Electrical construction software is the project shape of the trade's software, built for jobs that run in phases and are paid in draws. Rough-in, trim and final each have a labor budget in hours and a material list; progress is recorded against them as the job runs; the draw is produced from that progress against the schedule of values; and the change orders, priced and approved before the work, are where the job's margin is made or given away.
Budget by phase, record against it
A labor budget per phase in hours, with the actual hours recorded against it every day, is the only early warning a construction job has. A job that is five percent over at rough-in is a job the office can still do something about; one that is over at the final invoice is a lesson. Service software has no phase to record against.
The draw is progress made into a bill
A schedule of values with a percentage complete per line, submitted on the draw date and paid on terms, with retainage held until completion. Software that produces the draw from the recorded progress is doing the month-end billing the office would otherwise rebuild in a spreadsheet, and tracking the retainage that is the last money on the job.
The change order is priced first or it is free
The outlet after the walls closed, the panel the inspector required, the fixture the owner swapped: each is a change order raised from the field with the price attached and the owner's approval before the work. That single feature pays for the subscription on the first job.
What the products cost
From the vendors' own pricing pages on the day they were read: Tradify's Lite plan is $47 USD per user per month, with Pro at $51 and Plus at $61; Jobber's Core plan is $49 a month including one user, with additional users at $29 a month each; Housecall Pro's Basic plan is $59 a month billed annually, or $79 billed monthly. Multiply the per-user line by everyone who needs a login, because that is what a plan actually costs a shop. Project features are often on the higher tier; check before comparing.
Questions people ask about electrical construction software
Does a residential service shop need this?
No. Construction software is for jobs with phases and draws; the service shape is the job management guide on this site.
Can the free tools price a phase?
Yes: the estimate calculator and cost calculator price a phase from labor, material, overhead and margin. The draw schedule and change orders are the paid product.
What is a schedule of values?
The list of the job's lines with a value each, against which progress is billed in draws. It is agreed before the job starts and every draw refers to it.