The best construction accounting software makes it easier to track projects fully, estimate building costs and manage teams — whether it’s through built-in tools or direct integrations.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
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Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Hillary Crawford writes about small-business software at NerdWallet and is certified in QuickBooks Online and web design. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. She's appeared on Cheddar News and also worked as a policy contributor for GenFKD. Hillary earned a bachelor's degree with high honors in political science from the University of Michigan.
Email: <a href="mailto:hcrawford@nerdwallet.com">hcrawford@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Karrin Sehmbi is an editor and content strategist on the small-business team. She has covered small-business software and lending since 2022 and has more than sixteen years of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
Sally Lauckner has over a decade of experience in print and online journalism. Before joining NerdWallet, Sally was the editorial director at Fundera, where she built and led a team focused on small-business content. Her prior experience includes two years as a senior editor at SmartAsset, where she edited a wide range of personal finance content, and five years at the AOL Huffington Post Media Group, where she held a variety of editorial roles. She has a master's in journalism from New York University and a bachelor's in English and history from Columbia University. Email: slauckner@nerdwallet.com.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
75+ categories of best business software selections.
NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including payroll, accounting and payment processing. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
If you’re looking for a no-frills, dependable construction accounting software solution at a reasonable price point, you're unlikely to go wrong with QuickBooks Online. The capabilities built into its Plus and Advanced plans, specifically, are well-suited to construction accounting and project management.
These features include invoicing, customizable reporting and job costing, as well as direct integrations with industry-specific software such as Buildertrend and Housecall Pro. However, you’ll have to integrate with QuickBooks Time, a separate product that comes with its own costs, to track employees’ hours.
Easy to share information with your accountant and to find QuickBooks experts and online resources if needed.
More than 750 app integrations.
Robust feature set includes record-keeping, reporting, invoicing and inventory management, plus a capable mobile app.
Chat and phone support available Monday through Saturday in all plans.
Cons
Expensive compared with the competition.
Frequent price increases and a tendency toward upselling.
Limited account users with each plan.
If you’re looking for a no-frills, dependable construction accounting software solution at a reasonable price point, you're unlikely to go wrong with QuickBooks Online. The capabilities built into its Plus and Advanced plans, specifically, are well-suited to construction accounting and project management.
These features include invoicing, customizable reporting and job costing, as well as direct integrations with industry-specific software such as Buildertrend and Housecall Pro. However, you’ll have to integrate with QuickBooks Time, a separate product that comes with its own costs, to track employees’ hours.
Job costing tools let you track individual jobs or groups of jobs.
Equipment Management add-on helps assign equipment costs to jobs and track maintenance schedules.
Cons
Lack of pricing transparency.
Tools to enable communications and time tracking in the field are separate add-on products with additional cost.
Sage 100 Contractor, part of the larger Sage Business Cloud software ecosystem, has a dash dedicated to bid management, which is useful for construction companies juggling multiple projects at a time. You can view how many leads your company has, which bids have been won and lost, and which have been submitted (so that you can follow up accordingly). The software also helps you put together drawings and other documents for each bid application.
Job costing tools let you track individual jobs or groups of jobs.
Equipment Management add-on helps assign equipment costs to jobs and track maintenance schedules.
Cons
Lack of pricing transparency.
Tools to enable communications and time tracking in the field are separate add-on products with additional cost.
Sage 100 Contractor, part of the larger Sage Business Cloud software ecosystem, has a dash dedicated to bid management, which is useful for construction companies juggling multiple projects at a time. You can view how many leads your company has, which bids have been won and lost, and which have been submitted (so that you can follow up accordingly). The software also helps you put together drawings and other documents for each bid application.
Striven
4.1
Best for Customer and vendor portals
Starting at
$35/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.
Offers industry-specific features for consulting businesses, nonprofits, manufacturing companies, professional services and more.
Tools to ensure tax compliance.
Other features include inventory tracking, reporting, invoicing, project management tools and the ability to categorize transactions using classes.
Customer support available by phone and live chat.
Cons
Monthly costs could add up quickly if you require multiple users.
No mobile app.
Limited third-party integrations available; no payroll integrations.
Some software options include client portals, but stop there. Striven, on the other hand, includes both customer and vendor portals to facilitate easier collaboration for purchases and sales alike. Each portal is included in your software package free of charge for up to 100 customers and 100 vendors; for more than 100, there is an additional monthly fee.
Striven has features for project and inventory management, job costing, scheduling and more. Those are in addition to built-in standard accounting functions such as reporting (including customizable reports), invoicing, audit trails and accountant access.
Striven
Best for Customer and vendor portals
4.1
Starting at
$35/month
Per user. Additional pricing tiers per user (per month): $70.
Offers industry-specific features for consulting businesses, nonprofits, manufacturing companies, professional services and more.
Tools to ensure tax compliance.
Other features include inventory tracking, reporting, invoicing, project management tools and the ability to categorize transactions using classes.
Customer support available by phone and live chat.
Cons
Monthly costs could add up quickly if you require multiple users.
No mobile app.
Limited third-party integrations available; no payroll integrations.
Some software options include client portals, but stop there. Striven, on the other hand, includes both customer and vendor portals to facilitate easier collaboration for purchases and sales alike. Each portal is included in your software package free of charge for up to 100 customers and 100 vendors; for more than 100, there is an additional monthly fee.
Striven has features for project and inventory management, job costing, scheduling and more. Those are in addition to built-in standard accounting functions such as reporting (including customizable reports), invoicing, audit trails and accountant access.
Comes with a highly rated mobile app, available for both iOS and Android.
Unlimited users included in all plans.
Includes features and tools for full project management.
Integrates with popular accounting (QuickBooks and Xero) and payroll (Gusto) software.
Free online learning tools for professional development.
Cons
Job costing is not included in the least expensive plan tier.
Many of the financial tools and features are only available in the higher tier plans.
Already have a solution for managing your construction company’s books? Integrating with Buildertrend can help you take construction management to the next level, thanks to its additional budgeting tools, mobile time tracking and industry-specific project management features, like the ability to handle change orders. All plan levels integrate with both QuickBooks and Xero. However, keep in mind that using two products — instead of one — may involve extra costs.
Comes with a highly rated mobile app, available for both iOS and Android.
Unlimited users included in all plans.
Includes features and tools for full project management.
Integrates with popular accounting (QuickBooks and Xero) and payroll (Gusto) software.
Free online learning tools for professional development.
Cons
Job costing is not included in the least expensive plan tier.
Many of the financial tools and features are only available in the higher tier plans.
Already have a solution for managing your construction company’s books? Integrating with Buildertrend can help you take construction management to the next level, thanks to its additional budgeting tools, mobile time tracking and industry-specific project management features, like the ability to handle change orders. All plan levels integrate with both QuickBooks and Xero. However, keep in mind that using two products — instead of one — may involve extra costs.
Foundation
Best for Overall construction accounting software
Bonus
$0
0
Foundation, which has been around since 1985, is one of the few products that checks all of the boxes in terms of features and is made exclusively for the construction industry. It’s an exhaustive all-in-one solution with more than 20 different modules for capabilities like job costing, subcontracting, accounts payable and receivable, mobile time tracking, scheduling, inventory and project management.
It also has additional capabilities for tracking equipment and fixed asset depreciation and for storing digital documents. This robust feature set — as well as training on how to use it — makes Foundation a good fit for a wide range of construction companies.
Foundation
Best for Overall construction accounting software
Bonus
$0
0
Foundation, which has been around since 1985, is one of the few products that checks all of the boxes in terms of features and is made exclusively for the construction industry. It’s an exhaustive all-in-one solution with more than 20 different modules for capabilities like job costing, subcontracting, accounts payable and receivable, mobile time tracking, scheduling, inventory and project management.
It also has additional capabilities for tracking equipment and fixed asset depreciation and for storing digital documents. This robust feature set — as well as training on how to use it — makes Foundation a good fit for a wide range of construction companies.
Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
Outdated user interface.
Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
Unlike the cloud-based solutions listed here, QuickBooks Enterprise is primarily a desktop-based product that gets locally installed to your office’s computer. In most cases, cloud-based programs are a better alternative, since they let you access your books from anywhere. The problem is that they’re only as reliable as your internet. So, if your business experiences internet outages on the regular, a desktop-based solution, like QuickBooks Enterprise, might be the way to go. Plus, QuickBooks Enterprise’s industry-specific edition has niche features, like change order functionality.
Strong feature set includes thorough record-keeping, invoicing and advanced inventory management and pricing rules.
More than 200 reports, including industry-specific options for various industries.
24/7 phone and chat support.
Cons
Outdated user interface.
Limited direct, third-party integrations for payroll software and popular point-of-sale systems.
Annual subscriptions are expensive; each additional user license costs extra.
Unlike the cloud-based solutions listed here, QuickBooks Enterprise is primarily a desktop-based product that gets locally installed to your office’s computer. In most cases, cloud-based programs are a better alternative, since they let you access your books from anywhere. The problem is that they’re only as reliable as your internet. So, if your business experiences internet outages on the regular, a desktop-based solution, like QuickBooks Enterprise, might be the way to go. Plus, QuickBooks Enterprise’s industry-specific edition has niche features, like change order functionality.
Whereas many of its competitors focus on construction companies specifically, Viewpoint opens the playing field to businesses in adjacent industries, like electrical work, plumbing and HVAC. Plus, you can request custom demos for your specific subfield to make sure that version of the product is right for you. Businesses are also assigned a dedicated customer success manager they can consult with questions their first year.
Viewpoint
Best for Construction-adjacent industries
Bonus
$0
0
Whereas many of its competitors focus on construction companies specifically, Viewpoint opens the playing field to businesses in adjacent industries, like electrical work, plumbing and HVAC. Plus, you can request custom demos for your specific subfield to make sure that version of the product is right for you. Businesses are also assigned a dedicated customer success manager they can consult with questions their first year.
Jonas Enterprise
Best for Enterprise-level construction companies
Bonus
$0
0
Many of the solutions listed here cater to small construction businesses. Jonas Enterprise, on the other hand, is meant for medium and large businesses (but could also be a good fit for aggressively growing small construction companies). For example, it has solutions for business owners with multiple companies and offers fully integrated payroll software, which is useful for businesses with lots of employees. It also has tools for tracking your equipment’s value and how each asset is being used in the field, which can help you determine billable costs.
Jonas Enterprise
Best for Enterprise-level construction companies
Bonus
$0
0
Many of the solutions listed here cater to small construction businesses. Jonas Enterprise, on the other hand, is meant for medium and large businesses (but could also be a good fit for aggressively growing small construction companies). For example, it has solutions for business owners with multiple companies and offers fully integrated payroll software, which is useful for businesses with lots of employees. It also has tools for tracking your equipment’s value and how each asset is being used in the field, which can help you determine billable costs.
In depth: Our top construction accounting software picks
When choosing construction accounting software, start by making a list of your must-have features. For example, very small construction companies with just a handful of employees might prioritize job costing over a robust scheduling module. Similarly, not all companies will require a highly functional mobile app.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list, the next consideration should be cost. Monthly subscriptions for industry-specific accounting software — like solutions made specifically for construction companies — often vary more than pricing for generalized accounting software, with some mid-tier plans costing hundreds of dollars.
Unfortunately, lots of construction-specific accounting products are quote-based. That means you should plan time, if possible, to chat with multiple companies to receive and compare quotes.
Last updated on November 5, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews construction accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Information is gathered on a regular basis and reviewed by our editorial team for consistency and accuracy.
NerdWallet’s construction accounting software roundup favors products that have industry-specific features or integrations and prioritize job costing tools. Job costing, in particular, is one of the main factors that sets construction companies apart from other types of businesses. Their books revolve around service-based projects as opposed to the sale of particular items. For more information about our star ratings process, see how we rate small-business accounting software in general.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
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