Construction Estimating Software

BRAND BOA / Construction software / US buyer’s guide

Construction Estimating Software.
Build a clearer bid.

Turn quantities, costs and project scope into a professional estimate. Compare ContractorTools, Exayard and Contractor Foreman to find the right starting point for your business.

General contractorsTrade contractorsBuilders & remodelers
Start with your estimating process

Three companies. Three ways to approach the bid.

Choose around the job you need done: preparing repeat estimates, pricing measured plans, or connecting bids to project management.

Estimates on Apple devices

ContractorTools

Explore reusable costs and job templates for estimates on iPhone, iPad and Mac.

See the company overview ↗
AI-assisted takeoff to estimate

Exayard

Explore AI-assisted quantities, your own pricing and estimate exports from uploaded plans.

See the company overview ↗
Estimating within project management

Contractor Foreman

Explore estimates and approvals within a wider construction-management platform.

See the company overview ↗
01 / BUILD → PRICE → INVOICE

ContractorTools

Estimates on Apple devices

Make repeat estimating more straightforward.

View current features and plans on the official website.

What the company supplies

Construction estimating and invoicing software, with saved costs, job templates and QuickBooks Online synchronization.

Who it suits

Small contractors and remodelers who work on Apple devices and want a focused estimating workflow.

Why consider it

Reuse common job items and templates. Optional Craftsman costbooks provide a starting point for localized construction costs.

What to check

Confirm device support, invoice and user allowances, optional costbook charges and the QuickBooks workflow you need.

BRAND BOA’s view

Shortlist ContractorTools if you regularly price similar work and want to build estimates from reusable items.

02 / UPLOAD → REVIEW → PRICE

Exayard

AI-assisted takeoff to estimate

Turn plan measurements into an estimate.

View current features and plans on the official website.

What the company supplies

AI-powered takeoff and estimating software, with automated counts, area measurements and linear measurements.

Who it suits

Estimators and trade contractors whose pricing starts with construction drawings and repeated measurement tasks.

Why consider it

Describe what you need measured, review the results, apply your pricing and export estimates in formats including Excel and PDF.

What to check

Test drawing quality, measurement corrections, usage allowances, export options and how your rates and assemblies are applied.

BRAND BOA’s view

Shortlist Exayard when measuring plans is the bottleneck. Review quantities and pricing assumptions before issuing a bid.

03 / ESTIMATE → APPROVE → MANAGE

Contractor Foreman

Estimating within project management

Connect your bid to the work that follows.

View current features and plans on the official website.

What the company supplies

Construction-management software with estimating, job costing, change orders, invoicing and project tools.

Who it suits

Small and midsize general contractors, trade contractors and teams seeking a broader operational system.

Why consider it

Create branded estimates, adjust bulk or line-item markups and collect online approvals and electronic signatures.

What to check

Confirm included modules, cost-data access, onboarding effort, users, integrations and subscription terms for your team.

BRAND BOA’s view

Shortlist Contractor Foreman if you want estimating connected to ongoing job administration and cost control.

Your shortlist, side by side

Compare the work behind the estimate.

These are workflow recommendations, not performance rankings. Ask each company to demonstrate an estimate similar to one you prepare.

Construction estimating software comparison · On mobile, swipe to view all columns.
Your decisionContractorToolsExayardContractor Foreman
Main starting pointReusable costs and job templatesUploaded plans and AI-assisted quantitiesEstimates within a construction-management system
Consider whenYou want a focused Apple-device workflowYou need to measure plans before pricingYou want estimates connected to job administration
Ask to seeYour repeat-job estimate and invoicing processYour drawing-to-priced-estimate processYour markup, approval and project workflow
Check the planDevice support, users and invoicing limitsUsage allowances, corrections and exportsModules, users, cost data and onboarding
Next stepVisit ContractorTools ↗Visit Exayard ↗Visit Contractor Foreman ↗

Confirm current pricing and included features with each provider. Cost databases and AI output still need to be checked against your project and local market.

Before you subscribe

A good estimate needs more than a total.

Use a completed job to test how each system handles your actual scope, pricing and customer documents.

01. Build the full scope.

Check material quantities, labor, equipment, subcontractor costs and exclusions. Test how the system handles allowances and changes.

02. Use your local rates.

Verify supplier quotes, crew productivity, waste and project location. Understand how overhead and markup are applied before trusting the final figure.

03. Review the output.

Can the client understand what is included? Check proposal formatting, revisions, exports and the handover to your invoicing or accounting process.

Need an estimate for a live project?

Let BRAND BOA prepare the numbers.

Send your drawings, scope, project location and deadline. We’ll review your requirements and confirm a quote and turnaround for construction cost estimating or quantity takeoffs.

Before you choose

Construction estimating software FAQs

What does construction estimating software do?

It helps organize project quantities, unit costs and other allowances into an estimate. Depending on the software, it may also support reusable templates, proposals, approvals, invoicing or wider project management.

How is estimating software different from takeoff software?

Takeoff software measures and counts the work. Estimating software applies costs to that scope. Some systems connect both stages; others work from quantities you provide.

Which company should I explore first?

Consider ContractorTools for focused estimating on Apple devices, Exayard for estimates starting with AI-assisted plan measurement, and Contractor Foreman for estimating within broader project management. Test your own workflow before choosing.

Will software automatically know my local construction costs?

Do not assume it does. Check where the cost data comes from, how current it is and whether it matches your project location. Validate rates against supplier quotes, subcontractor bids and your actual labor costs.

Can AI prepare an estimate without review?

Keep a review step. Check drawing scale, measured quantities, missed scope, pricing assumptions and exclusions. An automated measurement is not the same as a fully reviewed construction estimate.

What should I check before paying for a subscription?

Confirm device compatibility, included features, user allowances, optional data charges, exports, training and billing terms. Use a completed job to assess setup effort and the quality of the finished estimate.

Can BRAND BOA prepare the estimate for me?

Yes. Share the project drawings, location, scope and deadline through our contact page. We’ll confirm the estimating service, fee and expected delivery time after reviewing your requirements.

Build your next bid with a clearer process

Find the estimating workflow that fits.

Explore the companies, review their plans and bring your own project to the demo.

Prepared by BRAND BOA from publicly available provider information. Workflow recommendations are editorial opinions, not hands-on test results. Company names belong to their respective owners. Supplier links open in a new tab.

Provider information: ContractorTools · Exayard · Contractor Foreman. Last reviewed: September 26, 2026.