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ConstructionOnline

UDA Technologies’ ConstructionOnline offers a web-based, integrated approach to project management, project scheduling, and customer management. Designed for emerging construction businesses in the homebuilding and remodeling indu...Read more about ConstructionOnline

4.5 (511 reviews)

58 recommendations

ComputerEase

Deltek ComputerEase provides powerful job cost accounting and construction management software to help contractors outpace their competition. This innovative, user-friendly software not only improves the way contractors run their ...Read more about ComputerEase

4.2 (127 reviews)

19 recommendations

Estimating Link

Estimating Link software is designed specifically for heavy civil construction estimating and bidding. This easy-to-use program helps you centralize your data, increase your speed & accuracy, and increase profit margins. Estima...Read more about Estimating Link

4.9 (32 reviews)

15 recommendations

SharpeSoft Estimator

SharpeSoft Estimator is an on-premise cost estimating software for contractors and sub-contractors in the construction industry. Offered on a best-of-breed basis, SharpeSoft provides integrated tools for labor and equipment costin...Read more about SharpeSoft Estimator

4.6 (23 reviews)

9 recommendations

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B2W Schedule

B2W Schedule software for heavy civil construction scheduling and dispatching is a centralized, online solution for managing employees, crews, equipment, materials, and trucking across job locations and over time. Employees throug...Read more about B2W Schedule

4.3 (9 reviews)

7 recommendations

Oracle Primavera Cloud

For more than 30 years, successful projects around the world have relied on Oracle’s Primavera solutions to plan, build, and operate critical assets. It is the only solution that integrates project and portfolio planning and deliv...Read more about Oracle Primavera Cloud

4.4 (182 reviews)

6 recommendations

Jonas Enterprise

Jonas Construction Software offers an intuitive, integrated solution for contractors that has been present in construction and service management for over 30 years. The application offers service, accounting, and operations projec...Read more about Jonas Enterprise

4.1 (144 reviews)

6 recommendations

Visual Planning

Visual Planning is a hybrid resource management and scheduling platform that helps businesses to manage their assets and day-to-day operations. The solution can be deployed on-premise or hosted in the cloud. Visual Planning o...Read more about Visual Planning

4.6 (38 reviews)

6 recommendations

PMWeb

PMWeb is an all-in-one portfolio, program and project management construction software solution geared toward enterprise-level owner organizations. PMWeb serves organizations worldwide across a broad spectrum of industries includi...Read more about PMWeb

4.3 (8 reviews)

6 recommendations

monday.com

monday.com is an award-winning work and project management platform that helps teams of all sizes plan, prioritize, manage, and execute their work more effectively. The platform offers solutions for a wide range of use-cases such...Read more about monday.com

4.6 (4659 reviews)

5 recommendations

CMiC

For over 30 years, CMiC has delivered state-of-the-art software solutions, purpose-built for the construction industry. Since its inception, CMiC has maintained a laser focus on automating essential back-office functions – such as...Read more about CMiC

4.2 (170 reviews)

5 recommendations

B2W Track

B2W Track software for heavy civil construction field tracking and analysis enables contractors to manage projects and costs based on accurate, immediate information from the field on productivity, labor, materials, and equipment ...Read more about B2W Track

4.3 (42 reviews)

4 recommendations

HeavyBid

HCSS HeavyBid estimating and bidding software is built specifically for the construction industry. Used by more than 50,000 estimators, HeavyBid helps users build estimates and manage daily bids. The software helps automate ...Read more about HeavyBid

4.6 (504 reviews)

3 recommendations

B2W Estimate

B2W Estimate software for heavy civil construction estimating and bidding enables contractors to bid with speed, accuracy, and strategy. Users can pre-populate a centralized database with cost data and structures for labor, tasks,...Read more about B2W Estimate

4.5 (198 reviews)

3 recommendations

Explorer Eclipse

Eclipse by Explorer is a cloud-based construction accounting and project management solution designed for contractor businesses. It caters to medium to large construction companies belonging to different construction businesses, s...Read more about Explorer Eclipse

3.8 (37 reviews)

3 recommendations

Maestro

For over three decades, Maestro Technologies has empowered the Canadian construction industry with innovative information management solutions. Born and bred in Canada and serving over 10,000 users nationwide, maestro ERP stands ...Read more about Maestro

3.3 (7 reviews)

3 recommendations

Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate

Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate, formerly Sage Timberline Office, provides contractors, developers, and property managers with the most complete solution for managing the entire project or property lifecycle with confidence,...Read more about Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate

4.0 (550 reviews)

2 recommendations

eCMS

eCMS offers a comprehensive suite of software applications that help commercial contractors manage all aspects of their financials and operations. eCMS is specifically built for the construction industry delivering users business ...Read more about eCMS

4.7 (41 reviews)

2 recommendations

A-Systems JobView

Job Costing software for your construction business. A-Systems has made accounting software for the construction industry longer than anyone--since 1978. Key features of JobView include job costing, payroll, a general ledger, acc...Read more about A-Systems JobView

4.8 (21 reviews)

2 recommendations

InEight

InEight provides field-tested project management software for the owners, contractors, engineers and architects who are building the world around us. Over 400,000 users and more than 850 customers worldwide rely on InEight for rea...Read more about InEight

4.4 (14 reviews)

2 recommendations

Buyers Guide

Last Updated: March 16, 2023

Here’s what we'll cover:

What is heavy construction software?

Estimating and Takeoff Requirements

Project Management Requirements

Accounting Requirements

What is heavy construction software?

Heavy construction software is a tool designed for contractors involved in large-scale construction projects, such as highways, bridges, and dams, which require complex engineering and specialized equipment. The software helps contractors prepare cost estimates, manage tasks, and monitor expenses.

Heavy construction software is designed to meet the unique needs of contractors in the road, highway, infrastructure, and civil construction industries. This includes site work, roads, highways, bridges, dams, tunnels and utilities, as well as materials suppliers, quarries and pits.

Regardless of project type, there are three main software applications heavy construction companies will use:

  • Cost estimating and takeoff

  • Project management

  • Accounting

Below we dig into some of the capabilities that differentiate top-rated heavy construction-specific systems from those systems designed for general construction other industries.

Estimating and Takeoff Requirements

Estimating and takeoff for heavy projects is unique and requires a specialized set of functionality, including the following.

3D takeoff

Heavy contractors require special takeoff capabilities that will allow them to visualize the topography of their job. The system should have earth measurement capabilities to determine cuts and fills, as well as provide plan views, profiles views and section views. 3D visualization plays an important role in these tools.

Heavy-specific item database

Heavy estimators will require a cost item database that is specific to their work. They need to determine costs of materials, equipment and labor like any contractor, but they will benefit from systems with pre-built templates that match operators to equipment, calculate fuel costs and have a library of common items.

Fuel costing

Fuel is a major component of heavy jobs, so heavy contractors will benefit from a system designed to track and estimate their fuel costs in great detail. These systems will keep fuel cost estimates up-to-date and attach them to specific pieces of equipment so that you have have different rates for equipment based on fuel costs.

DOT databases

Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements vary by state. A heavy estimating tool should offer pre-built cost databases that contain the various items required by each state’s DOT. Estimators can then use this information to ensure their bids include all DOT-required items and that cost information for these items is up to date.

Crew templates

Heavy estimating will be vastly simplified if the estimator can simply drag reusable crew templates into a bid rather than build each crew from scratch for each bid. Crew templates combine employees and equipment into crews that can be reused across bids.

Project Management Requirements

Unitary billing and costing

Unit-billing is central to heavy construction, so heavy contractors require a system designed to bill based on units completed. Both the job costing and billing components of the system should offer unit-based capabilities, as well as track progress/percent complete.

Timecard tracking

Heavy contractors need to carefully monitor their crews in the field and make sure the right employees are on the right job at the right time. Heavy project management applications should include field time card tracking to manage employees.

Resource scheduling

Heavy contractors need to schedule employees and equipment to the right job at the right time. A heavy project management system should enable contractors to schedule crews, in addition to individuals. That means pairing the right equipment with the right operator.

Dispatching

White boards don’t cut it when it comes to dispatching crews and equipment. There is too much room for error. The best dispatching system will track (even with GPS) the location of every piece of equipment and employee.

Fuel tracking

With fuel becoming such a large component of heavy project costs, a heavy project management system should track fuel costs and related fluids, like lubricants and coolants. It should track these fluids from suppliers to stationary tank to mobile fueling tanks, whether contractor-owned or third-party.

Mobile capabilities

Mobile capabilities are especially important for heavy work. While all contractors work in the field, the location of heavy work shifts as the job progresses, so mobile support is critical for keeping field staff online and in touch.

Accounting Requirements

Specialized pricing

A top heavy accounting system needs to support the specialized pricing models for heavy work. This will typically require unit-based pricing, progress billing, work-in-progress (WIP) billing, fixed-bid billing and cost-plus billing. It should also handle requirements for DOT and municipal billing requirements.

Equipment management

With a wide range of equipment, heavy contractors’ profitability is dependent on keeping theses machines in great operating condition. Equipment management capabilities will track maintenance—preventative or unplanned. They also track the depreciation of the asset. More advanced systems will offer GPS tracking and electronic monitoring of equipment use and health.

Materials management

Heavy contractors must ensure that the right materials arrive on time for jobs. Material cost tracking capabilities support this function for heavy contractors and materials producers by tracking the details of materials required for each job, including materials ordered, materials received, materials outstanding and scheduled time of arrival.

Scale integration

Heavy contractors operating their own material sales, plants, quarries and pits will need to integrate their accounting system to their scales to reduce errors and improve efficiency. A heavy-specific accounting system should import weight tickets directly into the system.

Regulatory reporting

Heavy contractors face a range of regulatory compliance requirements, such as employment fairness requirements (EEO), DOT requirements, certified payroll and prevailing wages and of course OSHA. A heavy accounting system should mange these requirements and produce the appropriate reports to demonstrate compliance.

Multi-company management

Since many heavy companies are part of parent organizations with multiple subsidiaries, heavy accounting systems should provide multi-company consolidation capabilities. They should also manage inter-company payments—transactions between the affiliated entities.

Inventory management

Heavy contractors need their accounting system to track inventory across multiple locations—job sites, warehouses, plants. Moreover, they need to understand what’s on-order, what is currently on-hand and what is already allocated to a specific job. The system should also manage discounts and mark-ups of inventory.