The most important tool in a contractor’s toolbox is no longer their hammer or tape measure; it has become their smartphone or iPad. From time management to budgeting, to invoices and beyond, these apps designed for contractors and teams working at construction companies, will help you be more efficient. No more lagging communication. Stop going over budgets or time. Put an end to overwhelming paper trails. These construction apps help set up every one of your builds for success. And many are free! That means more money in your pocket and more happy clients returning to you for new projects. As they say… work smarter and not harder.
Best Apps for Contractors:
- Expensify
- Hours Time Tracking
- Joist Estimating and Invoicing
- PlanGrid
- Construction Master Pro
- BuildCalc
- Punch List & Site Audit Report
- DEWALT Mobile Pro
- FieldLens
Now that we have our choices (in no particular order), let’s dive in a little deeper about what makes these construction apps beneficial to contractors and subcontractors.
Expensify
Can’t stand your expense reports? Look no further! Expensify makes capturing receipts, tracking time or mileage, business travel, and creating expense reports quick and easy. Expensify takes the time, paper, and headaches out of your expense reports.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Free version: contains in-app ads, Paid: Collect- $5 per month, Control- $9 per month
Hours Time Tracking
A simple but powerful app, Hours allows you to track your time for multiple projects with a visual timeline, smart reminders, and detailed reporting. It will even allow you to export data in CSV/Excel format.
Available for: iPhone and iPad
Free version: contains in-app ads, Paid (Pro): $7.99 per month
Joist Estimating and Invoicing
Save time and money using the Joist app built specifically for contractors. Designed for teams who work in the field and on the go, Joist allows you to quickly create estimates and invoices, accept payments in real time, and pull client data. It even has Quickbooks integration – make updates from anywhere that you have a signal.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Free trial, Paid: Pro- $14 per month, Elite- $32 per month
PlanGrid
PlanGrid is a construction app that lets contractors and architects collaborate with all their project plans, specs, and photos. Upload your PDF drawings to plangrid.com and they will automatically sync to all your team’s iPads in real time. Any markups you make can also easily be shared with everyone on your construction project.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Free trial- 30 days, Paid: various options and pricing levels
Construction Master Pro
Provides a wide range of calculators with powerful built-in solutions that make it ideal for completing layouts, plans, bids, and estimates. Features include Full trigonometric function, work in and convert between all building dimensional formats: feet-inch-fractions, inch fraction, yards, decimal feet (10ths, 100ths), decimal inches and metric (m, cm, mm), built-in right angle functions simplify square-ups, rafters, slopes and more.
While you are on their website, check out their other construction and business-related apps.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Free trial- 7 days with in-app ads, Paid (Pro): $4.99 per month
BuildCalc
Construction calculator with advanced baluster, stair, and fence functions. Additional interactive functions include fully interactive stair, baluster, compound miter, and diagonal and hip/valley functions.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Paid: $24.99
Punch List & Site Audit Report
As the name implies, Punch List & Site Audit Report is designed to quickly create simple punch lists on the fly. It’s perfect for audits, walkthroughs, safety inspections, insurance claims, and checklists.
The app lists each collaborative report with photos and notes allowing the team to tackle unfinished projects so you can finish the job and get paid.
Available for: iPhone and iPad
Free: contains in-app ads
DEWALT Mobile Pro
Have the numbers you need at your fingertips – even when you’re at the build site. This is a construction-specific calculator that covers a range of calculations. You’ll be able to quickly calculate math around the various aspects of a job including masonry, wiring, plumbing, carpentry, HVAC, and more.
Available on both Android and iPhone, DEWALT Mobile Pro lets you share your calculations easily via email so your team stays on the same page.
Available for: iPhone, iPad, and Android
The base app is free. Industry-specific add-ons (Construction, carpentry, electrical, etc.) are $4.99 each
FieldLens
FieldLens is a tool for the construction industry to help workers in the field. From pre-construction to punch list, FieldLens allows everyone on the project to see and manage the build in real-time.
Available for: iPad, iPhone, and Android
Paid: $39.99
With the popularity of “smartphones” today, this list of top contractors’ apps will more than like grow over time. We just want to remind you to do two things – visit this page again soon (for new and updated apps), and don’t forget your charger!
RELATED READING: Innovative Ways of Saving You Time and Money Using Materials Financing
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