Is this only for large contractors, or can smaller teams use it too?

Planyard is designed for teams that have outgrown spreadsheets but do not want an oversized ERP. Many buyers are looking for something construction-specific, simpler than Procore-style platforms, and practical for real project budgeting workflows.

Can we start small before committing fully?

Yes. Teams can begin with a lower-cost entry point, get familiar with the system, structure budgets, and expand when needed.

Does Planyard work with Xero?

Yes. The Xero workflow includes importing contacts and account structure, then sending approved invoices into Xero with correct mappings and attachments.

Can it handle long or complex construction projects?

Yes. It is suitable for large capital projects, long timelines, phased budgets, and extensive budget structures.

Will it create more admin for the team?

The intended outcome is the opposite. The workflow is designed to reduce manual invoice matching, spreadsheet maintenance, and duplicated entry between budgeting tools and Xero.

Can we track commitments, changes, and revised budgets?

Yes. It is built to handle commitments against budget, revised budget visibility, and approved changes.

Can directors or boards see the data without becoming full users?

Yes. Limited-view access can be used so directors can review KPIs and budget performance without using the full operational workflow.

How do external consultants or subcontractors use it?

Requests for quotes and payment applications can be handled through email-based or browser-based workflows that are simpler for outside participants.

What if plans change and we need to pause?

The subscription can be paused without tie-up periods or startup fees, and the data remains there for return later.

What kind of support and training is available?

Standard assistance, in-app help, and tutorial resources such as the Academy and short workflow videos are available.

Construction Budget Management Software for Contractors

See where your project budget stands now — not after month-end.

Most contractors do not start looking for budget management software because they want more software. They start when spreadsheets get slow, budgets become harder to trust, committed costs are unclear, and project profitability becomes too difficult to see in time.

Planyard gives contractors a live budget management workflow that connects budgets, committed costs, invoices, forecasting, and project profitability in one place.

Start free trial Book a demo

Integrates with

All projects budget overview in Planyard showing total budgeted, forecast totals and overall margin

For contractors who have outgrown budget spreadsheets

This page is for teams that still manage project budgets in Excel or disconnected tools, but now need one current view of costs, commitments, invoices, and project margin. It is especially relevant for contractors who use Xero and want live budget control without adding an oversized ERP system.

You are still tracking budgets in Excel or Google Sheets.
You only understand where the budget stands after manual reconciliation.
You want to see committed costs before the invoice arrives.
You need a clearer way to track budget, forecast, cost reports, and profit in one workflow.

"You can analyze costs at both a budget and subcontract level, making it easy to see exactly what has been ordered against your total commitments. That visibility filled a huge gap we had previously; Planyard completely solved that problem for us."

Sharon Brown Financial Controller · Empower Renewables · Dublin, Ireland

Why construction budgets fail in Excel

Excel is familiar, but it breaks down when multiple people, multiple projects, and constant changes all need to flow through the same budget.

Budget versions end up in different files, inboxes, and personal spreadsheets.
Manual PO tracking and invoice matching make it hard to trust the numbers.
Forecasting becomes too slow and too manual to help the team act early.

"We wanted a system that could handle everything—from the initial estimation and the real budget to contracts and ongoing budget tracking. We were tired of having to export bits of data to Excel and jump through hoops just to get a clear picture. Now, when invoices come in, we just put them into the program and everything is centralized, which makes it incredibly easy. We used to struggle with a lot of miscalculations in the past, but since moving to this centralized approach, those issues are completely gone."

Maarten Van Heucke Owner/Project Leader · Het Kantoor van Morgen · Melle, Belgium

From estimate to profitability in one workflow

Planyard turns construction budgeting from a separate monthly reporting task into a connected workflow that updates as the project moves.

Estimate — Import your estimate with cost codes and quantities.
Budget — Set the project budget the team manages against throughout the build.
Purchase orders and subcontracts — Raise orders directly against the budget so committed costs are visible immediately.
Invoice matching — Match invoices to orders and budget lines. Approved invoices sync to Xero with correct job costing.
Forecast — See the projected final cost update as orders, invoices, and changes flow through.
Cost reporting — Live cost-to-complete reporting without building a separate spreadsheet.
Profitability — See project margin in real time, not after month-end.

"Planyard makes it very easy to ensure that everyone understands the figures and exactly what the committed costs are."

Sharon Brown Financial Controller · Empower Renewables · Dublin, Ireland

Built for contractors using Xero

Many contractors do not want to replace Xero. They want to add the missing layer for project budgeting, committed-cost tracking, approvals, and forecasting, so project financial control happens before the accounting stage instead of after it.

Import contacts, chart of accounts, and tracking categories from Xero.
Push approved invoices to Xero as drafts with the PDF attached and mapped correctly.
Avoid double entry by managing project costs in Planyard first and syncing them to Xero.

"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."

Lee Covington Owner · E&N Group Ltd · London, United Kingdom

Know the final project margin before the project finishes

This is one of the biggest reasons contractors move away from spreadsheets. Instead of waiting until month-end or project completion, the team can see budget variance, forecast cost movement, and whether the project is still on track while there is still time to act.

Track the difference between target budget and revised budget as the project evolves.
Spot budget pressure before the invoice lands by seeing commitments early.
Use live financial data to make earlier decisions with more confidence.

"We wanted to know before a project finished whether we were going to make a profit or not. Planyard has allowed us to do that. We can see exactly which jobs are profitable and which ones are not and can make changes on the go."

Tomy Saaron CEO · Hausers Group · Estonia

Replace spreadsheet cost reports and manual budget tracking

Your budget should not depend on someone manually rebuilding a spreadsheet every month. Planyard helps turn budget tracking and cost reporting from a slow reporting exercise into a live view of project performance that is easier to manage, easier to trust, and easier to act on.

Reduce spreadsheet errors, broken links, and duplicated work.
Keep budget, commitments, invoices, and cost reporting logic connected.
Make project financial reviews faster and more current.

"Planyard is a live overview of your projects. How they are performing financially and it is basically a CVR that is live all the time. It has up-to-date data."

Claire Hill Estimator and quantity surveyor · Brown & Bancroft Interiors · Bolton, United Kingdom

From spreadsheet budgets to live project margin visibility.

E&N Group was managing project budgets across spreadsheets, emails, and manual purchase orders. With Planyard, their team now works from live budget data with committed costs visible before invoices arrive, giving them true margin visibility across every project.

E&N Group Ltd

London, United Kingdom

Read the case study →

Why teams move budget management into Planyard

Contractors want to stop managing project budgets across spreadsheets, emails, and manual follow-ups — and see current cost, commitments, margin, and project performance in one place.

"When you look at your margin without using Planyard, you might think you’re making 21%. But are you really if things have been missed and you can’t see them? Planyard lets you see a true margin all the time."