Software for general contractors: estimates, change orders and job costs
QuickAdmin gives general contractors one place to keep the original estimate, approved change orders, purchase orders, bills and expenses, and the progress invoices for each job. The change order, purchase order, estimate budget and per-job bills tools are on the Premium plan; estimates and invoices start on the Free plan.
Updated: . Plan limits follow the published pricing.
Create your first estimate free See plans and limits
Who this is for
Small and growing general contractors and remodelers who run several jobs at once and need the approved contract value, the changes and the actual costs on the same record.
Scope to settle before you price: Separate original scope, subcontractor packages, allowances, approved changes, purchases, actual costs, and billing milestones.
A progress invoice should distinguish approved contract value, completed work, previous billing, payments, and remaining balance.
What you can do in QuickAdmin
Every row is a capability on the published plan lists. Higher plans include the access of the plans below them.
| Job need | In QuickAdmin | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Keep the original scope separate from changes | Record approved change orders instead of silently inflating the final invoice. | Premium |
| Track what you buy for each job | Create purchase orders per job and track bills and expenses against that job. | Premium |
| Compare estimate to actual | Attach a budget to each estimate and review the job's bills and expenses against it. | Premium |
| Bill progress clearly | Create invoices linked to the job, and track invoice status and payments. | Advanced (jobs and linked invoices), Basic (payments) |
| Plan and document the work | Schedules with Gantt diagrams, daily logs, and photos and documents per job (until 250GB). | Premium |
| Move invoices to accounting | Synchronize invoices with QuickBooks Online. | Premium |
Worked example: a progress invoice after an approved change order
Fictional contract used to show the arithmetic a progress invoice has to preserve: approved contract value, work completed, previous billing and the remaining balance.
| Line | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Original contract | Signed scope | $48,000.00 |
| Change order 001 (approved) | Added electrical work | +$3,200.00 |
| Revised contract value | $48,000 + $3,200 | $51,200.00 |
| Completed to date | 60% of $51,200 | $30,720.00 |
| Previously billed | Earlier invoices | −$24,000.00 |
| This invoice | $30,720 − $24,000 | $6,720.00 |
| Remaining to bill | $51,200 − $30,720 | $20,480.00 |
Percent complete is a project judgment, not something software can decide for you. Retainage, taxes and contract terms are outside this simplified example.
Limits to know first
- QuickAdmin does not measure plans or run a digital takeoff; you enter the quantities.
- It is a lighter workflow than a full construction suite. See the comparison with Buildertrend for what a larger system adds.
- QuickBooks support is invoice synchronization, not a full two-way accounting integration.
- Change orders, purchase orders, budgets and QuickBooks sync need Premium. Free and Basic do not list them.
Estimating records do not replace engineering, code review or professional judgment on the job.
Check it yourself
- Test on a real job with the Free plan: 6 estimates and 3 invoices per month, one user, two jobs, no payment details needed.
- Download the general contracting cost example (CSV). The sheet uses fictional quantities and rates; replace them with your own quotes.
- Compare every limit with the pricing page and the features map before you pay for a plan.
Free tools for this work
- Crew labor budget – Build a crew labor budget from your own staffing and cost inputs.
- Receipt scanner – Extract draft expense fields from a receipt image, then review the result.
- Free invoice generator – Prepare a customer invoice in your browser from the approved scope.
Guides for general contractors
- General contractor invoice template with change orders
- Construction change order template
- Purchase order software for contractors
- Job costing software for small contractors
- QuickAdmin vs Buildertrend
- General contractor invoice template
Looking for the general workflow instead? Read estimate and invoice software for contractors.