7 best construction accounting software systems for contractors

The best construction accounting software depends on whether you want to keep your accounts package. Contractors keeping Sage or Xero should look at Eque2 Construct or Planyard. Contractors replacing their finance system should compare Eque2 Evision, Access Coins Evo, 4PS Construct, RedSky ERP and Integrity Evolution Mx.

Generic accounts packages handle the ledger, VAT and payroll well. They don't track cost and value by contract, hold retentions against each job or run CIS deductions as part of a subcontractor payment. That gap is why contractors go looking for construction accounting software built around how construction actually gets paid.

This guide compares seven systems in depth: what each one covers, who it suits, what to check before you sign and, where we have them, results from contractors using it. Eque2 makes two of the systems listed, so every entry was judged by the same published method, and the facts about other suppliers come from their own websites.

How did we choose these?

Every system was judged against the same four tests:

• Construction depth. Job costing, applications for payment, retentions and CIS handled as standard, without workarounds.
• Finance and commercial fit. Finance and commercial teams working from the same numbers, including CVRs and forecasts.
• Platform and integrations. Whether it replaces the accounts package or works alongside it, and which packages it connects to.
• Who it suits. The size and type of contractor the supplier builds it for.

The list isn't a league table. Each entry is labelled with the contractor it fits best, and a firm on Xero with ten live jobs needs a different answer from a group running five companies. Facts were last checked on 22 October 2026.

How do the options compare?

What does construction accounting software need to do?

Construction accounting software has one job a generic package can't do: show what every contract is costing against what it's worth, while it's still running. Five capabilities make that possible, and they're worth testing in every demo.

Job costing with committed cost

A job cost report that only shows posted invoices is weeks out of date. Good construction accounting software shows committed cost too: orders placed and subcontract work done but not yet invoiced. That's what turns job costing from a history lesson into an early warning.

Applications, variations and retentions

Construction gets paid through applications for payment, not invoices on delivery. The software should hold every application, certificate and retention against the live contract, with release dates tracked, so money owed doesn't slip through. Northern Bear, a group of ten companies, had no record of client retentions before moving to Construct, which affected its ability to track money owed to the business (how Northern Bear brought CIS and retentions under control).

CIS and reverse charge VAT

Every subcontractor payment needs the right CIS rate, the right split between labour and materials and a statement issued on time. Look for online HMRC verification, automated deductions and return submission built into the payment run, not bolted on.

Invoice processing

Purchase invoices are one of the heaviest manual jobs in a construction finance team. Automated invoice capture matches invoices to orders and jobs before anyone keys them. At Lochlie Construction Group, processing each invoice used to take more than eight to nine minutes, and with Invoice Capture it takes around 30 seconds (how Lochlie cut invoice processing time).

CVR and reporting

The CVR is where commercial and finance agree what each job is really making. If the software produces it from the same data finance posts to, the month-end argument over whose figure is right goes away. At RE:GEN Group, the leadership team now produces consolidated CVRs and profit reports in minutes rather than hours (how RE:GEN Group built group-wide visibility).

What are the best construction accounting software systems?

1. Eque2 Construct: best for contractors keeping Sage or Xero

Why we picked it: Construct adds job costing, applications, retentions and CIS to the Sage or Xero accounts a contractor already runs, so the ledger, banking and VAT stay where they are. Budget, committed cost, actual cost and revenue sit side by side for every contract.

Best for: Growing contractors and housebuilders on Sage 50, Sage 200 Standard, Sage Intacct, Sage Business Cloud or Xero.

What it covers:

• Job costing and contract and budget management across every live job
• Subcontractor billing: part payments, retentions and CIS, with online HMRC verification and return submission
• Client billing: track project milestones, establish billing dates and invoice completed work.
• Procurement: analyse all historic costs against suppliers to negotiate better rates.
• Role-specific, contract-level and company-wide reporting for commercial, finance and procurement.
• Construction project-specific reporting including cost-to-complete, retentions, WIP and CVR.

Worth checking: Construct works alongside your accounts package, so you keep paying for Sage or Xero. Ask which Sage products you can move between later.

In practice: King Builders says Construct has cut the time it spends on manual tasks by around 90% (how King Builders took back its admin time). I M Mechanical & Electrical Services moved from desktop software to Construct Cloud, and its turnover grew from between £6m and £7m to £14m (how IMMES scaled on Construct Cloud).

2. Eque2 Evision: best for larger contractors replacing their finance system

Why we picked it: Evision brings procurement, commercial management, finance, payroll and reporting into one platform built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. CVRs, applications for payment, valuations, variations and forecasting sit in one live view that finance and commercial both read.

Best for: Large contractors, housebuilders and groups replacing a generic ERP or a set of disconnected systems.

What it covers:

• Commercial performance: CVRs, contract management, applications, valuations, variations and forecasting
• Finance: budget control, management accounts, cash flow and ledgers on Business Central
• Construction apps for subcontract management, CIS and VAT compliance, and CVR check-in and check-out
• Integration into Microsoft's tech stack: Outlook, Teams, Excel, SharePoint and PowerBI
• Internal plant management:
• Payroll through MiraclePay, an HMRC-recognised payroll product for Business Central
• AI-readiness: Co-Pilot integration and agentic workflows

Worth checking: Evision replaces your accounts package, so it's a bigger project than an add-on. Plan for data migration and training.

In practice: AirconMech cut payroll processing from three full days every fortnight to completion by close of business on day one (how AirconMech transformed its back office). At E R H Group, a report that used to take two to three days now takes twenty seconds, and the business predicts a saving just short of £500k over five years (how E R H Group integrated its processes).

3. Access Coins Evo: best for large firms wanting one ERP supplier

Why we picked it: Access Coins Evo is a construction ERP covering finance and payroll through to procurement and project management. Access Construction sells site management (Access Fonn) and estimating (Access ConQuest) alongside it.

Best for: Large contractors and homebuilders who want finance, payroll and project management from one supplier.

What it covers: Finance, payroll, procurement and project management in one platform, plus Access Evo, an AI layer over live ERP data that monitors jobs and answers job-cost questions.

Worth checking: Ask how the AI features are licensed and which construction finance workflows, such as CIS and retentions, come as standard.

4. 4PS Construct: best for contractors standardising on Microsoft

Why we picked it: 4PS Construct is construction ERP built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. 4PS is part of Hilti Construction Software.

Best for: Construction, civil engineering and M&E contractors who want Business Central with wide operational coverage, including plant and equipment rental.

What it covers: Project management, reporting, plant management, planning, construction accounting, estimating, document management and CRM.

Worth checking: Ask how the construction accounting module handles CIS, applications and retentions, since the website describes it at a high level.

5. RedSky ERP: best for contractors buying ERP module by module

Why we picked it: RedSky's cloud ERP sells construction financials, CVR, payroll and HR, subcontractors and CIS, and procurement as separate modules. RedSky says 50,000 people use its software every day.

Best for: Mid-sized and larger contractors and housebuilders who want to build up an ERP in stages.

What it covers: Construction financials, CVR, payroll and HR, subcontractors and CIS, procurement, invoice and GRN registers, forms and workflow, estimating and document management.

Worth checking: Because it's modular, confirm exactly which modules your quote includes before comparing prices.

6. Integrity Evolution Mx: best for firms leaving generic accounts entirely

Why we picked it: Evolution Mx is construction accounting software with real-time job costing, automated CIS and payroll in one system. Integrity says more than 1,000 construction firms use it.

Best for: Contractors moving off Sage, Xero or spreadsheets into a single construction accounting system.

What it covers: Job costing, CIS, payroll, subcontractor payments, invoices, reports and dashboards. Integrity describes the software as HMRC-recognised and Making Tax Digital compliant.

Worth checking: Evolution Mx replaces your accounts package rather than sitting alongside it, so budget for a migration.

7. Planyard: best for smaller firms wanting a self-serve tool

Why we picked it: Planyard is cloud construction finance software that syncs approved invoices to Xero and handles CIS and VAT calculations. It publishes its pricing and offers a 14-day free trial.

Best for: Smaller main contractors, fit-out firms and specialist subcontractors. Planyard says it's built for firms typically turning over £5m to £30m.

What it covers: Budgets, committed costs, invoices, purchase orders, subcontractor orders and valuations, variations, forecasting, and CVR and P&L reports.

Worth checking: Planyard lists an integration with Sage Accounting, not Sage 50 or Sage 200, so check it connects to the Sage product you run. Pricing starts at £82 per project manager a month on its Essential plan.

Should you keep your accounts package or replace it?

Keeping Sage or Xero and adding construction accounting software is quicker and cheaper, and it suits a business running one company with a finance team happy in its ledger. Replacing it starts to make sense when the business runs several companies, needs group reporting or wants payroll, procurement and finance in one place.

Plenty of contractors do both in turn. KonFloor ran Construct for Sage 50 at £6m turnover, then moved to Evision as it grew to £20m and took on larger projects (why KonFloor moved from Construct to Evision). DSM Demolition first deployed Construct for Sage 50 in 2005 and moved to Evision as the business grew within a £100m group (how DSM Demolition scaled with Eque2).

That path matters when you choose. Picking a supplier that covers both stages means the contract data, job history and the team's habits carry across when the business outgrows its first system.

What should you ask in a demo?

Bring a real job to every demo and ask the supplier to show, not tell:

• Run a subcontractor payment with a CIS deduction, from verification to the payment and deduction statement
• Raise an application for payment, record the certificate and show where the retention is held and when it's due back
• Show committed cost on a live job, including orders not yet invoiced
• Produce a CVR and show where each figure comes from
• Process a supplier invoice from receipt to posting against the job

FAQs: best construction accounting software

Can you use Sage or Xero for construction accounting?

Sage and Xero handle the ledger, VAT and payroll well, but neither tracks cost and value by contract or holds retentions against each job. That's why contractors on Sage or Xero often add a construction system alongside it for job costing, applications and CIS, instead of replacing the accounts package they already know.

What's the difference between construction accounting software and construction ERP?

Construction accounting software covers job costing, CIS, applications and retentions, often alongside an existing accounts package. Construction ERP replaces the accounts package and adds procurement, payroll and reporting in one platform. ERP suits larger contractors and groups, while accounting add-ons suit growing firms that want to keep Sage or Xero.

How much does construction accounting software cost?

Most suppliers on this list don't publish prices, because cost depends on users, modules and implementation. Planyard is the exception, starting at £82 per project manager a month on its Essential plan. For the others, ask for a quote covering licences, implementation, training and support, so you're comparing like with like.

How long does it take to switch?

It depends on whether you're adding to your accounts package or replacing it. An add-on that sits alongside Sage or Xero leaves the ledger untouched, so there's less to migrate. Replacing the accounts package means moving ledgers, open contracts and history, so ask each supplier for a typical timeline for a business your size.

Is Eque2 right for a small contractor?

Eque2 Construct suits growing contractors and housebuilders who already run Sage or Xero and need job costing, CIS and retentions handled properly. A very small owner-run firm that wants a self-serve tool with published pricing might find Planyard quicker to start. Evision is built for larger contractors and groups.

About Eque2

Eque2 is the commercial and finance platform for construction, trusted by over 3,000 construction businesses. Construct brings job costing and contract management to the Sage or Xero accounts a contractor already runs. Evision runs construction commercial and finance management for larger contractors and housebuilders on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.