Running a construction business can be very lucrative. However, it can also be a lot of work. Without the right tools, you can’t hope to properly build anything. Similarly, without the right tools, you can’t run an effective business. Fortunately, there are myriad apps available to help you run a better company. The following five are some of the most helpful.
1) Building Calculator
Perhaps the most important skill for running a successful construction company is knowing how to estimate jobs properly. Building calculator is a simple application that helps you calculate the amount of materials you will need for different jobs. This is an essential element of the estimation process. Without it, you may undercharge your customers or submit non-competitive bids.Of course, most people in the construction business develop an intuition for this based on years of experience. However, there is no harm in having a reference to back up your knowledge. It may help you to avoid forgetting about a particular material that you need, for example. Better yet, it is very simple and fast to use.
2) PlanGrid
Plans are at the heart of all construction activity. This application is a collaborative tool that lets you view and share blueprints via mobile devices. This means that you will no longer have to deal with the hassle of paper plans. Everything will be accessible for you and your team via tablets and other devices.Plus, you can notate your plans easily on the app. This makes it easy to ensure that everyone on your team has the information they need to complete their work successfully. You can also share drawings, issue tracking, field markups and update photos. In short, it will help your team to be more organized and informed.
3) BusyBusy
Many construction companies have hourly rates for workers. This means that tracking time is absolutely essential. Plus, that time must be associated with specific jobs. BusyBusy is a purpose-built mobile construction time card app. Using it will help you to more efficiently capture information about your team members’ time. This will help with billing and payroll.Better yet, it can use GPS data to record which job site the user was at. Powerful features like this, combined with the simple interface, make BusyBusy one of the best ways to record timesheets at a construction company.
4) Autodesk BIM 360
Building information management is an important software category for construction companies. It will help you to be informed about all the relevant details about a building. Autodesk is a leader in the design software field and has an excellent collaborative app in BIM 360. It will help with safety, quality, documentation, commissioning and more.Complex construction projects have a lot of data associated with them. The right BIM software will help you to keep all the information organized. However, it won’t be very helpful unless you can access the data when you need it. Fortunately, BIM 360 makes that simple because you can download it on almost any mobile device.
5) Punch List & Site Audit Report
Punch lists play a big role in wrapping up a construction or renovation project. Similarly, audits, walkthroughs, inspections and other finishing tasks help to ensure that your quality stays high and all contract terms are satisfied. There are a lot of actions that need to go into the final steps of any project.Fortunately, the Punch List & Site Audit Report app makes organizing all your final processes as easy as possible. You can ensure that your work is always safe and high-quality. Additionally, you can help to guarantee that your customers will always be happy with your work. In short, this is a must-have.