5 Best Construction Document Management Software to Try in 2024

Construction projects generate massive paperwork.

Factor in all your construction sites, and you get a scattered web of data that requires the use of document management systems to tame.

Otherwise, the information remains siloed and construction workers spend too much time sorting it. This happens at the expense of actual construction work and therefore leads to completion delays.

In a nutshell, with paper-based document management systems, there’s a lot of labor time that needlessly goes to waste.

And with wasted time, comes wasted money.

According to a study by Re-flow & YouGov, 91 work hours a year go to document management per employee. Of course, this figure multiplies astronomically with huge projects.

However, you can realize higher direct work time by using the right document management software.

In this article, I will take you through the best construction document management software in 2024 that will help you create a single source of truth to improve productivity and revenue.

Quick summary:

1. FileCenter – Best for Windows-based construction workflows.

2. OpenBOM – Best for managing your bill of materials.

3. Contractor Foreman – Best for complex construction projects.

4. Autodesk BIM 360 – Best for enhancing construction collaboration.

5. Procore – Best for unlimited user plans and fast-growing projects.

Let’s get started.

How to Choose a Construction Document Management Software

a) Consider security features

The right solution should have encryption and access control features. With these capabilities, you can protect sensitive construction data from unauthorized access.

This is a top tip for choosing a construction document management software as it will help to secure documents better and achieve compliance with industry laws, thereby reducing the risk of penalties.

b) Explore online training support

In terms of what to consider when choosing construction document management software, the comprehensive nature of the training material is a big deal.

Preferably, the software vendor should offer online training and how-to-videos that go into great detail, which will ease the software onboarding process by minimizing your reliance on real-time support.

c) Prioritize cloud infrastructure

Advisably, I strongly recommend that you go with cloud-based solutions. These will allow you to ease collaboration across field and in-office construction teams.

In particular, go with cloud-based document management that supports DropBox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Google Drive when selecting a construction document management software. This will simplify your data migration journey.

d) Factor in project complexity

The size of your construction project will also be among the key factors for choosing construction document management software as this will determine ROI.

For complex projects, I recommend file management systems with unlimited user plans and cloud storage. In the long run, this will help to keep your costs sustainable as your projects scale.

e) Assess PDF editing features

Another key tip that will help you crack how to choose software for construction documents is the extent of PDF conversion features, which determine productivity.

Essentially, you want to consider advanced PDF editing features such as form generation and digital signatures, to name a few. These capabilities will reduce your manual data entry burden.

1. FileCenter

FileCenter helps you transition to a paperless environment.

It does that by allowing you to create digital filing systems, where you can store various documents across different filing directories, depending on the file’s content, name, format, and date.

With FileCenter, you can make a no-code electronic filing system that eases data retrieval for faster decision-making on construction works.

Therefore, I find that FileCenter is the best construction document management software in 2024 for creating more efficient document control management processes to solve the problem of recurring stalled projects.

Furthermore, the tool’s one-click OCR scanning enables complete digitization.

You can digitize all your vital construction documents like construction agreements, work orders, and so on. Consequently, this ensures higher data accuracy while facilitating collaboration.

FileCenter also integrates with cloud services to give construction workers real-time access to project updates by architects to fast-track your project completion rates.

Best features:

PDF editor that allows you to convert files into PDFs, and edit them. This feature enables you to securely store and protect sensitive construction documents.
Cloud-based document storage which lowers your need for on-premise storage technologies to ensure more profitability for your construction projects.
An electronic filing system that improves information organization and access, thereby enhancing your ability to assess risk and plan your budget better.

Pricing:

Pricing starts at $5/user per month.

FileCenter is a general document management software. While that means it’s not a niche-specific solution for the construction industry, it offers you great ROI as an all-in-one solution to manage different types of documents.

2. OpenBOM

OpenBOM helps you manage your bill of materials better.

With this tool, you can structure your Bill of Materials (BOM) to track data about your construction materials and their expenses. From part numbers to supplier details, you can retrace the history of every material, and gain valuable supply chain insights.

Consequently, OpenBOM gives you vital BOM data that you can use to improve compliance and budget optimization.

But OpenBOM is more than just a BOM document management tool.

Additionally, it boosts your file management strategy with CAD integrations. These allow you to automate data capture for construction projects and bolster your productivity.

It gets even better with OpenBOM’s flexible file properties, which allow you to organize construction documents conveniently so that you can locate important data quickly to ensure more direct labor time.

Best features:

Cloud data importation that allows you to import complex data across all your construction projects so that you can hit the ground running.
Historical document tracing, which enables you to achieve compliance by meeting national & international data laws in the construction industry.
BOM management with custom grouping and sorting. This allows you to create reusable BOM standardizations to speed up all your new projects.

Pricing:

Pricing starts at $65/user per month.

Overall, I find that OpenBOM is the best construction document management software to improve the handling of BOM documents. While this may make it unideal if you have broader goals, it’s great if better BOM management is a critical priority.

3. Contractor Foreman

Contractor Foreman is designed for general contractors.

You can use it to create a centralized document repository by sequentially tagging and uploading your files. Coupled with share, send, and save capabilities, this tool allows you to perform document retrieval and editing faster to boost productivity.

With Contractor Foreman, you can even leverage AI-driven automatic folder creation templates to make document management very time-efficient.

As a result, you don’t have to painstakingly create different filing systems and structures for every new project.

Just like FileCenter, Contractor Foreman’s secure client portal eases collaboration.

This allows you to selectively share files with your clients in real-time, thereby helping you to get approval faster with regard to construction design changes.

In light of the above, I believe that Contractor Foreman is the best construction document management software if you’re working on large construction projects and you need to keep multiple collaborators informed for smooth project progress.

Best features:

Custom report builder that allows you to perform targeted construction analyses, helping you to compartmentalize information and improve workflow efficiency.
Correspondence and RFI logs, which lower the risk of miscommunication to, therefore, minimize construction reworks and delays as well.
Equipment and vehicle logs that allow you to track important data that can improve equipment performance and lower construction downtimes.

Pricing:

Pricing starts at $49/user per month.

Ultimately, Contractor Foreman may not be suitable if you desire a single-purpose solution just for document management. Nonetheless, it excels as an all-in-one construction management tool for effectively managing different aspects of your project.

4. Autodesk BIM 360

Autodesk BIM 360 offers cloud-based document management.

So you can digitize and centralize construction files such as blueprints, drawings, and subcontractor contracts.

Paired with update notifications and advanced markups, these features help to keep your entire construction team on the same page and working with the latest information to prevent reworks and improve design accuracy.

Overall, AutoDesk BIM 360’s cloud file management makes it great for remotely managing multiple construction sites with regular design changes.

It’s, therefore, the best construction document management software in 2024 for streamlining collaboration.

Furthermore, with advanced sheet processing technology, this software gives your construction teams access to drawings in the field via their personal devices. This ensures early error clarification and also lessens construction ambiguities.

Finally, Autodesk BIM 360 also offers custom file organization, allowing you to arrange documents depending on each project’s needs and boost efficiency.

Best features:

Cloud-based document management and advanced document markups, which ensure access to data in the field to improve collaboration and reduce errors.
Text box tools and document hyperlinks that allow you to add imagery and details to construction documents to ensure even more design followthrough accuracy.
OCR Scan technology with auto synching that allows you to upload and publish drawings to field teams, thereby minimizing turnaround for design updates.

Pricing:

Contact Autodesk for pricing.

Notably, I find that the customer service team can sometimes be slow to provide support. However, Autodesk BIM 360 offers high-quality features with very few bugs to deal with so you won’t have to constantly seek assistance.

5. Procore

Procore digitizes all your document interactions.

This means that you can move from manual to digital document management with Procore’s ability to upload construction documents as files and photos and send them to a dedicated email address for each project.

As a result, Procore is a great option for reducing cases of misplaced construction documents and lowering the wastage of labor time.

By incorporating various remote file access options, Procore allows you to build a single source of truth that you can access remotely.

Therefore, your construction team can easily access the project information they need without having to exchange several emails, texts, or phone calls. This ensures fewer work disruptions on site and faster project completion.

Crucially, Procore offers unlimited data storage.

This makes it one of the best construction document management software for cost-effectively managing large projects with huge document storage needs.

Best features:

Unlimited digital document storage, which reduces your construction project costs by lowering paper expenses as well as associated administrative costs.
Unlimited users with each subscription plan which allows you to manage the document management needs of growing teams more cost-efficiently.
Cloud-based infrastructure that reduces the need for on-premise servers, thereby freeing up your construction team to be more productive on the go.

Pricing:

Contact Procore for pricing.

Crucially, I find that the tool can initially be expensive to acquire due to an upfront fee that they charge as a percentage of your annual construction volume. However, Procore offers great ROI in the long run due to its unlimited user plans.

Conclusion

Poor document management can lead to construction reworks.

With bad data such as missing, incomplete, or inaccessible documents, construction projects are highly likely to experience construction redos due to inaccurate design implementations.

Ultimately, the lack of proper document management increases the rate of construction project reworks.

In fact, the global construction industry loses $1.85 trillion annually due to reworks and other problems caused by bad data, according to an Autodesk study. This is a massive amount that greatly undermines the profit margins of construction projects.

However, by using the best construction document management software in 2024, you can solve bad data.

In particular, I recommend FileCenter for Windows-based construction workflows. Meanwhile, OpenBOM is great for enhancing bill of materials management while Contractor Foreman comes in handy for managing complex projects..

Be sure to schedule your free FileCenter trial to witness firsthand how our tools can improve document management and streamline your construction projects.

FAQ Section

What is a document management system in construction?

In the construction industry, a document management system helps to digitize various construction documents like blueprints and drawings to make them searchable.

Additionally, the right tool helps you create an electronic filing system, where you can group construction documents according to certain criteria. This speeds up information sharing, and project progress rates.

What construction documents can you manage with document management software?

Notably, document management software for construction projects lets you manage documentation associated with contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and so on.

From bills of materials and invoices to contracts and architectural drawings, you can manage various document file types and extensions to make information sharing not only faster but also more inclusive for all stakeholders.

What are the features of a great construction document management system?

Optical character recognition and automation are some of the hallmarks of the best construction document management software, as they will elevate productivity.

Moreover, other factors for finding the right document management tool include document versioning, which improves document security and compliance. The ability to support major file formats in the construction industry is also critical.

Why is proper document management important in construction?

A document management software links in-office and field teams better with real-time information and typically live communication channels as well.

So one of the biggest benefits of document management software in construction is the ability to streamline collaboration and lower human error. This ensures faster and higher quality project completion for your construction teams.

How much does construction document management software cost?

Some of the best construction document management software providers offer pricing plans that are a percentage sum of the value of your construction project.

However, most vendors, like FileCenter, offer subscription plans starting at $5/user per month, making it a very sustainable solution. Othertimes, you can also choose to pay a one-time fee to acquire our software.