Planyard

For an SME main contractor on Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, Planyard covers tender to final account with subcontractor applications, retention and published GBP pricing (Ultimate, £164 per project manager per month). Firms that want one ERP with CIS returns, payroll and accounts built in should look at Access Coins Evo. Archdesk suits contractors who want operations, compliance and pay less notice workflows on one platform. Procore fits large contractors already running projects on it.

Some can. Archdesk says its payment workflow issues pay less notices in line with the Construction Act. Planyard calculates the certified amount and produces a payment application PDF for both sides, but it does not track notice dates, so you serve payment and pay less notices through your own contract administration process. Whatever the tool, check who issues the notice and when, because a missed pay less notice usually means paying the sum applied for.

Set the retention percentage on the subcontract order, usually 3% to 5%, and let the software deduct it from every valuation. Track the balance held per subcontract, release the first half at practical completion and the second at the end of the defects or rectification period, as the subcontract says. A retention report across all projects stops releases being missed or paid twice.

The contractor deducts CIS from the labour part of each payment: 20% for a registered subcontractor, 30% if unregistered, nothing if the subcontractor has gross payment status. Materials, VAT and plant hire are not subject to the deduction. Subcontractor management software holds the labour and materials split and the certified amount; accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks or Sage applies the deduction and files the monthly return. Access Coins Evo does both in one system.

Not always. Planyard sends subcontractors a link to submit applications and upload invoices without creating an account. Archdesk, Buildern and Procore treat subcontractors as free external users with their own access. eSUB is software for subcontractors to run their own business, so it is the subcontractor who buys it.

Planyard, Buildern and Contractor Foreman publish prices: Planyard’s subcontractor features are in Ultimate at £164 per project manager per month, Buildern starts at $225 per month for two seats billed annually, and Contractor Foreman starts at $49 per month on an annual plan. Access Coins Evo, Archdesk, Procore and eSUB quote; Procore prices on annual construction volume and Access on users, with a three-year initial term.