- 250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 95+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
- 75+ categories of best business software selections.
- Objective and comprehensive business accounting software ratings rubric. (Learn more about our star ratings.)
Our Nerdy picks for
Best Construction Accounting Software
Product | Promotion | Learn more | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
QuickBooks Online Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for Overall construction accounting software | $30/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200. | 50% off for first three months or free 30-day trial. | Learn more on QuickBooks Online's secure website |
Sage 100 Contractor Learn more on Sage 100 Contractor's secure website | Best for All-in-one construction management software | N/A Quote-based. | N/A | Learn more on Sage 100 Contractor's secure website |
QuickBooks Enterprise | 4.0/5 Best for Large, well-established construction businesses | $1,410/year Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,830; $2,250; $4,400. Adding users or cloud access costs extra. | 30-day free trial | |
Buildertrend | Best for Mobile app | $499/month Additional pricing tiers (per month): $799, $1,099. | Discount for first month |
Our pick for
Overall construction accounting software
QuickBooks Online
on QuickBooks Online's secure website
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $60, $90, $200.
for first three months or free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Progress invoicing allows you to collect payment for a project in stages and easily track what is paid vs. owed.
- Job costing feature syncs with QuickBooks Payroll for accurate labor costing.
- Direct integrations with construction-specific apps.
- Mobile app available for iOS and Android.
Cons
- Unlike some other products in this space, this software isn’t designed from the ground up specifically for the construction industry.
- QuickBooks plans, pricing and add-ons can be tricky to navigate; the total price can add up quickly.
Our pick for
All-in-one construction management software
Sage 100 Contractor
on Sage 100 Contractor's secure website
Quote-based.
Pros
- Industry-specific reports.
- 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.
Our pick for
Large, well-established construction businesses
QuickBooks Enterprise
Additional pricing tiers (per year): $1,830; $2,250; $4,400. Adding users or cloud access costs extra.
Pros
- Industry-specific reports.
- Job costing tools.
- Ability to keep track of change orders.
- Built-in mileage tracking.
Cons
- Limited to Windows users.
- Annual subscription prices rise if you need more than one user or require cloud access.
Our pick for
Mobile app
Buildertrend
Additional pricing tiers (per month): $799, $1,099.
Pros
- 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.
Our picks for best construction accounting software
QuickBooks Online
- $30 per month for the Simple Start plan.
- $60 per month for the Essentials plan.
- $90 per month for the Plus plan.
- $200 per month for the Advanced plan.
Sage 100 Contractor
Buildertrend
- $499 per month for the Essential plan.
- $799 per month for the Advanced Plan.
- $1,099 per month for the Complete plan.
QuickBooks Enterprise
- $1,410 per year for the Silver plan.
- $1,830 per year for the Gold plan.
- $2,250 per year for the Platinum plan.
- $4,400 per year for the Diamond plan.
How to choose construction accounting software
- Job costing: Job costing lets you assign expenses to each individual job. Without job costing, you have no way of knowing which jobs — or which types of jobs — are most profitable for your construction company.
- Project management: Project management is more than just knowing what phase each job is in, even though that in itself is extremely important. Proper project management helps you appropriately allocate resources to the various jobs your construction company has going on at any given time. It also allows you to forecast your needs for projects in bid.
- Budget and completion analysis: Budget and completion analysis lets you see how your construction projects are proceeding from a budget standpoint. In order to maximize your profitability on a job, you want to deliver it under budget and on time. Without this analysis in your construction accounting software program, you can be left guessing on whether or not this will happen.
- Change order tracking: A construction project without change orders is rare. If you can’t track your change orders, you could easily leave money on the table or have to make costly changes to work that is improperly done.