BuildOps is the best software for a specialty contractor that runs construction projects and service work together, because it is built for commercial trades that do both. A custom system built by Black Badger ranks second, and it is the answer for a trade BuildOps does not name or a contractor whose two divisions share customers, crews and equipment in ways a product cannot model.
The ranking, entry by entry
1 BuildOps
Best for named commercial trades running both divisions in one system
The hard part of running both divisions is that a product is usually good at one. BuildOps ranks first because serving both is its purpose, for a commercial mechanical, electrical or plumbing contractor that runs service work and projects. Customers, technicians and job history can sit in one system instead of two. It also connects to accounting systems that include Viewpoint Vista and Sage Intacct.
Watch for. BuildOps names mechanical and HVAC, electrical, plumbing, fire and life safety, and refrigeration. A trade outside that list should ask how the product fits its work before buying.
- How it charges
- Quoted by field and office users, trades and back office tools
- Main limit
- Built for commercial service trades, with add-ons for fleet, payments and CRM
2 Custom build by Black Badger
Best for contractors whose two divisions share crews and customers
We publish this guide and build custom software, and on this list that ranks second. When projects and service share the same customers, crews and trucks, the trouble is at the handoff between them. A finished project becomes a maintenance contract, a service call becomes a quoted job, and two products lose the record each time. Black Badger builds one system across both divisions, connected to your accounting, with no licenses and no per-seat fee. You own all of it.
Watch for. If your trade is one BuildOps names and your process is ordinary, start there. A build begins with discovery and a written scope.
- How it charges
- One-time build scoped in writing, then running costs such as hosting
- Main limit
- Needs a scoping call first, and suits companies of 50 or more employees
What a custom build involves, and how to ask about one
3 Viewpoint Vista
Best for large contractors that want both divisions inside their ERP
Viewpoint Vista ranks third. Trimble lists Vista Field Service and Vista Field Management as parts of the product family, beside an enterprise ERP with multi-entity accounting. A large specialty contractor that wants project crews, service work and accounting from one vendor can get all three. It ranks behind the first two because Trimble describes Vista as built for large-scale contractors, and the configuration effort reflects that.
Watch for. Each Vista part is listed separately and Trimble publishes no price. A mid-size firm should check that the setup effort fits before going further.
- How it charges
- Quoted by sales, no published price
- Main limit
- Described as an enterprise ERP for large contractors, with no published price
4 FOUNDATION
Best for contractors that want one payroll across projects and service
FOUNDATION is fourth. Whatever the division, the crews are paid from one payroll, and this product has Job Costing, Payroll and Accounts Receivable built in with Service Dispatch as an add-on module. For a contractor whose main problem is costing labor correctly across project and service work, that is a sound base. It ranks here because it is not the product for a contractor that wants a full project management suite.
Watch for. Service Dispatch, Mobile Time Tracking and Equipment Management are all add-on modules with no published price.
- How it charges
- Quoted, modular pricing with paid add-on modules
- Main limit
- Modular pricing, with Service Dispatch and Equipment Management as add-ons
5 ServiceTitan
Best for service-led contractors with a smaller project side
ServiceTitan ranks fifth. If service is the larger division, it works as the main system, with dispatch, invoicing and payroll for a large technician team. The project division then runs in something else and the two are reconciled in accounting. It ranks below the options that try to hold both, because this list is about contractors who do both in volume.
Watch for. It is priced per technician with Request Pricing on every plan. Ask how project crew members who are not technicians are counted.
- How it charges
- Per technician, by plan, quoted on request
- Main limit
- Payroll, advanced reporting and commissions sit in higher plans
6 eSUB
Best for project-led contractors with a smaller service side
eSUB is sixth and is the reverse of the entry above. If construction projects are the larger division, it covers foremen, project managers, change orders and progress billing for a commercial subcontractor. The service division then needs its own dispatch tool. Pairing the two is a workable setup, and the cost is a customer list and a job history that are kept in two places.
Watch for. Integrations are an optional add-on and QuickBooks Online is the one accounting integration the homepage names. Check how it would connect to a service tool.
- How it charges
- Quoted by user count and modules, not by annual revenue
- Main limit
- Built for subcontractors, with drawings and integrations as optional add-ons
7 Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate
Best for contractors on Sage that add service operations
Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate ranks seventh. Sage lists Sage Service Operations and Sage Construction Management as related products, so a contractor already on Sage 300 can add service and project tools from the same vendor. It ranks last because that makes several products to buy, and because Sage 300 itself runs on your own servers, a third-party host or AWS instead of one vendor cloud.
Watch for. Sage says cost varies with modules and users, and the related products may be bought separately. Ask for one quote that shows all of them.
- How it charges
- Quoted by modules and users, perpetual or subscription
- Main limit
- Runs on your servers or a third-party host or AWS, not as one vendor cloud