Budgets that live in the estimate
The tender BOQ is prepared in a spreadsheet and never becomes the budget that purchases and site costs are checked against.
Industries · Construction
Construction ERP software that keeps every project inside its budget line
Estimators, site engineers, the store and accounts each track the same project differently. We implement Odoo with construction-specific modules so budgets, purchases, subcontracts and billing are measured against one cost structure.
What is construction ERP software?
Construction ERP software manages a contractor's projects from estimate to final account: bills of quantities and budgets, material requests from site, purchasing and site stores, subcontractor work orders and bills, labour and equipment cost, progress billing to the client and retention. Because every cost is coded to a project and budget line, management can compare committed and actual cost with the budget while the job is still running, not after it is finished.
Operational problems we see most often
Site requests by phone
Engineers call or message the office for materials, so it is unclear who approved what, for which activity and against which budget.
Materials lost between sites
Stock is moved between site stores and the main yard without records, and consumption per activity can't be measured.
Subcontractor bills checked by hand
Measured work, advances, deductions and retention for each subcontractor are tracked in separate files and reconciled under pressure.
Late progress claims
Interim payment applications take days to assemble from site measurements, delaying cash on long projects.
Cost known at the end
Overruns are discovered at final account, when it is too late to change purchasing, labour or the client's variations.
What the system needs to cover
Estimating & BOQ
- Bill of quantities by section and item
- Rate analysis for material, labour and plant
- Tender versions and revisions
- Approved BOQ to project budget
Project Control
- Activities and budget lines
- Committed versus actual cost
- Variations and change orders
- Planned versus actual progress
Site Procurement
- Material requests from site
- Approvals by budget and value
- Quotation comparison
- Purchase orders and deliveries to site
Site Stores
- Stock per site and yard
- Issues to activities
- Transfers between sites
- Wastage and returns
Subcontracts
- Work orders against BOQ items
- Measured work and certificates
- Advances and recoveries
- Retention withheld and released
Billing & Finance
- Interim payment applications
- Client retention tracking
- Project-wise accounting
- Cash flow by project
From tender to final account
Each stage draws on the budget set at award, so overruns show up while there is still time to act.
- 01
Estimate
The estimating team prices the BOQ with rate analysis and submits the tender.
- 02
Contract & budget
On award, the approved BOQ becomes the project budget, broken into activities and cost codes.
- 03
Procurement
Site engineers raise material requests; approvals check them against the remaining budget before purchase orders are issued.
- 04
Site progress
Materials are issued to activities, labour and plant are booked, and quantities completed are recorded from site.
- 05
Subcontractor billing
Measured subcontract work is certified, with advances recovered and retention withheld on each bill.
- 06
Progress billing
Completed quantities and approved variations generate the interim payment application to the client.
- 07
Closeout
Final account, release of retention and the project's actual margin are settled from the recorded history.
Work the system can do for you
Budget checks
Purchase requests that exceed the remaining budget on a cost code are flagged for higher approval.
Approval routing
Material requests and purchase orders route to the project manager, procurement or director based on value.
Retention calculation
Retention percentages are applied automatically on client and subcontractor bills and tracked until release.
Expiry reminders
Performance bonds, guarantees, insurance and equipment certificates trigger reminders before they lapse.
What it connects to, and what it reports
Integrations
- Spreadsheet BOQ import
- Scheduling tools via file exchange
- Mobile app for site engineers
- Equipment GPS and fuel records
- Biometric attendance for site labour
- Banks for vendor payments
- Document storage for drawings and approvals
Reports managers use
- Budget, committed and actual cost by project and cost code
- Project margin and cost to complete
- Billed, certified and received per project
- Retention receivable and payable
- Material consumption versus BOQ quantity
- Subcontractor liability and payment status
Access control, auditability and growth
Project-based access
Site engineers see their own projects; rates, margins and the company-wide position stay with management and finance.
Approval trail
Every material request, purchase order and certificate records who approved it and when.
Multi-company structure
Joint ventures or sister companies can keep separate books while sharing suppliers, items and reporting.
Set the cost codes first, then go site by site
Agree the cost structure
Define how projects, activities and cost codes are structured, because every later report depends on it.
Map site and office flows
Document how requests, approvals, deliveries and measurements move between site and head office today.
Configure and extend
Set up Odoo Project, Purchase, Inventory and Accounting, then add the BOQ, subcontract and progress billing modules.
Pilot one live project
Run a single active project on the system, including its site store and subcontractors.
Roll out across sites
Bring remaining projects on board with site-level training and migrate open commitments.
Solutions and technologies for this industry
Sources and further reading
Official documentation and guidance if you want to read more about this topic.
Construction software questions
What is the difference between construction ERP and project management software?
Project management software tracks schedules and tasks; construction ERP software also handles the money and materials (budgets, purchasing, site stock, subcontractor bills, client billing and accounting) tied to each project.
Does Odoo have a construction module?
Odoo has no dedicated construction app, but Project, Purchase, Inventory and Accounting with analytic accounts cover much of the foundation. BOQ-based budgets, subcontractor certificates, retention and interim payment applications are usually built as custom modules on top.
Can site engineers raise requests from the site?
Yes. Engineers can raise material requests, record deliveries, issue stock to activities and enter completed quantities from a phone or tablet, with approvals handled in the same system.
How is progress billing handled?
Progress billing is calculated from completed BOQ quantities and approved variations, less previous bills, advances and retention. The interim payment application is generated from those records rather than compiled by hand.
Can we track cost per project in real time?
Yes, provided every purchase, stock issue, labour entry and subcontract bill is coded to a project and cost code. Reports then show budget, committed and actual cost side by side as transactions are recorded.
Next step
Measure every project against its budget while it runs
Tell us how you estimate, buy for site and bill your clients today. We'll show you what Odoo provides and which construction modules need to be added.