A Breakdown of Sage Construction Software’s Many Solutions
If you’re in construction, you’ve probably heard of Sage software. Founded in 1981, the company offers a plethora of software options for all sizes of businesses and types of construction projects.
Sage’s construction software offers comprehensive management applications for small and midsize firms, including six core construction and real-estate products.
Click to jump to a Sage Construction solution:
Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (CRE)
Sage Construction Project Center
Sage Construction is a Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE) 100 company, and its estimating, accounting, and project management products have earned a solid reputation over the years. Both Sage 100 Contractor and Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate earned spots on Software Advice’s FrontRunners list for construction management software. FrontRunners ranks the top-rated software in a category based on user reviews.
But which Sage offering meets the specific needs of your business? Below, we break down each of the solutions and what kinds of problems they are meant to solve. All of the ratings for each product are based on the total number of reviews received on Software Advice’s software directory as of Oct. 15, 2019.
Short on time? Click here to quickly find which Sage product is right for the job.
1. Sage 100 Contractor
4.12 out of 5 stars
279+ reviews
Product overview: Sage 100 Contractor, formerly known as Sage Master Builder, is an integrated, standalone construction accounting and project management system. Contractors use it to track payments, accounting, payroll, invoices, transmittals, requests for information (RFIs), and budgets.
Users can create alerts for when bank account balances are low, certificates are expiring, or other significant events. Sage 100 also includes over 1,000 built-in reports to keep an eye on job costs and business performance. Users can customize reports to dive deeper into the numbers.
Ideal for: Small and midsize residential and commercial construction companies that are transitioning from a generic accounting program.
Sage 100 Contractor is suitable for most trades, including:
Electrical
Mechanical
Heavy construction
Service and specialty contractors
Homebuilders
The dashboard for Sage 100 Contractor (Source)
2. Sage 300 CRE
4.07 out of 5 stars
384+ reviews
Product overview: Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate (CRE), formerly known as Sage Timberline, is a standalone construction project accounting and management solution. It supports payroll, billing, inventory, accounts payable/receivable, service management, and job costing through every project phase.
Sage 300 CRE is essentially a heavier version of Sage 100 Contractor. It supports more complex accounting, payroll, and document control requirements and workflows with features such as timesheet data import, contract management, and document routing.
Ideal for: Midsize and large general contracting companies that work in homebuilding, real-estate development, and residential remodeling.
Financial summary screen for Sage 300 CRE (Source)
3. Sage Estimating
3.99 out of 5 stars
59+ reviews
Product overview: Sage Estimating automates the creation of project estimates and bids. It supports both detailed and conceptual estimates and integrates with pre-built assembly and cost databases such as RS Means, so estimators always have the latest pricing.
While Sage Estimating does not have native or built-in takeoff functionality, it integrates with eTakeoff, On-Screen Takeoff, and PlanSwift.
Ideal for: Growing commercial and residential construction companies, including:
Construction management
Design/build firms
General contractors
Custom and production homebuilders
Finishing contractors
Job cost spreadsheet for Sage Estimating (Source)
4. Sage Bid Management
5 out of 5 stars
1+ reviews
Product overview: Sage Bid Management provides web-based tools for bid coordinators to manage proposals. It also keeps track of communication between subcontractors, estimators, and suppliers during pre-construction.
Users can create bidder lists and send out bid packages, while vendors can accept or decline invitations, ask questions, and submit bids. From there, coordinators review and award bids to subcontractors.
Ideal for: Small and midsize building owners who manage anywhere from five to 500 bidders, such as:
Real-estate developers
Commercial construction managers
General contractors
Bid package home screen for Sage Bid Management (Source)
5. Sage Construction Project Center
2.33 out of 5 stars
6+ reviews
Product overview: Sage Construction Project Center is a web-based document management system. It’s designed for sharing, distributing, and tracking project documents, drawings, photos, schedules, and customer information.
With Project Center, stakeholders can review submissions, punch lists, and daily logs from desktop and mobile devices.
Ideal for: Small and midsize businesses, including:
Construction management companies
Design/build firms
Homebuilders
Real-estate developers
General contractors
Document home screen for Sage Construction Project Center (Source)
Which Sage product is right for the job?
Sage offers a variety of products that support the needs and goals of nearly any construction business. Here’s a quick reference to determine which might work best for you.
If you want to… | Then consider… |
Upgrade from a general-purpose accounting program to a product that is more construction-specific | Sage 100 Contractor |
Have more control over accounting and documents in a large business | Sage 300 CRE |
Increase volume, accuracy, and speed of estimates and bids | Sage Estimating, Sage Bid Management |
Still not sure which Sage product is best for your business?
Choosing the right software is tough, so it’s understandable if you still have questions. You might also wonder if you should opt for Sage or explore other options. Check out our extensive construction software directory, which allows you to compare solutions based on what trade you’re in, the size of your business, and what price range you’re budgeting for.
Additionally, in 15 minutes, one of our software advisors can create a shortlist of products that fit your company’s budget and requirements. Call (855) 998-8505 for a free consultation with a software advisor.