Why Commercial Contractors Choose FOUNDATION® for Their Construction Business

The reason why commercial contractors choose FOUNDATION® comes down to one simple reality: construction businesses need accounting software that understands their unique profit centers and cost structures.

Construction companies face distinct challenges that generic business software can’t handle.

Unlike other industries, construction firms must track costs across multiple projects simultaneously, each with its own profit centers, phases and cost codes. They need to monitor labor, materials, equipment and subcontractor expenses in real-time to protect their margins.

Traditional accounting software forces construction teams to juggle multiple programs that don’t communicate with each other. Contractors waste hours entering the same project data into different systems, leading to inconsistencies and errors.

Meanwhile, construction companies lose money on jobs because they can’t track costs accurately across different profit centers or catch overruns before they destroy profit margins.

Every month brings new headaches. Current setups crash at critical moments. When construction professionals call for support, they get transferred to generic customer service representatives who don’t understand the complexities of construction accounting.

These everyday frustrations explain exactly why commercial contractors make the switch to FOUNDATION construction accounting software.

What is FOUNDATION?

FOUNDATION gives commercial contractors a single platform that ties together accounting, payroll, job costing and project management. The software is designed specifically for commercial construction companies who need more than basic bookkeeping software.

The software handles many things through a single interface, including:

• Construction accounting and financial management
• Advanced job costing
• Payroll processing and compliance
• Project management
• Multi-format billing and invoicing
• Comprehensive reporting
• General ledger functions
• Accounts payable and receivable management

Unlike generic business software adapted for construction, FOUNDATION was built from the ground up to understand how construction companies actually operate. Every feature is designed around the construction workflow:

• Jobsites serve as central hubs where work happens
• Cost codes categorize and track different types of work within each project
• Project phases organize work sequentially from start to finish.

This construction-specific architecture ensures that all features work together to support contractors’ profit center requirements.

The software automatically connects financial transactions to specific jobs and cost codes. This integration eliminates the need for multiple disconnected systems that create data entry headaches and reporting inconsistencies.

Construction Accounting Built for Real Jobsites

FOUNDATION starts with what every construction company needs: accurate accounting that connects directly to jobsites.

Contractors get construction accounting that actually makes sense because it follows how construction projects really work.

Job Costing That Protects Profits

Commercial contractors rely on job costing accuracy to protect profit margins. This accuracy separates successful companies from those struggling to stay profitable. FOUNDATION tracks every cost in real time across all profit centers:

• Labor hours from crews
• Material deliveries to jobsites
• Equipment rentals
• Subcontractor invoices

Advanced job costing tracks every dollar, hour and quantity in real-time. Meanwhile, commercial contractors can set up automated alerts to prevent cost overruns. When material prices change, construction professionals know immediately, instead of finding out at the end of the month.

The system breaks down costs by job phases and individual cost codes, so contractors see exactly where money gets spent on every project.

This detailed tracking helps construction businesses bid for future jobs more accurately and catch problems before they eat into profits.

Built-in Payroll Processing

FOUNDATION simplifies construction payroll by automating the complex mix of wage rules, job codes and compliance requirements that commercial contractors face daily.

Construction payroll gets complicated fast with certified payroll requirements, prevailing wage rates, union reporting and workers moving between different sites throughout the week.

FOUNDATION includes a built-in payroll module that handles these complexities automatically.

When crews clock time to specific jobs and cost codes, those labor costs flow directly into job costing reports across relevant profit centers. No manual allocation or guessing required.

The system handles union tracking, multi-state timecards and government reporting like certified payroll and EEO/minority that keep construction companies compliant on public works projects.

Comprehensive Project Management

Construction projects generate massive amounts of information. Most software systems make it harder to stay organized.

FOUNDATION brings project management, document storage and communication together in ways that actually help contractors run jobs better.

Project budgets can be created directly from estimates without retyping numbers. Change orders update budgets automatically while maintaining clear documentation for client billing.

Project schedules connect to resource planning, so contractors know when crews and equipment need to move between jobs.

Flexible Billing Options

FOUNDATION gives commercial contractors the flexibility to bill each project the way the contract demands—without juggling separate systems or spreadsheets.

• AIA progress billing
• Time and materials billing
• Over/under billing analysis
• Progress billing
• Retention tracking

The software calculates completed work percentages based on actual job costs and progress updates from the field. When changes happen mid-project, contractors can adjust billing amounts without starting over from scratch.

Progress billing becomes straightforward because all job cost data feeds directly into invoice calculations. Construction companies spend less time preparing bills and more time managing profitable projects.

Document Management and Communication

Project paperwork grows quickly. Losing important documents results in unexpected costs, lost time and wasted money.

FOUNDATION’s project management module keeps contracts, change orders, permits and correspondence connected to specific jobs where construction teams can find them easily.

Email conversations get stored with complete histories, so construction professionals never lose track of important decisions or approvals.

Photos from jobsites link directly to daily reports, creating better documentation for progress billing and potential disputes.

Advanced Financial Management

Construction-focused financial tools help contractors turn job costing data, WIP insights and cash-flow trends into clear, actionable business intelligence.

Good construction software doesn’t just store information. It helps contractors understand what the numbers mean for their business.

FOUNDATION includes reporting tools designed specifically for construction companies that need to make quick decisions based on accurate data.

Accounts Receivable and Online Invoicing

FOUNDATION streamlines the entire A/R process with:

• Automated invoice generation from job costing data
• Payment tracking and aging reports
• Collection management tools and workflows
• Customer credit monitoring and limits
• Lien management and compliance tracking

Construction companies can monitor cash flow more effectively and reduce days outstanding on receivables.

Commercial contractors can also use FOUNDATION’s integrated Online Payments, a digital tool used to process customer payments immediately to improve speed to cash.

FOUNDATION Pay® & Accounts Payable

The A/P module includes advanced features to keep vendors paid, including:

• Automated vendor payments and approval workflows
• Early payment discounts tracking and optimization
• Vendor performance analytics and reporting
• Purchase order management integrated with job costing
• Expense management tools for field teams

This comprehensive approach to vendor management helps construction companies optimize cash flow and build stronger supplier relationships.

Additionally, FOUNDATION offers an integrated expense & pay platform called FOUNDATION Pay which offers corporate credits cards that limit company spending and simplifies receipt capture.

FOUNDATION Pay improves vendor payment speed and cash-flow efficiency by giving contractors faster approval workflows, digital payment options, and real-time visibility into outgoing expenses.

Comprehensive Financial Reporting

Robust reporting tools give contractors a real-time view of profitability, cash flow and performance across every job and profit center.

FOUNDATION gives contractors a complete business picture with:

• Work-in-progress calculations across all profit centers
• Over/under-billing analysis for cash flow management
• Cash flow projections and planning tools
• Profit center performance analysis and trending

Commercial construction companies can see which jobs and profit centers contribute most to overhead recovery and which ones drain resources.

Real-Time Project Insights

Live project insights help construction professionals make fast, accurate decisions about budgets, staffing and cost control as new information comes in.

Customizable reports on cash flows and work-in-progress empower contractors to make data-driven decisions about change order pricing and crew assignments.

Job profitability reports update as costs get entered, so construction professionals always know where projects stand financially across different profit centers.

Cost analysis reports help contractors understand trends across multiple projects. These insights improve estimating and project planning over time.

The system also generates client-ready progress reports that look professional and include all the details owners and architects expect to see.

Why Commercial Contractors Choose FOUNDATION

Commercial contractors gain a real advantage when their accounting, job costing, payroll and project data all work together to deliver accurate, dependable financial insight.

Users appreciate FOUNDATION for its construction-specific interface and the efficiency it brings to their processes.

Reviews consistently highlight the detailed job costing and financial reporting features that work together seamlessly, particularly for managing multiple profit centers simultaneously.

The all-in-one approach means contractors can trust their numbers because all their data connects properly. This accuracy helps construction businesses make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

FOUNDATION also delivers the accuracy and reliability that separates growing construction businesses from those struggling with disconnected systems and manual processes.

Ready to understand why commercial contractors choose FOUNDATION?

Talk with our experts to explore the comprehensive features that make an easy decision for successful construction companies nationwide.