Custom Software Development for Construction
Field-ready construction software that handles the project complexity, cost tracking, and subcontractor coordination that Procore and generic PM tools were never designed for.
Construction is one of the least digitized industries in the world, and it is not because construction companies do not want better software. It is because the software available to them does not fit how construction projects actually work. Procore, PlanGrid, and Buildertrend are better than paper and spreadsheets, but they are designed for an idealized version of construction that rarely matches the reality of a complex commercial build or a multi-trade renovation.
The real challenge in construction technology is that every project is unique. The scope, trade coordination, permitting requirements, and cost structures for a high-rise tower in downtown Seattle are fundamentally different from a custom home in Bellevue or a tenant improvement in a commercial office building. Generic software forces all of these into the same workflow templates, which means your team spends as much time working around the software as working within it.
Scale Labs works with general contractors, specialty trades, and developers across Washington State to build construction software that matches how their projects actually run. We integrate with the estimating, accounting, and scheduling tools you already use while building the custom workflows, field operations tools, and cost tracking systems that off-the-shelf platforms cannot provide.
Common Challenges in construction
Cost Tracking That Lags Behind Reality
By the time your accounting system reflects actual project costs, you are already weeks behind. Change orders, T&M work, back-charges, and allowance tracking require real-time visibility that generic tools cannot provide without extensive manual data entry.
Field-to-Office Communication Gaps
Superintendents track daily progress on paper or in disconnected apps. Project managers maintain schedules in one system, budgets in another, and RFI tracking in a third. Critical information gets lost in the gap between field and office.
Document Chaos Across Trades
Drawing revisions, submittals, RFIs, change orders, and inspection reports live in email threads, shared drives, and Procore. No one is ever confident they are looking at the current version, and tracking document status across 15 subcontractors is a full-time job.
Subcontractor Coordination Overhead
Managing scope, scheduling, compliance documentation, and payment applications across dozens of subcontractors requires coordination that no generic tool handles well. The result is phone calls, emails, and manual tracking that burns project management hours.
Why Procore and Generic PM Tools Fall Short
Procore has become the default construction management platform, and for good reason: it is better than email and spreadsheets for managing RFIs, submittals, and drawings. But Procore is a document management and communication platform, not an operational management system. It does not handle cost tracking with the granularity that complex projects require, its scheduling integration is limited, and its field operations tools are designed for simple daily logs rather than the detailed production tracking that drives project profitability.
The same limitation applies to tools like Buildertrend, CoConstruct, and PlanGrid. They each solve a piece of the puzzle well but leave gaps that your team fills with spreadsheets, text messages, and institutional knowledge. Estimating lives in Sage or a custom Excel template, scheduling in Primavera P6 or Microsoft Project, accounting in Sage 300 or Jonas, and none of these systems talk to each other without significant manual effort.
For specialty contractors, the problem is even worse. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing trades have unique workflow requirements around prefabrication tracking, material procurement, and labor productivity that general-purpose construction software ignores entirely. The result is that the trades doing the most complex work often have the least sophisticated technology.
What Custom Construction Software Looks Like
Custom construction software bridges the gaps between your existing tools and provides the operational visibility that off-the-shelf platforms cannot. A typical engagement might produce an integrated project dashboard that pulls cost data from Sage 300, schedule updates from P6, and field progress from a custom mobile app, giving project managers a single view of project health without logging into four different systems.
For field operations, we build mobile-first tools that superintendents and foremen actually want to use. Production tracking interfaces designed for specific trade workflows, quality inspection checklists that auto-populate from the project spec, and safety documentation that flows directly into your compliance reporting without anyone re-entering data.
Real-Time Cost-to-Complete Tracking
Live project cost visibility that integrates committed costs, actual expenditures, change orders, and forecasted costs-to-complete. See budget health across every cost code without waiting for the monthly accounting close.
Field Operations Mobile Tools
Purpose-built mobile interfaces for daily reporting, production tracking, quality inspections, and safety documentation. Designed for gloved hands and job site conditions, not desk-bound office workers.
Subcontractor Portal and Coordination
A single platform where subs can submit payment applications, upload compliance docs, access current drawings, and coordinate scheduling. Reduces the email and phone tag that consumes project management time.
How We Build for Construction
Construction software projects start on the job site, not in a conference room. We spend time with your superintendents, project managers, and estimators to understand how projects actually flow from pre-construction through closeout. We map the data that moves between estimating, scheduling, field operations, and accounting to identify where manual processes, data re-entry, and communication gaps are costing you the most.
We build with the understanding that construction software needs to work in challenging conditions: spotty cell coverage on remote sites, dusty and wet environments, and users who are wearing gloves and hard hats. Our mobile tools are designed for offline-first operation with smart sync when connectivity is available, and interfaces are built for quick input rather than complex navigation.
Integration with your existing tools is critical. We connect to Sage 300, Jonas, Viewpoint, and other construction accounting systems for financial data. We integrate with Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project for scheduling. We link to Procore for document management when it makes sense to keep it. The goal is a unified operational layer, not a rip-and-replace of your entire tech stack.
The Financial Impact of Better Construction Technology
Construction operates on thin margins, typically 3 to 8 percent for general contractors and 5 to 15 percent for specialty trades. In that environment, operational improvements have an outsized impact on profitability. Real-time cost tracking that catches budget overruns two weeks earlier can save 1 to 3 percent of project value on change order management alone.
Field productivity tools that reduce daily reporting time by 30 minutes per superintendent across 10 active projects recover 25 hours per week of productive field management time. Automated subcontractor payment application processing can reduce payment cycle times by 5 to 10 days, improving your relationships with subs and their willingness to sharpen pricing on future bids. Across a portfolio of projects, these improvements compound into significant margin improvement.
What We Build for construction
Integrated Project Cost Dashboard
Real-time cost visibility that pulls committed costs, actual expenditures, approved and pending change orders, and forecasted costs-to-complete from your accounting and project management systems. Budget health at the cost code level without waiting for monthly closes.
Field Production Tracking App
A mobile-first tool for tracking daily production quantities, labor hours by activity, equipment utilization, and material consumption. Designed for specific trade workflows with offline capability and automatic sync to project controls and payroll systems.
Custom Estimating and Bidding Platform
An estimating system built around your specific cost database, assembly structures, and markup methodology. Historical cost data from completed projects feeds back into estimates automatically, improving accuracy with every project you complete.
Subcontractor Compliance and Payment Portal
A self-service portal where subcontractors submit insurance certificates, safety documentation, workers comp clearance letters, and progress payment applications. Automated compliance checking flags gaps before they become project delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can custom software integrate with Sage 300 CRE and other construction accounting systems?
How do field apps work on sites with poor cell coverage?
How long does it take to build custom construction software?
Is custom software practical for a mid-size contractor?
Ready to Build Construction Software That Works Like You Do?
Tell us about the cost tracking gap, field communication problem, or subcontractor coordination challenge that is costing your projects money. We will design a solution that fits your operations.