How to choose progress claim software as a subcontractor

Most progress claim software handles the claim itself and stops there. For a subcontractor running anywhere from 5 to 100 jobs, the claim is only half the problem. Here's an honest guide to choosing a tool that covers the whole job — without paying tier-one prices.

Written by the team building construct-it. Check current pricing and features with any vendor before you decide.

What subcontractors actually need

Before comparing tools, be clear on the job. A subcontractor running an ongoing claim cycle usually needs:

1. Progress claims with retention — the 10%-per-claim, 5%-cap, PC/DLP-release model, calculated correctly.
2. A variations register — so approved variations lift the contract and flow into the next claim.
3. A project overview — every live job on one screen: what's invoiced, what's owed, what's held in retention, which jobs are making money.
4. Accounting sync — claims that reconcile with Xero (or MYOB/QuickBooks) without double entry.
5. A price that makes sense for a business without a tier-one software budget.

The types of tool you'll come across

Dedicated claim tools

Best at: retention-aware progress claims, often widely accepted by head contractors.
The gap: focused on the claim itself — usually no cross-job overview or profitability view, so you often still run a separate spreadsheet to see how each job is actually tracking.

Tier-one project platforms

Best at: large, complex projects — full project management and document control.
The gap: built and priced for the big end of town. For a subbie running a handful of jobs they're heavy to set up, expensive, and mostly features you won't use.

Broader cost-management tools

Best at: project and cost management across a build.
The gap: worth a look depending on your trade, but check how each handles the specific AU retention model (10%/5% cap, PC/DLP release) and Xero write-back for your workflow.

construct-it

Best at: the whole subbie workflow in one tool — project overview plus progress claims with retention plus a variations register, synced live with Xero (one-click claim posting is rolling out). Built by a fire-systems contractor who ran 33 live jobs out of one spreadsheet, for subbies and mid-tier head contractors.
The honest caveat: construct-it is currently in early access for Australian builders — not yet a fully public release.

The trap: paying for a claim-only tool

The most common mistake is buying a tool that nails the claim and nothing else — then keeping the spreadsheet alive anyway to track retention across jobs, variations, and which jobs are actually making money. If a tool replaces the claim and the spreadsheet, that's where the real time saving is.

How to choose

• If you only need to lodge claims and your head contractors already mandate a particular tool — use what they accept.
• If you run large, complex projects with a software budget — a tier-one platform may fit.
• If you're a subcontractor who wants claims, variations and a one-screen view of every job — without a five-figure budget — that's the gap construct-it is built to fill.