Construction Software

Construction Software Overview

What is Construction Software?

Construction software helps professionals manage different pieces of the construction process, from planning to execution. Construction software is not yet ubiquitous within the construction industry; many companies still rely on pen and paper. However, adoption of the software has been expanding as construction firms’ IT budgets increase. Users include general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, architects, and building companies in a variety of industries.

Products in this category typically handle one or more of the following processes:

• Construction takeoff software (estimation of materials)

• Project management and scheduling

• Project design

• Cost accounting

• Bid management

• Field service management

• Safety and reporting

Construction Estimating Software and Takeoff Software

In the construction industry, estimating is the process of calculating the cost of a project. This includes monitoring and updating price during the job. Many construction companies use estimating software to calculate costs at various phases of the project. This includes:

• Pre-estimating - forecasting the cost of the job

• Job costing - monitoring expenses during the project

• Database comparison - using databases to compare material prices

Takeoff is another important part of the cost estimating process. Construction takeoff software allows contractors and project managers to estimate the cost and quantities of materials need for the project using either hard copy or digital blueprints.

Many products include both estimating and takeoff capabilities, especially construction suite software such as Procore and Viewpoint Spectrum. However, there are a few construction takeoff point solutions such as On-Screen Takeoff and PlanSwift that often have trade-specific takeoff tools.

Construction Software Features & Capabilities

Many construction software products include project management, job site data collection & reporting, and collaboration features:

• Plan distribution & viewing

• Document sharing

• Jobsite reports

• RFI tools

• Submittal management

• Collaboration & approvals

• Photo documentation

• Time cards

• Project management tools

• Job costing

• Building information modeling (BIM)

• Issue tracking & punchlists

• Mobile & cloud functionality

Estimating the cost of a project is also essential part of the construction process, and construction estimating software offers features such as:

• Takeoff tools

• Job Costing

• Cost databases

• Estimation calculator

• Bid creation

Types of Construction Software

The software enables construction business processes in a variety of areas. Sometimes these overlap with other software categories on TrustRadius that are not industry-specific. But here you can find vendors that cater to the construction industry:

• Accounting: Sage, Viewpoint, Quickbooks, CMiC, Jonas Software and Deltek Vision.

• Prequalification/Bidding: CMiC, iSqFt, Procore, SmartBidNet, Textura, Viewpoint, eBid Exchange and Pipeline Suite.

• Estimating Software: This includes takeoff or materials estimation and features vendors such as On-Screen Takeoff, HeavyBid, Bluebeam Revu, Planswift, B2W Estimate, Trimble Accubid, ProEst, Sage Estimating and WinEst. This is by far the most crowded area of construction software.

• Project Management: Viewpoint, Prolog, Procore, PlanGrid, Constructware, and CMiC. Non-industry specific solutions, like Primavera and Microsoft Project are also commonly used.

• Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Computer-aided Design (CAD): Revit (Autodesk), Navisworks (Autodesk), Sketchup(Trimble), Tekla (Trimble), QTO (Autodesk), and Assemble Systems.

• Job Site Data Collection & Reporting: Autodesk's BIM360, B2W, HCSS, Procore, PlanGrid, NoteVault, and Viewpoint.

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Cosential and FollowUp Power. CRM for construction is still not a focus for software vendors. Horizontal solutions can work in some cases.

• Cloud Storage, Collaboration, and Web Conferencing: These areas are a crucial part of the construction software stack. Many companies do not use industry-specific solutions. Construction software solutions include PlanGrid and Bluebeam Revu. Both have cloud storage and collaboration capabilities. They are tailored to construction needs as a go-between for the office and field. Industry-specific options have more robust features than horizontal tools (DropBox, Adobe Acrobat DC, etc.). Additional features allow better handling of drawings, markups and file sharing.

• Other Emerging Technologies: Augmented reality, virtual reality, drones and 3D printers hold promise for construction.

Pricing Information

Construction software pricing depends on the purpose of the tool and the scale of its deployment and varies widely. For example, tools designed for cloud-based project management are typically priced on a subscription model. Prices start at around $40/mo. Other tools focused on bidding and approval maybe priced with a much larger, one-time license fee. Licenses are usually at least $10,000.