Side-by-side comparison
| Capability | ProtoPM Free | Spreadsheet | Home-builder suites | Enterprise suites |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Project work from start to handover | One person | Selections, client portal and accounting | Large firms |
| Price to start | $0 · No credit card | $0 | Paid | Sales-led |
| Milestones and inspections | New-home template | Manual | Yes | Yes |
| Daily logs and punch list | Included | Manual | Yes | Yes |
| Change orders and budget | Included | Manual | Yes | Yes |
| Crew and client access | Unlimited people + collaborators | Shared file | Seat tiers | Seat tiers |
Builds it fits
ProtoPM runs builds that last months and have many trades, inspections and a client who wants to know where things stand. The office, the site and the client see the same project, each at their own level.
- Custom and small-volume new homes
- Home additions
- Basement finishes
- Whole-home renovations
- Subcontracted trades coordinated on one schedule
From permit to closeout
Pick Home builder as your company's trade and new projects start from a template you can edit. Additions, basement finishes and whole-home renovations have their own lists. The new-home template spreads these milestones across the job's dates, with footing, framing, rough-in, insulation and final inspections in Field:
- Permit.
- Site prep.
- Excavation.
- Foundation.
- Framing.
- Dry-in.
- Rough-ins.
- Rough-in inspection.
- Insulation.
- Drywall.
- Finishes.
- Final inspection.
- Closeout.
In the field
- Daily logs: crew count, trades on site, weather, work done and delays for each day.
- Inspections: footing, framing, rough-in, insulation and final come pre-filled. Add the permit number, date and inspector, then mark each passed, failed or re-inspect.
- Punch list at the end: the template adds walkthrough items, warranties, touch-up paint and final clean.
- Files: keep drawings, permits, engineering letters and site photos from your phone with the build.
Money and change orders
- Change log: record owner upgrades, field changes and design revisions, with the cost and schedule impact, before you do the work.
- Budget and actuals in Financials, hidden from the client.
- Client access: invite the homeowner as a read-only Viewer. They follow the schedule, files, field logs, change log and invoices, but not your budget, and they can't edit.
- Client status report: a client-safe PDF with progress and milestones, with no budget, to send at each milestone.
- Schedule delay reasons: mark a milestone as late because of materials, weather, inspection, an owner decision or a design change.
How ProtoPM works
Free covers unlimited projects and people, your first company free (extra companies are an add-on), and 2 GB of storage per company (more is optional, from $5/mo per company). See every feature.
- Sign up and create a project. A title is enough.
- Financials: budget, actuals and invoices.
- Schedule and Field: dates, daily logs and punch items.
- Project Delivery: changes, risks and lessons learned.
Why teams pick ProtoPM
- $0 Free plan with no end date. No credit card.
- Sign up yourself. No demo call.
- Plain tabs for schedule, field, costs and changes.
- Projects and users are unlimited on Free; core modules never cost extra. Optional company add-ons start at $5 CAD/mo when you need extras like more storage or branded documents — nobody pays per user.
When another tool wins
If your clients choose finishes, fixtures and allowances in an online portal and approve each selection, a home-builder suite such as Buildertrend or CoConstruct fits better. ProtoPM doesn't do client selections or accounting. It runs the schedule, field, costs and changes, so keep your accounting tool, and large firms that need ERP integrations or single sign-on fit enterprise suites.
How to start
- Sign up free, or start from the builder homepage.
- Set your company's trade to Home builder so new projects start from the new-home template.
- Create the build with dates and a budget.
- Invite your crew and subs, and add the homeowner as a read-only Viewer.
Prefer a spreadsheet?
Start with a free Excel template (no account needed), then move the job into ProtoPM when the crew needs it.
Common questions
- What is the best project management software for custom home builders?
- For schedule, field, costs and changes, ProtoPM: a free plan with a new-home template, five inspections, daily logs, punch, budgets, change orders and client-safe reports. If clients approve selections in a portal, a home-builder suite fits better.
- Is there free software for home builders?
- Yes. ProtoPM Free costs $0 with no end date, for unlimited projects and users. No credit card.
- Can my client follow the build without seeing my budget?
- Yes. Invite the homeowner as a read-only Viewer, or send a client status report. Neither shows your budget.
- Does it track inspections?
- Yes. The new-home template adds footing, framing, rough-in, insulation and final inspections in Field, with a permit number, date, inspector and result for each.
- Does ProtoPM handle client selections or accounting?
- No. It doesn't do client selections with approvals or accounting. It exports invoices as CSV for your accounting tool.
Related
Ready to try ProtoPM?
Start free. Upgrade only if you need more.