Time is money in construction. If you are driving back to the office at 6 PM just to type up a bid on your desktop, you are working harder, not smarter. The modern contractor runs their business from the front seat of their truck.
Here are 5 mobile tools that will save you hours of admin time every week.
1. Field Bidding: SmoothLedger Mobile
A client asks for a price on a bathroom remodel. Do you say "I'll get back to you next week"? No.
Open your phone, navigate to our Construction Estimator, plug in the line items (Demo, Plumbing, Tile), and email them a professional PDF quote before you even put your keys in the ignition. Speed wins contracts.
2. Measurements: Magicplan
Forget the tape measure for rough estimates. Magicplan allows you to create floor plans simply by scanning a room with your phone's camera. It detects corners and walls automatically.
It's perfect for quickly calculating square footage for flooring or drywall estimates.
3. Math: Construction Master Pro
Don't do roof pitch math or stair rise/run calculations in your head. This calculator app (a digital version of the classic physical calculator) ensures you never under-order materials. It handles fractions and metric conversions instantly.
4. Team Tracking: ClockShark / When I Work
If you have a crew, paper timesheets are a liability. These apps allow your crew to clock in via GPS when they arrive at the job site. You know exactly who was there and for how long, making payroll accurate.
5. Visualization: CompanyCam
Take photos of the job site every day. CompanyCam organizes them by project location (GPS).
Why you need it: If a client claims you scratched a floor that was already scratched when you arrived, you have the timestamped photo proof to protect your reputation (and your wallet).