Software for contractors: what should it do for your money?

A contractor with a stack of jobs and an empty bank account? Here is how you let software bring the money in. You don't have to spend your evenings on it.

What should software for contractors actually do for you?

Good software for contractors makes sure you get paid faster. The invoice comes from work that is already on record: the signed quote and the work orders. The deposit comes in before you order materials. The rest is secondary.

Many contractors first look for scheduling or time tracking. That makes sense, because that is where the daily rush is. But the money is somewhere else. A job is only finished once it is paid.

So look at two moments. The first is before the job: is there a signature and a deposit? The second is after: how quickly does the invoice go out?

Say you're a roofer. For a roof you order the tiles and battens. Only after the job do you make an invoice. Then you have financed the materials yourself for weeks. That isn't bad luck, that is a hole in the way you work.

Why does my invoice go out so late?

Your invoice goes out late because you have to reconstruct it afterwards. You gather hours, receipts and agreements. Let the invoice come from the work orders and the signed quote, and you have nothing left to track down. That saves the evening behind the laptop.

The problem is rarely the typing. It is the searching. What was agreed? Which extra work was added? Who signed what?

With the Invoices tool (Facturen), a work order or quote becomes an invoice. Invoice numbers run in sequence and your accountant gets an export. You confirm the invoice yourself before it goes to the client.

Say you're a plumber and you work four days for one client. Every day you record on a work order what you did. On Friday everything is ready. You check it, press confirm and the invoice goes out.

Want to know what has to be on an invoice? The Dutch tax authority explains which requirements an invoice must meet (Belastingdienst, in Dutch). Read it once and check your template.

How do I collect a deposit before I order materials?

You collect a deposit with a payment link on the quote. The client signs, pays, and only then do you order. That way you don't finance the job yourself. Money and signatures always go through a link, never through the chat.

It works in two steps. First the client signs the quote on their phone. That is the Contract + signature tool (Contract + handtekening), and it is legally valid under Article 3:15a of the Dutch Civil Code (BW).

Then comes the payment link. With Payment link + go-ahead (Betaallink + startsein), the deposit runs through a payment link from your own bunq account. After payment the job is ready in your schedule.

Say you're a contractor doing a bathroom. The tiles and the sanitaryware cost a fair amount. You send the quote with a payment link. Only when the deposit is in do you order. You don't have to chase anyone by phone.

The app gets the link ready. You confirm, and only then does it go to the client. That way nothing touches money or a signature without you seeing it.

Which data do I already have, and what am I still missing?

You often already have everything: a quote, work orders, hours and receipts. They are just scattered across chat apps, paper and your head. Software for contractors brings them together, so the invoice follows straight from that data.

Go through where your information is right now. The quote is in an email. The hours are on a note in the van. The extra work is a phone call from Tuesday.

Each of those loose pieces costs you time when you invoice. Record them straight away, and the invoice is a matter of checking. You dictate or type the extra work, and it is there.

Also watch the VAT rate. Work on homes has its own rule. The Dutch tax authority describes which VAT rate applies to work on homes (Belastingdienst, in Dutch). Better to check that before than after.

Read more about what construction software gets you in What is construction software and what does it get you?.

What does it cost to get started?

You start for free, without installing anything. The trial account is for one user and covers five projects, from request to invoice. You work in the same app as paying customers. All tools are in it, including Invoices and the payment link. The app itself runs in Dutch; the agent answers you in English.

So you don't put money in to see whether it suits you. You take a real job, make the quote, get it signed and collect the deposit. Then you see for yourself whether the invoice is ready faster.

If it fits, you choose a plan. Solo (the amounts are on the pricing page) is meant for people who work alone. There is no setup fee. A project counts at its first quote.

Anything that touches money or a signature, the app gets ready with a confirm button. You stay in control. Look at the services around invoices and payments to see what it looks like.

Want to try it yourself with one real job? Create your free trial account and you will see in an afternoon how an invoice comes out of your quote.