Best 13 Construction Invoice Software and Tools

What’s the best way to turn weeks of hard work into a simple invoice that gets you paid, and helps you pay, promptly?

We'll help you decide by comparing the 13 best invoicing software solutions used by construction contractors.

Best Construction Invoice Software and Tools in 2023

Scroll down halfway for a deep dive into each software with Capterra and G2 ratings and pricing information.

• Archdesk
• Zoho
• QuickBooks
• FreshBooks
• HoneyBook
• Xero
• Buildertrend
• Procore
• NetSuite
• Sage Business Cloud
• Bill.com
• AvidXchange
• Square

What are Construction Invoicing Software and Tools?

Construction invoice software tools provide the features you need to generate invoices from your project tracking data and follow up on invoices to secure cash flow through various options, including credit card payments and online payments.

There are several ways that invoicing software helps you streamline the financial aspect of your construction business.

Some toolkits include invoicing features that make it possible to track your entire project, including billable hours and materials, through one platform.

Others are more straightforward tools to generate and send invoices and collect payments without integration.

Overall, invoicing software can be an excellent tool for businesses that want easy billing facilitation and to make online payments simple for clients.

What Is Construction Invoicing?

In construction, invoicing is the process of claiming the value for the effort and materials put into a project. Billable hours, supplies, and subcontractors all come at a cost.

These costs were estimated at the beginning of the project and adapted to the needs of your process over time.

Many construction teams submit a sequence of invoices at specific milestones to ensure that cost value reconciliation occurs between the contractor and client.

Invoicing provides a clear, itemised list of costs that are related to each construction milestone.

They allow your client to review your progress in terms of hours and materials and to approve payment.

The payment portals available through your invoicing tools can make accepting that payment easier.

To ensure your construction invoicing is effective, you should follow several best practices:

• Create an Invoice Template
• Establish Clear Payment Terms
• Itemize Materials, Labor, and Milestones
• Include Change Orders
• Maintain Detailed and Accurate Records
• Use Integrated Technology

Construction invoicing relies on clarity and consistent communication between contractor and client.

It's best if your client understands the terms of payment and how to read their invoice, so you may want to go over the first invoice with them and explain any terms or shorthand they do not immediately recognise.

Key Features of Construction Invoicing Software and Tools

Construction invoicing requires more than just a template and a number.

Construction invoices are detailed, itemizing time, materials, and service costs required for the project.

This means that your ideal billing software for contractors can track your expenses and hours, and then generate that data into an invoice that is both comprehensive and easy to read.

Software like Archdesk makes it possible to manage the finances and logistics of your entire construction project as a single source of truth and generate customised invoices based on your billing model.

• Construction Project Finance: Manage every aspect of your project finances on a single dashboard, giving you a complete overview of the financial health of a project at all times. Keep track of expenses, hours, and material orders in a single place.
• Time Tracking and Billable Hours: Use detailed time tracking so that billable hours are always fully accounted for. Billable hours can then be calculated into the invoice at predetermined rates, ensuring that your teams get paid for every hour of work they put in.
• Construction Procurement: Manage the purchase orders for your materials from a single platform and maintain absolute control over resource spending. Track vendor data, including delivery dates, and keep track of communication with your external suppliers.
• Construction Invoicing: Collect all your expense data into structured invoices based on your own customised templates. Generate invoices faster and take control of the process with detailed dashboards, status changes, and accounting systems. Provide your clients with clarity and ensure complete payment.

Why You Need Construction Invoice Software

Generating construction invoices by hand is extremely tedious and no longer necessary. 

With so many tools available to translate your project's operational and expense data into invoices, there's no need to put together invoices one item at a time.

Using invoicing software for contractors in the construction industry, you can pour all of your tracked time into a single item in the invoice, calculated for the pay rate of every team member and subcontractor.

Every purchase order can self-populate into your invoice, and you can easily customise your rates and milestones without calculating anything by hand.

• Generate invoices from pre-recorded project data
• Customise invoice templates for attractive and professional documents
• Request and accept digital payment to get paid instantly
• Automate the invoice niceties like reminders and thank-you emails
• Invoice easily through mobile apps for modern clients

Managing your invoices through software has never been easier.

Source-of-truth data management makes invoice population easier than ever, and you can pour it all into customised templates that create professional-looking invoices every time.

Modern payment portals that accept credit cards speed up the billing process and improve your cash flow. Some clients will pay instantly if allowed to do so through a mobile app.

You can even automate invoice communications like reminders and thank-yous to maintain positive customer relationships without a second thought.

Is It Better to Use a Point Solution or Platform-Like Software?

Many construction companies pick up software tools like power tools, one at a time as needed.

However, you'll find the best invoicing software features when invoicing is part of a platform. Isolated billing software can configure a pretty document and facilitate payment, but integrated invoicing software can build the invoices for you.

When your construction invoicing software is already tracking time and managing the project, you can easily plug in all your invoiceable expenses at each milestone without needing to enter or calculate the data by hand.

The platform does it for you, and you can check your dashboards to easily confirm invoice accuracy before sending.

Should You Go with Generic Invoicing or Built-for-Construction Software?

When available, it is always best to choose software configured for your industry. Construction is a uniquely complex industry that requires layers of automation and data handling to streamline efficiently.

Using invoicing software designed for retail shops or freelancer invoicing can be useful. 

Still, construction-specific software has the potential to provide a full suite of project management tools and solutions that could transform your workflow and connect your entire team through coordinated data.

When your orders, time tracking, scheduling, and invoicing are all managed through the same construction-specific platform, you may discover new levels of productivity and leave old frustrations behind.

Best Construction Invoice Software and Tools of 2023

Here are the top construction invoice software for 2023

Archdesk

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Capterra Rating: 4.8/5

G2 Rating: 4.3/5

Archdesk Pricing

Archdesk Overview

Archdesk is an excellent choice for invoicing and financial management activities. The management software provides all the necessary tools to run a profitable construction business.

You can track your project progress in real-time, calculate billable hours, control costs, and manage materials all through one platform.

Archdesk supports fast and efficient invoicing processes. All spendings are visible in the system, and you can check the current status of your invoices within a few clicks.

Finally, with Archdesk, you can benefit from fast communication with clients and suppliers as you can send documents directly from the system and see the contact history details.

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Archdesk is specifically designed for the construction industry, offering a tailored solution to manage projects, resources, and finances effectively.

Zoho Invoice

Capterra Rating: 4.7/5

G2 Rating: 4.7/5

Zoho Invoice Pricing

Zoho Invoice Overview

Connected to the Zoho Books accounting platform, Zoho Invoice is an easy expansion for those already using Zoho. Zoho offers a dedicated invoicing and payment gateway system with efficient payment processing.

Once you create an invoice using Zoho's customisable invoice templates, it saves your invoice on the cloud which can allow multiple users to work on and add to your invoice simultaneously and then invoice clients.

Zoho Invoice also has project management tools, including workflow automation and expense tracking. Zoho tools are particularly useful for enabling contract negotiation, including language features.

Pros

• Online payment solutions
• Client Portal
• Time tracking and Billing

Cons

• No free trial
• No integrated services
• Setup fee required

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Zoho is not built specifically for construction invoicing but has workflows that work reasonably well for construction projects.

QuickBooks Online

Capterra Rating: 4.3/5

G2 Rating: 4.0/5

QuickBooks Online Pricing

QuickBooks Online Overview

There are many variants of QuickBooks software, and contractors tend to prefer QuickBooks Online.

QuickBooks is a cloud-based financial platform that can accept payments including credit card payments, PayPal, and Apple Pay through its own billing portal.

QuickBooks Online makes it possible to track time which is ideal for construction invoices including billable hours.

For longer construction projects, QuickBooks includes an option to send monthly recurring invoices to create a routine of invoices with your client.

Pros

• Record keeping and comprehensive reporting
• Third-party app integrations
• Easily share information

Cons

• High cost monthly plans
• Limited account users
• Steep learning curve

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

QuickBooks is a universal platform designed for a wide range of businesses, but is not tailored to assist with construction workflows.

FreshBooks

Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

G2 Rating: 4.5/5

FreshBooks Pricing

FreshBooks Overview

FreshBooks is a valuable rival to QuickBooks, with time tracking tools that are particularly useful for construction contractors.

The interface is simple and intuitive with a mobile app that makes it easy to add data on the go or bill clients through the app.

Users report a quick and enjoyable flow to rapidly produce professional invoices with FreshBooks, and it can accept credit cards online. It even sends thank-you notes.

If you're curious about FreshBooks, the free trial is popular, with unlocked features that allow you to learn the platform initially at no cost.

Pros

• Simple and easy to learn
• Time tracking
• Integrated mobile app

Cons

• Limited customization options
• Expensive for larger teams
• Limited reporting features

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

FreshBooks is a generic invoicing solution, but its features and ease of use make it suitable for construction businesses as well.

HoneyBook

Capterra Rating: 4.8/5

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

HoneyBook Pricing

HoneyBook Overview

HoneyBook is a popular platform that has a wide userbase of general contractors and freelancers.

Its time tracking feature makes HoneyBook's invoicing software useful for construction invoicing and many other expense-tracking features that can help invoice and streamline your process.

The online payment gateway and mobile app integration make it easy to send invoices and accept payment from a client's mobile device and enter data on the go.

Pros

• Contract execution
• Automated workflows and scheduling
• Income and expense tracking

Cons

• Lack of onboarding support
• Limited integration
• Limited customization

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Honeybook has workflow for contractors but is not specifcially configured for the construction industry.

Xero

Capterra Rating: 4.4/5

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

Xero Pricing

Xero Overview

Xero is favored for its flexibility with integrations and customization. It is considered easy to use and allows unlimited users on all plans for whole-team data entry.

Xero functions mainly as an accounting tool with time-saving features that many general contractors find useful including automatic price matching to quickly populate invoice data.

With time tracking, however, it is a favored solution for contractors.

Pros

• Unlimited users on all plans
• Third party app integrations
• Simple and easy to use

Cons

• No customer support
• Data reporting bugs
• Limited customization on invoices

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Xero has useful project management features but is not directly configured to facilitate projects in the construction industry.

Buildertrend

Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

G2 Rating: 4.3/5

Buildertrend Pricing

Buildertrend Overview

Buildertrend is a construction project management software that includes invoicing capabilities.

Its focus on the construction industry makes it an excellent choice for contractors, home builders, and remodelers.

The platform offers robust project management features, such as scheduling, budgeting, and job costing. It also includes client communication tools and a customer portal, making it easier to streamline the invoicing process.

Pros

• Specifically designed for the construction industry
• Comprehensive project management features
• Client portal and communication tools

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Pricier compared to other options
• Limited third-party integrations

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Buildertrend is built specifically for the construction industry, catering to the unique needs of construction businesses.

Procore

Capterra Rating: 4.3/5

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

Procore Pricing

Procore asks you for some information and promises a call back with a quote

Procore Overview

Buildertrend is a construction project management software with built-in invoicing capabilities.

Designed specifically for the construction industry, it offers a range of tools for project management, collaboration, and financial management.

Procore provides features like budgeting, cost control, and change order management, making it easier for construction businesses to manage their finances and invoice clients.

Pros

• Tailored for the construction industry
• Comprehensive construction management tools
• Collaboration and communication features

Cons

• Can be expensive for smaller businesses
• Some users report a steep learning curve
• Limited third-party integrations

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Procore is built specifically for the construction industry, addressing the unique invoicing and financial management needs of construction businesses.

NetSuite

Capterra Rating: 4.1/5

G2 Rating: 4.0/5

NetSuite Pricing

NetSuite Overview

NetSuite is a comprehensive set of business management and accounting software with billing features that integrate with the rest of the suite.

You can create financial reports and customised statements to track project finances and streamline your cash flow. It then integrates the data into detailed invoices and functions with a wide range of integrations into other business software.

Pros:

• Comprehensive data management
• Single portal for financial transactions
• Third-party integrations

Cons:

• Subscription pricing can change
• Challenging customization of reports
• Limited planning and scheduling

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

NetSuite was designed as a generic financial management tool for offices and shops. While it has many useful tools, it was not designed for construction projects.

Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Capterra Rating: 4.1/5

G2 Rating: 4.2/5

Sage Business Cloud Pricing

Sage Business Cloud Overview

Sage Business Cloud seeks to be a friendly, mobile accounting platform for small businesses. It tracks cash flow, computes taxes, and forecasts using your transaction history.

Users prefer Sage's useful dashboard presentation that provides extensive visualisation of your business finances for simplified project management.

It also allows for quick and easy branding when generating documents like invoices and, of course, integrates with other Sage business software.

Pros:

• Unlimited users
• Comprehensive reporting and inventory tracking
• Affordable monthly costs

Cons:

• Does not include time tracking
• Limited user interface
• Problematic support

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

The Sage Business Cloud is a generic solution that can assist many business models but is not specifically configured to facilitate construction projects.

Bill.com

Capterra Rating: 4.2/5

G2 Rating: 4.3/5

Bill.com Pricing

Bill.com Overview

Bill.com or Bill is an artificial intelligence billing platform with a wide range of features. If you're curious about AI-assisted project management, Bill.com is a well-regarded place to start.

Bill generates templates, contracts, and invoices well and offers online payment solutions in multiple currencies.

You can easily track invoices using its simple design and interface and manage payments through multiple payment gateway options.

Pros:

• Simple design and easy to use
• Good customer service
• Excellent financial data tracking

Cons:

• Limited report customization
• Slow payment processing
• Limited integration

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Bill.com is an AI-enabled solution that can work for many different industries, including contractors, but does not have a specific workflow for construction management.

AvidXchange

Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

G2 Rating: 4.4/5

AvidXchange Pricing

AvidXchange Overview

AvidXchange has a positive following among contractors with a great set of features. 

This includes OCR scanning, making paper documents digital and quickly integrating them into your source-of-truth platform.

As a web-based platform, it has 180 different integrations and a superior client portal experience to efficiently invoice clients.

AvidXchange also includes project management features and accounting software that works well for the construction field.

Pros:

• Invoice processing
• Workflow capability
• Client Portal

Cons:

• Higher cost solution
• New user onboarding difficulty
• No mobile app

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

AvidXchange is designed for middle-market companies in industries known for complex payment processes. This includes construction, but it is not specifically designed for construction.

Square Invoices

Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

G2 Rating: 4.7/5

Square Invoices Pricing

Square Invoices Overview

Square Invoices is a dedicated invoicing platform connected to the greater Square suite, a small business suite designed for solo and growing operations.

It accepts a wide range of payments, including mobile wallets and payment gateway options. All Square data connects on the cloud, so you can always check your dashboard and track your invoices.

It is a friendly online approach to invoicing with unlimited users for greater team accessibility. Square Invoices can be used for construction projects and integrates with other Square software if used by your business.

Pros:

• Unlimited users
• Invoices mobile app
• Accept e-signatures

Cons:

• Processing fees
• Limited customization
• Configured for shop sales

Is this a generic solution or built specifically for the construction industry?

Square Invoices was designed for shops and small businesses but can be made to work for construction invoicing.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q) How do I make a construction invoice?

The best way to make invoices for construction is using integrated construction invoicing or billing software. You can make a construction invoice by starting with an invoice template. The basic details should mention your client, your company, and the total amount due.

However, construction benefits from more detailed invoicing, including a list of the work completed and milestones reached, hours worked, building material costs, and any recent change orders.

You may also want to mention any 'retainage' or costs being retained until completion of the project and details on previous payments.

Q) Which software is best for invoicing?

Financial management platforms make the best invoicing software because they can populate invoices using all of your project's current financial details. Project management and time tracking features provide the most accurate construction software invoicing because tracking labour hours is a breeze.

Q) Can I create my own invoices?

Generate invoices using invoice templates in your project management platform. Invoice templates are easy to customise to match your brand and your client's details. Then fill out the expenses with the costs you wish to invoice.

Q) Is there a template for invoices?

There are many different customizable templates available to create an invoice.

You can find invoice PDFs, invoice templates inside most finance and project management software, and even invoice templates for specific word document editors.

Once you have an invoice template, you can customise it to create a template for your company and project that can be used again and again.