The Best Free Construction Management Software to Start Using Right Now

If you’re trying to find the best free construction management software online, you will find tons of blog posts trying to pass free project management tools or free construction estimating tools off as construction management software. Using one of these tools may leave you out in the cold if you’re looking for something to help you with the construction phase of your projects.

Free construction management software includes solutions that provide users with tools to effectively manage the construction phase of their projects from beginning to end. The two solutions we highlight in this blog post are LetsBuild and Fieldwire. Both are construction management software that are available completely for free (and not just as a trial), with the option of upgrading features with paid plans.

LetsBuild

LetsBuild takes a holistic approach to construction management, with tools designed specifically for each step in your projects’ construction phases. Its product offering can be broken into planning, communication, conformity, compliance, digitalization, and reporting foci. LetsBuild is a great option for those looking for more visibility into their projects across teams and roles.

Potential users should note that LetsBuild is the culmination of APROPLAN and GenieBelt merging to become one product in 2019. APROPLAN was a construction collaboration tool, whereas GenieBelt was a field reporting tool aimed at small to midsize businesses. As a newer product on the market, LetsBuild does not yet have any reviews on TrustRadius, but you could be among the first if you choose to go with LetsBuild free offering, which allows up to 5 users per account.

Overall, what LetsBuild users value most about its capabilities are its features in support of cross-team communication. LetsBuild is optimized to be used on both desktop computers and mobile devices so that multiple users of the software can communicate through its apps from anywhere, in real-time. Capabilities such as these will allow companies to better track project progress, any perceived risks, and critical issues that may arise. Using its collaboration tools can help empower every employee to contribute to project success easily.

Fieldwire

Fieldwire is focuses on field management processes, and its software can be structured to suit your specific role in your company, whether you’re a general or specialty contractor, owner, building designer, or architect. Look towards Fieldwire if you’re interested in software that will improve upon how you currently handle plan viewing, drawings, task management, scheduling, punch lists, inspections, form-building, and reports.

Like LetsBuild, Fieldwire enables real-time messaging for employees both in the office and out on construction sites. According to Fieldwire users, its strongest feature set lies in its document management capabilities such as collaborative RFI creation and allowing for multiple team members to collaborate on specific documents. Fieldwire is a good choice if you’re looking to resolve communication issues between your office staff and field team.

Reviewer Mark. H, who comes from a building IT services background, had this to say about Fieldwire: “[It] is perfect for any company that utilizes plans and markups. It allows our field staff to have all the info needed and to make reports or add photos to our plan archive. This can also ensure the plans we are using are the most current version. End-of-day reports give our office staff an excellent window onto the progress of a job.”

Other free construction software tools to consider

If you’re looking for more specialized construction software, we’ve got you covered. There are construction tools devoted specifically to estimating, takeoff, project management, and productivity tracking.

On TrustRadius, our construction software category includes some of the more comprehensive construction platforms like Procore, Viewpoint Spectrum, CMiC, as more dedicated software like Revit (Building Information Modelling) and On-Screen Takeoff, for example.

If you’re interested in free construction estimating software, we’ve compiled a list of construction estimating software that are available for free and not just a limited-time free trial. We’ve also identified the best free tools for construction project management that also includes a list of multi-purpose free project management software tools that can be tailored to fit your construction firm’s unique needs.