Calculate and compare the cost of different construction management software platforms
This collection of construction calculators is 100% free to download, copy, and use as your own. You're free to modify and/or adjust any calculator to best fit the needs of you or your business.
This free Construction Management Software Cost Calculator is designed to help residential home builders, remodelers, and general contractors calculate and compare the costs of the most popular construction management software options.
Construction management software is a cloud-based program that aids in planning, coordinating, and execution of construction projects. The software enables construction companies to streamline project management, allocate resources efficiently, and improve the completion of projects within the given budget and schedule. The features are designed to facilitate collaboration among contractors, subcontractors, architects, clients, and any other stakeholders within projects. It provides a convenient and centralized location for sharing project information, tracking progress, managing schedules, and monitoring budgets.
With a wide range of features such as contact management, estimating, client selections, and daily reporting, construction management software allows for real-time communication and data-driven decision-making throughout the entire construction process. This technology has revolutionized the construction industry by automating manual tasks, reducing errors and improving productivity.
Every construction management software program is different in terms of how they structure their pricing and tiers. Most commonly, the software is offered as either a monthly or yearly subscription with different pricing tiers to choose from. The tiers are often structured based on either a set number of users or a specific set of features at each tier level. While additional users can usually be added to any tier, adding needed features would require moving to a new tier. When comparing the costs of each platform, it's important to understand which features are available at each level.
As an example, let's compare the entry tiers from BuildBook and Houzz Pro:
BuildBook
Plan: Solo ($99/month or $79/month when paid annually)
Users: 1 (Additional users $20/month)
Features: All features included
Houzz Pro
Plan: Starter ($65/month paid annually. No monthly planned available.)
Users: 1 (Additional users $40/month)
Features: Doesn't include scheduling, change orders, daily logs, or lead generation
As an initial cost comparison, you'll see that Houzz Pro is the more affordable option, however you'd be missing some pretty core project features, such as scheduling. And, while the user limit is the same, adding just one additional user would bring the cost of the two choices to roughly the same price, making BuildBook a more sensible option with full feature access.
The term "user" can be somewhat nebulous, so it's important to understand how it's defined by each construction software program you're considering. There can be many different stakeholders in construction projects, so it's also critical to know who you'll be able to collaborate within your software.
As an example, here is a look at the BuildBook definitions:
Pro Team Users: This includes the account owner, admins, and team members that need specific type of access to projects.
Project Collaborators: Anyone that is involved in your projects, but is not part of your internal company team, such as sub-contractors, vendors, designers, architects, etc.. These users would be invited into particular projects as needed.
Clients: Invited into a specific project with client-appropriate access to information. Clients can communicate and collaborate with specified members of a Pro Team.
When it comes to choosing the best construction management software for your business, there are several factors to consider. It is important to select a platform that is aligns best with the type of construction work you do, as it must account for all of the complexities associated with your type of projects.
The next thing to consider is which platform best matches the benefits you prefer. Are you looking for the cheapest, the easiest to use, or the one that has the most features. Every platform will address these benefits differently, so ranking the benefits in order of your preference will help.
Nearly all construction software today is cloud-based and offers a wide range of features that make it easy to collaborate, manage projects, track progress, and stay organized throughout the entire building process. Aside from the cost, the biggest differences will often come in terms of the interface and ease of use.
Some of the most popular construction management software for custom home builders and residential remodelers are, BuildBook, Buildertrend / CoConstruct, Houzz Pro, Buildxact, and JobTread. Using the calculator above, you can calculate and compare the cost and features of each of these options.
No matter which one you decide on (or if you choose something else), finding quality construction management software designed will undoubtedly be beneficial for anyone building beautiful custom homes - and highly specialized renovations - for satisfied clients within their local market!
