The 9 Best Software Tools For Painting Contractors in 2023

Category: Tools | By Cristina Johnson | 48 minute read | Updated Dec 27, 2022
Best Software Tools For Painting Contractors

Painting contractors face unique challenges and, according to research, the top three are finding/retaining employees, low-priced competition, and scheduling. Thankfully, technology has changed the way businesses run and stay competitive but it’s important to use the right ones for your business. Here are some tips on choosing the best software tools for painting contractors.

Best Painting Contractor Software

1. ClockShark

2. Jobber

3. PaintScout

4. FieldCircle

5. Housecall Pro

6. mHelpDesk

7. JobNimbus

8. FieldCamp

9. Workiz

Best Painting Contractor Software

Painting Contractor Software Must-Have Features

You can choose to have a very high-cost system with all the bells and whistles, or you can keep it as simple as possible, but your painting contractor software should have some things at a minimum.

Integrations Capability 

Integrations are connections between different software that enables them to share data to work together. For example, if you’re using Quickbooks, you should be able to integrate your paint contractor software. 

Accounting Tools

You need a way to keep track of your accounts payable and receivable in a way that’s accurate and easy. Accounting tools also allow you to stay on budget for your projects and run reports so you can have real-time visibility into your company’s finances.

Scheduling Options 

Part of field workforce management is being able to easily plan and create efficient schedules. Some paint jobs run into snags for uncontrollable circumstances, such as an outdoor job and inclement weather. These are hiccups that can really make scheduling difficult, but good software makes it much easier.

Mobile Friendly 

Ideally, painting contractors spend more time in the field than the office which makes it necessary for you to have a painting contractor software that works on mobile devices. This way you can communicate with the office while also accessing what you need on your mobile phone or tablet in the field.

Project Management Dashboards

Project management dashboards allow you to pull up projects on your screen and view the overall status of each of your projects at a glance. This makes it much easier to stay on top of each job and make sure your crews are performing well.

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Top Software For Painting Businesses

There are a lot of things to consider when looking for the best software for painting contractors, and it can get overwhelming to research the different ones available. Here are some of the more popular choices for painting contractors.

1. ClockShark

ClockShark is a field management and construction software that streamlines administrative processes unique to trades like painting. With ClockShark, you can track time, create schedules, manage jobs and customers, integrate with accounting software, and more. Your crews will have access to all pertinent information about a job and/or customer, and you can monitor job progress in real-time. 

Key Features

  • Time tracking
  • GPS/Geofencing
  • Invoicing
  • Online payments
  • Project management
  • Communications
  • Job costing
  • Estimates
  • Invoicing
  • Integrations
  • Customer management
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Credit card processing

Pros

  • Easy onboarding
  • Easy-to-use
  • Excellent customer service
  • Bilingual (English and Spanish)
  • Accurate timesheet
  • Eliminates double data entry
  • Takes the guesswork out of timesheets and never wonder where your team is again
  • Reduces the amount of time it takes to identify mis-punches

Cons

  • Does not include equipment tracking
  • No client portal

Pricing

Starts at just $8/month per user + $7/month base fee. Free 14-day trial.



2. Jobber

Jobber is a field service management software that helps paint contractors manage jobs, projects, and crews. It includes features that are useful for painting contractors.

Key Features

  • Customer management
  • Scheduling
  • Dispatching
  • Invoicing
  • Mobile app
  • Reporting
  • Online booking
  • Credit card processing

Pros

  • Mobile app
  • Text and email notifications
  • Easy-to-use

Cons

  • App sometimes shuts down
  • High credit card fees
  • Costs add up

Pricing

Jobber offers three plans starting at $49 per month, per user.



3. PaintScout

PaintScout is an estimation software for painting contractors that includes features to help ensure jobs are done right. With their estimation feature, you can easily create work orders to send to the crews, so they have all the information they need.

Key Features

  • Estimating
  • Web proposals
  • Work orders
  • Integrations
  • Invoicing
  • Sales tracking
  • Templates
  • Client chat
  • Paint quantity calculations

Pros

  • Built for paint contractors
  • Helps with sales
  • Mobile app

Cons

  • No time tracking
  • No crew communication tools
  • No job costing

Pricing

PaintScout offers three pricing plans, beginning at $59 per user, per month, billed annually. 



4. FieldCircle

FieldCircle is a field service management software that includes a lot of features helpful for painting contractors. Their customer portal makes it easier for your clients to access information about their project so you can focus on work.

Key Features

  • Scheduling
  • Dispatching
  • Asset management
  • Customer management
  • Time tracking
  • Route planning and tracking
  • Pre- and Post- inspection reports
  • Preventative maintenance and inspections
  • Invoices and payments
  • RFO and quote management
  • Inventory management
  • Reporting
  • Customer portal

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • No contract required/Cancel anytime

Cons

  • Limited integrations

Pricing

FieldCircle offers four pricing plans, starting at $9 per user, per month.



5. Housecall Pro

Housecall Pro is a field service management software that painting contractors can use to streamline their processes and manage their projects. It includes tools needed to perform accurate job costing and manage payroll.

Key Features

  • Scheduling
  • Dispatching
  • Job management
  • Estimating
  • Invoicing
  • Accept payments
  • Instapay
  • Online booking
  • Mailchimp integration
  • Amazon Alexa integration
  • Automated marketing
  • Reviews management

Pros

  • Integrations available
  • Accept payments in the field

Cons

  • Can be complicated to use
  • Excessive sales calls

Pricing

Houscall Pro has 3 pricing plans, starting at $7 per month.



6. mHelpDesk

mHelpDesk is a field service management software, designed to help companies streamline their project management, invoicing, and customer management processes.

Key Features

  • File sharing
  • Task and job tracking
  • Mobile app
  • Invoicing
  • Notifications
  • Automated job assignments

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • Multiple communications tools
  • Mobile app
  • Integrations

Cons

  • Comparatively expensive for the functionality
  • Unnecessary features
  • Can be buggy

Pricing

Starts at $169/user per month.



7. JobNimbus

JobNimbus is a general contractor software platform with multiple features that are ideal for painting contractors. It includes multiple industry integrations and a large number of automations to make running a painting business easier.

Key Features

  • Scheduling
  • Job tracking
  • Customer management
  • Data sharing
  • Communications
  • Automations
  • Integrations
  • Billing
  • Reporting
  • Estimates
  • Job costing
  • Time tracking

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • Customizable

Cons

  • Mobile app not as functional as other solutions

Pricing

Contact for pricing information.



8. FieldCamp

FieldCamp is a service industry software that allows you to create schedules, log times, and manage jobs for field crews. You can provide job details within the app and create checklists, so your workers know exactly what is expected at each job. 

Key Features

  • Scheduling
  • Invoicing
  • Dispatching
  • Reporting
  • Job tracking
  • Online payments
  • Quotes

Pros

  • Geared toward the service industry
  • Easy invoicing
  • Mobile app

Cons

  • Comparatively costly
  • Extra fees for payments
  • Limited integrations

Pricing

FieldCamp offers three pricing plans, starting at $279 per year for one user.



9. Workiz

Workiz is a field service management software that provides helpful features for running your business, including a customer portal and sales and marketing tools.

Key Features

  • Lead management
  • Inventory management
  • Dispatching
  • Scheduling
  • Invoicing
  • Reporting
  • Automations
  • Integrations
  • Customer portal
  • Online payments
  • GPS

Pros

  • Easy-to-use
  • Automations save a lot of time
  • Free version with limited features

Cons

  • Hidden fees for some features
  • There have been complaints over customer service

Pricing

Workiz has three plans, including a free plan with limited features. Paid plans begin at $225 per month for up to five users.

Find the Best Painting Contractor Software

There are a lot of painting contractor software solutions available to choose from and which one works best for you, will depend on your needs, company size, and budget. We suggest taking advantage of free trials to find the best software for painting contractors, before spending money.

ClockShark offers a 14-day free trial, with exceptional customer support so you can determine if ClockShark is good for your business. Reach out today and try ClockShark free.




Compare the Best Software for Painting Companies



PricingFree Trial
Best Job Tracking Software Tools For ContractorsStarts at just $8/month per user + $7/month base fee.

Starts at $49 per month, per user.

Starts at $59 per user, per month, billed annually.

Starts at $9 per user, per month.
Starts at $7 per month
Starts at $169/user per month
Contact for pricing information.
Starts at $279 per year for one user.
Paid plans begin at $225 per month for up to five users.

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