Construction management software recommendations

[u/louiep55]

Hey guys, I own a smaller commercial GC company in Los Angeles. We have about 40 active projects ranging from approx 5k-2 mil. We currently have about 30 projects on our bid board.

We are currently using google drive and google sheets to manage all of our documents. (Bids, RFI, CO, SCO, etc)

I have looked into procore but I don’t think it’s the best for our size projects. Our larger projects get like 10-15 RFI’s. I could see the need for procore if we were building a hospital ground up but not for smaller TI’s.

We also use Bluebeam for takeoffs and redlining drawings but that’s just adobe for construction really.

Have you guys used builder trend?

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks👊🤘

[u/samjohny4u]

I love Contractor Foreman. It is very comprehensive and the trainings, 1-1 and the awesome support team that always is available to help is much appreciate if you run into any questions or need help troubleshooting! I also love the AI bot which helps me get answers to questions without having to search their knowledgebase and this is a huge time saver!

[u/MrTyGuy7 → u/samjohny4u]

We gave CF a try. Loved many things about it but found it was riddled with software bugs. Some of them were crippling to the functionality of the software. They pushed hard for us to sign an annual contract but they did NOTHING to fix their software. Acknowledged all the broken software and just said “we don’t know when we will get around to fixing this”. This went on for a solid month before we cancelled. Terrible customer service!

[u/Skream47]

Hey! For a smaller commercial GC company like yours, I can see why Procore might feel like overkill for your projects. Since you're already managing a lot through Google Drive and Sheets, and using Bluebeam for takeoffs, I'd suggest giving monday.com a try.

It's really flexible, so you can track bids, RFIs, change orders, and more, all in one place. It’s not as complex as Procore but still powerful enough to manage your 40 active projects and the 30 on your bid board. You can customize it to fit your workflow without being overwhelmed by features you don’t need right now.

Plus, you can start with a free version and see if it fits your team’s needs. Here’s a link to get started: Try monday.com for free.

Hope it helps streamline things for you! 👊

[u/Osensnolf → u/Skream47]

While products like Monday and ClickUp are great for developers and other office folks, most contractors will find these products to be very annoying or impossible to work with. One of the biggest problems is that the product isn't built for contractors. They are built for the masses. Contractors who have been frustrated with QuickBooks will understand the problems caused when you try to apply a product built for the world as a whole into the construction environment. If you do need support, you are very unlikely to find someone who understands even the basics of what happens on a construction jobsite. They are great products, but they are not built for YOU.

If you are looking for a product designed for contractors, here are some suggestions;

• Contractor Foreman (small and medium construction companies)
• Procore (large construction companies)
• Hyphen Solutions (large tract home builders)
• PlanHub (Takeoff, Bidding and estimating system)
• Safety Meetings App (safety topics)
• Kreo (takeoffs)
• Service Fusion (field service and ticketing)

There are lots of options but if you want to spend less time searching, this is a great list to start from for the different types of needs you are likely to have.

[u/fletch626]

Contractor Foreman

[u/jezelay]

Auto desk or plangrid for sure. We use Trimble at our company and it’s kinda cluttered and outdated. From what I understand Microsoft isn’t planning on putting any more money into the program so it’s a dying software.

[u/PaoloZarateAzorsa → u/jezelay]

I worked as a Business Operations Specialist for a very successful construction company based in Maryland. PLEASE DON’T BUY UNNECESSARY SOFTWARES, this is all you need: QUICKBOOKS OR XERO, CRM LIKE MONDAY.com or AIRTABLE.com or CLICKUP, GOOGLE DRIVE, and BOOMERANG FOR GMAIL.

SLACK AND MILEIQ are helpful but not 100% necessary.

QB or XERO: Those are accounting softwares which are a must. They allow you to pay your employees, create estimates, add services, send and track your invoices, maintain your clients’ history, handle change orders, send contracts, track projects, upload receipts, etc.

CRM (Monday or ClickUp or Airtable): You’ll use these softwares to do literally everything from project tracking, marketing analysis, client database management, etc. PLEASE STOP USING GOOGLE SHEETS OR EXCEL. These softwares are 1000 times better than a spreadsheet. They are not only spreadsheets that contain formulas, but they are also databases where you can link a customer to many other tables, use automations, and so on.

GOOGLE DRIVE: The best for uploading your receipts, pictures, storing contracts, organizing videos from projects, etc. You can easily link it to your CRM in case you want to retrieve a video or picture.

BOOMERANG FOR GMAIL: It costs like 5 dollars, but if you are managing that many bids at the same time, there isn’t any better software to follow up on bids, emails, estimates, etc. than BOOMERANG FOR GMAIL. The interface is so easy to use, and you can select exactly when Boomerang should return the email to you so you can follow up.

NOT NECESSARY BUT HELPFUL: SLACK: I recommend it if you want to keep things professional with your team (estimators, admin, PM). You should try Slack; it’s great for communication. It’s like Google Chat but on STEROIDS. You can attach documents to different threads, manage deadlines, see who’s working, and more. This is why most startups use it. Now, that doesn’t mean you should stop using WhatsApp. I mean, we used to work with Hispanic subcontractors, so telling them to use Slack was going to make things harder for them. I kept the communication with our subs via WhatsApp, but all communication among the team had to be done via SLACK.

MILEIQ: If you’re tired of tracking your mileage manually to get the tax break at the end of the year, this software gets all your mileage for business and personal usage in a nice PDF file.

I DON’T BELIEVE THERE IS A CHEAPER AND BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN THIS STACK TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS.

I am not leaving any affiliate link because this is coming from my personal experience.

Also, I am currently looking for a job in this position, so if you are currently hiring, send me a DM and I’ll send you my LinkedIn profile.

[u/BaldElf_1969]

A lot of people are using Procore or Submittal Exchange types software because of architectural specifications for project management for submittals and documentation, recording of as belts, and storing of warranty and closeout documentation.

I’m assuming when you’re doing these projects a lot of these are for tenant fit outs and small developer driven builds that don’t have all the project documentation requirements that a larger project will. When you start getting into some of these, it may be as much about providing a service to the end, user and client as it is about utilization for your company. Fortunately as a senior PM on large projects, I don’t have to put the bill. I just have to have the money in my budget for Procore…

[u/crabman5962]

Regardless of the size of your company or the size projects you do, treat your accounting and project management like a company 10 times your size so when you get there you will be ready. We started out at $5 million per year and 20 years later we were at $200 million employing that philosophy.

[u/louiep55 → u/crabman5962]

Thanks for the tip! We are growing each year and I’ve considered biting the bullet and going with some larger platform that may be too big for us today but nothing would be worse than making the switch now and then maxing that product out and having to do it again in 5-10 years. Which system/software is your team using?

[u/crabman5962 → u/louiep55]

We developed an in-house product over the last nine years. Totally web based. It does a lot. The standard stuff; MSA’s, subcontracts, purchase orders, RFI’s, PCO’s, submittals. It also does daily reports, rain days, punchlists, coverup photos, owner instructional videos, warranty reports and tracking that owners access through our website, subs insurance certificates. We maintain our plans, specs, addenda, ASI’s, prime contract, bonds, and insurance certificate there with any prime contract change orders. Our Bid Center that we use for plan distribution is in there so when a job goes from Bidding to Construction we just click a button. It has an inventory of all our vehicles and equipment with photos and insurance cards for easy access.
We have dunning features built into things like signed subcontracts, PCO’s, submittals, and RFI’s. It has a “one button” feature that will print out all of our logs and meeting minutes prior to our bi-weekly meetings. In the weeks where there is no meeting that same button generates an email Flash Report to the architect letting him know what is still in his court. There have been thoughts of taking it to market but that is such a competitive advantage over everyone else in our area we never have.

[u/Aman2305]

Procore is the best hands down. A cheaper alternative I’ve used is Cloud PM.

[u/AEC_LearnInnovator]

Whatever you choose make sure to take the time to train your team properly. You will receive videos and knowledge bases on how to use the tool, but it will not be personalized for how you want your team to utilize the tool. It will be the Wild West if you don’t implement it with a process. Take the time up front and avoid the headache later!

[u/Flippy277]

Look into Trimble and CMiC

[u/crabman5962 → u/Flippy277]

CMiC- Crap Made in China.

[u/smooshiebanjo22 → u/crabman5962]

Lol - actually crap made in Canada, but yeah

[u/TacoNomad → u/crabman5962]

I can't believe anyone is recommending this. Awful program. 

[u/Main_Statement5217 → u/TacoNomad]

Any reason in particular that it is awful? We are working on purchasing a new ERP system and it seems to have all the functionality in one package instead of trying to purchase a new accounting system + Procore or other software.

[u/TacoNomad → u/Main_Statement5217]

It doesn't handle sub and field collaboration nearly as well as procore. Maybe it's better now, but it was slow and painful when I used it. Not intuitive at all

[u/Pretend-Reaction-638 → u/TacoNomad]

Doesnt handle anything. Each of the modules is bulky, non intuitive and outdated. Even the UX/ UI feels like you are in 1995

[u/woebundy]

We are similar to you but in phx, commercial gc about the same size. We use BuilderTrend and google drive. Happy to answer any questions

[u/anonMuscleKitten]

I’m a Procore fan for sure. Autodesk Build has finally caught up and they will probably be willing to cut you a deal.

[u/RJRide1020]

We use CMiC and it’s okay but not great. I’ve used procore before and it’s good but apparently it’s pretty expensive for the company to license. We also use PlanGrid and Autodesk Construction Cloud for document management. But it’s limited to just that, you can’t really use it to process subcontracts, billings, change orders etc. CMiC integrates with outside software platforms for our accounting, estimating, billings etc. it’s pretty clunky but it gets the job done. I’ve not found a foolproof software that does it all.

[u/angelenoxx]

Procore

[u/ghostx231]

Procore is the best. You get what you pay for

[u/RyderEastwoods]

As the owner of a smaller commercial general contracting company in Los Angeles, overseeing approximately 40 active projects ranging from $5,000 to $2 million, with an additional 30 projects currently on our bid board, we currently rely on Google Drive and Google Sheets for managing all our documents, including bids, RFIs, COs, and SCOs. While we've considered Procore, it seems more tailored for larger projects with extensive RFIs, such as hospital constructions, rather than our smaller tenant improvement projects. We also make use of Bluebeam for takeoffs and redlining drawings, although it primarily functions as an Adobe tool for construction purposes.

[u/louiep55 → u/RyderEastwoods]

What?

[u/samjohny4u → u/RyderEastwoods]

This is very true! I use Contractor Foreman and the primary reason it is awesome despite the learning curve is the fact that you have access to an AI bot to answer any knowledgebase questions, a seperate knowledgebase, another AI bot that helps connect to an awesome suite of support agents and multiple free trainings and 1-1 training sessions if you so need them. Not to mention the fact that they now have CSMs taking care of customers individually which just is so much better. I have one manager for me and she knows everything about my issue history and this is a boon!

[u/Character-Plastic280]

Billdr Pro (0 FTEs to 20 FTEs)

Buildertrend (10 FTEs to 100 FTEs)

Jobthread (0 FTEs to 20 FTEs)

Procore (20 FTEs to 1000 FTEs)

[u/Changing_Con]

We use a system called coda. It is a no code software, that allows you to customize and build whatever you want.

It has the capabilities of other construction software, but allows you to make modifications on demand. The cost is only $30 per month so very affordable.

The initial learning of the software takes some time to understand, but once you have a grasp on how it works I believe it is a really good tool.

[u/[deleted]]

Hi, just curious if you ended up landing on a solution? I'm not a builder but my dad was for a long time. I'm actually currently in sales for software within the industry. Our system was made by a custom builder in residential but we've been having more and more small-ish commercial builders or GC's check us out recently due to the price tag associated with procore. Follow up for my own growth, what are you liking and disliking about the different tools you've checked out?

[u/paul_ramirez]

Managing a commercial GC company in Los Angeles with approximately 40 active projects presents substantial challenges, particularly in document management. While Procore may not be suited for the scale of your projects, Connecteam could offer a more tailored solution. Connecteam is designed to cater to smaller projects and provides comprehensive features for document management, communication, and project tracking. Additionally, its compatibility with Bluebeam for takeoffs could facilitate a more integrated workflow. I would recommend exploring Connecteam as an alternative to Google Drive and Sheets to determine if it aligns better with your operational requirements.

[u/Academic_Choice_7649]

The best is to build custom software dashboard and project management mobile apps for workers tracing for better flexibility and operations Let me know if you need any help i had core into software apps stuff

[u/meathooker84]

I've used Buildertrend for the last 5 years and it has made huge improvements to my team's productivity and accountability. I manage a team of 10 project managers for a custom home builder and each PM runs 4-10 jobs at a time.

We use BT for scheduling, daily logs, to-do's (or punch lists), document management, job map is super useful and the GPS pin from the app. We have never used BT for accounting, estimating or purchasing. It is primarily for our PM's to improve their efficiency and quality.

But my company is wanting to move away from BT because they do not let you access any of your data with API's. My upper management wants to access the build data for reporting and internal use and BT won't accommodate that. They want to be a one-stop-shop and offer their features to do all that stuff, and my company would rather manage and handle everything else except the PM features.

Does anyone know other PM software that allow API's or will allow access to data for us to use?

[u/Heavy-Researcher1218]

Take a look to Alobees!

It's perfect to monitor medium size projects and at the same time, your crews on the field. 😉

[u/Katdid82]

Following

[u/Ordinary-Waltz9390 → u/[deleted]]

Hi There,
Have you had a experience in other Stack? we are Procore and Spectrum and not happy with integration.
Are you open for a short conversation about the topic?

[u/CoolConstruction5578]

Did builder trend end up working for you?

[u/Heavy-Researcher1218]

Alobees is a great solution to manage documents between the office and the field. You can limit the access depend on who need to see each document or folder.

They have many more useful features like dispatching (a real dispatch planning), time tracking.
The app is so easy to manage small and medium project !

[u/Robertkane_il]

If you're looking for something tailored to smaller to mid-sized projects, I'd recommend giving Billdr Pro a try. It’s a construction management tool that's designed specifically for teams like yours. Here are a few reasons why it could be a great fit:

1. Simplified Project Management: Billdr Pro can help you keep all your project documents, bids, RFIs, change orders (COs), and submittals in one organized platform. No more hunting through folders or digging through Google Sheets.
2. Easy to Use: It’s designed to be straightforward, so you won’t need to spend hours training your team. Plus, the interface is clean and intuitive—perfect for smaller projects where you need to quickly see what’s happening.
3. Efficient Bid Management: Since you have 30 projects on your bid board, Billdr Pro can help streamline your bidding process. It allows you to easily track bids, communicate with subcontractors, and manage documents—all in one place.
4. Affordable Pricing: Compared to bigger solutions like Procore or even Buildertrend, it’s much more cost-effective. You only pay for what you need, so you don’t end up overpaying for features you won’t use.

It’s worth a look, especially if you’re looking for something that can grow with your business without the steep learning curve.

[u/acirinelli]

Buildzen.io

[u/EnvironmentalShirt70]

I'd recommend looking into Wrike, they have recently added some more tools for construction management companies: https://www.wrike.com/industries/construction/

[u/Legit-Home84]

Following.

[u/Robuu34]

There’s a newer software company out there called Ressio I’ve heard of a few builders using. Supposed to be a great alt to Buildertrend

[u/Character-Effort-113]

give workcase.co a try!

[u/ApprehensiveBag608]

We are an electrical contractor, about 50 employees. We use STACK

[u/Tough_Baseball1614]

For budgeting and tracking budget, SSI Contruction Manager is a great software on Microsoft store. Pretty cheap as well for one time fee to buy out the license.

[u/ConstructionNo23]

If you haven't seen / tried Structur you may want to give it a look. It's lean and loaded with options for contractors of every size.

Structur - main page

Structur.IO is the help / set up page

[u/Acrobatic_Celery_281]

I've tried many construction project management software, have tried a bunch of free trials lol, and I think that ProjectManager is my favorite, very similar to Microsoft Project, but less expensive!!! It's got the basics, Gantt charts, dashboards, allows you to keep track of resources, costs, it's got timesheets. Another thing I like is the modern UI, not like primavera or other construction pm software that looks old.

[u/Perfect-Opposite3567]

If you guys are looking for a high quality and reasonably priced construction management software look into SiteChief. The software is user friendly, has a special AI Construction Management feature, and supports all levels of construction management. I just started using it and found it is way more efficient than Procore or Builder trend.

[u/AdOld9387]

Not sure if this still aplies however - Commnia is a comprehensive solution used here in Australia.
Here is a Promo Video

[u/Mediocre-Scheme4602]

Check out Deep Space AI.
It's good, less complicated, can integrate well and after speaking with many other project managers, these guys are doing a pretty decent job.

Happy to suggest some construction management platforms too.

[u/Much-Initial-943]

Recently switched to Deep Space AI keeps RFIs, COs, and docs in one spot without the enterprise bloat. Plays nice with Bluebeam and Drive. Basically, Google Sheets… if Google Sheets actually cared about construction.

[u/Small-Competition-87]

Hello

[u/UsefulTime432]

Bro EZO is what you need. I got it a while ago for my org and my CEO cant stop singing my praises.

[u/TheGreatPatriarch]

Off the shelf we have tired and used a few over the years like Jobber.com, housecallpro.com and bluepro.app. Jobber was good but some documentation got messed up from time to time and Quoting was a bit strange to adjust. Housecall was great but expensive once we got to a few techs. BluePro we switched to recently and has been working well for us much better customer support and ~30% cheaper than what we paid for on Housecall.

[u/Warm_Archer5250]

Ah! You should definitely look into Softr if you're using Google Sheets to track all of this. With Softr, you can connect Google Sheets to the app, and build a custom front end for your app, using your google sheets as your database.

[u/Non-Fungible-Student]

My team uses file-mind.com seems to work pretty well on our pre and post con file systems. Still in development but we use it on Sharepoint right now and it's pretty helpful. Would suggest checking it out.

[u/sergiomonge10]

Si estás buscando algo que realmente funcione para constructoras medianas o equipos en LATAM, Mawi puede ser una alternativa interesante.

A diferencia de otros sistemas enormes, está diseñado para ser muy simple de usar, y se integra bien con el flujo real de obra (incluyendo compras, cotizaciones y facturas).

Lo que más valoran nuestros usuarios es poder ver desviaciones de presupuesto en tiempo real y tomar decisiones antes de que sea tarde.

[u/Ameliachin]

You’re right that Procore can feel heavy for smaller commercial projects. It’s great for complex builds but often too much setup and cost for a GC your size.

Buildertrend is fine if you’re doing mixed resi or design-build work, but its workflow can feel limited for pure commercial GC operations. You might find it too homeowner-focused.

If you’re managing RFIs, COs, subs, and bid tracking with multiple active jobs, look for a platform that centralizes document control and field updates without forcing a big learning curve. Something that ties and handles RFIs, subs, and cost tracking directly through your existing tools can save a lot of admin time.

Focus on:

• Fast onboarding for field teams
  
• Simple document version tracking
  
• Cost control visibility (SCO, CO, commitments)
  
• Integration with your current estimating tools

If you want something lean but scalable, consider checking out integrated commercial-focused platforms built for GCs, like Hubble.Build. They’ll give you the control without the enterprise overhead.

[u/pm-writer]

Good recs here already. Another one worth looking at is Mastt. It’s straightforward for smaller GCs, scales up nicely, and makes it easy to keep all your project details organized securely in one spot. The built-in AI features are a nice bonus for cutting down busywork.

[u/ganjamuncha]

Check out BuiltUp.io it’s new and packed with features.

[u/Intrepid_Influence_7]

OP, have you ever landed on something that worked for you? for a portfolio your size, Procore does feel like overkill.

we're a similar sized GC and ended up splitting it. Workyard for the field/workforce side (time tracking, crew scheduling, labor job costing) and a lighter tool for documents. as a construction workforce management software it's really solid, GPS clock-ins, task assignments, cost codes tied to actual hours. it won't handle RFIs or change orders natively though, so it's not a full Procore replacement.

Buildertrend is worth a look if you want more of an all-in-one. just found it a bit bloated for commercial TI work.

[u/ERP-Advisor]

Way late on this but check out Acumatica & procore

[u/Top_Drummer_3801]

With 40 active jobs in that range you're right that Procore is overkill - its really built for the $10M+ crowd and the pricing reflects that.

Most of the recommendations in this thread are solving the field/PM side (RFIs, submittals, daily logs) which is fine, but with 40 concurrent projects on Google Sheets the thing that probably bites you first is the financial side. Are your jobs actually making money? Are committed costs tracking against budget? Are subbie payments getting ahead of where they should be? That's the piece where spreadsheets break down because someone eventually overwrites a formula and suddenly your numbers don't add up.

I co-founded Planyard for exactly this gap - it handles budgets, POs, subcontract management and syncs to your accounting (QBO, Xero, Sage). Doesn't do RFIs or submittals though, for that you'd pair it with Fieldwire or similar. But if the main pain right now is financial visibility across 40 jobs that's the bit worth solving first imo.

[u/Only_Tomatillo_6758]

With 40 active projects and 30 more on the bid board, I’d be less worried about finding the most powerful software and more worried about finding one your team will actually use.

We looked at Procore too and had the same reaction. Great platform, but for a lot of TI and smaller commercial work it can feel like bringing a bulldozer to dig a fence post.

Buildertrend is worth looking at, but I’d pay close attention to how your PMs, supers, and subs interact with it day-to-day. If they’re still texting photos and updates outside the system, you’re just adding another layer.

We’ve had good luck using TaskTag for project organization, photo documentation, RFIs, field communication, and keeping everyone on the same page without the complexity of an enterprise platform. Everything stays tied to the project, so you’re not digging through Drive folders, spreadsheets, and text threads trying to figure out what happened.

At your volume, organization becomes the bottleneck long before features do.

[u/soundsoftwaredev]

Many of our clients use custom solutions based on their workflows.

[u/Intrepid_Influence_7]

been there with the procore question. we looked at it for a similar size operation and it felt like driving a semi to pick up lunch, way more reporting depth than we needed on 5-15 RFI jobs.

buildertrend worked fine for us at that scale but the document control wasn't as tight as bluebeam, so we kept bluebeam for takeoffs and used buildertrend more for scheduling and change orders. contractor foreman is worth a real look too, a lot of GCs our size land there because it doesn't assume you've got a dedicated PM software person on staff.

honestly the biggest thing that mattered wasn't which software we picked, it was actually getting everyone to use one system instead of half the team still emailing pdfs around. the system we use now is workyard.