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.
Workflow illustration—not a software screenshot.
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.
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.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
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.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
See current features and plans.
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.
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.
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.
Find the right tools.
Build a better working process.
Start with one task. Compare the options. Explore the company that fits.
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.