10 Best Apps For Construction That You’ll Actually Use
byIn this article, “10 Best Apps For Construction That You’ll Actually Use,” you’ll find a comprehensive list of tools to help simplify your construction management tasks, whether it’s workforce management or blueprint storage. From employee scheduling and project tracking to safety compliance and drone integration, these apps cover all aspects of a construction project, streamlining your processes and increasing efficiency.
Key takeaways:
- Effective construction management apps integrate with your existing systems and improve communication between stakeholders.
- The right apps can simplify tasks such as employee scheduling, document storage, and report generation—which makes construction project management more efficient.
- Some apps focus on specialized areas such as safety compliance, blueprint management, or drone data management.
- Selection of the appropriate app depends on the specific needs of your construction project.
- Streamlining processes through the use of these apps can significantly enhance productivity and efficiency in the construction industry.
Construction management is complicated.
From start to finish, you need to hire the best construction workers available, manage those employees, communicate clearly, monitor supplies, track project benchmarks, manage equipment, and keep an eye on your budget.
That’s a lot of information coming in, being processed, and moving out to stakeholders. And that’s why we found some of the best apps for construction that can help simplify those tasks, giving you the most capability and lessening your workload. Whether you need workforce management or blueprint storage and access, there’s an app for that.
Construction apps feature comparison
Our construction apps comparison table provides some key information about each option at a glance so you can quickly identify which solutions best align with your company’s needs.
| Construction app | Price | Key features | Pros | Cons | Share data/integrate with other apps? (Y/N) |
| When I Work | • Free trial • Essentials is $2.50/user/month • Pro is $5.00/user/month • Premium is $8.00/user/month | •Shift scheduling •In-app communication • Push notifications • GPS tracking • Multiple job sites | • All-in-one solution • Cost-effective • Integrates with payroll systems | • Slight learning curve | Yes |
| iNeoSyte | • Free plan • Basic is $9.99/user/month • Advanced is $19.99/user/month | • Field reporting tools • Ability to attach photos | • Advanced capabilities • User-friendly design • Integrates with popular tools | • Expensive • Most tools are only available with advanced subscription | Yes |
| LetsBuild | • Free trial • Annual subscription • Contact for pricing | • Quality, health, safety, and environment tracking • Progress monitoring | • Automation tools • Compliance support • Advanced project progression tracking | • Lack of pricing transparency • Steep learning curve | Yes |
| DeWalt Mobile Pro | • Basic app is free • Add-ons available at variable pricing | • Construction calculators • User-friendly tools | • Several calculators included in free version | • All advanced calculators require additional purchases | No |
| Smartsheet | • Free trial • Base tier starts at $7/user/month | • Connect on-site and office-based teams • Construction project progress tracking dashboard | • End-to-end planning tools • Allows managers to track cost overruns and delays • Affordable | • Setting up the platform can be tedious | Yes |
| magicplan | • Free plan for two projects • Subscription-based plans start at $9.99/month • Top option is $89.99/month | • Create 2D and 3D plans • Attach field reports, notes, and photographs • Create shareable PDFs | • Dynamic platform • User-friendly design • Lots of features | • Can be quite costly | Yes |
| Safety Meeting App | • Free trial • Annual subscriptions running from $199–$1169 | • Compliance tracking capabilities • Manage OSHA requirements, state and federal laws | • Supports compliance • Streamlines document management • Safety meeting attendance tracking | • Pricey | Yes |
| Fieldwire | • Free plan with five-user limit • Paid plans start at $29/user/month • Top plan is $89/user/month | • Task management tools • Scheduling • Punch list creation | • Easy to use • Can create lists/notes while on the go | • Price varies greatly | No |
| Procore | • Contact for pricing | • Pre-construction planning tools • Project management capabilities • Workforce management | • Robust set of tools and features • Unifies all project data | • Not suitable for smaller contracting companies | Yes |
| DroneDeploy | • Free trial period • $329/month base plan • $599/month advanced plan | • Create real-time site maps • Create interactive models • Share project timelines | • Keep everyone in the loop with interactive models • Generate detailed reports • Limit user access with customizable permissions settings | • Complex platform • Drones and additional requirements are needed | Yes |
1. When I Work
When I Work makes managing employees and scheduling shifts for multiple locations easy, combining the right automation features—like templates—with an internal messaging and communication system.
Managers can quickly schedule shifts based on skill or certification requirements and employee preferences, while employees are empowered to swap shifts and request time off directly in the app. Included in the software are a time clock, time sheets, and payroll integrations. These include tracking systems that use GPS to let you know where your employees are clocking in at. Pay rules that integrate with your schedule help you control labor costs.
Team communication is done through the app through a dedicated, privacy-protecting system that lets you send messages to the whole team, groups, or individuals.
When I Work is available on the desktop through a browser for all operating systems, as well as apps for mobile devices. Managers and employees have their own version that gives them access to the tools in the app that apply to them, including the ability to turn any device into a time clock. For construction crew management, When I Work is a perfect fit.
When I Work offers a free trial. Pricing is then based on the number of users, starting at $2.50/user/month, with an option for $5.00/user/month, and another for $8.00/user/month. Each tier has different feature sets.
Read also: 9 Most Empowering Employee Communication Apps
2. iNeoSyte
Taking notes on the progress being made at a construction site is necessary. It’s also something that can slow you down if you find you have to run back to the office to get it done.
iNeoSyte allows you to create reports from the field, right at the construction site, including the addition of photos. Pre-defined reports that are specific to your project let you update those who need to know what’s happening on site.
You can create a project report, generate a PDF, and share it to popular cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
iNeoSyte has a free plan with limited features, and then paid plans based on the number of users. The basic plan is $9.99 per month per user, while the advanced plan is $19.99 per month per user.
3. LetsBuild
LetsBuild is an app that tracks information on project progression and process and shares it in real time, whether you’re in the field or in the office.
It has the ability to track QHSE (quality, health, safety, and environment) as well as generate progress reports and other necessary documents.
For construction managers who find their days filled with repetitive tasks, LetsBuild can help them monitor and adjust the project plan, see fast access to project data and construction drawings on the building site, and stay in compliance with regulations.
LetsBuild offers a free trial, and then annual subscriptions. You must contact them to find the right package for what you need.
4. DeWalt Mobile Pro
DeWalt Mobile Pro offers standard construction calculators. Whatever area of construction you’re in, the calculator you need to finish the job is found in this app. Select what you need to do, and the right formulas are built into the app to help you quickly get the right answer.
In addition to the core package of construction calculators, you can purchase add-on calculators or calculator packs for math conversions, carpentry, business and finance, electrical, finish work, and much more.
This mobile app is available for both iOS and Android, and its basic version is a free download. Additional add-on packs are a paid option.
5. Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a project management app that helps give you an accurate overview of your construction project. Though Smartsheet can be used by several industries, it has features that make it useful for construction project management.
Smartsheet allows you to connect your office and on-site teams, as well as subcontractors, so communication is clear. Pre-construction planning all the way through safety planning, field operations, and resource management is contained in this one app.
The at-a-glance dashboard makes it possible to track all aspects of a construction project (including delays or cost overruns) in one place.
Smartsheet is ideal for any size construction team or project. There is a free trial, with several tiers of paid plans based on feature sets, starting at $7/user/month up to an enterprise version with pricing available upon request.
Also check out: Guide To Employee Productivity Tracking Software
6. magicplan
Magicplan is the perfect app for you if you need to create and share both 2D and 3D floor plans with your team.
You can also create field reports that include those sketches, your notes, and even 360° photos. It also includes the ability to create and share estimates for labor and materials. That means you can provide clients with the information they need to make the decision to close the deal.
Share a PDF and keep the data in your account for future reference should there be any client disputes.
Client disputes are also more easily handled with all details and dimensions stored and organized, so you can access them if needed.
Magicplan comes with a free plan for up to two projects, with subscription-based plans starting at $9.99/month up to $89.99/month, based on desired features. Reduced yearly subscriptions are available as well.
7. Safety Meeting App
Staying in compliance with OSHA, federal and state labor laws, and company safety requirements can be tricky. Construction is a dangerous industry, so Safety Meeting App makes it easier to manage all of those concerns and keep your employees safe on the job.
Employees are reminded of risks related to their work through over 1,000 safety meeting topics that you can discuss with your team. You can also create safety checklists using pre-built lists or your own custom versions. Checklists range from a bloodborne pathogen checklist to welding and cutting checklists, and everything in between. All checklists are OSHA compliant.
You can also document safety meetings and attendance as well as safety incidents, creating reports from your mobile device. These reports are available in the cloud for fast access as needed, and can include photos.
This app is available in both English and Spanish, available on your computer or via your mobile device. There is a free trial, with yearly subscriptions based on number of users ranging from $199 to $1169.
8. Fieldwire
Fieldwire is a project management tool that focuses on blueprint management. It makes it easy to share and edit drawings whether in the office or on the job site, through a mobile device. Users are able to markup drawings, add notes, and attach or view photos of the project progress directly on the drawings.
Fieldwire also offers task management features, as well as scheduling the construction work (and noting issues that need attention) for the day in accordance with the project plan. Generate a punch list while doing a walkthrough to make notes about items that need fixing, allowing your team to message and attach photos in response.
There is a free basic plan with a five-user limit. Plans then start at $29/user/month up to $89/user/month based on feature sets.
Related read: How to Empower The Deskless Workforce
9. Procore
For larger contracting companies, or those specializing in large-scale or commercial construction, Procore connects the many entities involved. That includes general contractors, specialty contractors, architects, and engineers. It also helps with pre-construction planning, project management, workforce management, and financial management.
That means managing bids, estimates, quality, safety, BIM, design, and your workforce falls under one roof and entire complex projects are managed in one place.
Designed specifically for mobile devices on a cloud-based platform, Procore requires you to contact them for a customized quote based on what you need. They offer free training and 24/7 support with their paid contracts.
Read also: The 5 Best Rostering Software For 2023
10. DroneDeploy
The use of drones is becoming increasingly common (and necessary) in many construction projects, and DroneDeploy makes managing that data much easier. It integrates with common construction drones and project management apps to capture visual data, both interior and exterior, and any altitude or angle. You can even process radiometric thermal data to detect hot spots.
That means you can create real-time maps on-site to get an interactive view. You can also create virtual tours or models, sharing them on a visual timeline for anyone involved in the project. Generate reports, and use permissions to control who sees them.
For teams or enterprise users, you will need to contact DroneDeploy for pricing. For individuals, there is a free trial period followed by either $329/month or $599/month, based on feature sets.
Conclusion
For construction, you need the best small business apps available. What that is for you depends on your team, your projects, and what you actually need.
Generally, you want an app that:
- Integrates with other systems you use.
- Makes compliance easy (if applicable).
- Improves communication between all stakeholders.
- Simplifies management, including document storage and report generation.
- Documents progress and preserves data for historical review.
- Provides analytics to give you an overview of what’s happening.
It helps to start with team management before delving into project management and construction-specific tools to use on the job. That means employee scheduling software is first on your checklist.
As you look for the best contractor apps for your team, check out how the When I Work mobile app can improve your construction crew scheduling. Take When I Work for a spin with a 14-day FREE trial. You’ll quickly see why getting employee scheduling and team management under control is the first step, and also one of the easiest.
From there, select just the best apps for construction management you need to make your work easier. Streamline your processes and only use the apps you need to get the job done efficiently.
Best apps for construction workers FAQs
What are construction apps?
Construction apps are software applications specifically designed for the construction industry to streamline various tasks and processes. These apps provide functionalities such as project management, team collaboration, scheduling, document management, communication, safety compliance, and more. They aim to enhance efficiency, productivity, and organization within construction projects.
What are the benefits of using construction apps?
Construction apps offer several benefits to contractors and construction project managers, including:
- Improved project management: Apps help track project progress, monitor tasks, and manage resources effectively.
- Enhanced communication: Apps facilitate real-time communication and collaboration among team members, subcontractors, and stakeholders.
- Streamlined documentation: Apps enable easy storage, access, and sharing of project documents, plans, and reports.
- Time and cost savings: Apps automate processes, reduce paperwork, and minimize errors, resulting in time and cost efficiencies.
- Compliance and safety management: Apps assist in adhering to safety regulations, conducting safety meetings, and documenting incidents.
How do I choose the right construction app for my needs?
To choose the right construction app, consider the following factors:
- Specific requirements: Determine which functionalities are essential for your construction projects.
- Compatibility and integration: Ensure the app integrates well with your existing systems and software.
- User-friendliness: Opt for apps that are intuitive and easy to use for you and your team.
- Scalability: Consider whether the app can accommodate your project size and potential growth.
- Pricing: Evaluate the cost of the app, including any subscription plans, based on your budget and expected return on investment.
Reviews and recommendations: Read reviews, seek recommendations from industry peers, and assess the app’s reputation and reliability.
What features should I look for in the best apps for construction?
Look for features that integrate with other systems you use and simplify compliance. You’ll want something that improves communication among stakeholders, simplifies management tasks like document storage and report generation, documents progress, preserves data for historical review, and provides analytics for a clear overview of what’s happening.
Is there an app that helps with employee scheduling in construction?
Yes, When I Work is an app that specifically helps with managing employees and scheduling shifts for multiple locations. It combines automation features with an internal messaging and communication system.
Are there free trial options for some of these construction apps?
Yes, several of the apps on this list, including When I Work, LetsBuild, Smartsheet, Safety Meeting App, and DroneDeploy offer a free trial period.
