In conjunction with our niche practices feature this month on construction, we decided to survey members of the CPA Practice Advisor community to see if they have any apps to recommend in this genre. We picked up some recommendations and then found more on the web to share with you. Happy DIYing!
Scott Hoppe, principal of Why Blu (formerly HoppeTax, recommends MagicPlan. “Magicplan lets you create floor plans with your mobile device. Super easy and super professional floor plans. Just what you need to high level plan a remodel/furniture moving.”
In addition, Hoppe is a fan of Houzz: “After you get the plan together, this will help you pick the furniture out to buy. See the furniture in your room through your phone. You can find local professionals once the project moves away from DIY.”
Mark Koziel, executive vice president, public accounting, AICPA, also recommends Houzz. “Houzz is awesome. It’s a great way to get ideas in one central source. I also used it to source contractors locally.”
In addition, Koziel suggests we check out Buildertrend. “Since we just built a house, I have an even better app: Buildertrend and buildertrend.net. Our builder used this app/site to interact with us on a regular basis. Our budget and selections went into the system and we approved all selections, invoices and change orders right in the system. I could sign for all of these and make payments directly in the app. It’s like Bill.com for builders! Plus they posted pictures as the build was happening so we could follow progress since we were three hours away.”
Daniel Vidal, head of business development at Expensify, recommends Task Rabbit. “It is a great app that has all kinds of services and lets you choose different providers based on the rates and services they offer. It also allows users to chat with their ‘tasker’ before committing to anything so one can be assured they’ll be able to take care of the task at hand.”
Last year, TSheets surveyed its customers to find their favorite apps for the construction industry. One of the highlights is DEWALT Mobile Pro. This app provides calculators for construction pros. Included is a scientific calculator and calculator templates for area, length, volume, estimating studs, drywall, and concrete slabs. If you’re embarking on a major construction project, this seems like a must-have app for you.
Planning a painting project? Sherwin Williams offers its ColorSnap Visualizer app to let you see how different colors will look on your walls. The Home Depot’s ProjectColor app and the Paint Tester app provide a similar service. Choose a color either from the selection on the app or by taking a picture of something containing the color you want to match. Then photograph the wall(s) you want to paint. The app will apply the color you have chosen to the walls so you can actually visualize the end results.
Not sure where to start? Try searching through the archives on WikiHow. With over 150,000 how-to guides, you’re likely to find instructions for just about any project you can imagine.
If you’re willing to make a small investment ($1.99), you might want to add iHandyCarpenter to your carpentry toolbox. The app turns your phone into convenient tools, including a plumb bob, a surface level, a steel protractor, a steel ruler, and an inclinometer/clinometer.
The HomeAdvisor: Find a Contractor app provides you with access to a network of home construction contractors (hundreds of thousands, according to the app description) who specialize in home renovation, repair, and maintenance projects. You can read customer reviews and view pricing before committing to a work agreement.
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Tags: Accounting, Firm Management
