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Home Builder Construction Software
What is Homebuilder Construction Software?
Homebuilders typically rely on subcontractors, which means they need to monitor invoices, purchase orders, and communications very closely, as well as the status of all their jobs and subs. For many contractors building a house, a complete construction management software system that manages every aspect of the building process—from cost estimating to warranty administration—will be the most effective solution, though this not always the case. Many top vendors concentrate on one type of application, known as best-of-breed or standalone software.
Homebuilder-specific Functionality
Homebuilders need most of the standard features that come with top-rated construction management software, but as you’re looking there are a few features for homebuilders to consider:
Consider the following features of home builder construction software:
| Specialized Job Costing & Invoicing | One of the key features for homebuilder construction software is the inclusion of job costing data to make improve estimating accurate and make billing more efficient. A construction system that isn’t geared toward homebuilding—or worse, a generic accounting system—won’t have anywhere near the same level of functionality. |
| Link to Vendors & Subcontractors | Many systems will allow the user to link directly into vendor purchasing or subcontractor scheduling systems. This can expedite project/inventory management and scheduling. A system geared toward the homebuilder market will focus its materials in that area. |
| Critical Path Method Scheduling | Homebuilding involves hundreds of individual tasks. Most of these have some degree of flexibility in terms of when they are executed, but all of them must be completed within a certain timeframe in order to keep from extending past deadline. Critical path method is a project modeling algorithm that’s specifically designed to solve these kinds of scheduling dependencies, so some home builder construction programs use this method to support the user in scheduling tasks and subcontractors. |
Evaluating Homebuilder Construction Software
There are dozens of homebuilder programs for the construction market. In fact, several companies make multiple products for this one niche. Selecting the right one can be a daunting task, but as with any software, start by assessing your needs. An integrated suite will combine accounting, project management, scheduling, and homebuilder CRM, but you may need just one or two of these capabilities. Residential remodelers have specialized needs within this industry, so should choose a dedicated residential remodeling system.
Specific questions to ask when selecting homebuilder construction software include:
- What size is your company? Most home builder construction programs are geared toward companies of a certain size, so this should be one of the first things to match when evaluating a program.
- What features do you need?
- Do you want an on-premise, client/server-based deployment, or is your organization interested in exploring web-based deployment opportunities?
- How well does the software integrate with your existing accounting, CRM, ordering, or other systems?
Have an opinion on this guide? Email the authors. We appreciate the feedback.
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Sage Master Builder
Master Builder initially began as a homebuilder accounting system and still maintains a very strong presence in the industry. It is popular for builders outgrowing starter accounting programs, Excel, and paper.
Sage Timberline Estimating
Timberline is one of the biggest names in construction software, offering industry-leading standalone packages for estimating, accounting, and project management. Timberline was acquired by Sage Software in 2003.

Clear Estimates
Due to the founders' 30 years of experience in residential construction, Clear Estimates is a great fit for residential estimating. It is especially affordable and easy to learn. It is typically used by small companies.

Maxwell Systems ProContractorMX
Maxwell's ProContractorMX offers robust job costing capabilities that are suitable for both production and custom homebuilders. Modules for estimating, takeoff, project management, and customer management are also available.
ComputerEase
In addition to subcontractors and commercial GCs, homebuilders and residential remodelers are a strong segment for ComputerEase. The company focuses on builders doing more than $1 million in annual construction volume.
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JOBPOWER
We talk to many homebuilders scared off by large price quotes received from construction accounting vendors. We often recommend JOBPOWER to them due to the fact that it offers strong functionality at a relatively low price.
PlanSwift
PlanSwift is a popular estimating and takeoff system used by over 12,000 construction pros. It supports the unique needs of many trades, including home building. For example, it has a joist and rafter tool for quick roof framing.
BuilderTREND
The focus of BuilderTREND has always been on the residential market, with customers ranging from custom and production homebuilders to remodelers. The web-based system offers integrated scheduling, project management, and CRM.
Plus Series
Contractors Software Group focuses primarily on the residential market, including builders and subcontractors. The Plus Series is their low-cost option for small companies looking for estimating, scheduling, accounting, and more.
Free Download:
Construction Software Buyer's Toolkit

Free Download:
How to Assess Construction Vendors' Viability

Call us for a free
FastStart Consultation
(800) 918-2764
Save weeks of up-front research and avoid costly mistakes with our free FastStart Consultation.
