Construction estimating is one of the most important parts when landing a construction project. Bid too high and you lose money, but bid too low and you lose the job. From equipment to crew members, construction estimates are one of the more complicated cost aspects to consider. This is where construction estimating software can help make your forecast as accurate as possible. What Features Make the Best Construction Estimating Software? Making the decision to invest in construction estimating software is the easy part. The market, however, is saturated with products. The hardest part is understanding which tool is right for you—one that can not only help you create an accurate construction estimate but carry you through the project, monitoring costs to keep you on budget. Construction projects are complex, and go beyond measuring the materials that will be needed and estimating their cost. That’s just a tiny part of managing a construction project. More importantly, a construction project must be planned, scheduled and tracked closely so that everything goes as planned. For that reason, you need a construction estimating tool with robust project management features. Cloud-based software: When you’re looking for construction estimating software, you’ll want one that’s cloud-based to provide you with real-time data to better monitor and track costs through the construction project’s execution. Team collaboration tools: Construction cost estimating is a process that involves the collaboration of general contractors, subcontractors, construction estimators and other members of the construction project management team. Therefore, team collaboration features such as file sharing, instant messaging and email notifications are important. Gantt charts: You’ll also need a robust Gantt chart in your construction estimating software, a planning tool that works like a spreadsheet with a visual timeline to see your entire construction project. Ideally this tool allows you to manage costs for all tasks, including human and nonhuman resources. Task management tools: It’s important that whatever the features, the construction estimating software is flexible and allows you to plan, schedule and track tasks with a variety of tools that can be updated from the field, like a task list or kanban board. Project reporting tools: There needs to be reporting tools within your construction estimating software to help you keep an eye on construction costs during the execution of the project, so you can catch and correct any issues during the build before they become problems. Resource management: Once you create a construction estimate, you’ll need to control your project costs such as the cost of materials, labor and equipment rental. For this reason it is important to monitor your resource utilization in your project with construction estimating software tools like timesheets and dashboards to make sure you don’t exceed the costs from your estimate. With these features in mind, let’s take a closer look at the top construction estimating software products that can help you manage construction projects. 2024 Best Construction Estimating Software Rankings We’ve only just scratched the surface of construction estimating, but it’s clear that keeping track of so many variables is more than a traditional spreadsheet can support. If you’re still trying to estimate construction costs in Excel, you’ll love the ease, speed and accuracy of construction estimating software. The following are some of the top names in construction project management. 1. ProjectManager ProjectManager is cloud-based work and project management software that helps create and organize all costs associated with construction projects. It offers multiple construction project views to easily share budgets with cross-functional teams and connects the crew in real time to foster collaboration whether they’re on-site or in the office. It tops our list of construction estimate software due to its ease of use and powerful features for planning, tracking and reporting. It’s a full-service software that helps you stick to your budget with secure timesheets and offers resource and task management features to prevent overspending. ProjectManager calculates resource costs automatically when you plan your crew’s hours. The planned resource costs and nonhuman resource costs automatically appear on the Gantt chart where users can filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track planned costs against actual costs. This real-time data access helps keep you on budget. When you set a baseline, you can monitor costs on the Gantt as well as real-time dashboards that provide a high-level view of progress and performance. Unlike other construction estimate software, ProjectManager’s dashboard requires no setup and delivers real-time cost metrics. For a deeper dive into the data, generate and filter reports with a keystroke and easily share them with stakeholders. The powerful reporting features for this construction estimating software are undoubtedly leading the pack. Keeping your crew working at capacity is another way to ensure you’re staying on the estimated budget that you established in the construction project’s planning phase. ProjectManager’s resource management features manage your resource costs and your workload to keep crews balanced and productive. You can keep track of your crew and their material’s availability, skillset, cost and allocation in real time to keep your project from overspending. ProjectManager is not only the premier construction estimating software but it exceeds in scheduling, payroll and every other aspect of the project you need to manage to stay on schedule and keep to your budget. Get started today for free. Best construction estimating software for managing projects Multiple project planning views equipped with cost tracking features Free trial Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Lacks some construction-specific features such as bid makers Poor mobile experience unless you have the mobile app No free plan Team plan: $13 user/month Business plan: $24 user/month Enterprise: contact sales G2 review: 4.4 / 5 Capterra review: 4.1 / 5 2. Procore Procore is construction management software used by general contractors and construction companies to manage all phases of their projects. It integrates with third-party financial software such as Saleforce and offers accurate and efficient bidding. If that bid is awarded, it can be integrated into project management features to plan and execute the project. There are features that help organize construction drawings as well as request for information (RFI), request for quote (RFQ) and change events. This software rises to the near top of the list due vastly to customers responding so positively to the company’s focus on customer care. That said, as sophisticated as the software is, it’s also complex and difficult to use from a user perspective. It’s suitable for larger projects but it’s not as cost-effective if you’re working in smaller enterprises. There’s also no on-premise deployment that may not be ideal for smaller teams. Best construction estimating software for construction takeoff Has features that are specifically designed for listing materials during the takeoff process Construction bid management features Online timesheets Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Estimating features are focused on material takeoff, but aren’t as robust for tracking labor costs Cost tracking features have limited functionality for managing costs as the projects progresses No free trial No free plan Procore requires a custom quote 3. CoConstruct CoConstruct is software used to manage everything from custom home-builders t0 remodelers. It has features to manage financials and clients, syncing data from estimates as well as specifications. The software bids and budgets with third-party tools such as QuickBooks. Estimates can be completed with the software’s single entry financial management system that creates sheets, proposals, budgets, bid requests and purchase orders. All of these facets can be updated for change orders. This software offers preexisting templates that can be customized which makes it easy to start a project. There are many features which is both good and bad. The software can feel overwhelming and the UI feels outdated. Customers have complained at the high price tag and the pricing model itself can be frustrating. CoConstruct offers a cheaper rate for two months before it increases in price, but it can take teams this long to simply onboard and kick off a project. Best construction estimating software for invoice management Online billing and purchase order management Easy to use to-do lists for task management and job costing Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Limited project and cost tracking features No cost management dashboards Hard to export data No free trial No free plan Standard plan: Starts at $99/month and then increases to $299/month after 2 months Plus plan: Starts at $200/month and then increases to $299/month after 3 months G2 review: 4 / 5 Capterra review: 4.7 / 5 4. e-Builder e-Builder is cloud-based construction estimating software with a suite of features that cover everything from arranging, planning, acquisition, development and operations of construction projects. The software is known for its budget planning, cost estimation and document organization. Users will appreciate its audit and budgetary oversight, allowing you to oversee your budget planning for one project or across your portfolio. What many customers complain about is the hefty price tag associated with e-Builder, especially as it can feel like a superior file organizer. Its scheduling features aren’t flexible and can pose an issue. There’s also a steep learning curve that loses some users before they see the software’s full potential. Best construction estimating software for bid management Good for managing requests for proposals (RFP) Document management features Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Non-tech savvy users may find its user interface hard to use and navigate Lacks important project management tools for construction estimating like Gantt charts or project dashboards No free trial No free plan e-Builder requires a custom quote G2 review: 3.7 / 5 Capterra review: 4.3 / 5 5. Buildxact Buildxact is a construction estimating software that’s designed for residential builders, remodelers and contractors. It offers a material takeoff feature that lets you estimate the materials that you’ll need for your project directly from your construction drawings. Once you have an idea of the materials that will be needed, there’s a construction estimate tool with predetermined categories that lets you easily choose the type of material, quantity and the unit of measurement with a couple of clicks. It has a straightforward user interface that facilitates the construction cost estimating process. However, while Buildxact is a good tool for creating a construction estimate, it lacks the necessary project planning, scheduling and tracking features that construction project managers, contractors, project owners and other professionals need to go through the construction phases. Its cost tracking features are very limited, it lacks dashboards and requires you to log in costs manually. The software only shows the difference between each of your costs based on your estimate. Best construction estimating software for ease of use Import price lists from suppliers Pre-built construction estimate templates Digital material takeoff features Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Free trial No project management dashboards or reports Lack of tools for construction project management Limited cost tracking functionality No free plan Entry plan: $149 per month for 1 user, $53 per additional user Pro plan: $249 per month for 2 users, $62 per additional user Teams plan: $399 per month for 4 users, $79 per additional user G2 review: 3.8 / 5 Capterra review: 4.6 / 5 6. BuilderTrend BuilderTrend is a construction estimating software that helps home builders, remodelers and contractors create estimates easily. It’s meant for users that are transitioning from spreadsheets to a platform that helps them prepare bids, material takeoffs, invoices and work in progress reports. In addition to these features, it offers basic project management tools to track projects after the construction estimating process such as daily construction logs, to-do lists, Gantt charts and time clocks. BuilderTrend also offers email marketing and customer relationship management features to keep track of leads and clients. While it does a good job at helping you create a construction estimate, it lacks necessary cost tracking features such as, for example, the ability to track individual task costs through the project. Its Gantt chart allows you to create a basic construction schedule but doesn’t let you keep track of labor or material costs. Another important drawback is the lack of dashboards or reports to track your construction budget as the project is executed. Best construction estimating software for customer relationship management Work in progress reports for construction estimate tracking Basic construction project tracking tools like Gantt charts and to-do lists Budgeting templates Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Gantt charts lack construction cost tracking features There are no timesheets, only a time clock tool The software license is expensive No free plan No free trial Essential plan: $499 per month Advanced plan: $799 per month Complete plan: $1099 per month G2 review: 4.2 / 5 Capterra review: 4.5 / 5 7. Contractor Foreman As its name suggests, this is a construction estimating software that helps contractors create estimates and manage a variety of other important construction documents such as bids, change orders, work orders and contracts. Besides managing construction documentation, Contractor Foreman is also a basic construction project management software that has features such as daily logs, Gantt charts, punch lists and time cards for managing the everyday operations of a construction contractor. While it has plenty of features for construction contractors, there are not a lot of cost tracking and budgeting tools to follow up the construction estimating process. It also falls short in terms of project management functionality as it only offers basic task management tools, but perhaps even more alarming is that it lacks resource utilization tracking, workload management or project cost variance reporting. Best low-cost construction estimating software The monthly fee doesn’t have user restrictions Bid management tools Daily logs, job costing and work order tracking Free trial Overly simplistic user interface that looks outdated Doesn’t have construction takeoff features Lack of construction cost tracking and budget reporting tools No free plan Basic: $49 per month Standard: $79 per month Plus: $125 per month Pro: $166 per month Unlimited: $249 per month G2 review: 4.2 / 5 Capterra review: 4.5 / 5 8. Smartsheet Smartsheet is unique in that its construction estimating software that mimics Microsoft Excel with its powerful spreadsheets. Because of that familiarity, most users find it easy to use for construction project management. Another aspect of the software that’s praised by users is that it’s very customizable and powerful and it also supports automation. In terms of construction estimating, it offers tools to help build a detailed cost estimation template and is easy to share with stakeholders. However, if you want to track time, use the software for budgeting or resource management, you’re going to have to deal with added fees. The pages also don’t update in real time, which is going to make keeping to your budget more difficult than with any other software review in this roundup. Best construction estimating software for project spreadsheets Good for users transitioning from Excel to construction project management tools Project cost tracking and reporting tools Project tracking features Free trial Mobile project management app for Android and iOS Most of its cost tracking tools are spreadsheet-based Some tools must be manually set up as opposed to other construction project management software which automate the same processes Limited cost estimating tools Pro plan: $7/user/month, billed annually Business plan: $25/user/month, billed annually G2 review: 4.4/5 Capterra review: 4.5/5 Which Construction Estimating Software Is Right for You? Like we’ve discussed, a lot goes into estimating the costs for a construction project. It requires a good plan and schedule, but in order to track your costs you’re going to need a place where you can get the latest data on the progress of your project. The best construction estimating software for you will fulfill any gaps in your software needs. If you already have a fantastic scheduling tool, then maybe you can go for a ligthweight option. If you’re living off Excel sheets, it’s probably best ot get an estimating software with the project management tools to not only estimate a project, but track it and deliver it in a timely manner. ProjectManager is cloud-based work and project management software that connects construction and boosts productivity. It’s the ideal software for planning and estimating a construction project, as well as executing it from start to finish. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.