QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise
Heavy Construction Software
Compare All Heavy Construction Software
FOUNDATION
FOUNDATION
Since 1985, FOUNDATION has been a trusted name in construction accounting, project management and payroll processing. With powerful job cost accounting and features built specifically for the construction industry, FOUNDATION has...Read more
PENTA Enterprise Construction Management
PENTA Enterprise Construction Management
PENTA is an enterprise system that manages every aspect of accounting, project management and service for construction, engineering and service firms. Delivered via cloud hosting or on-premise, PENTA provides functionality fo...Read more
SharpeSoft Estimator
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
Jonas Enterprise
Jonas Enterprise
Jonas Enterprise is an award-winning, paperless construction management system that contains features for bid-management, estimating, accounting, and more, all with Jonas's impressive 24-hour support. ...Read more
Digital Time Capture
Digital Time Capture
DTC Construction solution from Digital Time Capture helps contractors track labor, material, and equipment information from the field. It allows companies to invoice their clients accurately and enable receipt of undisputed paymen...Read more
Software pricing tips
Read our Heavy Construction Software Buyers GuideSubscription models
- Per employee/per month: This model allows you to pay a monthly fee for each of your employees.
- Per user/per month: Users pay a monthly fee for users—normally administrative users—rather than all employees.
Perpetual license
- This involves paying an upfront sum for the license to own the software and use it indefinitely.
- This is the more traditional model and is most common with on-premise applications and with larger businesses.
Rated best value for money
Construction Partner
Construction Partner
Construction Partner is a construction accounting and job costing system that combines accounting, estimating and job costing in a single package. It is suitable for contractors that are out-growing their current system and need a...Read more
B2W Estimate
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
IFS Applications
IFS Applications
IFS Applications is an extensive software system that serves the needs of large and medium-sized manufacturers with order-driven and mixed-mode management tools and full integration capabilities....Read more
Oracle Aconex
Oracle Aconex
Oracle Aconex is a cloud-based operation management solution for managing information and processes between companies on complex construction and engineering projects. Several functions include document management, workflow automa...Read more
Explorer Eclipse
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
Popular Heavy Construction Software Comparisons
Buyers Guide
Last Updated: March 10, 2022Here’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. |