7 Best Construction Apps for Property Owners

Mobile phone with construction app

Managing construction projects from an office (or anywhere else) requires mobile tools that keep you connected to what's happening on site. The right apps help you track progress, communicate with contractors, document work, and stay on top of issues—without requiring constant site visits. Here are seven categories of apps that property owners find most valuable.

What Property Owners Need from Construction Apps

Unlike contractors who need full project management capabilities, property owners typically need:

Progress visibility: See what's happening without being on site
Photo documentation: Capture and organize project photos
Communication: Easy contractor communication with records
Issue tracking: Log and follow up on punch list items
Schedule visibility: Know what's coming and what's delayed
Budget tracking: Monitor spending against budget

The best approach often combines a few focused apps rather than one complex system.

7 App Categories for Property Owners

1. Photo Documentation Apps

Photos are your primary evidence of project progress, conditions, and quality. Generic camera apps work but dedicated tools are better.

Why dedicated photo apps:

Automatic date/time stamping
GPS location tagging
Organization by project/location
Annotation and markup tools
Easy sharing and reporting

Popular options:

CompanyCam (starting ~$19/user/month)

Designed for contractors but works for owners
Automatic organization by project
Annotation and markup tools
Team sharing
Photo timelines

Fieldwire (free tier available)

Photo documentation with plan markup
Punch list integration
Works offline
Team collaboration

Even simpler options:

iPhone/Android camera with a disciplined folder structure
Google Photos with albums per project
Dropbox for automatic photo backup

Best practice: Take more photos than you think you need. Date, location, and context matter.

2. Communication and Messaging Apps

Email gets lost. Phone calls aren't documented. Messaging apps provide the middle ground.

Construction-specific options:

Buildertrend (contractor's tool, but owner access)

Messages with project context
File sharing
Daily logs you can view
Selection tracking

CoConstruct (primarily residential, good for renovations)

Centralized communication
Selection management
Schedule visibility

General business messaging:

Slack (free tier available)

Channels per project or topic
Searchable history
File sharing
Works on all devices

Microsoft Teams (included with Microsoft 365)

Similar to Slack
Integration with Microsoft tools
Video calling included

Key capability: Whatever you use, ensure it creates searchable records of all communications.

3. Project Management Visibility Tools

Full project management is the contractor's job. But having visibility into their system helps you stay informed.

What to ask contractors:

Do you use project management software?
Can I have view access?
What will I be able to see?
How often is it updated?

Common contractor systems:

Procore (enterprise construction)

Comprehensive project management
Owner access available
Budget and schedule visibility
Document management

Buildertrend (residential and light commercial)

Good owner portal
Budget tracking
Schedule visibility
Daily log access

Monday.com or Asana (general PM tools)

Simpler interface
Good for smaller projects
Flexible configuration

If your contractor uses one of these, get viewer access rather than building your own shadow tracking system.

4. Punch List and Issue Tracking Apps

Documenting deficiencies and tracking their resolution is critical at project closeout.

Dedicated punch list apps:

PlanGrid (now Autodesk Build)

Punch list with plan markup
Photo attachment
Assignment and tracking
Works offline

Fieldwire (free tier available)

Task and punch list management
Location on drawings
Photo documentation
Team collaboration

Simpler alternatives:

Any task manager (Todoist, Things, Reminders)

Create project for punch items
Add due dates and assignments
Less construction-specific

Spreadsheet approach

Simple but requires discipline
No location/photo integration
Works for small projects

Punch list best practices:

Document location specifically
Include photos of every item
Set clear due dates
Track status through completion
Re-inspect before closing items

5. Schedule Tracking Tools

Knowing what should happen and when helps you hold contractors accountable.

Contractor schedule access:

Request view access to contractor's scheduling tool
Get weekly look-ahead schedules
Understand critical path and key milestones

Common scheduling tools:

Microsoft Project (traditional)
Procore scheduling module
Buildertrend scheduling
Monday.com timelines
Smartsheet Gantt views

If contractor won't share:

Insist on weekly written schedule updates
Create your own milestone tracker
Document promised vs. actual dates

What to track:

Major milestones (permit, substantial completion)
Your decision points
Critical deliveries
Inspection dates
Dependency chains

6. Budget and Payment Tracking Tools

Track what you've approved, what's been paid, and what remains.

Simple approaches:

Spreadsheet budget tracker

Original budget
Approved changes
Invoiced to date
Paid to date
Remaining budget

Accounting system integration

QuickBooks, Xero, or your accounting platform
Job costing features
Payment tracking
Matches actual disbursements

Construction-specific:

Procore (if contractor uses it)

Budget module with owner view
Pay application tracking
Change order integration

Banner (for portfolio capital management)

Budget tracking across projects
Approval workflows
Vendor management
Full CapEx management

What to track:

Original contract amount
Approved change orders
Current contract value
Invoiced to date
Retained amount
Paid to date
Remaining to complete

7. Document Storage and Access Apps

Construction generates paper—contracts, permits, submittals, warranties. Access them anywhere.

Cloud storage options:

Dropbox (starting $9.99/month)

Simple folder structure
Offline access
Easy sharing
Good mobile app

Google Drive (15GB free)

Integration with Google Workspace
Strong search
Easy collaboration
Works on any device

Box (business-focused)

Better for teams
Security features
Workflow integrations
More administrative control

Microsoft OneDrive/SharePoint

Included with Microsoft 365
Integration with Office apps
Good for organizations using Microsoft

Construction-specific document management:

Procore (comprehensive but contractor-focused)
PlanGrid (drawing management focus)
Bluebeam (PDF and drawing tools)

Organization structure: Create a consistent folder structure across projects:

01-Contracts & Agreements
02-Permits & Approvals
03-Drawings & Specifications
04-Submittals & Shop Drawings
05-Photos & Progress Documentation
06-RFIs & Change Orders
07-Invoices & Payment Applications
08-Closeout & Warranties

Choosing Your App Stack

Most property owners don't need enterprise construction software. A practical combination:

Minimal approach:

iPhone/Android camera with organized photo albums
Spreadsheet for budget tracking
Email with disciplined organization
Cloud storage for documents

Enhanced approach:

Dedicated photo app (CompanyCam or similar)
Team messaging (Slack or Teams)
Viewer access to contractor's project management
Cloud storage with standard structure

Portfolio approach:

CapEx management software for budget and project tracking
Contractor portal for communication
Photo documentation integrated with projects
Document management with retention policies

Match your tool investment to your project volume and complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the same apps as my contractor?

Not necessarily. Having viewer access to their system is often better than parallel tracking. Ask what access they can provide before building your own tools.

How do I get contractors to use apps they don't know?

Don't. Let contractors use their preferred tools and ask for access or reports. Forcing unfamiliar technology creates resistance and won't be used consistently.

What about all-in-one construction apps?

They exist but are designed for contractors, not owners. They're often more than owners need and less than contractors need. Purpose-fit tools usually work better.

Are free apps sufficient?

For smaller projects, yes. Free tiers of many apps provide adequate functionality. Paid features matter more for larger volumes or team collaboration needs.