With labor shortages and rising productivity demands, contractors face increasing pressure to deliver faster. The right software for contractors can simplify project management by streamlining scheduling, estimating, and accounting tasks.
It’s like Bruce Northcraft, president of Northern Craft Construction, once said, “Staying up with technology has helped me a lot. It’s like gas in your truck — you’ve got to have it.”
In this guide, we’ll explore objective picks across categories — including both general and residential contractor software — with pros, cons, and links for further research.
Keeping projects on schedule is one of the most challenging aspects of running a contracting business. The right contractor software can help by showing you which tasks need to be completed first, how long they’ll take, and how delays might impact the rest of the job.
For smaller projects, a simple calendar-style tool may be enough. For larger builds, you may need software that can map out complex timelines and keep multiple crews aligned.
Why Use It: Buildertrend specializes in serving residential contractors. Instead of just building schedules, it connects them with client communication and subcontractor updates, making it easier to keep everyone on the same page. Buildertrend’s app allows for some offline entries, which sync once the user is back online.
How to Use It: Add project phases, such as demo, framing, and drywall, to the schedule and let Buildertrend notify subcontractors and homeowners when dates shift. Tie changes to change orders or daily logs to ensure updates remain consistent.
How to Learn It: Buildertrend provides free onboarding video tutorials. Many contractors learn by setting up one project and experimenting with updates before rolling it out across all jobs.
Pricing: Plans start at $199 per month when billed annually. Higher tiers expand estimating, reporting, and job management tools.
Why Use It: Buildxact is a platform for residential builders and remodelers who juggle quotes, takeoffs, and scheduling on smaller crews. It turns PDF plans into accurate digital estimates and ties them directly to a live job schedule.
How to Use It: Start by uploading your plans and measuring what you need right on the screen. Buildxact turns those measurements into an estimate you can turn into a quote with just a few clicks. Once the job’s approved, schedule each phase and track costs as you go. If prices or materials change, your budget updates automatically.
How to Learn It: Buildxact has a 14-day free trial and webinars in its resources section. Most remodelers learn the basics in a day or two by testing it on a small project first.
Pricing: Starts at $49 per month. Upgraded plans include features such as daily logs, change order tracking, and advanced reporting, priced from $125 to $249 per month.
Why Use It: Contractor Foreman brings estimating, scheduling, job costing, and client communication together in one place. It’s built for contractors who want structure without the learning curve or price tag of big-name systems.
How to Use It: Start by setting up your job, adding estimates, and building out the schedule. As work begins, your crew can track progress from the mobile app. When something changes, send a quick update or invoice straight from the same dashboard.
How to Learn It: Contractor Foreman offers a 30-day free trial and responsive live support.
Pricing: Plans start at $149 per month for core features, including proposals and invoicing. The $249 Pro plan adds marketing tools and client portals.
Why Use It: Houzz Pro stands out by combining everyday project management with built-in homeowner exposure. You can manage jobs and client communication while also listing your business on Houzz, where homeowners actively search for remodelers.
How to Use It: Start by adding a lead or inquiry, then send a branded proposal through the app. Clients can review and approve design selections and sign change orders online. The homeowner portal consolidates conversations, documents, and payments in one place, eliminating the need for back-and-forth emails.
How to Learn It: Houzz Pro offers a short onboarding call and video tutorials to help you get started quickly.
When you’re running a job, keeping track of drawings, photos, and punch lists can get messy fast. Software for general contractors can consolidate all information in one location, allowing crews in the field and staff in the office to view the same data. Instead of carrying around paper binders or chasing down emails, you can pull up the latest updates right on your phone or tablet.
Pricing: Plans start at $39 per month, with higher tiers offering additional features such as automated reminders and route optimization.
Why Use It: Jobber helps home-service contractors in trades such as HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping manage their daily work from a single platform. It’s built for smaller teams that juggle multiple short projects simultaneously.
How to Use It: Create a quote, turn it into a job, and assign it to your crew. Jobber sends appointment reminders to customers and allows you to issue invoices immediately after the work is completed. You can even take card payments in the field through the mobile app.
How to Learn It: Jobber has a guided setup process that walks you through your first job and invoice. They also have a thorough help center.
Pricing: Starts at $59 per month for a single user. The next tier, priced at $149 per month, includes QuickBooks integration and additional marketing tools.
Why Use It: Similar to Jobber, Housecall Pro enables contractors to manage everything from a single platform. You can automate reminders, invoices, and add review-request options.
How to Use It: You can schedule jobs and send messages to customers directly from the app. The platform also maintains a record of customer history, allowing for faster quoting or booking follow-up work the next time.
How to Learn It: Housecall Pro offers a 14-day free trial and can provide platform demos upon request.
Pricing: Custom
Why Use It: ServiceTitan is designed for home-service companies that manage several crews or office staff. They help businesses handle everything from scheduling and dispatching to customer calls and marketing.
How to Use It: When a customer calls, ServiceTitan records the details and assigns the right technician based on location and skill. In the field, the tech can see the full customer history, create an estimate, or collect payments.
How to Learn It: ServiceTitan offers guided onboarding and a training hub.
The right accounting tool for your business depends on whether you need basic invoicing or full job cost reports.
The best contractor software for small businesses integrates directly with project management, so you always know where money is going. For some, that means a full suite with payroll; for others, a simple contractor invoice app is enough.
Pricing: Custom
Why Use It: Sage 100 Contractor focuses on accounting, providing tools for pricing contractor jobs, managing payroll, and integrating with project management. With a local installation, most accounting and job cost functions are available offline, eliminating the need for an internet connection. If you’re on a hosted or cloud setup, you’ll need a connection to access reports and updates.
How to Use It: Use Sage to set up job budgets, track labor and material costs, and generate reports.
How to Learn It: Sage offers online training videos, and you can also request a demo.
Pricing: Invoices are included with Square plans: Free ($0), Plus ($49/mo per location), Premium ($149/mo per location).
Why Use It: Square Invoices is a mobile-friendly contractor invoice app with a free plan. It allows unlimited invoices and integrates with Square’s ecosystem for payments.
How to Use It: Create and send invoices from your phone or desktop. Clients can pay online via card or transfer.
How to Learn It: Square offers step-by-step guides, and most users can learn it in a matter of hours. It’s designed to be simple, especially for smaller contractors.
Pricing: Online tiers are billed monthly and include the following plans: $38 Simple Start, $75 Essentials, $115 Plus, and $275 Advanced.
Why Use It: QuickBooks is the bookkeeping tool many contractors are already familiar with. It handles day-to-day accounting and features a Projects section that functions like a job folder, allowing you to track money in and out by job and view your profit.
If you need crew time, you can add QuickBooks Time so hours flow straight into payroll and job costs.
QuickBooks Desktop is a locally installed product that can be used offline. QuickBooks Online requires an internet connection for most tasks.
How to Use It: Set up one “Project” per job, connect your bank account, and tag every bill, receipt, and payment to the corresponding job. Use progress invoices if you bill in stages.
If you pay employees, link payroll so that labor costs are reflected in job expenses.
How to Learn It: Start with QuickBooks’ short tutorials on Projects and Invoicing.
In addition to these financial software options, some platforms allow you to offer customer financing. By offering monthly payment options, you can help make projects feel more affordable to your customers.
Add a monthly payment line to the proposal so homeowners see both the full price and an affordable monthly option side by side. Third-party lenders provide contractor financing and are subject to credit approval. Availability varies by state and provider.
Picking the best general contractor software is less about the brand name and more about whether it fits how you actually run jobs. Capterra’s 2024 Tech Trends Survey reported that 60% of software buyers had regret over a recent technology purchase. To avoid that, follow a simple step-by-step approach:
CConsider the everyday tasks you want the software to automate. Examples include:
List the ones you can’t live without. This ensures you don’t overpay for features you’ll never use.
Integrations mean the software “talks” to other tools you already use. At a minimum, ensure it integrates with your accounting software, email, and cloud storage services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. That way, you’re not re-entering the same info in multiple places.
Before rolling out software across the entire company, test it on a single live project with a small team.
Software costs more than just the subscription. Factor in setup, training, and the time it takes to adjust your processes. A lower upfront price might not be the cheapest option if it requires constant workarounds.
Even the best contractor software for small businesses won’t help if the team ignores it. Ensure that supervisors, foremen, and subcontractors know how to use it, and check in regularly to confirm they’re entering updates.
A quick weekly review keeps the helpful system from collecting dust.
Quick answers about software for contractors below.
Mobile tools make it easier to manage work without needing to return to the office. A contractor app allows you to update schedules, log time, share photos, and send invoices directly from your phone. This reduces delays and keeps everyone working from the same information.
As your business grows, you may need contractor business software that combines project management, job costing, payroll, and reporting in one system. This helps you keep an eye on both day-to-day tasks and contractor salaries or labor costs, rather than juggling multiple apps.
There’s no single answer to what the best software for contractors is. Larger GCs might rely on Procore or Sage, while small businesses may prefer tools like Buildertrend. The “best” tool depends on your company size, project type, and budget.
Ask the software company how they protect your data. Do they use encryption, require two-factor authentication, and allow you to set user permissions so that each person only sees what they need? Do they maintain a change history that shows who made the changes and when they were made?
Also, check whether they undergo independent security audits and whether a lost phone or tablet can be locked remotely.
Select software that aligns with your job, crew, and budget. For small projects, keep it simple; as complexity increases, add scheduling, job costing, and management tools to enhance efficiency. With the right tech stack, paperwork shrinks and projects finish with fewer surprises.
All software pricing and feature information is accurate as of November 2025. Prices, plans, and features are subject to change by the software providers. Please visit the official vendor websites for the most up-to-date details before making a purchase.
