Zoho for Construction Companies – Estimates, Sites, Material and Running Bills in One System
Infobyd sets up Zoho for construction companies and contractors so estimates, site progress, material, subcontractors, running bills and payments work from one connected system. We are a Zoho Advanced Partner, founded in 2016, with offices in Indore and Patna and 1240+ clients served in India and abroad. We use Zoho Creator to build the parts that are special to construction, like BOQ, daily site reports and RA bills, and connect them with Zoho Projects, Zoho Inventory, Zoho Books and Zoho CRM.
- 4.3 on Google (74 reviews)
- 4.8 on Zoho Partner Directory
Why choose Infobyd as your Zoho partner
-
Zoho Advanced Partner certified in Zoho CRM, Creator and Marketing Automation.
-
1240+ clients served since 2016, in India and abroad.
-
Since 2012 our CEO has worked with Zoho since 2012.
-
4.3 Google rating from 74 reviews in Indore.
-
Indore and Patna offices, with online support across India and abroad.
-
24x7 support for clients after go-live.
Sound familiar? Four problems we hear from contractors
Most contractors run many sites at once. The work is on site, but the numbers are in phones, registers and Excel files.
"I don't know where each site really stands."
The client asks about progress. The site engineer says one thing, the planner has another date, and the office has no update since last week.
Daily progress reports with photos come in from every site on mobile, and the plan against actual progress shows on one screen for each project.
"Material is ordered twice, or goes missing at site."
Site stock is kept in a register or an Excel file. Nobody knows what is in the main store, what is at each site, and what was used.
Each site works as its own stock location, so material received, issued and moved between sites is recorded, and use is checked against the BOQ.
"We find out a project's profit only after it ends."
Without the BOQ as a budget, material, labour, subcontract and site costs are added up only at the end, when it is too late to fix.
The BOQ becomes the project budget, and every purchase, bill and site expense is booked against it, so budget against actual cost is visible while the work runs.
"Running bills go late, and payments get stuck."
Measurements sit with the site team, the RA bill (running account bill – a part bill for work done so far) is made in Excel, and the invoice goes out weeks later.
RA bill software built on Zoho Creator makes the RA bill from checked measurements, and the tax invoice is raised from it in Zoho Books with automatic payment reminders.
Built for these kinds of construction businesses
Whether you build roads, buildings or office interiors, the same Zoho system adapts to how your projects run.
Roads, buildings and infrastructure works, with BOQ, measurement book and RA bills.
Many sites, one office, with material and progress tracked per site.
Design approvals, site work, vendors and handover snag lists.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, with material, labour and testing at each stage.
Waterproofing, fabrication, flooring or glazing, with work orders and bills.
Design, purchase, site work and billing in one flow.
Which Zoho apps does a construction company need?
Zoho works for construction by connecting a few apps, each doing one job well. We pick only the apps you need.
Enquiries, tenders, client and architect contacts, quotes and follow-ups
Your custom construction app: BOQ and estimates, daily progress reports, labour count, quality checks, measurement book, subcontractor work orders and RA bills
Project plans, milestones, Gantt charts, task dependencies and budget against actual cost
Material stock in the main store and at each site, with transfers between them
Tax invoices, vendor and subcontractor bills, payments and accounts
Owner dashboards across all sites (optional)
This page is about running projects and sites. Selling flats, plots or units? See Zoho for real estate for leads, site visits, bookings and payment plans.
How a construction business runs on Zoho – the complete flow
We build the system around how your projects run. You do not have to change your business to fit the software. Where a standard Zoho app works, we do not over-build.
Click a stage to see its detailed flow
Enquiry to contract
Result: No enquiry or tender is missed, and every quote is costed before it goes out.
-
Step 1.1
Enquiry and tender capture
Website, email, calls, tender notices and referrals from architects and consultants, in one list with due dates.
Zoho Forms Zoho CRM -
Step 1.2
Site visit and drawings
Drawings, specifications and site photos are kept in one folder for each project.
Zoho CRM Zoho WorkDrive -
Step 1.3
BOQ and estimate
Quantity and rate for every BOQ item (bill of quantities – the list of work items), with material, labour, equipment, subcontract and overhead. Approved before the quote goes out.
Zoho Creator -
Step 1.4
Quote and negotiation
Quote revisions and follow-up reminders in one pipeline.
Zoho CRM -
Step 1.5
Contract and e-sign
Work order or contract, payment terms and retention are signed online.
Zoho Sign -
Step 1.6
Mobilisation advance
Advance invoice is raised and the payment is recorded.
Zoho Books
Project planning
Result: Every site starts with a clear plan, budget and team.
-
Step 2.1
Project set up
The approved BOQ becomes the project budget, item by item.
Zoho Creator Zoho Projects -
Step 2.2
Schedule
Activities, milestones and dependencies on a Gantt chart.
Zoho Projects -
Step 2.3
Material plan
Material needed for each stage, checked against stock in hand.
Zoho Creator Zoho Inventory -
Step 2.4
Team and subcontractors
Site engineer, supervisors and subcontractors are assigned to each work package.
Zoho Projects Zoho Creator
Purchase and material at site
Result: The right material reaches the right site, and every bag and bar is counted.
-
Step 3.1
Material request from site
Raised from mobile and approved by the project manager.
Zoho Creator -
Step 3.2
Vendor quotes and purchase order (PO)
Rates are compared and the PO is sent to the vendor.
Zoho Inventory Zoho Books -
Step 3.3
Receipt at site
Goods are checked at the site gate against the PO, with a photo of the delivery challan or delivery note.
Zoho Inventory Zoho Creator -
Step 3.4
Site stock and transfers
Each site is its own stock location; transfers between the main store and sites are recorded.
Zoho Inventory -
Step 3.5
Material issue and use
Material is issued against BOQ items, and actual use is compared with the planned quantity.
Zoho Creator Zoho Inventory -
Step 3.6
Vendor bill
Matched with the PO and the receipt before payment.
Zoho Books
Site execution
Result: Live progress from every site on mobile, with photos and a quality check at each stage.
-
Step 4.1
Daily progress report (DPR)
Work done, labour count, equipment used and photos, sent from mobile, even where the network is weak.
Zoho Creator -
Step 4.2
Labour attendance
Labour count and hours by subcontractor or gang.
Zoho Creator -
Step 4.3
Quality and safety checks
Checklists, snags and photos at each stage of work.
Zoho Creator -
Step 4.4
Issues and hold-ups
Drawing queries, client changes and delays are logged with an owner and a date.
Zoho Projects -
Step 4.5
Progress against plan
Planned against actual progress and cost for each project.
Zoho Projects Zoho Analytics
Subcontractors and running bills
Result: Every measurement is checked, every bill is correct and cash comes in on time.
-
Step 5.1
Subcontractor work orders
Scope, rates and BOQ items for each subcontractor.
Zoho Creator -
Step 5.2
Measurement book
Work is measured at site and checked by the engineer.
Zoho Creator -
Step 5.3
Subcontractor bills
Made from checked measurements, with deductions, advances and retention.
Zoho Creator Zoho Books -
Step 5.4
Client RA bill
Running account bill from approved measurements, with previous, current and total quantities.
Zoho Creator -
Step 5.5
Tax invoice
Raised from the certified RA bill, with no retyping: GST invoice in India, VAT or GST invoice in other countries.
Zoho Books -
Step 5.6
Collection
Automatic reminders, retention due and ageing of outstanding.
Zoho Books Zoho CRM
Handover and after
Result: A clean handover, retention released on time and a client who calls you for the next project.
-
Step 6.1
Snag list and handover
Snags are closed with photos; handover documents are shared with the client.
Zoho Creator Zoho WorkDrive -
Step 6.2
Final bill and retention release
Final account and retention money are tracked till they are paid.
Zoho Creator Zoho Books -
Step 6.3
Defect liability period
Client complaints become tickets and are tracked to closure.
Zoho Desk -
Step 6.4
Project close and profit
Budget against actual cost and margin for each project.
Zoho Analytics
Running across every stage
Sites, progress, cost against budget, bills and outstanding
Staff attendance and salary
Site expenses and travel claims
Alerts for approvals and delays
Drawings with revision control
Links Tally and other software
What you can track after go-live
- Progress of every site against the plan, in one screen
- Material received, used and in stock at each site
- Subcontractor work, bills and retention
- RA bills raised, certified and paid
- Budget against actual cost for each project
How we set up Zoho for your construction company
From the first call to your first RA bill on Zoho, you know what happens next and what you get.
Project walkthrough
We go through how one of your projects runs, on a video call, in your working hours.
- How enquiries, estimates and contracts run today
- Your BOQ format, sites and work stages
- How RA bills and subcontractor bills are made
- Your tools today: Excel, Tally or other software
You get: a clear picture of where time and money are lost, and which Zoho apps fit.
Plan and quote
We write down what the system will do and share a quote.
- Stages, screens and approvals to build
- Zoho apps, edition and number of users
- Sites, data to move and tools to connect
- Timeline with clear milestones
You get: a written plan and quote. You approve it before we build anything.
Build and test
We build your system and test it with one of your real projects.
- CRM, Creator, Projects, Inventory and Books set up as per the plan
- Clients, vendors, items, BOQs and open projects moved in
- Site screens tested on the phones your engineers use
- RA bills checked against your last real bills
You get: a working system, checked with your own project. See our data migration service.
Go live and support
Your office and site teams start using Zoho, and we stay with you.
- Training by role: site, stores, purchase, billing and accounts
- Short user guides and recorded sessions where possible
- 24x7 client support, with a reply within 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Changes as you add new sites and projects
You get: one team that knows your setup. See Zoho support and AMC.
Site updates on mobile, and your data kept safe
Mobile app
-
Works on site Zoho Creator apps run on Android and iOS, so engineers send progress, labour count and photos from the site.
-
Weak network is fine Offline forms save the entry on the phone and send it when the network is back.
-
Approvals on the go Owners and project managers approve material requests, bills and variations from their phone.
Security and privacy
-
Certified security Zoho holds internationally recognised security certifications, like ISO/IEC 27001.
-
Audited controls A SOC 2 audit, and GDPR compliance.
-
Each person sees only their part Roles and permissions for site engineers, stores, purchase, billing and accounts, site by site.
-
Data in your region Zoho runs data centres in many regions, such as India, the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and the UAE. We set up your account on the right one.
Our work, in our clients' words
Real case studies, client reviews and guides linked to this page.
Case studies
All case studiesNational Event Management
Challenge: Agents tracked many events, products and custom contracts by hand.
Contracts, payments and CRM records now update on their own.
Read case study Trading · Madhya Pradesh, IndiaUnique The World of Computer
Challenge: Billing, expenses and GST were done by hand in sheets and paper ledgers.
70% less invoice time and 60% faster compliance reports.
Read case study Manufacturing · Madhya Pradesh, IndiaBuild Block Company
Challenge: Enquiries, quotes and follow-ups lived in spreadsheets, paper and phone calls.
One sales system with reminders and live pipeline reports.
Read case studyWhat our clients say
Copied as written on infobyd.com. See all clients
Team is very responsive and they have implemented CRM solutions very smoothly
Zoho products are highly intuitive and user-friendly.
Infobyd is a valuable partner and they work hard to optimize our use of all Zoho applications.
They are highly responsive, skilled at their jobs and very flexible in order to meet at the client's requirement.
From our blog
All postsZoho for construction businesses worldwide
Contractors in many countries face the same gap between site, store and office. We set up the same connected system for them online, from our offices in India.
Countries we serve
-
IN
India Indore head office and Patna, with clients across the country.
- AE
-
CA
Canada all provinces.
-
ZA
South Africa Johannesburg, Cape Town and more.
-
NZ
New Zealand Auckland, Wellington and more.
How we work across countries
-
Your time zone
project walkthroughs, testing and training are planned in your working hours, around site timings.
-
Your currency
we can bill in your currency, such as INR, USD, AED, CAD, ZAR or NZD.
-
Your data centre
we set up your Zoho account on the data centre for your region (India, US, Europe, Canada, Australia, UAE and more), so project and site data stays in your region.
Frequently asked questions
Can Zoho be used to run a construction company?
Yes. Contractors use Zoho CRM for enquiries, Zoho Projects for plans and schedules, Zoho Inventory for site stock and Zoho Books for billing. The parts that are special to construction, like BOQ, daily progress reports, measurement book and RA bills, we build in Zoho Creator and connect with the other apps.
Can Zoho make RA bills (running account bills)?
Yes. We build the RA bill in Zoho Creator from checked measurements, with previous, current and total quantities, deductions and retention. The certified amount becomes a tax invoice in Zoho Books, so nothing is typed twice.
Can site engineers use it on mobile where the network is weak?
Yes. Zoho Creator apps work on Android and iOS. Forms set up for offline use save the entry on the phone and send it when the network is back. Some form types cannot work offline; we plan the site screens with this in mind.
Can you move my data from Excel or Tally?
Yes. We help move clients, vendors, items, BOQs and open projects into Zoho. For accounts, we plan the move to Zoho Books with your accountant. See our data migration service.
Do you set up Zoho for construction businesses outside India?
Yes. We work with contractors in the UAE, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, the USA, Australia and other countries. All steps, from the project walkthrough to training, are done online, in your working hours.
Will invoices and tax reports follow my country's rules?
Yes. Zoho Books comes in country editions, for example with VAT filing in the UAE, GST/HST returns in Canada and BAS reports in Australia. We set up the edition for your country and check the tax setup with your accountant.
See your projects and sites running on one Zoho system
Tell us how one project moves today, from estimate to final bill. In a free 30-minute call, we will map your flow and show which Zoho apps fit.
- Free first call with a Zoho consultant
- Clear plan and quote – no hidden surprises
- Zoho Advanced Partner · 1240+ clients served