The Best Contractor Management Software

General contractors are responsible for ensuring construction projects get done correctly, safely, and on time. It’s up to you to find jobs, hire subcontractors, organize labor, and bring in the right equipment. Whatever type of work you do, a contractor management software makes it easier for you to handle your construction projects from start to finish.

What Is Contractor Management Software?

Contractor management software combines project management, estimating, bidding, job cost, compliance, and general construction accounting into an all-in-one, easy-to-use solution.You can even handle unexpected issues along the way, like weather delays or sudden change orders.

Some contractors also take on remodeling jobs in addition to new construction projects. Even these smaller remodeling jobs need accurate estimates and timelines to get done. The best contractor management software covers projects of all sizes.

Key Features of Contractor Management Software

• Construction Accounting: Record a general ledger with invoicing, income, purchase orders, payroll, and other construction expenses. Check Accounts Payable against Accounts Receivable on a regular basis.
• Estimating and Job Costing: Evaluate how much a construction job will cost based on labor, resources, and equipment usage.
• Bid Generation and Contract Management: Create professional bid proposals for jobs. Digitally organize and manage your upcoming, past, and pending bids.
• Scheduling: Arrange labor and equipment around your schedule in order to keep projects moving on a set timeline.
• Change Orders: Address any variations to a current job without causing massive delays down the road.
• Document Manager: Automate storage of past and current bids, invoices, bills of material, payroll, and more in one place. Save information on Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) standards.
• Subcontractor Management: Free up your schedule by working with subcontractors, freelancers, and third-party contractors.
• Compliance Tracking: Make sure you and your team are compliant with client requirements.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Track leads through organized contact management systems. Save data on interactions via calls, emails, meetings, and social media.

Benefits of Contractor Management Software

These are the main benefits of using contractor management software:

Create Professional Bids with Accurate Estimates

Whether you’re an independent contractor or part of a hiring organization, you’re in charge of finding and bidding on new jobs. Estimating software can reveal which projects are worthwhile and which are a waste of your time.

Job costing modules, combined with basic accounting applications, help you evaluate project profitability.

If you are bidding on big jobs with architectural firms or government entities, you’ll need polished, professional bids. And having an organized project portfolio can let your past work speak for you to potential clients. General contractor software provides document management for previous bids, bill of materials, and change orders.

Manage Multiple Projects at Once

Construction businesses are delayed all the time. If you use contractor software to schedule your jobs, you can use downtime between projects to get more work done. Start with a time tracking application to find out which members of your team bring the most value. Then adjust the schedule to fit in additional labor when needed and streamline project completion.

Are you juggling multiple bids at once? Scheduling applications coordinate your potential workflow in advance so you’re not double-booked in the event all your bids are successful. And by using workforce management solutions you can make sure you have enough labor, whether from your own team members or subcontractors, lined up for each project.

Coordinate with Clients, Customers, and Subcontractors

How do you stay on top of communications with clients, customers, and subcontractors while trying to balance all your other responsibilities? The answer is to use a contractor software with customer relationship management (CRM). Email integration lets you manage contacts, schedule follow-ups, and receive notifications about customer engagement.

The construction industry depends on clear, concise communication. Send and receive construction RFIs to make sure everyone involved is up-to-date on all project requirements. Or arrange conference calls to discuss change orders.

Compliance Management for Contractors

Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) compliance is a necessary part of being a contractor. In fact, many hiring agencies only work with contractors who meet EHS compliance requirements. Update your compliance electronically and keep it stored online so potential clients can see your team records.

Mobile Access on the Jobsite

Field service management is very important in the construction industry. When you spend most of your time out in the field, you need solutions which can be used on mobile devices. Construction software is accessible on smartphones and tablets so you can keep working even when you’re away from the office. You can take photos of project progress, accept electronic signatures on work order, and even print invoices.

A user-friendly task management tool lets you check on project progress whenever you want. When you’re working multiple projects you can remain informed no matter which jobsite you’re visiting. Just open the mobile app to see what you need next.

Contractor Management Software Pricing

The starting cost of subscription contractor management software ranges from as low as $7/month to $375/month. The biggest factor in SaaS price is how many applications you need. Another will be how many users are allowed on the software.

Perpetual license software costs begin at $795. Other all-in-one options are up to $10,000. Prices may vary based on how many users there are and which applications you need. This one time cost does not include training and implementation fees. However, many options include IT support for up to one year.

Common Contractor Pain Points

General contractors face a lot of issues, including:

Last Minute Change Orders

Being a contractor means handling a lot of change orders, requests from clients to add or omit work from the original bid. You get a call from a client asking to make a few tweaks to a design. Unfortunately, the variations they want have completely changed the scope of the original work order. Worse, they don’t want to increase the budget to account for the change orders. Handle whatever changes come your way with customized construction management software.

Some change orders can extend the project timeline, leaving you struggling to reschedule labor and equipment. Make instantaneous changes to the schedule using an online contractor management software. Your labor team and subcontractors can then get updates each day about the new project timeline.

Unreliable Subcontractors and Freelance Workers

Whenever you hire a new specialty contractor, subcontractor or freelance worker, you need to be prepared for mixed results. You can be ready for possible problems by staying organized with a contractor-specific management solution. Keep records of which subcontractors deliver the best results (and who to avoid) so you can build out a reliable network of specialized workers.

Fluctuating Project Budgets

Construction projects are notorious for going over budget, even with careful planning and estimating. Delays and change orders are just some of the reasons your budget could inflate. Construction accounting and job costing solutions let you calculate real-time price adjustments so you can minimize overspending.

Whether a project is delayed or the project scope is changed, you can at least keep your finances intact.