Tradie Tech Stack: Automate the business and get back on the tools

Want to spend less time in front of the screen and more time focusing on the work that matters? Construction software is the key to unlocking productivity and efficiency for tradespeople.

It’s not just physical labour that can be supported by technology. The speed of software development in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry means we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to digital tools to automate and centralise our work.

There’s plenty of tools out there, but which ones are truly worth the time? We’ve rounded up the best tools to get your systems humming, cut down the admin time, and make your profits more visible.

Get off on the right foot with takeoff and tender software for tradespeople

EstimateOne

EstimateOne is a handy tool for subbies, builders, and suppliers. Within EstimateOne, you can easily see all the open tender invitations out there, issue documentation, manage subbies, and more — all in one place. 

When it comes to pricing, EstimateOne offers a forever free plan, as well as a single-state license and national license option. The state-only option is priced at $120 per month, while national licenses come in at $380.

Groundplan

Groundplan enables thousands of tradies to quickly and accurately estimate plans with its beautiful software and interface. The platform has dubbed itself as the “ultimate cloud-based take off software” and comes with three key features:

• Measurement tools to quickly and easily count items, as well as measure lengths and areas.
• Planning tools to easily create formulas, visualise material and add up cost totals.
• Easy tender organisation with document storage, project and takeoff templates, and to-do lists.

This tool is also fully cloud-based, so all your information is stored online and accessible anytime anywhere.

Groundplan comes with a free 14-day trial. After that, it’s $99 per month per seat (a.k.a. per user), or $990 for the year.

Construction software to simplify projects and keep jobs on track

Assignar 

Save time, win more work, and ensure you’re staying on the tools — that’s the promise Assignar makes. Assignar is an all-in-one platform that allows you to schedule crews and equipment, improve quality and safety, ensure compliance, and monitor progress on jobs. 

The easy-to-use software includes efficient drag and drop scheduling for contractors, and contains information on the availability and status of each worker or piece of equipment. You can also store safety policies and collect forms in Assignar, which makes demonstrating compliance much easier.

Assignar is free for a public single-user workspace. After that, pricing starts at $ 140 per seat per month for a private single-user workspace, or $ 175 per seat per month for a private multi-user workspace. 

Conqa

Quality assurance is a laborious yet necessary process. Conqa aims to help tradies stay on the tools and step away from the paperwork with its construction QA software.

Within Conqa, you can record all your QA data in one place and access all your information any time, anywhere. This makes it easier to pull information for council inspections, reduce risks and disputes, and spot any errors in work as soon as it happens.

Conqa’s pricing isn’t available online, so you’ll need to book a demo to learn more about the plans and platform.

All-in-one construction software tools

Fergus

Fergus is specifically designed for small tradie businesses with 1-50 staff. This all-in-one solution comes with plenty of features to help tradies manage costs, keep jobs on track and find profitability.

With job tracking and document management, Fergus makes it easy to manage hundreds of jobs and simplify admin. You can also set up staff and subbies on the platform and communicate with them in one place. When it comes to business management, Fergus is also incredibly handy: the dashboard allows you to view your business activity, check up on outstanding invoices, and see where you won or lost money on a job.

Fergus is available for free with a 30-day trial. After that, plans start at $22 USD per month for the basic plan, or $44 USD per month for the professional plan.

Constructor

Constructor is a one-stop construction estimating and business management software designed specifically for builders. This tool makes it easier to manage your business and spend more time doing work that matters, with simplified quoting, easy-to-use accounting software, project scheduling, payroll, cost management, and more.

Constructor doesn’t list its pricing online, but builders can contact the sales team using this online enquiry form.

Finance software for tradies

expensemanager

As a tradie, it’s inevitable that you, your staff and your subbies rack up expenses on the job. expensemanager tradies makes it easier to store and report on your expenses, rather than keep receipts in the glove box to sort through later.

Using expensemanager, you can manage invoices, purchase orders and travel spend — all in one place. This software for tradies is also incredibly useful come tax time, as it automatically calculates GST and Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT).

You can test drive expensemanager for free with a trial. After that, you’ll get more detailed information on pricing and plans. 

Receipt Bank

Receipt Bank streamlines the numbers and helps tradies ditch the paper. With Receipt Bank, you take photos of all of your receipts, bills, invoices and bank statements, then upload it to the platform. Receipt Bank will then scan it on the go and store them, making it easy to come back to come tax time.

On top of this, Receipt Bank links up with existing accounting platforms like Xero, Sage and QuickBooks. Plans start at $15 per month for one user, $30 per month for five users, or $60 per month for 20 users. 

Ready to save time, increase profit and stay on the tools?

You can become more efficient, do the work that makes you money, and ensure you aren’t missing opportunities with these software platforms. Which will you add to your tradie tech stack ASAP to start saving time and money?

To find out more about Latham products, please visit www.latham-australia.com. To talk to a Latham product expert, call 1300 LATHAM (528 426) or email sales@latham-australia.com.