8 Best CRM Systems for Construction Businesses (Including Key Features)

When it comes to customer relationship management, construction companies face some unique challenges. Their sales processes are quite different from other industries, projects often take a fair while to complete, and the stakeholders are a mixed bunch, including clients, subcontractors, governmental employees, and other external folks. Plus, construction employees are usually spread out across various locations and need tech solutions that can handle field operations.

In these circumstances, finding the right construction CRM software that meets your needs and simplifies your processes, instead of complicating them. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to choose a construction CRM solution, highlight its benefits and must-have features, and give you a rundown on eight top-rated vendors of construction CRM software.

What Is a CRM in the Construction Industry?

Construction CRM is a customer relationship management software made specifically for the construction industry. It helps organise customer data, automate routine tasks, and manage construction projects and billing. The main aim of a construction CRM solution is to improve customer relationships and streamline business operations.

In nutshell, a construction CRM serves as:

• a central hub for all your business data, including clients’ contacts and communication history, internal documents, contracts, etc.,
• a project management tool for assigning and tracking tasks for your team,
• a marketing and sales automation software,
• an accounting tool for generating quotes and managing billing processes.

Plus, CRM solutions offer extensive business analytics, letting you to keep an eye on your business’s health and predict growth and resources for the future. This is especially handy for planning and committing to upcoming construction projects.

Why Do You Need a Construction CRM?

The complex business and CRM processes in construction make it hard to keep things running smoothly if you’re just relying on Excel sheets, Outlook, or your staff's memory. Having a central hub to organise activities and data helps you streamline collaboration, prioritise clients’ needs, and save your employees’ time by automating routine tasks like internal approvals and customer emails update.

One of the main perks of CRM for construction is that it improves collaboration by bridging the gap between the main office and construction sites, allowing real-time information exchange. CRM systems let your employees access up-to-date data on clients, ongoing projects, and plans from anywhere, ensuring they stay in touch with key stakeholders consistently.

On top of that, Construction CRM software ramps up productivity by serving as project management software, allowing managers to track tasks and their team’s activities. This helps you quickly grasp your current workload and allocate resources efficiently.

As a central sales automation hub, a CRM designed for companies boosts your sales efficiency, helping you nurture leads and close deals more effectively. When a lead enters your pipeline, the construction CRM software scores it based on the readiness to purchase, assigns it to a sales rep, and suggests actions that are likely to lead to conversion.

Accurate estimation is absolutely crucial for successful project management in the construction industry. Without tracking project processes and activities, and forecasting sales, setting goals and making timely bids becomes nearly impossible. Analysing historical data stored in a CRM for construction allows you to predict costs and revenue, which improves resource allocation and scheduling. For example, you can see when you’ll have enough staff to start a construction project and provide a precise deadline to your client.

In the construction industry, companies often rely on repeat orders and word-of-mouth to promote their services, so maintaining an excellent reputation and client relationships is vital. Streamlining your communication with clients makes it easy to keep them updated on projects and avoid delays. For example, you can automate sending personalised emails to previous clients, reminding them of your services. This approach saves valuable time for the team, which can then be reinvested into more challenging projects.

To deliver top-notch value and cater to specific construction needs, a CRM system needs to tick a few boxes. This includes having robust project management features, seamless integration with construction management systems, and a solid mobile app version. In this next section, we’ve lined up eight construction CRM solutions that nail these requirements.
 

8 Best Construction CRM Software Providers

Based on customer feedback and industry reports, we've put together a list of the eight construction CRM platforms.

The solutions vary: some are tailored specifically for construction businesses, while others cater to broader needs while still offering industry-specific features that suit construction companies.

Pro tip: When you’re researching potential construction CRM vendors, one way to gauge their suitability is to see if they already have clients in the construction industry. Look into customer stories and testimonials on their website to understand how well the CRM handles construction-specific processes. For example, you can learn how Creatio's transformed business operations for AL Bawani, a leading construction company in Saudi Arabia, in
 this success story.

1. Creatio

Creatio offers a comprehensive CRM solution with three core products for sales, marketing, and service that cover the entire lifecycle of customer relationships. Its standout feature is the no-code composable architecture empowered by Studio Creatio. This lets you harness a library of ready-made components and drag-and-drop UI to build custom apps and workflows to meet your needs. It’s perfect for creating custom CRM tools that fit construction processes without needing technical expertise, making your CRM super flexible and scalable.

CRM Creatio also packs powerful turn-key CRM features, like a 360-degree customer view, AI-driven lead and opportunity management, campaign management, and workflow management. It includes handy tools for order management, automated invoice and quote generation, and billing, saving time on back-and-forth emails and smooth out deals for you and your clients.

Creatio doesn’t stop there - it offers project management tools out of the box for estimating and allocating resources, handling work orders, schedules, and maintenance tasks, and giving you a complete picture of your projects.
 

For seamless integration with other construction software, Creatio's Marketplace offers over 700 connectors and industry-specific tools, boosting and extending the capabilities of the CRM system.

Thorough analytics backed by AI and Machine Learning tech give you real insights into your business and highlight the top-notch growth strategies.

Creatio's robust mobile app lets your team use CRM Creatio right from the worksites, no need to go back to the office.

Creatio is a spot-on for construction businesses seeking a powerful and scalable CRM solution that handles all their business operations like a pro.
 

Pricing:

Creatio offers a composable pricing model where users can customise their purchases to fit their needs perfectly. The core platform offers three plans: Growth for $25, Enterprise for $55, and Unlimited for $85 per user monthly. On top of that, CRM products—Sales, Marketing, and Service— can be purchased separately at $15 per user monthly. A free trial of the platform is available.

2. Buildr CRM

Buildr CRM is a CRM platform made specifically for the construction industry.

It’s packed with features built to tackle the unique needs of construction businesses, making  operations smoother and more efficient. The platform is super simple and user-friendly, so it’s easy to learn and use. This means construction pros can focus on their projects without wrestling with tricky software.

With Buildr CRM, users can handle leads, keep tabs on project progress, and sort out client chats all from one centralised platform. The software has tools for estimating and bidding, so you can whip up accurate quotes and proposals in a flash.

Plus, Buildr CRM plugs into other construction software tools, boosting its functionality and adaptability to different workflows.

All in all, Buildr CRM is the go-to tool for construction companies keen to streamline sales processes and project management with a simple, user-friendly solution.
 

Pricing:

The pricing for Buildr is available on request after a demo.

3. Houzz Pro

Houzz Pro is another CRM platform custom-built for home builders, remodelers, and contractors, packing a stack of features to streamline marketing and client management processes. Its intuitive interface and user-friendly design makes life easy for construction pros. 

One of Houzz Pro’s standout features is its marketing tools that let you fine-tune online ads, tweak profiles, and generate leads effectively. The simple dashboard makes team and client collaboration seamless, allowing you to whip up estimates and create design templates and 3D floor plans for upcoming projects.

But it’s not all smooth sailing - some users have reported issues with invoice syncing, which can disrupt workflow. Still, Houzz Pro CRM best fits construction pros and small businesses keen to streamline operations and boost client relationships.

Pricing: Houzz Pro offers a 30-day free trial. The three paid plans cost $85, $129, and $199 per month.

4. Buildertrend

Buildertrend is a top-notch project management software made for construction pros. It packs in core CRM features for sales and customer service as well.

A big plus with Buildertrend is its all-in-one setup, pulling together heaps of project management tasks into a single platform. You can track project progress, manage schedules, and communicate with your team and clients - all from the same interface. Plus, it’s got tools for budgeting and estimating, so you can keep an eye on costs and predict what’s coming down the pipeline.

With Buildertrend, team members can stay in the loop with real-time project updates, share documents and files, and communicate effortlessly through the platform.

However, some Buildertrend users might find it a bit of a learning curve at first, especially if they’re not used to project management software. While it’s loaded with features, there could be a bit more room for customisation. 

Buildertrend suits construction companies of any size aiming to ramp up efficiency and nail project outcomes, while also levelling up customer relationships.

Pricing:

The prices for Buildertrend range from $499 to $1099 per month.

5. Followup CRM

Followup CRM is a ripper CRM system packed with features like contact tracking, automated email reminders, communication tracking, task automation, and more.

Its customisable dashboard lets teams grab all the info they need in one place, boosting productivity and teamwork. Plus, the automation features make tracking leads and bids seamless, while the sales and estimating dashboards offer top-notch insights into performance metrics.

The platform packs solid project management tools, so you can handle construction projects right within the app.

Followup CRM is the go-to for construction pros keen on smoothing out their sales processes.

Pricing:

The pricing for Followup CRM is available on request.

6. Monday.com

Monday.com's construction CRM is built to enhance communication and ensure smooth collaboration. Tailored specifically for the construction game, Monday.com helps manage leads, prospects, and clients like a pro, building stronger relationships and driving sales up.

Top features of Monday.com's construction CRM include subcontractor management and project tracking. Automation streamlines routine tasks and processes, freeing up time for the important stuff. And with real-time collaboration tools, your team can communicate with team members wherever they are.

The detailed project tracking gives you all the info you need in your preferred views, so you can make top-notch decisions.

Monday.com's CRM is a ripper platform that nails the unique needs of the construction industry, making it a top pick for companies looking to boost efficiency and productivity.

7. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a versatile solution perfect for construction businesses, offering heaps of customisation options to fit your specific needs. It's an all-in-one CRM and business automation platform that covers a wide range of use cases, like quote assembly, commission calculations, payment processing, appointment scheduling, document creation, and accounting integration.

With Zoho CRM, you can whip up quotes effortlessly, use eSignature tools for speedy approvals, and automate commission calculations to streamline employee payments. The platform also makes payment processing easy with its eBizCharge integration and offers smart appointment scheduling to manage booking and fill cancellations efficiently.

Zoho CRM's Document Generator feature lets you whip up complex documents quickly, with easy integration options for editing. It also integrates with various accounting systems, gibing you a smooth workflow.

For project management, there is Zoho Projects, a top-notch construction project management tool. It’s got everything from task management and milestone tracking to time tracking, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities.

All up, Zoho is a great platform for companies chasing comprehensive business automation software to boost customer relationships, project management, and collaboration.

Pricing:

A free trial and a free version of the CRM available. The pricing starts at $20 per user/month while Zoho Projects can be purchased for an additional $5 per user/month.

8. Pipedrive

Pipedrive gives construction businesses a solid toolkit for streamlining organisation and project management.

Its user-friendly interface and customisable dashboard let construction managers quickly access project data. Teams can easily track deals, keep an eye on project milestones, and get real-time task alerts. Collaboration’s a breeze with secure document sharing, and the comprehensive sales CRM offers powerful insights to help close deals.

While the lower-tier versions of Pipedrive might  have a few limitations, the higher-tier options bring more to the table, like contact management, automation, and mobile phone support.

Pricing:

The pricing for Pipedrive starts at $15. A free trial is available.

Essential Features of Construction CRM Software

To make the most of a construction CRM solution, go for one that includes the following important features:

• Pipeline management gives you a clear visual overview to prioritise deals effectively and optimise sales activities. Lead management features, like lead qualification and routing, save time and ramp up sales productivity.
• Contact management ensures you can store and organise customer info efficiently. A 360-degree view of a customer view 360 customer lets you quickly get the scoop you need to build a solid relationship.
• Marketing automation smoothes out lead nurturing, enabling personalised communication, and simplifies campaign management. It also helps with lead scoring, qualification, and gives you cracking insights to tweak your marketing strategies and boost ROI.
• Project management tools help you map out and track project timelines, assign tasks, hit milestones, and allocate resources.
• Finance management tools make light work of crafting quotes and contracts, automate invoicing, and help you keep an eye on material and labour costs.
• Communication and collaboration tools need to support real-time updates and feedback. Make sure the construction CRM software includes features like direct messaging, group chats, and feedback notes for documents and shared projects.
• Subcontractor management features let you handle deadlines, permits, files, and other essential data seamlessly.
• A well-performing mobile app is essential for updating tasks and staying connected on the go, boosting productivity as teams move between the office and job sites.
• Integrations are crucial for a construction CRM system to link up with other tools and systems used in building workflows, improving data accuracy and productivity.
• Business analytics and forecasting help contractors predict future revenue, allocate resources smartly, and make savvy decisions to stay ahead in the changing construction scene.

Try Creatio Construction CRM

To get your business humming, a construction CRM needs to be flexible and ready for anything - from project management tools to seamless integration with construction software and quick scalability.

Creatio stands out by nailing all these needs with its no-code approach to business automation, making it a top pick for construction companies dealing with complex processes. Take advantage of Creatio's free trial to experience firsthand how you can enhance your CRM automation effortlessly.

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