcontractors. Construction managers can use it for scheduling, expense reporting, photo storage, task assignment, and anything else related to construction project management. Customers can make selections for fixtures and other elements online while staying within their budget.

4. BuilderTREND

BuilderTREND provides project management for the entire lifecycle of a construction project. It also incorporates marketing and customer management functionality. Like Co-construct, it integrates with QuickBooks and Xero. BuilderTREND is powerful enough for companies that make as much as $1 billion in revenue.

Companies can manage CRM, bids, purchase orders, scheduling, and customer selections within BuilderTREND. The software also offers warranty management and logins for both customers and trade partners and allows customers to post reviews that can appear on the company’s website. It works entirely online, so businesses don’t have to invest in expensive hardware or servers, and it offers mobile access for both iOS and Android devices.

5. Jonas

Jonas offers two tiers based on a contractor’s company size. Jonas Premier, which serves small- and medium-sized businesses, includes all-online tools for project management, inventory management, accounting, job costing, and subcontractor management.

The solution for large companies, Jonas Enterprise, is installed on a company server. It offers much more in-depth reporting and job costing tools along with multiple billing options for different types of contracts. With its enterprise solution, Jonas offers training and continuing education as well as annual updates. Enterprise customers also get robust security features that track irregular entries and other potential problems. 

6. Penta Construction ERP

Penta is designed for large commercial and industrial contractors, and it focuses entirely on managing projects in action. It can integrate financials from multiple companies, and it integrates project management functions with accounting. For large construction companies that aren’t yet managing a lot of online leads, or companies that don’t need daily log or bid management functionality, Penta makes a solid solution. 

7. ProCore

ProCore is the premier construction management software for large construction companies. It can integrate with a wide range of applications including Sage 300 Accounting, Box, Microsoft Project, OxBlue, Primavera, and ProEst.

Like the other software tools, it offers a centralized place to manage photos, documents, emails, assignments, scheduling, and bids, but it has much more robust reporting tools, maintains a large contact list, and allows managers to assign role-based logins. Additionally, ProCore provides lead management and inbound marketing tools. If you’re looking for an all-in-one construction business management solution, ProCore provides almost everything you can imagine.

Conclusion

A small company that’s just getting started doesn’t need the intensive marketing and project management features that a billion-dollar company requires. By the same token, a big company doesn’t need to skimp on high-level integrations and features. Choose the project management software that’s right for your current stage of business.

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