Custom ERP for contractors and developers
Custom construction ERP built around your contracts, jobs and subcontractors
One system for the job money flow, from budget and subcontract to valuation, retention and the final account.
Contractors lose margin where a generic accounting package stops: commitments, change orders, subcontractor certificates and retention. We build custom ERP for contractors whose contract forms a packaged product cannot hold, and we say plainly when a package or your current accounts are enough.
Start with a free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules.
Key facts
- Provider
- Timeline Digital, a custom software development company founded in 2013 and headquartered in Islamabad, Pakistan
- What we build
- Custom construction ERP: job costing, commitments, change orders, subcontractor valuations, retention, progress billing and project reporting
- Markets
- Built for contractors working under UK, US, Gulf and Pakistani conventions
- Track record
- 1,500+ projects for 860+ clients; 1,200+ developers and 85+ management professionals, including group-company employees
- Schedule
- There is no fixed timeframe: the schedule is set from your requirements in the Plan step. The free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules is ready in about 2 days.
- Pricing
- Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. The price is agreed after requirements analysis and the free pilot.
- Ownership
- Source code and documentation transfer to you on full payment, as set out in the agreement.
Who this is for
- General contractors and specialty trade contractors who run several live jobs and need budget, commitments and actuals by cost code.
- Developers and builders who place subcontracts, pay on certification and hold retention on both sides.
- Engineering and contracting firms bidding for public or large private work, with reporting duties that a standard accounting package cannot meet.
- Groups working across the UK, the US, the Gulf and Pakistan, with different tax treatment, currencies and contract forms.
Probably not a fit
- A small contractor whose accounting package plus a tidy project spreadsheet already shows margin by job. Keep what works.
- A firm that only needs scheduling, drawings and site photos. A project management tool is the cheaper answer.
- A business that wants a packaged product with a large implementer network and has standard contract forms. Buy it.
Eight stages from budget to job profit, and the control at each one
This is the spine of the system. Each stage records something specific and has a control that stops the usual leak.
| Stage | What the system records | The usual control |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Estimate and budget | Estimate converted to cost codes at award, with a version history for every revision | Budget is locked after approval; changes need a reason and an approver |
| 2. Commitments | Subcontracts and purchase orders by job and cost code, with retention rate, terms and insurance dates | Approval limits by role; an alert when commitments pass the budget for a code |
| 3. Change orders and variations | Client and subcontract changes with status (proposed, instructed, approved), linked to each other | Only approved changes move the contract value; unpriced instructions are listed as exposure |
| 4. Cost actuals | Supplier invoices, timesheets, plant and equipment charges, stock issues and subcontract payments | Three-way match of order, receipt and invoice; no posting to a closed job or code |
| 5. Valuation and payment application | Work done by line each period, gross value less previous payments, deductions and retention | Pay-when-certified: payment cannot exceed the certified amount without an override and a reason |
| 6. Retention held and released | Retention withheld from subcontractors and by clients, each with a release rule and date | Release raised as its own event, with a defects check before it is approved |
| 7. Progress billing | Percentage or quantity complete against the contract schedule, producing the application or invoice | Billing capped at what the contract allows; stored materials follow a written valuation rule |
| 8. Job profitability | Cost to date, estimate to complete, forecast final cost, forecast margin and work in progress (WIP) | Project manager confirms the forecast monthly; large swings are flagged for review |
Small worked examples with illustrative figures are in our guide to construction ERP job costing, retention and progress billing, and the module overview and selection checklist are in ERP for construction companies.
What the system is designed to support, confirmed per project
These differ by country and contract form. We build the records and reports; your adviser confirms the rules.
Retention and release rules
Retention is calculated on every application and every subcontract payment, not as a month-end journal.
Rates, caps, split releases (for example at completion and after the defects period) and release conditions are set per contract and shown on receivables and payables as their own balance.
Subcontract valuations
Each period the site team records work done, and the system builds the valuation for approval.
Certified, approved and paid are separate steps. Back-charges, advances and deductions are explicit, and payment above the certified figure needs an override.
UK Construction Industry Scheme (CIS)
Subcontractor verification status and the deduction applied to each payment are held on the payment itself.
Designed to support payment and deduction statements and the monthly return data for your tax software or adviser. Your adviser confirms the rules and the submission route.
US lien waivers and prevailing wage
Conditional and unconditional waiver records are tied to each payment application and subcontractor payment.
Where public work requires it, wage-rate and certified payroll records are kept against the timesheet. Forms and wording follow your state and contract and are confirmed per project.
VAT, GST and sales tax
Tax codes follow the customer, the supplier and the type of work, including special treatments for construction services.
We build the fields and reports; which code applies in each country, such as a domestic reverse charge, is for your tax adviser to confirm.
Multi-currency for overseas projects
Contracts, commitments and costs in the project currency, with reporting in the group currency.
Exchange-rate sources, revaluation rules and the treatment of retention held in another currency are agreed with your finance team during planning.
Project and portfolio reporting
WIP, cost to complete, forecast margin and cash position by job, then rolled up across all jobs.
Over- and under-billing, commitments not yet invoiced, aged retention and subcontractor exposure, all drilling down to the entries behind each number.
Equipment, labour and multi-site stock
Plant hire rates, own-crew labour and site stores are charged to jobs as they are used.
Stock moves between yard and sites show an in-transit state, and fuel, hours and standing time post to the job rather than sitting in overheads.
Not tax advice. Timeline Digital is a software developer. We do not give tax or legal advice and hold no tax certification, and we do not claim that the system complies with any scheme or law. Your accountant or tax adviser confirms the rules in each country before go-live.
Packaged construction ERP, accounting add-on or custom build?
Many contractors should not build. This table shows where each option wins so you can choose on fit.
| Question | Packaged construction ERP | Accounting package with an add-on | Custom construction ERP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | Your contract forms and trades are mainstream and an implementer in your country knows them | You run few jobs, simple contracts and mostly need the books, with some job tracking | Your valuations, retention, approvals or reporting differ from the standard product |
| Subcontract valuations and retention | Strong when your forms match its model | Often basic; extra tools or spreadsheets fill the gap | Modelled on your exact certificates, retention rules and approvals |
| Jurisdiction rules (CIS, lien waivers, VAT) | Usually covered for the main markets the vendor serves | Covered for tax; job-level rules are limited | Built for the markets you work in, confirmed with your adviser |
| Field and site input | Vendor mobile apps, shaped by the vendor roadmap | Limited; usually timesheets only | Mobile screens built for your crews, forms and approvals |
| Integrations | Standard connectors for common tools | Marketplace connectors and exports | Built to the exact tools you already run |
| Cost model over five years | Licences or subscriptions that grow with users, plus configuration | Lowest to start; the cost returns as manual work and workarounds | Mostly the build and support; no per-user licence |
| Risk if requirements are unclear | Lower: proven product | Low at first, higher as jobs grow | Higher until a pilot proves the design on your jobs |
Keep your package or buy one when
- The accounting package gives you reliable books and a project spreadsheet gives you a trusted margin per job.
- You have standard contract forms, and a vendor or implementer in your country has run the same setup before.
- Your pain is scheduling, drawings or site photos, not cost control.
A custom build deserves a comparison when
- Valuations, retention or approvals follow your own contract forms and a standard model needs heavy customisation.
- Work spans several countries, each with different tax treatment, currencies and certificate formats.
- You need field input in places with weak connectivity, or one view across subcontract, labour, plant and stock.
- Per-user licences are costly for a large office and site team, and you want to own the code.
This page is about building the ERP. If you only need a project management tool, our construction project management software comparison is the better start. For a firm that makes components as well as builds, see manufacturing ERP software, which centres on bills of materials and production orders rather than jobs and valuations. A building-supply merchant is closer to distribution ERP software. The parent service is custom ERP development.
Integrations a contractor usually needs
Described by category. Each tool is assessed for a workable API or file exchange before we promise anything.
Accounting packages
The ERP can post summarised entries to your ledger or hold the ledger itself. Which side is the system of record is decided in planning.
Payroll and timesheets
Hours by job and cost code flow to payroll, and payroll cost returns to the job. Wage-rate and overtime rules sit in one place.
Scheduling, BIM and project tools
Programme dates, quantities and change requests can be exchanged where the other tool has an API or export. We assess each tool before promising anything.
Document management
Contracts, certificates, insurance documents and drawings are linked to the subcontract or job record instead of retyped.
E-signature
Subcontracts, variations and payment certificates can be sent for signature and the signed copy attached to the record.
Mobile field apps
Site diaries, timesheets, deliveries and inspections captured on a phone and linked to the job. See our field and staff app work.
Connections are built under ERP integration services, and phone-based site input under field and staff apps. Moving open jobs from an older system is covered by ERP data migration services.
Three ways contractors choose their free pilot
The pilot is 2 to 3 modules that prove the hardest part of your business on your own jobs.
Job cost and commitments (a common first pilot)
Cost codes, budgets, purchase orders, subcontracts, change orders and an over-commitment alert
Proves: Proves your cost structure and gives a live budget against commitments on a real job.
Valuations and retention
Subcontract valuations, payment certificates, retention held and release
Proves: Proves the pay-when-certified rules that cause the most disputes.
Billing and job reporting
Progress billing against the contract schedule, WIP and forecast margin by job
Proves: Proves the numbers the directors and the bank ask for.
Understand, Plan, Select Technology, Pilot, Build and Scale
The same five steps run every project. For a contractor, each step has a specific job.
- Step 1
Understand
We walk one live job from estimate to final account, including the awkward parts: late variations, disputed valuations and retention released early.
- Step 2
Plan
Cost code structure, contract forms, approval limits, tax treatment per country and reports are written down, and the pilot modules chosen with you.
- Step 3
Select technology
Architecture follows your users, sites, devices and hosting needs, including how the system behaves where site connectivity is poor.
- Step 4
Free pilot
We build the 2 to 3 key modules as working software, for example job cost and commitments first, using your own cost codes and one real job.
- Step 5
Build and scale
After you approve the pilot: full development, migration of open jobs and commitments, testing with a replayed valuation cycle, training, cutover and support.
Delivery is remote from our Islamabad headquarters, with scheduled video meetings in your working hours. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 Pakistan time (PKT, UTC+5). For the generic project sequence, see ERP implementation services. If you need extra capacity inside your own team, see hire ERP developers. The full explanation of the pilot is on how we work.
How the free pilot works
Timeline Digital builds a free pilot before any agreement. You contact us and we agree 2 to 3 key modules. We build them as working software, free of charge and ready in about 2 days, and your team tests them. The full project starts only after you approve the pilot, and you decide on the final agreement then.
Start a free pilotYou contact us
Tell us about your jobs, your contract forms and the control that fails most often. A mutual NDA can be signed first.
We agree the 2 to 3 key modules
Together we choose 2 to 3 key modules that prove the solution.
We build the pilot and you test it
We build those modules as real, working software, free of charge. Your team uses the pilot.
You decide on the final agreement
The full project starts after you approve the pilot, and the scope, milestones and terms are agreed after it.
Construction ERP questions buyers ask
Construction ERP vs accounting software: what is the real difference?
Accounting software records money by account and period. A construction ERP records it by job, cost code, commitment, change order, valuation and retention, so you see margin while the job runs. If one package plus a project spreadsheet already gives a trusted margin per job, keep it. Otherwise the gap usually shows at subcontract valuations.
How do construction ERPs differ on CIS, retentions, subcontract valuations and project reporting?
Ask each vendor to run one of your own jobs. Check that CIS status and deductions sit on the payment, that retention is calculated on each application and has release rules, that valuations separate certified, approved and paid, and that WIP and forecast margin drill down to entries. Your adviser confirms the tax rules.
What industry-specific requirements does an ERP need for a large government contractor?
Typically contract-level cost records, subcontract controls, prevailing-wage or certified payroll records, a full audit trail, approval limits, retention handling and reporting to the contracting authority. Cost-type contracts may also need indirect rate allocation and timekeeping controls. Your contract documents set the list, and we confirm it per project.
Which construction change order software integrates with project management systems?
Many project tools include change orders, so the question is whether an approved change reaches the budget, commitments and billing schedule. In a custom ERP a change order is a job record with a status, linked to the subcontract change. We connect to a project tool where it has an API or export, assessed first.
Can Business Central work as a construction ERP for general contractors?
Business Central is a general business system with job (project) accounting, and contractors often add partner extensions or custom work for retention, valuations and CIS. Check Microsoft's current documentation and run one of your jobs through a demo. Timeline Digital does not resell it, but can build the custom pieces around it.
What are the best ERP systems for building supply and retail businesses?
A building-supply merchant is closer to a distributor than a contractor: stock across branches, customer price lists, trade-counter sales, delivery and credit accounts. Judge systems on those, not on job costing. See our distribution ERP software page. A contractor with its own yard needs both views, which we can combine.
Can we migrate a construction ERP from on-premises to the cloud?
Usually. Plan the move around live jobs: open commitments, retention balances, unbilled work and the cost history behind each forecast. We rehearse the migration, reconcile balances after each run and agree what is carried over before cutover. See ERP data migration services.
Should a contractor buy a packaged construction ERP or build a custom one?
Buy when your contract forms are mainstream and an implementer in your country has done it before. Compare a custom build when valuations, retention or approvals follow your own rules, work spans several tax regimes, or per-user licences are costly. Run one real job through each option first. See ERP versus custom development.
Can site teams use it where connectivity is poor?
A mobile app can capture timesheets, deliveries, site diaries and inspections on a phone and link them to the job. Working offline and synchronising later is designed and scoped from your sites and coverage; it is not automatic. See our field and staff apps.
How does the free pilot work?
You contact us, and we agree 2 to 3 key modules, for example job cost and commitments first. We build them as working software, free of charge, and your team tests them on a real job. The full project starts only after you approve the pilot, and the final agreement is made then.
How much does a custom construction ERP cost?
Timeline Digital does not publish prices for custom software, because every project is custom. The price follows the jobs, modules, users and integrations you need, and is agreed in writing after requirements analysis and the free pilot. Source code transfers to you on full payment.
How long does a construction ERP take to build?
There is no fixed timeframe: the schedule for your construction ERP is set from your requirements in the Plan step. A free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules comes first, you test it, and the full project starts only after you approve it. Long-term support under a service level agreement (SLA) follows launch.
Guides for this decision
In-depth, practical reading for teams planning this kind of project.
- Guide · 12 min readConstruction ERP: Job Costing, Retention, Subcontract Valuation and Progress Billing (Custom vs Package)Construction ERP differs from standard ERP in four places: job costing against a cost code structure, retention held on both sides, subcontract valuations, and progress billing against a schedule of values. This guide explains each with a worked example and shows when a custom build is better than a packaged construction system.Read the guide
- Guide · 8 min readERP for Construction Companies: Job Costing, Subcontractors and RetentionsConstruction ERP is built around the job, not the product: budgets, commitments, progress billing, retentions, subcontractor payments and plant. This guide sets out the requirements, the UK CIS point, and when a package or a custom build fits.Read the guide
- Guide · 10 min readHow to Write ERP Requirements That Vendors Can Actually PriceERP requirements that vendors can price describe processes, volumes, users, integrations and data in testable sentences, ranked by priority. This guide shows how to gather them, a format that works, before and after examples, and the mistakes that make quotes impossible to compare.Read the guide
- Guide · 8 min readERP Implementation Steps: A Practical Plan From Discovery to Go-LiveAn ERP implementation runs in seven phases, from discovery to post-go-live support. This guide lists the deliverable each phase must produce, the roles you need and the factors that decide how long it takes.Read the guide
Bring one live job, and see it costed and valued first
Send your contract form, your cost codes and the one control that fails most often. We reply with the modules we would pilot, or an honest note that your current package is enough. A mutual NDA can be signed before you share sensitive details.
Start with a free pilot of 2 to 3 key modules.
About this page
Published by Timeline Digital. CIS, lien waiver, prevailing wage, VAT and GST handling are described as designed to be supported and are confirmed per project with your adviser. This page is not tax or legal advice, and no certification or compliance is claimed.
Author
Usama Asif
CEO and CTO, Timeline Digital.
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