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

When it comes to customer relationship management, construction companies face unique challenges. Their sales processes differ significantly from other industries, projects typically span long life cycles, and the stakeholders are often diverse including clients, subcontractors, governmental employees, and other external actors. Additionally, construction employees are often dispersed across various locations and require technical solutions that accommodate multiple field operations.

In these circumstances, finding construction CRM software that meets your needs and elevates your processes instead of making them even more complicated. In this article, we explain how to choose a construction CRM solution, highlight its benefits and necessary features, and list eight vendors of construction CRM software that have high ratings.

What Is a CRM in the Construction Industry?

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

In summary, a construction CRM serves as:

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

In addition to that, CRM solutions offer extensive business analytics that enable you to monitor the state of your business and predict growth and resources for the upcoming period. This can be particularly useful for planning and committing to future construction projects.

Why Do You Need a Construction CRM?

The complex business and CRM processes associated with construction make it hard to run your operations smoothly by simply relying on Excel sheets, Outlook, or your staff's memory. Having a centralised hub to organise activities and data helps you streamline collaboration, prioritise clients’ needs, and save your employees’ time by automating routine activities such as internal approvals and customer emails update.

One of the main advantages of CRM for construction is the ability to improve collaboration by bridging the gap between the main office and construction sites, facilitating real-time exchange of information. CRM systems enable your employees to access real-time data related to the clients, ongoing projects, and plans from anywhere in the world, and keep in touch with main stakeholders consistently.

In addition to that, Construction CRM software enchances productivity by serving as project management software, enabling managers to monitor tasks and their employees’ activities. This allows you to quickly understand your current workload and allocate resources efficiently.

As a centralised sales automation hub, a CRM for construction companies amplifies your sales productivity and allows you to nurture leads and close deals more effectively. As soon as a lead enters your pipeline, a construction CRM software scores it based on the readiness to purchase, assigns it to a sales rep, and recommends next actions that are likely to lead to conversion.

Accurate estimation is crucial successful project management. 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, improving resource allocation and scheduling. For example, you can see when you’ll have enough unoccupied employees to start a new 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 becomes vital. Streamlining your communication with clients makes it easy to keep them up to date on projects and avoid communication delays. For instance, you can automate sending personalis

ed 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 provide maximum value and facilitate specific construction-related processes, a CRM system must fulfil certain requirements. Among them are the need to provide strong project management capabilities, an ability to integrate with construction management systems, and a reliable mobile app version of the platform. In this next section, we rounded up eight construction CRM solutions that meet these requirements.

8 Best Construction CRM Software Providers

Researching customer feedback and industry reports, we've compiled a list of the eight construction CRM platforms.

The solutions on this list vary: some are tailored specifically for construction businesses, while others serve broader use cases while providing industry-specific features that accommodate construction companies.

Pro tip: When researching potential construction CRM vendors, one way to evaluate a CRM is to check if they already have any clients in the construction industry. Look at the customer stories and testimonials published on the website and see how the CRM manages 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 an end-to-end CRM solution that includes three products for sales, marketing, and service covering the entire lifecycle of customer relationships. Its stand-out feature is the no-code composable architecture empowered by Studio Creatio, which allows you to leverage a library of ready-made components and drag-and-drop UI to build custom apps and workflows to meet your specific needs. This features enables you to create custom CRM tools that cater to construction processes without any technical knowledge, making your CRM infinitely flexible and scalable.

CRM Creatio also boasts powerful turn-key CRM features, including an 360-degree customer view, AI-powered lead and opportunity management, campaign management, and workflow management. The pre-packaged tools for order management, automated invoice and quote generation, and billing allow you and your clients to save time on tedious email exchanges and streamline deals.

Creatio offers out-of-the box tools for project management enabling you to estimate and allocate resources, manage work orders, schedules, and maintenance tasks, and gain a full overview of your projects.

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

Comprehensive analytics supported by AI and Machine Learning technologies provide you with actionable insights into your business and highlight the best growth strategies.

Creatio's robust mobile app empowers your employees to leverage CRM Creatio even from construction sites without the need to return to the office.

Creatio is a perfect choice for construction businesses seeking a powerful and scalable CRM solution that can facilitate all their business operations.

Pricing:

Creatio offers a composable pricing model, allowing users to tailor their purchases to suit their needs. The core platform offers three plans: Growth for $25, Enterprise for $55, and Unlimited for $85 per user monthly. Its CRM products—Sales, Marketing, and Service—are priced at $15 per user monthly, allowing users to acquire them separately. A free trial of the platform is available.

2. Buildr CRM

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

It offers a range of features tailored to meet the unique needs of construction businesses, helping them streamline operations and improve efficiency. The platform is extremely simple and user-friendly to ensure that the software is easy to learn and use, empowering construction professionals to focus on their projects rather than struggling with complex software.

With Buildr CRM, users can manage leads, track project progress, and organise client communications all within one centralised platform. The software provides tools for estimating and bidding, allowing users to create accurate quotes and proposals quickly.

Additionally, Buildr CRM offers integrations with other construction software tools, enhancing its functionality and adaptability to different workflows.

Overall, Buildr CRM is a great tool for construction companies looking to optimise their sales processes and project management with a simple, easy-to-use solution.

Pricing:

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

3. Houzz Pro

Houzz Pro is another CRM platform specifically tailored for home builders, remodelers, and contractors, offering a comprehensive suite of features to streamline marketing and client management processes. With its intuitive interface and user-friendly design, Houzz Pro ensures ease of use for professionals in the construction industry.

One of the key strengths of Houzz Pro is its robust marketing capabilities, allowing users to optimise online advertising, customize profiles, and generate leads effectively. The platform's simple dashboard facilitates seamless collaboration between team members and clients, enabling the configuration of estimates and the creation of design templates and 3D floor plans for future projects.

Despite its strengths, Houzz Pro does have some drawbacks. Users have reported issues with syncing invoices, which can disrupt workflow efficiency. All in all, Houzz Pro CRM best fits construction professionals and small businesses seeking to streamline their processes and enhance 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 primarily project management software for construction professionals. It also includes core CRM features for sales and customer service.

One of the key advantages of Buildertrend is its all-in-one approach, consolidating various project management functions into a single platform. Users can easily track project progress, manage schedules, and communicate with team members and clients, all within the same interface. The platform also offers features for budgeting and estimating, enabling accurate cost tracking and forecasting throughout the project lifecycle.

With Buildertrend, team members can access real-time project updates, share documents and files, and communicate seamlessly through the platform.

However, some Buildertrend users may find the initial learning curve to be steep, particularly for those who are not familiar with project management software. While it offers a wide range of features, customisation options are lacking.

Buildertrend is well-suited for construction companies of all sizes looking to improve efficiency and project outcomes, while enhancing customer relationships.

Pricing:

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

5. Followup CRM

Followup CRM is a robust CRM system designed that offers a plethora of features including contact tracking, automated email reminders, communication tracking, task automation, and more.

With its customisable dashboard, teams can access all relevant information in one place, enhancing productivity and collaboration. Additionally, the automation capabilities enable seamless tracking of leads and bids, while sales and estimating dashboards provide valuable insights into performance metrics.

The platform provides reliable project management tools, allowing users to manage construction projects in the app.

Followup CRM will best suit construction professionals focused on streamlining sales processes.

Pricing:

The pricing for Followup CRM is available on request.

6. Monday.com

Monday.com's construction CRM is a robust solution designed to enhance communication and ensure smooth collaboration. With features tailored specifically for the construction industry, Monday.com facilitates efficient management of leads, prospects, and customers, fostering stronger relationships and ultimately driving sales growth.

Key highlights of Monday.com's construction CRM include subcontractor management and project tracking. Automation capabilities streamline routine tasks and processes, freeing up time for more critical responsibilities. The platform's real-time collaboration tools enable seamless communication among team members, regardless of their location.

Detailed project tracking functionality provides aggregated information displayed in preferred views, empowering informed decision-making.

Monday.com's CRM is a comprehensive platform that is able to address the unique needs of the construction industry, making it an excellent choice for companies seeking to enhance efficiency and productivity.

7. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM is a versatile solution fit for construction businesses, offering extensive customisation options to suit your specific needs. It's an all-encompassing CRM and business automation platform, serving a plethora of use cases, including quote assembly, commission calculations, payment processing, appointment scheduling, document creation, and accounting integration.

With Zoho CRM, you can create quotes effortlessly, integrate eSignature tools for quick approvals, and automate commission calculations to streamline payments for employees. The platform also simplifies payment processing through its eBizCharge integration and offers intelligent appointment scheduling to efficiently manage appointments and fill cancellations.

Zoho CRM's Document Generator feature enables quick creation of complex documents, with integration options for easy editing. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with various accounting systems for a cohesive workflow.

Project management is facilitated through Zoho Projects, a specialised construction project management software. Its features include task management, milestone tracking, time tracking, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities.

All in all, Zoho is a great platform for companies looking for comprehensive business automation software to enhance 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 provides construction businesses with a robust set of tools to streamline organisation and project management.

Its intuitive interface and customisable dashboard offer quick access to project data for construction managers. Teams can easily track deals, monitor project milestones, and receive real-time task alerts. Collaboration is simplified with secure document sharing, while the comprehensive sales CRM provides powerful insights to drive deal closure.

While Pipedrive's lower-tier versions may have limitations, higher-tier options offer greater benefits, including 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 fully leverage the potential of a construction CRM solution, choose a solution that includes the following important features:

• Pipeline management offers a clear visual overview to prioritise deals effectively and optimise sales activities. Lead management features, such as lead qualification and routing, save time and enhance sales productivity.
• Contact management to store and organise customer information efficiently. A 360-degree view of a customer view 360 customer allows you to quickly grasp necessary information to establish a relationship.
• Marketing automation streamlines lead nurturing, enables personalised communication, simplifies campaign management, facilitates lead scoring and qualification, and provides valuable data insights for optimising marketing strategies and improving ROI.
• Project management tools enable creating and tracking of project timelines, assignment of tasks, establishment of milestones, and allocation resources.
• Finance management tools streamline the process of creating quotes and contracts, automate invoice sending, and facilitate the review of material and labor costs.
• Communication and collaboration tools should enable real-time updates and feedback. Ensure that the construction CRM software provides features such as direct messaging, group messaging, and feedback notes for documents and shared projects.
• Subcontractor management features that allow you to manage deadlines, permits, files, and other relevant data.
• A well-performing mobile app enables task updates and communication on the move, enhancing overall productivity as teams transition between the office and job sites.
• Integrations allow a construction CRM system to connect with other software tools and systems used in construction workflows, improving data accuracy and productivity.
• Business analytics and forecasting enables contractors to predict future revenue, allocate resources effectively, and make informed decisions to stay competitive in the evolving construction landscape.

Try Creatio Construction CRM

To optimise your business, a CRM for construction must offer flexibility and adaptability to various use cases, whether you require project management tools, integrations with construction software, or fast scalability.

Creatio excels in fulfiling all these requirements through its unique no-code approach to business automation, making it an ideal choice for construction companies with complex processes. Take advantage of Creatio's free trial to experience firsthand how you can enhance your CRM automation effortlessly.