Best Construction Estimating Software (2026)
Buildxact wins on fast on-screen takeoff, Clear Estimates on cheapest pure proposals, and Contractor Foreman on the broadest module count — while Stairkey fits contractors who want estimating that flows straight into invoicing and real double-entry books (with HST/GST) in one flat-priced tool.
Construction estimating tools split into three shapes: dedicated takeoff-and-estimating engines (Buildxact), low-cost proposal builders (Clear Estimates), and broad all-in-one platforms that include estimating among 50-plus tools (Contractor Foreman). Which one is "best" depends entirely on whether you mainly need fast measured takeoff, the cheapest professional proposal, or one app that also runs the rest of the business.
This page is written by Stairkey, a competing tool — so instead of pretending we win every row, we'll say plainly where each of these genuinely wins. Buildxact has a takeoff workflow that's hard to beat for builders coming off spreadsheets; Clear Estimates is the value pick for estimating alone; Contractor Foreman packs the most modules per dollar. Stairkey's angle is different: estimating and measured takeoff that feed directly into invoicing and native double-entry accounting, with North American HST/GST handled in-house rather than synced to QuickBooks.
At a glance
- Buildxact
- $169/mo (Entry, annual)
- Clear Estimates
- $79/mo (Standard, per user)
- Contractor Foreman
- $49/mo (Basic)
- Stairkey
- $20/mo, capped
- Buildxact
- Published tiers
- Clear Estimates
- Published tiers
- Contractor Foreman
- Published by user count
- Stairkey
- Published, flat, usage-capped
- Buildxact
- Yes — fast on-screen takeoff
- Clear Estimates
- Yes — proposals + cost DB
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — part of all-in-one
- Stairkey
- Yes — formula-driven takeoff
- Buildxact
- No — syncs Xero/QBO/MYOB
- Clear Estimates
- No — exports to QuickBooks
- Contractor Foreman
- No — syncs to QuickBooks
- Stairkey
- Yes — native double-entry GL
- Buildxact
- Line/markup % only
- Clear Estimates
- Manual per proposal
- Contractor Foreman
- Sales-tax report; rates set by user
- Stairkey
- Native HST/GST
- Buildxact
- Within Buildxact / synced
- Clear Estimates
- Exports to QuickBooks
- Contractor Foreman
- Invoicing + QBO sync
- Stairkey
- One shared record
- Buildxact
- Yes — included
- Clear Estimates
- Estimating-only
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes — broad
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Buildxact
- Mobile app (weaker than desktop)
- Clear Estimates
- No mobile app
- Contractor Foreman
- Yes
- Stairkey
- Yes — phone-first, offline cache
- Buildxact
- Not a surfaced feature
- Clear Estimates
- Not a surfaced feature
- Contractor Foreman
- Not a surfaced feature
- Stairkey
- Yes — photo/voice → tasks
- Buildxact
- Not offered
- Clear Estimates
- Not offered
- Contractor Foreman
- Not offered
- Stairkey
- Yes
- Buildxact
- Builders wanting fast takeoff
- Clear Estimates
- Cheapest estimating-only
- Contractor Foreman
- Most modules per dollar
- Stairkey
- One tool, books included
Who each one is for
your top priority is fast, accurate on-screen takeoff and quoting with pre-built material libraries, you have multiple users (paid plans are unlimited-user), and you're happy to keep your books in Xero, QuickBooks, or MYOB via its 2-way sync.
you want the cheapest path to professional proposals with built-in cost databases and don't need scheduling, project management, or accounting in the same tool — you'll export estimates to QuickBooks for billing.
you want the widest all-in-one feature set (50-plus tools) at a low, price-locked rate, you can invest time in setup and onboarding, and you're comfortable running QuickBooks alongside it for the actual general ledger.
you want estimating and measured takeoff that flow straight into invoicing and real double-entry accounting with native HST/GST in one flat-priced tool — without bolting on QuickBooks — plus a phone-first crew portal, AI photo/voice capture, and, for realtor-contractors, a built-in real estate module.
Pricing
Prices verified June 18, 2026. Quote-gated vendors change pricing without notice — confirm before you buy.
Entry tier (1 user, billed annually; ~15% saving vs monthly); Pro $279/mo, Teams $439/mo. Free 'Go' tier with 5 credits. Accounting lives in a separate Xero/QBO/MYOB subscription.
Standard tier, priced per user (Pro $119/mo); annual billing at a discount; no contract. Estimating only — billing happens in QuickBooks.
Published tiers by user count: Basic $49, Standard $105, Plus $166, Pro $221, Unlimited $332/mo; rate is price-locked at signup. Books still run in QuickBooks.
Usage capped at $100/mo, so no surprise bills. Optional +$20/mo accounting add-on with extra allowance; first month free, no credit card.
Where the others win
Each rival genuinely beats Stairkey somewhere. Buildxact's on-screen takeoff and quoting workflow is more mature and is built around builder cost/material libraries plus Home Depot ordering — if pure takeoff speed is the job, it's excellent, and its paid plans include unlimited users. Clear Estimates is meaningfully cheaper for estimating alone and has a long-established proposal/template library. Contractor Foreman ships far more standalone modules than Stairkey and has a deeper integration list (Stripe, CompanyCam, Gusto, Zapier, 1build) plus a price-lock guarantee. Stairkey's honest limits: it's a newer, younger product with a smaller brand and a much smaller third-party integration marketplace than these incumbents; it has no built-in telephony, automated SMS dispatch, or AI phone agent; no aerial roofing measurement; and it is not a full payroll system (it does contractor tax slips, year-end packages, and mileage, not payroll). It's focused on North America and strongest on Canadian HST/GST.
Common questions
What's the best construction estimating software in 2026?
There's no single winner — it depends on your need. For fast on-screen takeoff, Buildxact leads; for the cheapest professional proposals, Clear Estimates; for the most modules in one app, Contractor Foreman. If you want estimating that feeds directly into invoicing and built-in double-entry books with HST/GST, an all-in-one like Stairkey fits, starting at $20/mo.
Which estimating tools include accounting, or do I still need QuickBooks?
Buildxact, Clear Estimates, and Contractor Foreman all keep their books elsewhere — Buildxact syncs to Xero/QBO/MYOB, Clear Estimates exports to QuickBooks, and Contractor Foreman syncs to QuickBooks — so you run a second accounting subscription. Stairkey includes native double-entry accounting with HST/GST in the same workspace as an optional +$20/mo add-on.
What's the most affordable construction estimating software?
Among these, Clear Estimates is the cheapest tool dedicated to estimating ($79/mo, Standard), and Contractor Foreman's Basic tier is $49/mo for one user. Stairkey starts at $20/mo for its core (estimating included) with usage capped at $100/mo, though it's an all-in-one rather than an estimating-only tool. Buildxact is the most expensive at $169/mo (Entry, billed annually) but bundles unlimited users.