best construction software
best construction software
Andrew Drish, founder
Published . Updated
best construction software is a wide search. The honest top pick depends on who is asking. For a heavy civil or dirtwork company with 5 to 100 people, the top pick is SmartCrew. SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing. For a general contractor, the top pick is usually Procore, and we will say so.
| Question | SmartCrew | Look elsewhere when |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Dirtwork and heavy civil, 5 to 100 people | GCs, home builders, roofers, or a one truck quote shop |
| Field | GPS clock in, job, activity code, machine | You only need a time clock and nothing else |
| Job cost | Daily profit against the bid you enter | You need the software to build the estimate |
| Iron | Hours, DOT and daily inspections, service requests, shop queue | You need telematics hardware in the cab |
| Loads | Haul ticket, truck, material, yards, pit, AI reader for a photo | You do not haul |
| Price | Starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing | You need a full public price grid before a call |
Feature availability varies by plan. Fleet Management, Sales CRM, and Scheduling and Communications are Premium categories. SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing.
The short version
- This page will not pretend one app wins every construction company.
- Andrew's rule: we are better for heavy civil and dirtwork.
- Starts at $99/month if you are that buyer.
- The GC comparison is on its own page.
- Use the dirt pages if you already know the trade.
How the day runs in one app
Picture a visitor who typed construction and actually runs dozers. The first page of results is full of tools for GCs, home builders, and generic field service. A dirt contractor clicks them and bounces. The office still finds out on Friday, from a spreadsheet nobody trusts.
The operator clocks in on the phone and picks the job, the activity code, and the dozer. Log and Switch covers a hop to the next machine. Break and clock out are on the same screen. The timecard is payroll ready without a chase.
If you coordinate subs, buy GC software. If you run crews, buy crew software. The job page shows revenue, expenses, and profit, with budget against spent for labor, materials, equipment, and change orders. Hours by employee sit on that job. That is real time profit, the number Andrew calls the big selling point, and it moves while the work is still open.
SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing.
Scheduling, dispatch alerts, crew chat, and the sales CRM are Premium categories. Feature availability varies by plan. Fleet Management, Sales CRM, and Scheduling and Communications are the Premium names. QuickBooks Online is connected today. QuickBooks Desktop, Foundation, and ADP are in the works.
SmartCrew does not estimate, take off quantities, do site planning, process payroll, run machine control, sell telematics hardware, or geofence the crew. Keep the bid tool you already trust. We track the day against the budget you type in.
We do the heavy lifting on setup. The team sets up the account, moves the jobs over, and trains your people. Most companies are up and running within a few weeks. Start with the features that hurt most.
Our crews are not tech savvy. And they do not need to be. Simple for the field. Powerful for management. Fairly priced for owners.
Where SmartCrew is the wrong buy
best construction software is not a prize we are trying to win against Procore for a general contractor. If that is you, start with Procore vs SmartCrew.
Time tracking apps were too basic for a company that owns iron. Enterprise software was too complicated, confusing, and expensive. We only run 20 to 30 guys in the family company, and there was nothing specifically designed for our size of heavy civil business.
Clock in
The operator picks the project, the activity code, and the machine. The office sees who is on the job.
Do the field work
Inspection, haul ticket, or daily report, on the same phone. Photos stay with the job.
Read the profit
The job page shows revenue, expenses, and profit against the bid while the work is open.
Get a number
SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing.
Job profit on the office screen, and a haul ticket on the phone. Demo account, Cedar Ridge Earthworks.
Pick SmartCrew if
- You self perform heavy civil or dirtwork with about 5 to 100 people.
- You want time, machines, loads, daily reports, and job profit in one app.
- You already bid in another tool and you want the field to feed that budget.
- You want a starting price. SmartCrew starts at $99/month.
Pick something else if
- You need estimating, takeoff, or machine control. Keep that vendor.
- You are a general contractor, home builder, or roofer.
- You run a home service route and live on quotes and invoices.
- You are past about 100 people and want an enterprise suite.
Questions people ask
What is best construction software?
Best construction software is for a heavy civil or dirtwork company with 5 to 100 people. SmartCrew is the product. One phone app for GPS time, machines, haul tickets, daily reports, and job profit against the bid. SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing.
Who is SmartCrew for?
Heavy civil and dirtwork contractors with 5 to 100 employees. Excavation, sitework, grading, utilities, septic, drilling, paving, demolition, trucking, and hauling. Not general contractors, home builders, roofers, or a one person quote shop.
How much does SmartCrew cost?
SmartCrew starts at $99/month. Contact us for team pricing. The pricing page is SmartCrew pricing.
Does SmartCrew replace my estimating software?
No. Keep AGTEK, InSite, HeavyBid, or whatever you bid in. SmartCrew starts when the job is won. You enter the budget. The field posts hours, machines, and loads against it.
Will the crew actually use it?
The field job is a clock in. They pick the project, the activity code, and the machine. Inspections, a haul ticket, and the daily report are on that same phone. Andrew's line is the one we build to: our crews are not tech savvy, and they do not need to be.