The verdict in three sentences
A concrete and structural contractor with 140 employees and 37 million CAD of revenue that prepares monthly progress billings in Excel ties up cash and risks costly mistakes on holdback and change orders. A custom progress billing and job tracking software with quantity takeoffs, percent complete, holdback, change orders and subcontractor management costs 75,000 to 140,000 CAD in Toronto in 2026 (about 55,000 to 102,000 USD), over 5 to 7 months (market order of magnitude). The most direct gain: invoices go out 8 days earlier every month.
Why Excel breaks beyond 15 concurrent jobs
On a structural job, the monthly progress draw starts from the schedule of values, applies percent complete line by line, deducts the 10 % statutory holdback required under Ontario's Construction Act, includes approved change orders and tracks subcontractor draws. Every Excel file is a copy of the previous one, with broken formulas and competing versions. With 15 to 25 active jobs, project managers and the billing clerk spend the first 8 to 10 days of each month consolidating.
The software centralises the schedule of values, percent complete entered on a tablet by the site superintendent, contract rules (CCDC 2, stipulated price, cost plus) and the prompt payment deadlines: the owner must pay a proper invoice within 28 days, and the contractor must pay subs within 7 days after that.
| Billing step | In Excel | With dedicated software |
|---|---|---|
| Percent complete entry | Paper notes retyped at the office | Tablet on site, photo attached |
| Change orders | Separate files | Integrated with history and approvals |
| 10 % holdback | Line added by hand | Calculated and tracked until release |
| Prompt payment deadlines | Calendar reminders | Automatic alerts at day 14, 21, 28 |
| Subcontractor draws and lien waivers | Parallel spreadsheet | Linked documents and amounts |
| Time to issue the billing | Day 10 to 12 | Day 2 to 4 |
| Consistency checks | Human review | Alerts on overruns and gaps |
2026 budget and packaged software versus custom
Construction software on the market (Procore, Sage 300 CRE, Jonas) covers job costing well but imposes its own logic and per-user pricing. Custom development makes sense when the contractor has specific takeoff methods, a mix of public and private contracts, and an accounting system it wants to keep.
| Line item | 2026 order of magnitude (CAD) | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and workshops with project managers | 7,500 - 13,500 | |
| Schedule of values, takeoffs and progress | 21,000 - 35,000 | |
| Holdback, change orders and prompt payment | 12,000 - 22,000 | |
| Subcontractors and lien waivers | 10,500 - 21,000 | |
| Superintendent tablet app | 12,000 - 24,000 | |
| Accounting connector and dashboard | 12,000 - 24,500 | |
| Total project | 75,000 - 140,000 | |
| Criterion | Licensed construction software | Custom software |
| Initial cost | 20,000 - 60,000 CAD of setup | 75,000 - 140,000 CAD |
| Recurring cost | 120 - 220 CAD per user per month | 8 to 12 % of project cost per year |
| 5-year cost for 30 users | 236,000 - 456,000 CAD | 105,000 - 224,000 CAD |
| Fit with internal methods | Partial | Full |
| Code and data ownership | Vendor | Contractor |
Mini case study
Sarah, CFO of a structural contractor in Toronto (140 employees, 37 million CAD in revenue), bills an average of 3.1 million CAD a month. By issuing billings 8 days earlier, she pulls collections forward by the same amount. At a short-term financing cost of 7 % a year, 3.1 million CAD collected 8 days earlier every month saves about 4,750 CAD of interest a month, or 57,000 CAD a year. Add 1.5 full-time equivalents freed from consolidation, about 105,000 CAD a year loaded, and avoided change order billing errors estimated at 0.2 % of revenue, or 74,000 CAD a year. With 120,000 CAD of software, payback lands around 6 to 8 months.
FAQ
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How long does implementation take?
Plan 5 to 7 months: 1 month of scoping, 3 to 4 months of development, then 1 to 2 months of pilot on 3 jobs before rollout. Active jobs are migrated at the start of the following billing cycle.
Does the software handle Ontario prompt payment rules?
Yes: proper invoice requirements, 28-day owner payment, 7-day payment to subs, notices of non-payment and adjudication timelines. Holdback release after substantial performance is tracked per job.
Can we keep our accounting system?
Yes, the connector to Sage 300, QuickBooks or an equivalent tool works through export or API, for 6,000 to 15,000 CAD depending on the system.
Will superintendents really use the tablet?
Yes if entry takes under 10 minutes per week and per job. The app must work offline, accept photos and prefill schedule of values lines.
What annual budget should we plan after go-live?
Maintenance runs 8 to 12 % of project cost per year, or 9,600 to 14,400 CAD for a 120,000 CAD project, plus 200 to 600 CAD a month of secure hosting.
Let's scope your project. Send us a sample progress billing, the number of concurrent jobs and your accounting tool: we will price the scope, give an indicative budget and a pilot schedule. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
