Free Construction Project Management Software
Catalystk is free construction project management software for contractors and builders. Manage each site as a project, bill stage-wise milestones such as the basement and each floor, raise material purchase orders, track inventory and approvals, and monitor costs online or on the mobile app. Free download of site reports in Excel and PDF.
- 100% free
- Stage-wise billing
- Materials & purchase orders
- Site dashboard
- Excel & PDF download
How construction project management works in Catalystk
Five stages take a building job from the signed contract to the last floor invoice.
- 1
Open the site as a project
Enter the site, client, cost centre, contract value and dates.
- 2
Break the job into stages
Add the basement and each floor as milestones with a % or amount.
- 3
Attach the contract and sign-off team
Upload the agreement and name the reviewers and approver.
- 4
Buy and store materials
Raise purchase orders for cement and steel and track stock.
- 5
Bill each completed stage
Invoice each finished floor and download the site report.
Project management software for construction
A building contract is paid in stages, materials arrive every week and the site engineer is rarely at a desk. Catalystk is project management software for construction that follows this rhythm. Each site becomes a project with its own client, contract value, cost centre and completion date, so a contractor running three or four sites keeps their numbers apart without a separate file or notebook for every job.
Builders, civil contractors and interior firms work from the same screens. A site code such as PRJ-0001 is generated automatically, the agreement is stored with the job, and the site team can check progress from the Catalystk mobile app. Because CRM, quotations, purchasing, stock and tax billing (GST, VAT or sales tax) sit in the same free account, the tender you won leads straight into the site, and the site leads straight into invoices.
- One project per site or contract
- Client, unit and cost centre on every job
- Updates from the office or the mobile app
- Free for every engineer and supervisor
Stage-wise milestone billing for construction sites
Most building contracts tie payment to physical progress: the basement first, then the ground floor slab, then each upper floor. In Catalystk you enter these stages as milestones under the site project. Type a percentage and the rupee amount is worked out from the contract value, or type the amount and the percentage fills itself. Give every stage a due date so the construction schedule and the payment plan stay aligned.
When a stage is finished, mark it complete and raise a tax invoice for that stage. The billing column shows which floors have already been invoiced and which are still pending, so no completed slab goes unbilled. A small renovation paid in one go can use a single milestone instead.
Material purchasing and inventory for each site
Cement, steel, sand, tiles and electrical fittings make up a large share of any building budget. Catalystk includes free purchasing, so the site engineer can raise a purchase request, the office can send an RFQ to suppliers and the chosen vendor receives a purchase order. When the lorry arrives, the goods receipt (GRN) records exactly what was delivered against that order.
Received items go into inventory, giving you a clear stock position instead of guesswork at the site gate. Buying happens in the same account as the site project, so there is no retyping between a purchase spreadsheet and the project file, and the office can see what has been ordered and received. Read more about the buying side in our free procurement software guide.
Construction contracts, reviewers and approvals
Disputes on a building job usually begin with the contract: which drawings, which rates, which payment stages. Upload the signed agreement or the client's work order to the site project so the engineer, the accounts team and the owner all refer to the same copy. Your standard terms and conditions can be linked to the project too.
Before work begins, the site project goes from draft to in review and in approval. A reviewer, such as the senior engineer or quantity surveyor, checks the stages and amounts, and an approver gives the final sign-off; once approved, the commercial details are locked and stage invoices can be raised. Each site names its reviewers and approvers, so nobody has to wonder later who agreed to the payment schedule or the completion date.
Site project dashboard for contractors
Open any site and its dashboard answers the questions a contractor asks every morning. What is the contract worth? How much has been invoiced, and how much is left to bill? What share of the stages is complete? How much of the schedule has gone, and how many days remain before handover to the client?
The overdue card flags any stage that has passed its due date, together with the next date coming up, so a delayed slab gets attention before it holds up the client's payment. The team panel lists who reviews and who approves. Comparing work done against time used is the quickest way to spot which site is slipping and deserves a visit this week.
Cost estimate and margin for every site project
Winning a contract at the wrong price hurts more than losing it. In Catalystk you can prepare a costing, or cost estimate, for the job and link it to the site project. The costing shows the total estimated cost and the margin against the contract value, so you know before the first excavation whether the job is worth taking on at the agreed rate.
The same costing can be converted into a quotation for the client, so the price you send matches the numbers you worked out. Once the site is running, set the billed stages against the estimate to keep an eye on profit. For budgets, billed amounts and stage-level detail across all your jobs, see free project cost tracking software.
Free download: construction project reports in Excel and PDF
Clients, architects and banks often ask for a progress statement before they release a payment. From the site project you can preview, print or email the details, and download the project, its stage-wise milestones and reports in Excel or PDF free of charge. There is no export limit and no paid add-on to unlock.
Send the PDF along with your running bill so the client sees which floors are done and what is due next. Keep the Excel file to sort stages by date, total what is still to bill, or combine figures from several sites for your accountant.
Pricing a building job vs managing the site
Two different jobs are often confused. Estimating happens before you win the work: measuring quantities, pricing materials and labour, and arriving at a bid. For that stage, see our pages on building estimating software and cost estimating software, which cover take-offs and pricing in detail.
Construction project management starts once the contract is signed. It covers payment stages, material purchases, approvals, the contract file and billing as each floor is completed. Catalystk connects the two: an estimate saved as a costing can be linked to the site project and converted to a quotation, so the figures you priced become the figures you follow on site.
Construction Project Management: frequently asked questions
What is project management software for construction?
It is software that helps contractors run a building job after the contract is signed: payment stages, materials, approvals, documents and billing. Estimating the bid comes before it. Catalystk handles each site as a project with its own dashboard, milestones and reports.
Is Catalystk construction project management software free?
Yes. Site projects, stage-wise milestones, purchase orders, inventory, approvals, the site dashboard and Excel and PDF downloads are all in the free-forever plan. There is no credit card and no limit on users or sites.
How does stage-wise milestone billing work for a construction site?
Add each stage, such as the basement, ground floor and first floor, as a milestone with a due date and a % or amount. When a stage is finished, raise a tax invoice for it. The billing column shows which stages are already billed.
Can I handle material purchasing and inventory for each site?
Yes. Raise purchase requests, RFQs and purchase orders, record the goods receipt when material arrives and track stock in inventory, all in the same free Catalystk account as your site projects.
Can contractors use reviewers and approvals before a site starts?
Yes. Each site project moves from Draft to In Review, In Approval and Approved, and its commercial details are locked once approved. Assign reviewers such as a senior engineer and approvers such as the owner, and upload the signed contract to the project.
Can I see the cost estimate, margin and dashboard for each site project?
Yes. Link a costing to the site to see total cost and margin, and open the site dashboard for contract value, invoiced, to bill, work done, days left and overdue stages, on the web or the Catalystk mobile app.
Can I download construction project reports in Excel or PDF?
Yes. Download the site project, its milestones and reports in Excel or PDF at no cost. You can also print the project or email it to your client directly from the project screen.
Related free software
Ready to run your business on one platform?
Join thousands of growing businesses using Catalystk. Set up in minutes — free forever, no credit card required.