If you are running a residential building crew, the “best app” is usually the one that stops the double-handling. Quotes in one place, jobs in another, invoices somewhere else, and you spend your nights stitching it all together.
So here’s a simple starter stack that works for most Aussie builders in 2026. Nothing fancy. Just the stuff that actually keeps jobs moving and cash coming in.
1) Job management: NextMinute (your day-to-day HQ)
If you want one system your whole team actually uses, job management is the place to start.
NextMinute is built for running the work: quotes, jobs, scheduling, timesheets, and invoicing. It’s also designed for teams, not solo operators, with support for businesses around the 3–30 staff mark.
The big win is the two-way Xero connection. NextMinute runs the jobs, Xero runs the money, and you reduce the admin that normally blows out at the end of the week. Invoices, payroll, and contacts stay in order via the integration.
If you are picking just one tool to roll out first, make it this. Once quoting and invoicing are consistent, everything else gets easier.
2) Accounting: Xero (system of record)
Most builders want the accounts clean, BAS time less painful, and visibility on cash.
Xero’s app ecosystem is strong for construction and trades, and it publishes “power list” style collections of the tools businesses are connecting most to manage jobs and cash flow.
Pairing Xero with a proper job system is the move. You want the site team focused on running work, and the office side staying tidy without re-keying everything.
3) Takeoffs and estimating: Bluebeam or PlanSwift (pick your style)
When you are quoting regularly, time spent measuring plans is either a profit lever or a late-night trap.
Bluebeam is a popular option for PDF markup and measurement, handy when you are reviewing drawings and doing takeoffs off PDFs.
PlanSwift is a dedicated takeoff and estimating tool aimed at builders who want faster, more accurate estimating workflows.
If you are a smaller resi builder and want a more “all-in-one estimating vibe”, Buildxact is also positioned at small to mid-sized residential builders with takeoff and estimating in the mix.
4) Safety and site checks: SafetyCulture (iAuditor)
Paper checklists go missing. Photos get buried in someone’s camera roll. Issues get “fixed” but never recorded.
SafetyCulture (iAuditor) is built for inspections and checklists so your team can run safety and quality checks from a phone and share reports.
Even if you only start with pre-starts and handover checks, it tightens things up fast.
5) Team comms and files: Google Workspace (or Microsoft 365 if that’s your world)
You need one place for plans, selections, contracts, photos, and the endless “where’s that file” moments.
Google Workspace is the simple default for a lot of teams because it bundles email plus Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and the rest.
If your crew is already in Microsoft land, Microsoft 365 gives you business file storage and sharing plus the standard Office apps.
Pick one and make it the rule, otherwise you end up with three versions of the same file floating around.
6) Cash flow visibility: Float (when you want to stop guessing)
Builders do not go broke from lack of work. They go broke from timing.
Float is a cash flow forecasting tool that integrates with Xero and is designed to give clearer visibility on where cash is headed.
This one is optional early on, but it becomes valuable as soon as you are juggling multiple jobs and progress claims.
The simple “do this first” rollout
If you want a clean implementation that does not fall over:
Start with NextMinute + Xero so quoting, jobs, timesheets, and invoices are consistent and flowing.
Then add takeoffs, then safety, then the nice-to-haves.
Want to learn more? Have a chat with us about what successful builders are using in your area - click here.
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