Construction Software

BRAND BOA / Software for US construction businesses

Construction Software.
Find the right tools for the way you build.

From the first drawing to the final job-cost report, explore software for the work that matters. Compare specialist tools and broader platforms in one place.

Find my software ↓How to choose ↗
Start with the task, not the brand

What do you need
to do better?

You do not need six subscriptions to run a construction business. Start with your biggest bottleneck, then check whether a specialist product or a broader platform fits.

Measure the work ↗Measure lengths, areas and counts from your plans. Price the job ↗Organize quantities and rates into a professional quote. Coordinate delivery ↗Connect schedules, site updates and project decisions. Draw & visualize ↗Create technical drawings and explain ideas in 3D. Model & coordinate ↗Develop building models and review coordination. Track the costs ↗Track project expenses, accounting and financial reports.

Some providers appear in more than one section because their products cover several tasks. Features may overlap; the products below are not all direct substitutes.

01 / MEASURE THE WORK

Quantity Takeoff Software

Turn drawings into quantities.

Start here when you need lengths, areas or item counts before you can price the job. Review measurements against drawings and specifications.

Measure the work

ArcSite

Drawing-led material takeoffs
What it helps you do
Mobile drawing tools connect site sketches with material calculations and estimates.
Consider it for
Trade contractors who draw and scope jobs during site visits.
Check before choosing
Device support, material-library setup and takeoff features in your plan.
Explore ArcSite ↗

See current features and plans.

Measure the work

Exayard

AI-assisted plan measurement
What it helps you do
Automated counts and area or linear measurements help you work through uploaded plans.
Consider it for
Estimators exploring automation for repetitive measuring tasks.
Check before choosing
Test your drawings, review missed items and confirm usage allowances.
Explore Exayard ↗

See current features and plans.

Measure the work

Houzz Pro

Digital takeoffs for remodeling
What it helps you do
Measure plans and move quantities into estimates within a broader business platform.
Consider it for
Residential builders and remodelers connecting measurement with quoting.
Check before choosing
Scale settings, takeoff access, exports and the quoted subscription.
Explore Houzz Pro ↗

See current features and plans.

Back to software categories ↑
02 / PRICE THE JOB

Construction Estimating Software

Build the numbers behind your bid.

Choose tools that organize your scope, quantities and rates into a clear estimate. Check local costs, labor assumptions, overhead and markup.

Price the job

ContractorTools

Reusable estimating & invoicing
What it helps you do
Build estimates with saved costs and job templates on iPhone, iPad and Mac. QuickBooks Online synchronization is available.
Consider it for
Small contractors who regularly price similar jobs.
Check before choosing
Apple-device compatibility, invoice allowances and optional costbook charges.
Explore ContractorTools ↗

See current features and plans.

Price the job

Exayard

Takeoff-to-estimate workflow
What it helps you do
Review plan quantities, apply your pricing and export estimates in formats including Excel and PDF.
Consider it for
Trade estimators whose pricing begins with a drawing package.
Check before choosing
Rate setup, measurement corrections, export formats and plan limits.
Explore Exayard ↗

See current features and plans.

Price the job

Contractor Foreman

Estimates, markups & approvals
What it helps you do
Prepare branded estimates with markup controls and online customer approvals.
Consider it for
Contractors seeking estimating within a wider management system.
Check before choosing
Included modules, pricing-data options and the handover to live jobs.
Explore Contractor Foreman ↗

See current features and plans.

Back to software categories ↑
03 / COORDINATE DELIVERY

Construction Project Management Software

Keep the whole job in view.

Explore systems for schedules, responsibilities, site records and client communication. Ask each provider to demonstrate your team’s everyday workflow.

Coordinate delivery

JobTread

Project coordination & job finances
What it helps you do
Connect tasks, schedules, daily logs, customer portals and job-costing information.
Consider it for
Builders and remodelers organizing projects and financial progress.
Check before choosing
User roles, integrations, implementation and field-team access.
Explore JobTread ↗

See current features and plans.

Coordinate delivery

Contractor Foreman

Field operations & project records
What it helps you do
Organize schedules, daily logs, punch lists, permits and inspections.
Consider it for
Small and midsize contractors managing crews and site administration.
Check before choosing
Permissions, mobile workflows, module access and training needs.
Explore Contractor Foreman ↗

See current features and plans.

Coordinate delivery

Houzz Pro

Client-facing project collaboration
What it helps you do
Coordinate schedules, tasks, selections and project updates through client dashboards.
Consider it for
Residential remodeling and design-build teams managing customer decisions.
Check before choosing
Included tools, client visibility and subcontractor access.
Explore Houzz Pro ↗

See current features and plans.

Back to software categories ↑
04 / DRAW & VISUALIZE

CAD & Building Design Software

Give the project a clear design.

These products support different design approaches. Choose around the drawings, models and presentation documents you need to produce.

Draw & visualize

Autodesk

AutoCAD
What it helps you do
Create precise 2D drawings and 3D designs with general-purpose CAD tools.
Consider it for
Designers and construction professionals preparing technical drawings.
Check before choosing
The exact AutoCAD edition, operating system, file exchange and training.
Explore Autodesk CAD ↗

See current features and plans.

Draw & visualize

Chief Architect

Chief Architect Premier
What it helps you do
Residential design tools connect floor plans with 3D models, elevations and construction documentation.
Consider it for
Home builders, remodelers and residential design professionals.
Check before choosing
System requirements, output standards and how automated building elements fit your work.
Explore Chief Architect ↗

See current features and plans.

Draw & visualize

Trimble

SketchUp
What it helps you do
Create and communicate 3D design ideas with modeling tools and a library of prebuilt models.
Consider it for
Designers and contractors exploring layouts and presenting concepts.
Check before choosing
Desktop or web access, documentation tools and extensions included in your plan.
Explore SketchUp ↗

See current features and plans.

Back to software categories ↑
05 / MODEL & COORDINATE

BIM & Model Coordination Software

Connect geometry with project information.

BIM authoring creates information-rich models; coordination checks how models work together. These are related tasks, but they are not the same tool.

Model & coordinate

Autodesk

Revit & Navisworks Manage
What it helps you do
Revit supports building information modeling. Navisworks Manage supports model review, coordination and clash detection.
Consider it for
Multidisciplinary teams needing authoring and coordination workflows.
Check before choosing
These are distinct products: confirm licenses, model formats and coordination responsibilities.
Explore Autodesk coordination ↗

See current features and plans.

Model & coordinate

Bentley Systems

OpenBuildings Designer
What it helps you do
Multidiscipline building-design software for information-rich models and related documentation.
Consider it for
Building-design teams working across architectural and engineering disciplines.
Check before choosing
Required disciplines, file exchange, team setup and implementation scope.
Explore OpenBuildings ↗

See current features and plans.

Model & coordinate

Trimble

Tekla Structures
What it helps you do
Structural BIM software for developing detailed, constructible structural models.
Consider it for
Structural specialists, detailers and teams working toward fabrication and construction.
Check before choosing
Required modeling detail, exchange formats and collaboration tools.
Explore Tekla Structures ↗

See current features and plans.

For Autodesk model authoring, explore Revit. The main Autodesk button above opens Navisworks for coordination. Tekla Structures focuses on structural BIM rather than general-purpose home design.

Back to software categories ↑
06 / TRACK THE COSTS

Construction Accounting & Job Costing Software

See where the project money goes.

Compare systems for accounting and job-level cost visibility. Involve the person who manages your books and test the reports your business needs.

Track the costs

Foundation Software

FOUNDATION
What it helps you do
Construction accounting brings together job costing, payroll, invoicing and financial reporting.
Consider it for
Contractors needing construction-specific accounting processes.
Check before choosing
Migration, implementation, payroll requirements and the modules in your quote.
Explore FOUNDATION ↗

See current features and plans.

Track the costs

Intuit

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
What it helps you do
Contractor-focused reporting and job-cost tracking within QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise.
Consider it for
Contractor businesses evaluating accounting and job reports in the QuickBooks ecosystem.
Check before choosing
The specific edition, hosting, payroll and add-on costs; this is not QuickBooks Online.
Explore QuickBooks for contractors ↗

See current features and plans.

Track the costs

Trimble

Viewpoint — Vista & Spectrum
What it helps you do
Construction business-management systems connect accounting and operational information.
Consider it for
Construction firms seeking a broader financial and operational system.
Check before choosing
Vista versus Spectrum, integrations, migration scope and implementation support.
Explore Trimble Viewpoint ↗

See current features and plans.

Back to software categories ↑
Build a useful shortlist

Buy for the workflow.
Test on a real project.

A long feature list is only useful if your team can turn it into better day-to-day work.

Bring a job you know.

Use familiar plans, a completed estimate or an existing project. Check the output against known quantities, costs or drawings.

Follow the handover.

Check how drawings become quantities, how estimates reach the project team and how costs reach accounting. Do not assume that separate subscriptions automatically integrate.

Check the full commitment.

Include users, optional modules, training, hardware, implementation, data migration and contract terms. Confirm US units, currencies and relevant local pricing workflows.

Choose what your team will use.

Ask a field user, estimator or bookkeeper to try the relevant tasks. Confirm file compatibility, permissions, support and the ability to export your data.

Need a result for a live project?

Let BRAND BOA handle the takeoff and estimate.

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

Request an estimating quote ↗
A clearer software decision

Your construction software questions.

Start with the problem you need to solve, then compare the products that can help.

What is construction software?

It is a broad term for tools used to design, measure, estimate, manage and financially track construction work. Some products specialize in one task; others combine several workflows.

Do I need a separate product for every section?

No. Several platforms cover multiple tasks. Compare the functions you need with what is already included before paying for overlapping subscriptions.

What is the difference between CAD and BIM?

CAD supports drawing and modeling. BIM adds structured building information and workflows around a model. A model-authoring tool and a clash-coordination tool serve different purposes, even within the same software ecosystem.

Are estimating and accounting the same thing?

No. Estimating predicts the cost of proposed work. Accounting records financial transactions, while job costing allocates and analyzes costs by project. Check how your selected products exchange that information.

Which software is best for a small contractor?

There is no universal choice. Decide whether your main need is producing quotes, coordinating jobs, drawing designs or tracking costs. Shortlist a few products in that section and test a representative project.

Can these tools guarantee accurate quantities or profitable jobs?

No. Results depend on complete information, correct settings, relevant costs and competent review. Check automated measurements, assumptions and outputs before relying on them.

Can BRAND BOA do the estimating instead?

Yes. Contact us with your drawings and project details for a quote. For an occasional project, a prepared takeoff or estimate may be more practical than buying and learning software.

Your next step

Find the right tools.
Build a better working process.

Start with one task. Compare the options. Explore the company that fits.

Explore all six software categories ↑Talk to BRAND BOA ↗

Prepared by BRAND BOA using publicly available provider information. Suggested fits are editorial opinions, not hands-on test results or performance rankings. Features, licenses and pricing vary by product and plan. Confirm current details directly through the official provider links above. External provider links open in a new tab. Company and product names belong to their respective owners.

Information reviewed September 26, 2026. BRAND BOA’s services featured here are quantity takeoffs and construction cost estimation.