Concrete estimating software for contractors and subs, compared

By Zeke Galland, Staxen. Updated 2026-10-15.

Concrete estimating splits into two jobs: measuring slabs and footings off a plan set, and getting a priced bid signed before the pour date moves. PlanSwift is built for the first, with concrete takeoff assemblies on Windows, and Contractor Foreman suits subs buried in GC bid paperwork. Staxen fits the flatwork crew that talks through a driveway on site and wants the homeowner to sign and pay the deposit from a text. We checked every price on the vendor's own site on October 15, 2026.

How this list was chosen

We make Staxen, so weigh our view with that in mind. For concrete we asked two things of each app: can it turn slab, footing and flatwork measurements into real line items like yardage, pump, rebar and finish, and can it get a signed bid and a deposit before you order the truck. The facts and prices come from each vendor's own pricing and feature pages, checked October 15, 2026. The apps are listed by lowest published starting price, which is not the same as best to worst.

Pick by what you need

Estimating apps for concrete contractors, compared

Listed by lowest published starting price, quote-only apps last. This is not a ranking.

Joist

Best for: Small concrete crews pouring a few jobs a month that need a clean, signed estimate

Price: Basics is $10 a month for up to 5 documents a month, Pro $17, Elite $32, and the newer Run plan, which adds scheduling, is $70 a month introductory. 14-day free trial; the free plan is gone.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Joist pricing, Joist estimates, Joist homeowner financing, Joist scheduling.

Pros:

• Basics costs $10 a month, and Pro with unlimited documents is $17
• Clients sign in the app, and deposit and milestone payments come on every plan
• Takes cards, ACH bank transfers and Tap to Pay
• Built-in AI drafts estimates and invoices on every plan

Cons:

• We found no takeoff or measuring tool on its pricing page
• Basics stops at 5 documents a month, and QuickBooks sync begins at Pro

Jobber

Best for: Concrete outfits mixing repair calls with scheduled flatwork

Price: Core is $49 a month month to month, $39 on a one-year commitment, or $29 billed annually, for 1 user, and extra users are $29 a month each. Connect, which adds QuickBooks sync and automated quote follow-ups, starts at $139 a month month to month.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Jobber pricing, Jobber quotes, Jobber automations help, Jobber AI Voice help.

Pros:

• Quotes, online booking, scheduling and invoicing are all on the Core plan
• Save quote templates for the slabs and walks you pour most
• Clients approve the quote online, and you can take a deposit right after
• Wisetack financing right on the quote for bigger patio and driveway jobs

Cons:

• We found no takeoff or measuring feature on its pricing or quotes pages
• Automated quote follow-ups and QuickBooks Online sync wait for Connect, $139 a month month to month
• Core covers 1 user, and each added crew member is $29 a month

Contractor Foreman

Best for: Concrete subcontractors who bid GC work and live in submittals and daily logs

Price: From $49 a month billed annually for 1 user (Basic is annual only). Monthly billing starts at Standard, $139 a month for up to 3 users. 30-day free trial.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Contractor Foreman plans.

Pros:

• Bid management, change orders, daily logs and submittals under one login
• Upload plans and measure takeoff quantities inside the same system
• Stores your material pricing, and the 1build integration imports local vendor prices
• Time cards that show where hours were logged

Cons:

• Basic is $49 a month but annual only and 1 user; paying monthly starts at $139 for up to 3 users
• We found no deposit request on approved estimates on its pricing page
• A lot of system to set up before the first bid goes out

Staxen (our app)

Best for: Flatwork and residential concrete crews who quote on site and want the deposit before ordering concrete

Price: $59 a month per AI employee, or $149 a month for all three. The first 7 days are free in the app.

Pros:

• Talk through the pour (square feet, thickness, rebar or mesh, finish) and get priced line items back to check
• The homeowner signs from a text or email link, no app or login, and pays the deposit on that same page if you take cards through Stripe
• Change orders go out by text or email for approval when the subgrade turns out bad
• Milestone billing for forms, pour and finish, with card and ACH through Stripe
• Drafts lines from an uploaded plan PDF on foundation work, and you check the counts

Cons:

• No GPS tracking or dispatch board for crew trucks
• No purchase orders for ready-mix, rebar or forming lumber
• No consumer financing for a homeowner paying off a big driveway

Handoff

Best for: General contractors and remodelers pricing concrete as one trade inside a larger bid

Price: Flex is $149 a month, or $119 billed annually, for 2 users. Pro is $299 ($239 annually) on a 12-month commitment, and AI takeoffs from plans come with Scale at $899 a month.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on Handoff pricing.

Pros:

• Upload or transcribe a scope, and Handoff builds the estimate on every plan
• Handoff says its cost data updates daily for every city in the US
• Send estimates, proposals and invoices for digital signature on every plan

Cons:

• Flex is $149 a month, or $119 billed annually, for 2 users, and Pro carries a 12-month commitment
• We found no deposit request on estimates on its pricing page; it lists milestone invoicing instead

PlanSwift

Best for: Commercial concrete estimators doing takeoff from full plan sets at a desk

Price: Annual plans only: Essential is $2,000 a year per seat and Core $3,000 a year per seat. 14-day free trial. Runs on Windows.

Checked Oct 15, 2026 on PlanSwift pricing, concrete estimating, PlanSwift home, system requirements.

Pros:

• Measured slabs, footings, walls and piers connect to the materials, labor, waste and pricing in the estimate
• A Concrete Starter Pack with prebuilt templates, parts and assemblies
• Reads PDF, JPG, TIFF and CAD plans, and Core adds Auto Takeoff for a first pass
• A 14-day free trial of the full Core plan

Cons:

• Annual plans only: $2,000 a year per seat for Essential and $3,000 for Core
• Runs on Windows, so it stays at the office desk, not in the truck
• We found no e-signature or payment collection on its pricing page; bids export to Excel or your estimating system

If you sell driveways, patios and garage slabs to homeowners, what matters is a signed number and a deposit before you call the batch plant, so price one real job in Staxen and in Jobber and see which gets the yes faster. If you bid commercial foundations from drawings all week, PlanSwift or Contractor Foreman does the takeoff, and a cheaper app can still handle sending. Either way, collect before the truck is ordered, because poured concrete cannot be taken back.

Frequently asked questions

Which concrete estimating app is right for a small crew?

It depends on where the bid starts. If you measure on site and quote homeowners, Staxen, Jobber and Joist all send a signed estimate, and Staxen lets the client pay the deposit on the signing page when you take cards through Stripe. If the bid starts from a plan set, PlanSwift and Contractor Foreman have takeoff built in. Every price on this page was checked on the vendor's site on October 15, 2026.

What does concrete takeoff software cost?

PlanSwift is sold by the year: $2,000 per seat for Essential and $3,000 for Core, with a 14-day free trial. Contractor Foreman lists plan takeoff on its pricing page alongside bids and daily logs, and Handoff puts AI takeoff from plans on its Scale plan at $899 a month. Staxen's estimator drafts lines from an uploaded plan PDF, and you check the counts before it goes out.

How much does Staxen cost for a concrete contractor?

Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three. Eddie the Estimator handles estimates, e-signature and deposits, and Ivy the Invoicer adds milestone billing for staged pours plus QuickBooks Online sync. It is month to month, and the first 7 days are free in the app.

How do I figure yards of concrete for a slab estimate?

Multiply length by width by thickness in feet, divide by 27, then add 5 to 10 percent for spillage and subgrade variation. A 20 by 20 foot slab at 4 inches is about 4.9 yards before waste. With ready-mix at $155 to $235 per yard delivered in 2026, plus a short-load fee when you order under a full truck, the material math belongs on the estimate, not on a guess.

Should concrete estimates itemize pump and finish charges?

Yes. A pump truck is its own charge where access requires one, and finish upgrades (broom versus exposed aggregate versus stamped) move the price a lot: our 2026 pricing guide puts a 300 square foot patio slab at $2,000 to $5,000 installed and a stamped one at $3,500 to $8,000. Itemizing these keeps your base bid competitive while making the upgrades the client's informed choice.

Get the Staxen app: the first 7 days are free.