Accounting for builders

Construction Accounting Software — P&L, VAT Return, CIS & Aged Debtors Built From the Jobs

A Profit & Loss for any period, a VAT return helper, the CIS register, aged debtors and bank reconciliation — built automatically from the quotes, invoices, receipts, wages and subcontract payments already in EstiMate.

No credit card required · Free plan available · Cancel anytime

A site manager in hi-vis checking his phone on a construction site

P&L, VAT and CIS — from the jobs.

No re-keying: the accounts build themselves from what's already in the app.

800+

Quotes created

£4.2M+

In quotes sent

£0

Free plan · no card

Any device

Phone, tablet & desktop

What you get

Why builders choose EstiMate

Accounts that build themselves

Nothing is re-keyed. Client invoices are income; supplier invoices, receipts, wages from logged hours, subcontractor payments, fuel and expenses are outgoings. Pick a period and the P&L is there, split into cost of sales and overheads.

  • This month, last month, quarter, tax year, custom
  • Gross and net profit with margins
  • Year-end pack for your accountant

VAT return helper

Output VAT from client invoices and input VAT from supplier invoices for the period, with the job's VAT treatment respected — 20%, 5%, zero-rated or reverse charge — so the boxes on the return are a copy-and-check, not a spreadsheet.

  • Reverse-charge invoices excluded correctly
  • Net and VAT per line
  • Period totals

CIS register

Subcontract packages carry a labour element and a CIS rate. Deductions are calculated per payment and listed for the period so the monthly CIS return and statements come from the register, not a notebook.

  • 20% and 30% rates
  • Gross payments, labour element, deduction
  • Per-subcontractor totals

Aged debtors and the bank

Who owes you what, for how long, with one-tap WhatsApp or email chasing. Import a bank statement CSV and match lines to invoices to see what's really been paid.

  • 0–30 / 31–60 / 61–90 / 90+ days
  • Match, ignore, unmatch bank lines
  • Payments applied to invoices on match
One system

From enquiry to final account

01

Create the job

Client, site address, project title. Takes 30 seconds.

02

Quote & win it

Breakdowns, optional extras, one-tap online acceptance.

03

Sign the contract

A build contract from the quote, e-signed online.

04

Run the job

Programme, site diary, snagging and variations.

05

Get paid

Milestones tracked and overdue payments chased.

Pricing

Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.

No contracts. No hidden fees. Cancel monthly subscriptions any time.

Free

£0

Try it on real jobs before you commit.

  • 3 jobs per month
  • Material & labour breakdowns
  • Builder's calculators
Get started free

EstiMate

£15.99/ month

Unlimited quotes and the full app.

  • Unlimited jobs, branded PDFs
  • Quote sharing, contracts & e-signatures
  • Receipts, milestones & payment tracking
Start EstiMate
Most popular

EstiMate Pro

£39.99/ month

Everything, plus the full AI suite.

  • AI quote writer & AI take-off
  • Snagging, progress reports & 360° tours
  • Construction Copilot & priority support
Start Pro

Teams and multi-branch contractors: EstiMate Corp from £249 / month. Compare every plan →

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Does EstiMate replace QuickBooks or Xero?

For a small building firm it covers the day-to-day: P&L, VAT figures, CIS, who owes you money and bank reconciliation, all from the jobs. Many users still hand the year-end export to an accountant for statutory accounts and tax filing.

Does it handle the construction VAT reverse charge?

Yes. Set a job to reverse charge and its invoices show the required wording with no VAT charged, and the VAT helper treats them correctly.

Can I import my existing books?

Yes — bank statements can be imported as CSV today, and the business import in Settings brings in existing invoices, receipts and documents so EstiMate picks up where your current records leave off.

Which plan includes the Accounts tab?

EstiMate (£15.99 a month) and above.

Estimate faster. Run the job. Protect your margin.

Use EstiMate from first enquiry through quotation, project delivery, variations, records and payment tracking.

Try EstiMate free

No credit card · Free plan always available