You already use Xero for bookkeeping and accounting. What is missing is the construction layer that gives your team live visibility into project budgets, committed costs, invoices, forecasts, and profitability before month-end.
Planyard sits on top of Xero so project teams can manage the commercial side of the job, while finance keeps working in Xero.
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Contractors already trust Xero for bookkeeping, but they still need a way to manage project budgets, committed costs, subcontractor spending, invoice approvals, and job profitability in a construction-friendly workflow.
Xero tracks transactions, not project budgets
Manual budget tracking outside of Xero
Not two separate views of the same project
Approve and manage costs before they reach Xero
"When I have been working on cloud accounting like Xero and Quickbooks they don’t have a specific construction-based costing tool. You have project management costing tools but they are not aimed at the level of what construction companies need so I came across Planyard and I was like finally there is something that solves the problem."
Without a construction-specific layer, teams often end up exporting data from Xero, updating separate spreadsheets, and manually matching costs back to project budgets. That creates a slow, disjointed process that makes financial clarity harder than it should be.
Three disconnected sources for one project
Time-consuming reconciliation for every update
Delayed visibility means delayed decisions
Everyone relies on a different spreadsheet version
"It was a combination of manual steps that slowed us down. We were doing estimates in one spreadsheet, creating another to manage the budget, and then trying to extract data from Xero to bring back into Excel. From there, we had to somehow match everything up just to understand how the budget was tracking against our actual expenditure. It was a disjointed process that made financial clarity difficult to achieve."
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If you already use Xero, you do not need another accounting system. You need a commercial management layer that helps your team control project financials before they become accounting entries.
The full financial picture without manual assembly
Every cost traces back to a budget line and an order
Act before the budget is already overspent
No need to replace what already works for bookkeeping
"Xero does have a purchase order system, but it wasn't geared towards a construction business or the way we actually operate."
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Planyard gives project teams the construction workflow they need, while Xero stays the source of truth for bookkeeping and accounting.
Instead of forcing project control into accounting software, Planyard separates the two jobs clearly and connects them cleanly. Project teams work in a workflow built for construction, not bookkeeping.
See how it works with XeroKeep all project-level financial control in one place
Invoices sync with correct coding, vendor details, and attachments
Not a bookkeeping interface — a real commercial management tool
Finance stays in Xero while project teams manage the commercial side
"All of the financial data and invoices are sent automatically to Xero and emailed to my bookkeeper, who then has all the information she needs to record it correctly in our accounts. It’s sort of job done, as simple as that."
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The biggest shift is that your team no longer has to build project financial control outside the system. Project managers, QSs, directors, and finance all get a clearer picture of where the job stands.
One source of truth for budgets, orders, and costs
Know what is spent the moment a PO is issued
Live margin visibility at any point in the project
Proactive financial control instead of reactive reporting
"We had to get our accountant on board and interface it with Xero, so invoices hit the right job number. Now an invoice gets uploaded in Planyard, I sign it off, and it drops into my Xero payment schedule in three or four weeks - it’s perfect."
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Construction companies need more than a clean ledger. They need to control budgets as work is priced, ordered, delivered, invoiced, and reviewed — in a way that matches how contractors actually operate.
The full picture of what is spent and what is coming
Instead of delayed reports compiled manually
While finance stays in Xero handling payments and reconciliation
The full construction cost lifecycle in one system
"At the very beginning my wife did all that finance stuff - she doesn’t need to do it anymore. All I do is approve payments on Xero and check the margins on Planyard."
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The recurring pattern is simple: Xero users do not want to replace Xero. They want a construction layer that makes project budgeting, cost control, and profitability much easier to manage.
"We love how simple, intuitive and powerful Xero is but were having difficulty finding a project management add-on that was equally intuitive and powerful, until we discovered Planyard.
Planyard has transformed how we view our projects and ensures the finance team, project managers and the subcontractors have a clear view of the project finances. The support is exceptional and Planyard team are always available to give us a hand or listen to suggestions for new features.
The Xero integration is extremely fast and reliable :)"
"What do you like best about Planyard?
Keeps everything in one place, especially with its interface with Xero. Ease of input.
What problems is Planyard solving and how is that benefiting you?
Tracking of costs against budgets for projects at a moment's glance."
Give your team live budget, committed-cost, invoice, and margin visibility — while keeping bookkeeping and payments in Xero.
We've got your questions covered. If you can't find the answer below, then feel free to contact us via the chat.
No. The point is to keep Xero for bookkeeping and accounting, and add Planyard as the construction budgeting and cost-control layer.
Because accounting software is not built to handle the full project-side workflow of budget control, committed costs, approvals, forecasting, and live commercial visibility.
It gives your team a construction-specific workflow for project budgets, committed costs, invoice approvals, forecasting, and profitability tracking.
Yes. The workflow is designed so project teams manage cost control in Planyard while finance continues working in Xero.
Yes. That is one of the clearest reasons buyers look for a tool like this in the first place.
Yes. This is one of the biggest differences between using only Xero and using a dedicated construction layer on top.
Yes. Xero purchase orders do not give many contractors the full budget-control and project-finance workflow they actually need.
