Estimates disconnected from real costs
The estimate lives in one file, actual hours and purchases in others, so the gap is only visible after the job is over.
Contractors · Estimates to final invoice
Custom contractor management software, from estimate to final invoice.
Quadra Operations Systems builds management systems for contractors: estimating, projects, crews, subcontractors, materials, documents, job costing and billing, connected in one private system designed around how your company runs its jobs.
Who this is for: construction and service contractors who manage estimates, crews and jobs across several sites or clients, and who need clearer control of schedules, documents and profitability than spreadsheets or generic tools provide.
The problem
Profit is decided job by job.
For a contractor, the margin on a job depends on how closely the estimate, the crews, the materials and the billing are followed. That is exactly where scattered tools lose track.
Crews assigned by phone
Which crew goes to which site, and for how long, is coordinated through calls and text messages.
Change orders that slip through
Extra work agreed on site is not always recorded, priced and billed.
Documents in too many places
Plans, permits, photos and contracts are spread across email, drives and phones.
Subcontractors hard to follow
Contracts, schedules and payments for subcontractors are tracked separately from the job itself.
Billing that lags behind the work
Progress billing and holdbacks are prepared manually, which delays cash coming in.
What we build
The modules of a contractor system.
Modules we develop for contractors. The combination depends on your trade, your size and how your jobs are structured.
Estimating
Unit prices, templates, options and change orders, with approved estimates turning into projects.
Projects and phases
Phases, schedules, tasks and budgets created from the approved estimate.
Crews and scheduling
Daily crew assignment by site, availability and skills, visible to crew leads on their phones.
Subcontractors
Subcontractor contracts, assigned work, limited access and payment tracking.
Materials and purchasing
Materials per job, purchase orders and, where needed, inventory.
Documents and photos
Plans, permits, contracts and site photos filed on the project they belong to.
Timesheets
Hours entered by crews in the field and attached to the right job and phase.
Billing
Progress billing, holdbacks and invoices generated from actual progress, with payment tracking.
Job costing
Actual hours and purchases compared with the budget while the job is still running.
Examples
Contractors that may benefit.
Examples of contractor operations where a custom management system can help. They illustrate typical needs; they are not a client list.
- General and renovation contractors managing estimates, phases, subcontractors and progress billing across several projects.
- HVAC contractors combining installations, service calls and recurring maintenance contracts with equipment history.
- Plumbing contractors handling urgent calls, scheduled jobs and parts carried in each truck.
- Electrical contractors juggling project work, permits and inspections alongside smaller service jobs.
- Roofing contractors relying on inspections, photos, estimates and weather-dependent scheduling.
- Landscaping and exterior contractors running seasonal contracts, recurring visits and several crews at once.
- Cleaning and maintenance contractors with recurring contracts, multiple buildings, rounds and checklists.
Two contractors in the same trade rarely run their jobs the same way. That is why the modules are chosen during analysis rather than taken from a template. See also our page on software for home service businesses.
How it connects
One job, followed end to end.
An illustrative path through a contractor system.
- Estimate preparedBuilt from your unit prices and templates, then sent to the client.
- Estimate approvedSigned electronically; the project, its phases and its budget are created from it.
- Crews and subcontractors plannedAssignments are placed on the schedule and shared with the people concerned.
- Work on siteCrews record hours, photos and notes; change orders are captured and priced.
- Materials purchasedPurchase orders are attached to the job, so costs are tracked as they happen.
- Progress billedInvoices follow actual progress, including holdbacks where applicable.
- Job costing reviewedActual costs are compared with the budget during the job, not months later.
- Project closedDocuments, photos and final invoice are filed on the project for future reference.
Our approach
How we build.
Six phases, in this order, because each depends on the one before. We do not design a screen before understanding how a quote becomes a job, then an invoice.
- Phase 01
Analysis
We document how your company actually runs: how a client moves from the first call to the final payment, who is involved, which tools are in use and which tasks get redone by hand every week.
- Phase 02
Architecture
We define the structure of the system: modules, data, roles and permissions, automations and integrations. The expensive decisions are made here, before any code is written.
- Phase 03
Design
We design the screens for the people who will use them every day: owners and managers, office staff, field crews and, where relevant, your customers.
- Phase 04
Development
The system is built in deliverable blocks with reviews at each stage, so you see it take shape instead of waiting for a single handover at the end.
- Phase 05
Deployment
Go-live, migration of existing data, access configuration and team training, planned so day-to-day operations keep running.
- Phase 06
Evolution
The system keeps developing as the company changes: new modules, departments, automations and integrations are added without rebuilding it.
Delivery is staged, so a first usable part of the system generally arrives well before the end of the project. Read more about our approach.
Interactive demonstration
See a private system in action.
Our Private systems page includes an interactive demonstration of an operations system of the kind we build: fictional data, real architecture. Follow one client’s lifecycle from lead to payment, or explore the modules freely.
Command dashboardLeadsClientsProjectsCalendarQuotesContractsBillingPayrollAccountingTeamCommunicationsAutomationsMeetingsPortals
Demonstration data only. No real client information is shown.
FAQ
Questions business owners ask us.
Straight answers to common questions. For anything specific to your company, a 30-minute call is the fastest way to get a precise answer.
What does contractor management software include?
It usually covers estimating, projects and phases, crew scheduling, subcontractors, materials and purchasing, documents and photos, timesheets, billing and job costing. In a custom system, you choose the modules that match your trade and the way your jobs are organized.
Can estimates be connected to job costing?
Yes. When the estimate, the hours entered by crews and the purchases are in the same system, the approved estimate becomes the budget and actual costs are compared with it while the job is still running.
Can subcontractors have limited access to the system?
Yes. Roles and permissions are defined with you. A subcontractor can be given access to the work assigned to them without seeing your pricing, other clients or internal financial information.
Can the system handle progress billing and holdbacks?
Yes, when your billing works that way. Billing rules are developed around your contracts, whether you invoice by milestone, by percentage of progress, with holdbacks, or per job.
Do you only work with one type of contractor?
No. We build around each company’s operations rather than around one trade. The trades listed on this page are examples of operations where a custom system can help, not a list of clients.
Can our current spreadsheets be imported?
Usually, yes. Existing data from spreadsheets can be imported during deployment, and some spreadsheets can stay in use at first and be replaced progressively, at your team’s pace.
Can it connect to our accounting software?
Often, yes. Accounting platforms such as QuickBooks can be connected when they provide a suitable integration path. The exact scope of the synchronization, for example clients, invoices or payments, is defined with you during analysis.