Construction scheduling software helps companies complete projects faster with organized schedules like Gantt charts, labor and material allocation, and time tracking. Using our advanced review methodology, we researched the best construction scheduling systems on the market and ranked them below.
- Procore: Best Overall
- Contractor Foreman: Best for Small to Midsize General Contractors
- BuilderTrend: Best for Residential Home Builders
- Fieldwire: Best for Field Management
- Jobber: Best for Specialty Contractors
- Houzz Pro: Best for Remodelers and Designers
- Touchplan: Best for Infrastructure Construction
1 Procore - Best Overall
Why we chose it: We picked Procore as our best overall pick with a 9.0 score because it’s well-suited for general contractors handling commercial and/or residential projects. A leading platform in the construction industry, it offers collaborative schedules so every team is up to date with any revisions and updates. Additionally, its Gantt charts feature is essential for contractors to view activities, detailed timelines, and maintain task-based budgets. The ability to view timelines as a Gantt chart or as a daily, monthly, or yearly calendar makes it easy for all team members to be aligned.
We also found Procore’s workforce management module effective for labor scheduling. Contractors can streamline their planning process by visualizing their workforce and proactively assigning workers to upcoming projects weeks or months ahead. Also, users can create budgets for all projects, with resource allocation for labor, materials, and all other expenses associated with the job. This helps companies track cost forecasts and change budgets on the fly. Unfortunately, Procore has a quote-based pricing model, so businesses must reach out for details.
2 Contractor Foreman - Best for Small to Midsize General Contractors
Why we chose it: We like Contractor Foreman best for small to midsize general contractors due to its affordable plans that scale with firms’ growth. We gave it an 8.7 score because of its detailed project tracking features that help small businesses stay on top of all expenses. Specifically, its daily logs keep complete project records for each day to manage productivity and updates. This includes logs for all materials and equipment delivered and used, ensuring funds are allocated smartly.
We also like Contractor Foreman’s chat feature, which can help teams collaborate and stay up to date with updates by sending messages directly from the mobile app. This eliminates using personal phone numbers or slow-response emails, as companies can send messages directly or in group chats. Overall, Contractor Foreman is an affordable solution for small to midsize construction contractors. Plans start at $49/month, billed annually, and include unlimited projects. One downside to the system is that it is missing a takeoff module, which could be a dealbreaker for companies not wanting to integrate a third-party system.
3 BuilderTrend - Best for Residential Home Builders
Why we chose it: We found Buildertrend ideal for residential construction companies because of its industry-specific features. The system includes preloaded, customizable templates that make start tracking new projects and managing multiple at once efficient. Its 8.4 score also reflects its ability to shift a schedule automatically when a change is made, making it easy to edit and adjust the rest of the calendar accordingly.
Buildertrend’s time clock feature allows home builders to clock in and out on their mobile devices. This helps companies keep accurate time for their workers and allows for better project analysis, as management can see the total hours worked on each job. We also like its online portal, which keeps clients updated throughout the process. This is essential for home builders who adhere to specific customer specifications and deadlines so they can be satisfied.
One drawback we found for Buildertrend is that it may be expensive for small home builders. Its most popular Advanced plan is $799/month, best suiting contractors with larger budgets and teams.
4 Fieldwire - Best for Field Management
Why we chose it: We included Fieldwire because of its strong field management features. The system is available on Android, iPhone, and tablets, so field teams can access essential information from anywhere, helping communication between the job site and the office. Scheduling plans like Gantt charts and Kanban boards allow for streamlined task optimization for teams.
Fieldwire also optimizes building inspections to keep projects on schedule. Users can set custom checklists for each building and conduct inspections directly from the mobile app. For any problems that occur, field teams can report to management with photos and comments for quick fixes. We also like its reporting capabilities, as companies can run reports on progress, inspections, and closeouts to gain insight into each project.
Fieldwire offers a free version for small teams with up to 5 users and 3 projects. However, we don’t like that the BIM viewer feature is only available in the Business package at $50/user/month.
5 Jobber - Best for Specialty Contractors
Why we chose it: We like Jobber best for specialty trade contractors in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and roofing. Companies needing to coordinate multiple crews and technicians across several job sites daily must have efficient scheduling. Users can create jobs and assign teams quickly on a shared drag-and-drop calendar, available on the mobile app for on-the-go access. It even includes dispatch management for efficient routing to cut down on transit time and get to every job fast.
We also found Jobber’s client manager module effective for service contractors. It organizes and stores customer information in one place, making it easy to access past jobs, detailed customer profiles, and communication history. The system also creates professional invoices instantly after job completion for fast payment. Companies can send invoices via text or email; the software automatically sends follow-up reminders for delayed payments. One downside we found during our research was that GPS tracking and online booking features are unavailable on the base Core plan.
6 Houzz Pro - Best for Remodelers and Designers
Why we chose it: Houzz Pro is best suited for remodelers and designers because of its industry-specific features. We like its 3D floor plan module that enables users to showcase realistic models of renovations and interior designs directly in the system. This allows clients and management to visualize layouts, materials used, and the overall look of the proposed remodel. Designers can then turn approvals into accurate client estimates, helping manage budgets and the cost of materials.
We also like Houzz Pro’s project management module. It helps companies stay on schedule with item assignments, Gantt charts, and real-time updates. Management can assign tasks and items for each job area, helping to maintain clear communication within teams on who is completing what task. A clear schedule is essential for remodelers to keep clients up to date with updated plans and timelines to keep them satisfied and in the loop. However, some users have reported the schedule lacks advanced capabilities like cost management and time tracking alerts and notifications.
7 Touchplan - Best for Infrastructure Construction
Why we chose it: We found Touchplan best for large general contractors in the infrastructure construction industry. This is due to its ability to handle complex scheduling requirements involving several stakeholders and subcontractors through extensive Gantt charts and Kanban boards. Users can visualize trends, KPIs, and roadblock analytics across all infrastructure projects to see granular data. Management can also create milestones and collaborate with all teams to effectively delegate tasks for efficiency.
We also like Touchplan’s resource allocation capabilities, which help contractors stay within budget by efficiently managing materials and labor. Optimized allocation ensures projects finish on time and appeases stakeholders by not overspending on unnecessary resources. The system offers unlimited users and mobile access on any device, allowing team members to edit plans and schedules from the job site. However, there is no offline access, so sites in cellular service dead zones won’t be able to access the system without a hotspot.
What is Construction Scheduling Software?
These systems assist in managing the schedules of labor and resources in a construction project. Sometimes included as part of a larger construction management software, standalone platforms automate the calculations necessary to determine a probable completion date. Knowing these dates in advance allows you to schedule project tasks based on labor, equipment, and materials availability.
Construction scheduling is more than simply creating a work schedule for your employees. With scheduling software, task sequences, priority levels, task dependencies, and task completion times can all be illustrated in a logical progression towards project completion.
Key Features
- Custom Schedule Views: Create schedules in an easy-to-read format. Set up calendar views, Gantt charts, or Kanban boards.
- Resource Allocation: Assign materials, labor, and equipment to specific tasks.
- Availability Tracking: Check if equipment or materials are available or currently in use, as well as employee availability.
- Online Timesheets: Track employee time spent on particular tasks in the project.
- "What-if" Analysis: Test out various construction schedules by moving project tasks to different time slots to complete project tasks without strain on your employees or resources.
- Drag-and-Drop Capabilities: A visual approach to scheduling lets you move tasks to different time slots to see if your project team can fit the construction tasks at that time or what possible effects it may have on your bottom line in terms of budget.
- Capacity Planning: Determine the capacity needed to meet the demand for construction projects you consider adding to the schedule. Adjust schedules in real-time when unexpected bottlenecks occur.
- Priority Scheduling: Determine the profitability of each construction job to establish priority levels and work on the most important jobs first.
- Time Tracking: Track hours spent on individual tasks and the project as a whole. Monitor billable vs non-billable hours for improved budgeting.
- Budgeting: Estimate the total cost of a project based on the labor hours scheduled. Includes labor costs, material procurement costs, and operating costs.
Primary Benefits
Better Manage Your Construction Budget
Accurate scheduling in construction management can reduce overall project costs. To start, anticipating cash flow correctly at the start of a job can be a key factor in making on-time payments during the job. The schedule can show predicted milestones for ordering the right supplies or arranging labor.
Another way to improve the budget is by meeting deadlines faster. While outside factors easily affect construction timelines, updating the schedule with software can help you recover lost time. Finishing a job on time or early can save labor, equipment, and materials. Also, updating the schedule can temper expectations to ensure you’re not making promises to a client that your business won’t be able to keep.
Avoid Bottlenecks from Bureaucracy
Many construction businesses need to apply for permits and inspections before being able to complete work. There may also be local and municipal requirements to be met when building a residential home or a commercial building. By creating an accurate timeline of when a project will start, you’ll be better able to know when you need to apply for said permits.
In your construction process, you want to avoid bottlenecks that may come from waiting for certain tasks to be completed. One example is waiting for an electrical installation to be completed before you can proceed with further work. By scheduling these inspections ahead of time and planning non-dependent tasks to occur during installation, your business will be able to operate at peak efficiency.
Types of Scheduling Views Available
Construction scheduling software can visually display your schedule in several formats, including:
Gantt Charts
A Gantt chart acts as a bar chart that illustrates the schedule for your construction project. This scheduling method provides a means of viewing the dependencies between tasks, helps visually represent the connections between what must be completed first, and can also track the completion of project milestones. Gantt charts are important in construction due to the frequency of changes in a construction project. Charts make it easy to see the tasks that are on schedule, running behind, or at risk of exceeding the allotted time.
Calendar Views
Calendar views allow you to view your construction project schedule in a format people recognize. In construction scheduling, a calendar view allows you to view tasks and their start and end dates in an easy-to-understand format. Tasks can easily be rescheduled in a drag-and-drop fashion whenever changes are needed. Calendars can also be viewed in a daily, weekly, or monthly format, which is great if you have an interest in tasks on a daily level or want to look farther out into the future.
Kanban Boards
In construction scheduling software, Kanban boards can use historical data to help you estimate a current project’s duration and plan and prioritize upcoming projects. The aim is to provide scheduling based on workflow historical data rather than estimates. The ease and convenience of Kanban boards let you better visualize each stage of your construction project.
