Foundation Software review

Foundation Software sells FOUNDATION as accounting built only for contractors, and its feature set reflects that. Job costing drills from job totals into detailed cost breakdowns, and the reporting covers job histories, production reports and estimated vs. actual figures while jobs are still running. Billing handles AIA progress invoices, unit price and time and material invoices with retainage, which is the core billing need of most commercial subcontractors. The built-in payroll is a major reason firms choose it: it produces certified payroll formats such as DIR, eMars and LCPtracker and handles union and multistate rules. Change orders entered or imported into the system update the over/under WIP schedule without manual recalculation. The vendor says more than 43,000 contractors have used it over 40 years. Prices are not published, so you need a demo and quote, and the depth is more than a small remodeler or single-trade shop is likely to use.

Who it is for

Commercial and union contractors that need certified payroll, AIA billing with retainage and WIP from one accounting system.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Detailed job costing from job totals down to cost breakdowns
• AIA progress, unit price and time and material billing with retainage
• Certified payroll formats including DIR, eMars and LCPtracker
• Change orders that update the over/under WIP schedule
• Job histories, production reports and estimated vs. actual reports

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Payroll is built in, including union and multistate rules
• Strength: Billing forms cover AIA, unit price and T&M work
• Strength: Vendor says 43,000+ contractors use it
• Weakness: No published prices; a demo is required for a quote
• Weakness: Aimed at commercial contractors, so heavier than small trades need
• Weakness: Full feature set means more setup than a QuickBooks add-on

Key facts

• Users: Vendor cites 43,000+ contractors over 40+ years
• Billing: AIA progress, unit price, time and materials, with retainage
• Payroll: Certified payroll, union and multistate

Where it ranks

Foundation Software is No. 2 in our Best Accounting Software for Construction verdict.