TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Contractor Foreman

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AContractor Foreman is an online construction management software for contractors and boasts users among contractors in more than 75 countries.

    $588

    per year

    SketchUp

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/ASketchUp is 3D modeling software with an emphasis on usability. SketchUp is a Trimble product.

    $119

    per year

    Pricing
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Editions & Modules
    Basic
    $588
    per year
    Standard
    $948
    per year
    Plus
    $1,497
    per year
    Pro
    $1,990
    per year
    Unlimited
    $2,988
    per year
    Free
    $0.00
    per year
    For Schools (free with G Suite or Microsoft education account)
    $0
    For Students
    $55.00
    per year
    For Educators
    $55.00
    per year
    Studio for Students / Educators (Desktop version)
    $55
    per year
    Shop
    $119.00
    per year
    Pro
    $299.00
    per year
    Professional
    $299.00
    per year
    Studio (Windows only)
    $699
    per year
    Studio
    $1199.00
    per year
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPlans are based on features and licenses needed. Plus, Pro, and Unlimited plans include a 100-day money back guarantee.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Considered Both Products
    Contractor Foreman
    No answer on this topic
    Trimble
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    97%
    Would buy again
    94 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    23 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    98%
    Delivers good value for the price
    92 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    22 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    93 Answers
    92%
    Happy with the feature set
    22 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    77 Answers
    89%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    17 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    94%
    Implementation went as expected
    80 Answers
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    18 Answers
    Features
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Human Resource Management
    Comparison of Human Resource Management features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    7.6
    72 Ratings
    8% above category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Employee demographic data7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Employment history8.860 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job profiles and administration9.069 Ratings00 Ratings
    Workflow for transfers, promotions, pay raises, etc.7.83 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organizational charting7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Organization and location management8.43 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compliance data (COBRA, OSHA, etc.)4.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Payroll Management
    Comparison of Payroll Management features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    5.9
    4 Ratings
    14% below category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Pay calculation4.53 Ratings00 Ratings
    Support for external payroll vendors3.64 Ratings00 Ratings
    Off-cycle/On-Demand payment4.51 Ratings00 Ratings
    Benefit plan administration8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Direct deposit files8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Salary revision and increment management6.43 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reimbursement management6.52 Ratings00 Ratings
    Asset Management
    Comparison of Asset Management features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    7.5
    2 Ratings
    10% above category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Tracking of all physical assets7.52 Ratings00 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    9.0
    92 Ratings
    16% above category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards9.190 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports9.186 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports9.181 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data exportability8.579 Ratings00 Ratings
    Construction Project & Field Management
    Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    8.0
    96 Ratings
    5% above category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Plan distribution & viewing5.55 Ratings00 Ratings
    Plan markups & sharing7.164 Ratings00 Ratings
    Issue tracking & punchlists8.583 Ratings00 Ratings
    Photo documentation8.294 Ratings00 Ratings
    Jobsite reports9.085 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document sharing8.990 Ratings00 Ratings
    RFI tools8.072 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration & approvals8.782 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile app8.795 Ratings00 Ratings
    Submittal design and management7.770 Ratings00 Ratings
    Checklists8.981 Ratings00 Ratings
    Meeting Minutes8.13 Ratings00 Ratings
    Specifications5.54 Ratings00 Ratings
    Change orders9.185 Ratings00 Ratings
    Estimating
    Comparison of Estimating features of Contractor Foreman and SketchUp
    Feature
    Contractor Foreman
    8.1
    90 Ratings
    7% above category average
    SketchUp
    -
    Ratings
    Takeoff tools7.52 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job costing8.083 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost databases8.178 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost calculator8.478 Ratings00 Ratings
    Bid creation8.481 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Small Businesses
    CMiC Construction Platform
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Autodesk Maya
    Score8.4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Autodesk Build
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Navisworks
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Revit
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Navisworks
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.7
    (98 ratings)
    8.0
    (47 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.6
    (4 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.8
    (70 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    1.8
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.1
    (5 ratings)
    8.5
    (14 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.7
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Contractor ForemanSketchUp
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Contractor Foreman
    As the name suggests, Contractor Foreman is GREAT for general contractors. However, being a consultant, I feel as though if upper management within the company I serve were more tech-savvy, they could accomplish much of the same tasks on other platforms that could give more advanced metrics. I also feel that the platform may feel outdated on purpose to ensure that those general contractors who aren't as tech savvy can understand the platform more.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    SketchUp is great for individually studying options for building design. It is an awesome conceptual tool to be able to quickly model and manipulate a building to study different designs. It is not good for complex geometries, especially curves. Surfaces have a hard time registering and cutting into one another. It also eventually needs to go into Revit to be more realistic as it is not good as a documentation tool
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Contractor Foreman
    • Their customer service is next to none. They always have someone available to help
    • The interface i completely customizable so that there is not more information than necessary
    • They way the cost items get tracked within a project that allows for every penny to be accounted for
    Read full review
    Trimble
    • Quickly exploring solutions in 3D: We get a lot of "what if" and "what would that look like" questions. While hand-sketching and hand-drafting can be fairly quick, SketchUp allows me to quickly create 3D and 2D views of a detail or solution, change dimensions and materials in a flash, and show a client or installer the plan in minutes.
    • Creating professional design documents in LayOut: Projects of any scale need good documentation. Using a combination of SketchUp and LayOut, I can create a Design Intent Set, plans for permitting, a set for mechanical trades to mark-up, etc. Having clear, appropriately-scaled drawings with dimensions or notations is a must, and we don't always have the time or budget to get an architect involved!
    • Using live files to guide discussions: Not all clients are "visual" people, so opening their model and orbiting around their space in real time has been extremely helpful. Clients and trades enjoy the perspective views so much that we often include them in the full-sized drawing sets to give a good "overall" view of the project intent. For complex or tight spaces, sometimes un-rendered plans and elevations just aren't enough!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Contractor Foreman
    • Timecards in rural areas are really difficult to handle. I know CF just released an offline timecard beta, which is a step in the right direction, but it would be nice to have offline data in the app and to have all timecards be offline until clockout, when they try to sync back to the server. The current beta doesn't work for us because it creates multiple timecards when the guys are in and out of signal.
    Read full review
    Trimble
    • Ability to import Revit files and libraries.
    • Ability to export true curved vector linework. There are some workarounds, needs to be refined.
    • Create an OPEN MAPS connection. Since the split from Google, the source for high-quality aerials is limited.
    • Ability to dock all menus to the master window on a Mac
    • Ability to develop dockable menu trays on a Mac
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Contractor Foreman
    We have compiled so much information on CF it would be counterproductive to move to another software. We have also sold a lot of clients on the client portal feature. It is crucial for our communication between customers. The only reason we wouldn't renew the service is if somewhere offered the exact same service but at a lower cost
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    We typically wait a few years in between renewing, as even older versions are powerful tools for modeling, and we make sure the amount of feature changes are worth the re-investment.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Contractor Foreman
    Overall, Contractor Foreman is a great product, and I’m sure we’ve only scratched the surface of everything it has to offer. It can be a little quirky at times, occasionally displaying a 'Bad Gateway' message, but we haven’t experienced any timeout issues in the past few months. As we continue to use it, I’m confident we’ll uncover even more ways to streamline our workflow
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    It is very user friendly and easy to learn. It's simplicity allows for a low learning curve so more people can learn it faster. The downside is that most schools are no longer teaching it, so many younger professionals come out of school not knowing it and knowing more complex software and they have a hard time "dumbing down" their skillsets
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Contractor Foreman
    Availability was good, FUNCTIONAL availability was more spotty
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Contractor Foreman
    Many times we had issues that turned out to be errors and bugs. At first, we would be told forcefully that there were no bugs, then we would document them, and we would get an acknowledgement but no apology for essentially either gaslighting us or being ignorant of their system
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Contractor Foreman
    Absolutely top notch! They were always there to help and immediately. Very happy with the communication they provided and the knowledge they had of their product. I would venture to say that they are one of the best in terms of support in their space.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    Sketchup is so intuitive; I can't recall ever looking for official support. However, there are many user forums online that can answer more questions. The usefulness of the online forums is, however, tempered by the fact that there have been many versions of the software under different ownership and support regimes, and thus finding the right information for the right version of the software can be a challenge.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Contractor Foreman
    The team that does your implementation is amazing. They're skillful, kind, they will take as much time as you need, and they have a sense of urgency
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Contractor Foreman
    Contractor Foreman’s pricing is much more cost-effective for small to mid-sized construction businesses, making it a better fit for my company’s budget. It offers an intuitive interface with pre-built construction templates, minimizing setup time and making it easier at least for my team to adopt and start using. The platform’s focus on project tracking, financial management, and nice integrations that makes it highly efficient for tracking project progress, staying on budget, and managing subcontractors/bills. These factors combined made it the ideal choice for meeting my company's specific needs efficiently and cost-effectively.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    We have not evaluated any other competing software to this one. I heard about this software from a friend who teaches how to use it. She showed me in just a few minutes and I was HOOKED. I saw immediately the possible help it would be to my business. Thank you.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Contractor Foreman
    We had just 2 users
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Contractor Foreman
    • Positive return for invoice/change order tracking
    • Great price
    • Prior to using Contractor Foreman we had to wait until the end to capture all change orders in one summary. Now, with the client portal, we can capture in real time and the client has visibility.
    • We have been trying to reduce administration time in tracking field expenses and with Contractor Foreman our field crew can uplaod reciepts and track expenses right from their mobile phones.
    • Punchlist - the punch list and To Do features are so robust we have drastically improved getting punchlists and small tasks completed in single trips without the wasted time and travel of multiple trips due to missed/forgotten items.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Trimble
    • It's good in the sense that you can quickly make a drawing and speeds up the design process. Not sure how to quantify that from a ROI perspective.
    • Also, good for editing an image after the fact. We can easily add a dimension that was forgotten in the original image.
    • Allows team members to understand a design easier than on other software platforms.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Contractor Foreman Screenshots

    Screenshot of The client portal that lets customers to stay in the loop and know what is going on during all phases of the project.Screenshot of The custom dashboard which allows users to see the data that matters most to them.Screenshot of Stats that keep users informed to help them make use of data.Screenshot of The lead manager, that helps close deals without letting leads fall through the cracks.Screenshot of the Files & Photos screen, where making up plans can be done with Contractor Foreman.Screenshot of Time Cards, that display who is where and what they are doing.