TLDR
Small specialty trade subs need construction accounting that handles retainage, WIP, and job-level cost tracking. QuickBooks handles basic accounting but requires Excel workarounds for WIP. Dedicated tools like MarginLock, Knowify, Foundation, and Sage 100 each have different trade-offs on price, depth, and ease of use.
| Tool | Pricing | WIP Schedule | Retainage | Implementation Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MarginLock | $20–$99/mo flat | Yes | Yes | Zero |
| QuickBooks Online | $35–$235/mo | Manual only | Workaround | Zero |
| Knowify | $99–$249/mo, per user | Manual | Yes | None listed |
| ComputerEase (Deltek) | $125–$500/user/mo | Yes | Yes | 6–8 weeks |
| Foundation Software | Per seat, undisclosed | Yes | Yes | $5K–$20K |
| Sage 100 Contractor | $115/user/mo | Yes | Yes | $5K–$25K via reseller |
MarginLock
Job costing software for specialty trade subcontractors with flat-rate pricing. Handles WIP tracking, cost-to-complete, retainage, and margin reporting without per-seat fees.
PROS & CONS
MarginLock
Pros
- Flat-rate pricing regardless of user count
- WIP tracking and cost-to-complete built in
- Retainage management included
- No implementation fee, cloud-native
Cons
- New product, still adding features
- No native payroll module
- Full GL integration still developing
Pricing: $20–$99/month flat
Verdict: Best for $1M–$20M specialty trade subs who need job costing and WIP reporting without enterprise pricing or per-seat fees.
QuickBooks Online (with class tracking)
General small business accounting with job tracking through classes and project features. Most specialty trade subs already have QuickBooks.
PROS & CONS
QuickBooks Online (with class tracking)
Pros
- Widely understood by bookkeepers and CPAs
- Strong AP, AR, and banking integrations
- Progress billing and project tracking available
- Low cost relative to dedicated construction tools
Cons
- Not designed for construction, WIP schedules require manual work
- Retainage accounting requires workarounds
- No cost-to-complete forecasting
- Job cost reporting is shallow for multi-job sub operations
Pricing: $35–$235/month depending on tier
Verdict: Right for subs under $2M running a simple operation. Once you have 5+ simultaneous jobs, the lack of WIP and cost-to-complete becomes a liability.
Knowify
Job management and costing with QuickBooks sync. Used by smaller specialty trade subs.
PROS & CONS
Knowify
Pros
- Cloud-native with mobile access
- QuickBooks sync for shops already on QB
- Change order and retainage support
Cons
- Per-user pricing compounds with team growth
- No consolidated WIP schedule
- Payroll is a paid add-on
Pricing: $99–$249/month, per-user
Verdict: Viable for subs under $3M. Per-user pricing and WIP gaps become problems as the business grows.
ComputerEase (Deltek)
MEP-focused construction accounting with the fastest implementation of any legacy platform. Acquired by Deltek in 2021 — support quality has declined.
PROS & CONS
ComputerEase (Deltek)
Pros
- Native GL — no QuickBooks required
- MEP-explicit marketing and workflows
- Fastest legacy implementation (6–8 weeks)
- Certified payroll and union labor support
Cons
- Support quality declined after Deltek acquisition
- No lien/NTO generation
- Per-user pricing creates seat-cost pressure
- Weak Procore integration
Pricing: $125–$500/user/mo
Verdict: A legitimate sub-first tool for MEP subs who need to replace QuickBooks. The Deltek acquisition raises concerns — verify current support quality before committing.
Foundation Software
Full construction accounting with deep GL integration, payroll, and retainage. Built for specialty trade contractors.
PROS & CONS
Foundation Software
Pros
- Full GL connecting job costs to financial statements
- Certified payroll and union tracking
- Retainage and AIA billing
Cons
- Per-seat pricing, not publicly listed
- Windows-native, dated interface
- $5K–$20K implementation required
Pricing: Per seat, undisclosed. Estimated $75–$150/seat/month + implementation
Verdict: Right for $10M+ subs with certified payroll needs and a controller. Overkill and overpriced for smaller operations.
Sage 100 Contractor
Mid-market construction accounting with task-level job costing, sold through resellers.
PROS & CONS
Sage 100 Contractor
Pros
- Task-level job costing granularity
- Full accounting suite
- Payroll and service dispatch modules
Cons
- $115/user/month, expensive for small teams
- Reseller-only implementation
- Crystal Reports required for custom reports
Pricing: $115/user/month + reseller implementation
Verdict: Accounting depth is real but pricing is hard to justify for subs under $5M–$10M.
What “Construction Accounting” Means for a Specialty Trade Sub
Construction accounting for a specialty trade subcontractor is different from general small business accounting. The difference shows up in a few specific areas:
Retainage. GCs typically withhold 5–10% of each progress payment until the project closes. That creates a receivable that isn’t billed, isn’t collected, and needs to be tracked separately from regular accounts receivable. General accounting software doesn’t handle this without manual workarounds.
WIP schedules. A work-in-progress schedule shows your cost position on all open jobs: how much you’ve earned based on percent complete versus how much you’ve spent. Bonding companies and banks use this to evaluate your financial health. Building a WIP schedule in QuickBooks requires supplementing with Excel.
Cost-to-complete. Knowing what you’ve spent isn’t enough. Knowing what you still have to spend to finish the job determines whether you close at the margin you bid or you take a loss. General accounting tools don’t calculate this; dedicated job costing tools do.
The Starting Point: QuickBooks
Most small specialty trade subs start with QuickBooks. It’s what the bookkeeper knows, it’s what the CPA prefers, and it handles standard AP, AR, and banking well. The construction-specific gaps only become obvious when the business grows past a handful of simultaneous active jobs.
At that point, the monthly ritual of pulling QuickBooks data into Excel to build a WIP schedule is the signal that you need a dedicated tool.
Choosing Based on Where You Are Now
Don’t buy for the business you might have in five years. Buy for the workflows that are actually breaking today. If your main pain is WIP schedule generation, that’s the primary feature to verify in any evaluation. If it’s retainage tracking, test that. If it’s real-time job cost visibility, confirm the tool actually does that rather than requiring batch updates.
The tools on this list range from $0 additional cost (QuickBooks you already pay for) to $1,380/month (Sage 100, 10 users). The right choice is the one that solves your actual current problem at a price that makes sense for your current revenue.
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