Are project delays eating your profits?
Inaccurate estimates and manual calculations often lead to costly rework and blown timelines, putting your entire project at risk from the start.
The real problem is that every miscalculation wastes time and money, chipping away at your margins before you even break ground.
The demand for better tools is surging. Data Insights Market projects a 12% Compound Annual Growth Rate for these solutions. This growth shows how critical technology is becoming for accuracy.
But with the right software, you can eliminate this guesswork. It’s about finding a tool that fits your workflow and budget.
If you’re also focused on optimizing project costs and landing profitable work, my article on best construction bidding software provides an in-depth review.
In this guide, I’m going to review the best earthworks software available. My goal is to help you find a solution that speeds up projects.
You’ll discover tools that automate terrain mapping and optimize material use, helping you cut costs and deliver projects on schedule.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AGTEK → | Mid-size construction firms | |
| 2 | Trimble → | Large enterprises & infrastructure | |
| 3 | Carlson Software → | Construction & excavation firms | |
| 4 | InSite Software → | Project managers & estimators | |
| 5 | Kubla Software → | Owner-operators & project teams |
1. AGTEK
Struggling with project overruns and inaccurate bids?
AGTEK provides dirt-simple solutions designed to expedite accurate takeoffs and optimize project outcomes. This means you can win more bids and ensure profitable work.
Their tools help you simplify construction processes, offering enhanced efficiency and accuracy across all project stages, ensuring projects remain on track and within budget.
Here’s how AGTEK can help.
AGTEK helps you achieve successful project outcomes through effective resource management, quality control, and comprehensive reporting. Their solutions expedite accurate takeoffs, speed up machine control modeling, and simplify drone surveys to track progress.
You can import data from PDFs, CAD files, and drone imagery to perform detailed analysis and precise calculations of earthwork volumes. This improves efficiency and accuracy of construction tasks, reducing costly errors for your team.
Additionally, AGTEK’s advanced tracking capabilities use machine and drone technology to monitor your fleet’s performance remotely. You gain access to critical metrics like hauls completed and cycle times, optimizing resource usage and ensuring project completion on time and budget.
The result is increased profitability for your firm.
While ensuring project outcomes, understanding best accreditation management software is equally important for maintaining industry standards.
Key features:
- Accurate Takeoffs and Estimates: Speed up your bidding process with precise calculations of earthwork volumes and material quantities from various data sources.
- 3D Modeling & Visual Verification: Build detailed 3D models that integrate with GPS technology, enabling precise navigation and reducing errors in construction tasks.
- Real-time Production Monitoring: Track fleet performance, monitor progress with drone technology, and access critical metrics to optimize resource usage and maintain project schedules.
Learn more about AGTEK features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: AGTEK is a top contender for the best earthworks software, offering “dirt simple solutions” that streamline earthwork, underground, and materials takeoff processes. With 3500+ customers and 55,000 uses per month, it helps project managers stay on budget and chief estimators increase bid accuracy.
2. Trimble
Struggling with project costs and timelines?
Trimble offers connected hardware and software solutions specifically designed to boost your productivity. This means you can keep your projects moving forward.
This empowers your team to drive progress by turning ideas into innovation, eliminating roadblocks to keep work flowing. You gain command over decisions and adjustments needed in real time.
Here’s how to turn turns into triumph.
Trimble’s connected solutions give you a better way to work, whether you’re designing structures, maintaining infrastructure, or mapping terrain. They accelerate the pace of your work across essential industries.
You can leverage their precise positioning and 3D modeling capabilities, which helps turn GPS data into actionable decisions. Trimble also includes data analytics for deep insights into your operations. For example, over $500 billion of new construction project value is managed annually through Trimble ERPs.
Additionally, with Trimble, you gain confidence at every turn, enabling your team to make real-time adjustments with assured accuracy. This provides a clear path to achieving remarkable success through connected people, data, and workflows.
Work confidently, from end to end.
Before diving deeper, you might find my analysis of best data migration software helpful for ensuring seamless transitions of your critical project data.
Key features:
- Connected Hardware and Software: Empowers your team to drive productivity and progress by linking equipment with powerful software for end-to-end project management.
- Precise Positioning and 3D Modeling: Leverages advanced GPS and visualization capabilities, allowing you to turn raw data into informed decisions for project optimization.
- Real-Time Data Analytics: Provides actionable insights from project data, ensuring you can make confident, immediate adjustments to keep work flowing and meet targets.
Learn more about Trimble features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Trimble stands out as a strong contender for best earthworks software, offering integrated solutions that directly address your pain points of cost control and project speed. With its emphasis on precise positioning, 3D modeling, and real-time data analytics, you gain the confidence to manage complex earthworks, ensuring faster execution and optimized material distribution.
3. Carlson Software
Struggling to manage your earthworks projects efficiently?
You’re looking for ways to cut costs and speed up your workflow. Carlson Software offers solutions to directly address these needs.
Their software helps you automate terrain mapping and optimize material distribution, leading to significant savings. This means you can minimize manual labor.
Ready for a smarter approach?
Carlson Software provides advanced capabilities that automate crucial tasks, streamlining your project lifecycle from start to finish. This helps your team avoid common pitfalls and delays.
While discussing project efficiency, considering manpower planning software can further optimize your operations.
Their tools allow for precise 3D modeling, offering actionable insights for better decision-making and project execution. This is critical for optimizing fuel usage and meeting project deadlines. Their platform also helps you ensure your operations align with environmental compliance, improving efficiency and sustainability.
This commitment to efficiency ensures faster, more precise project delivery.
Key features:
- Automated Terrain Mapping: Effortlessly generates detailed terrain maps, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy for site preparation and planning.
- Material Distribution Optimization: Intelligently plans material movement and placement, minimizing waste, reducing fuel consumption, and speeding up project timelines.
- Precise 3D Modeling: Provides comprehensive 3D models for visualization and analysis, offering actionable insights that drive better project decisions and execution.
Learn more about Carlson Software features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking the best earthworks software that balances powerful features with ease of use, Carlson Software is a top contender. Its focus on automation and precise 3D modeling directly addresses pain points around cost control and project speed, making it an excellent choice for your construction or excavation firm.
4. InSite Software
Struggling with complex earthwork calculations and bid accuracy?
InSite Software’s Elevation Pro helps you save time and confidently win more bids.
This earthwork takeoff and GPS modeling software allows you to spend less time calculating site work quantities, boosting your bottom line by winning bids at better margins and increasing productivity.
Here’s how InSite Software helps.
InSite Software streamlines your earthwork projects, ensuring precision from initial takeoff to final machine control.
You can take off from CAD, PDF, and drone/GPS data, opening multiple aligned documents with an aligned cursor to easily merge data from various sources. This means you can handle diverse data inputs for precise calculations.
Additionally, you gain indisputable quantity validation through the exclusive Cut & Fill Contours Map, which provides advance planning tools and enables you to create GPS machine control models compatible with all major systems like Topcon, Trimble, and CAT. Plus, you can import drone data for fast grade verification and as-built calculations, improving communication and collaboration by exporting KMZ files to third-party mapping applications for real-time job site data.
The result? Faster, more accurate, and profitable projects.
Key features:
- PDF and CAD Takeoff: Easily calculate site work quantities directly from PDF, CAD, or drone data, eliminating manual tracing and ensuring accuracy for faster bids.
- GPS Machine Control Models: Generate precise triangulated GPS surfaces for Topcon, Trimble, CAT, and other machine control systems, enhancing site productivity and execution.
- Dynamic Site Balancing & Reporting: Leverage advanced planning tools like the Cut & Fill Contours Map and Earthwork Reports for indisputable quantity validation and optimized material movement.
Learn more about InSite Software features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: InSite Software’s Elevation Pro is one of the best earthworks software solutions for project managers seeking to cut costs and speed up projects. Its ability to import drone data, create GPS machine control models, and provide detailed reports helps you save time, increase accuracy, and win more bids.
5. Kubla Software
Tired of inaccurate earthworks estimates eating your profits?
Kubla Cubed Earthworks Estimation Software provides specialist volumetric analysis. This means you can design major dredging works or generate everyday accurate earthworks bids with confidence.
You gain precise volumetric analysis and 3D visualization capabilities. This directly tackles the pain point of inaccurate material distribution and wasted resources.
So, how do you cut costs and speed up projects?
Before diving deeper, you might find my analysis of best MR reporting software helpful for making smart business choices.
Kubla Cubed streamlines your estimation process, helping you optimize material distribution. You get cutting-edge and easy-to-use software solutions for volumetric analysis. This offers practical application for accurate earthworks bids. Additionally, its 3D visualization assists in clearer project planning and execution, helping you achieve faster project execution. Plus, it’s used globally across various project scales, ensuring reliability for your specific needs. The result is minimized manual labor and reduced fuel costs.
You can achieve faster project execution.
Key features:
- Specialist Volumetric Analysis empowers you to conduct precise earthworks estimation and design, ensuring accurate material distribution and reduced waste on your construction sites.
- Coastal Engineering Design capabilities within Kubla Ports allow you to design complex coastal infrastructure, extending your project scope beyond traditional earthworks.
- Comprehensive 3D Visualization provides clear visual representations of your projects, helping you plan effectively and identify potential issues before they arise, saving time and money.
Learn more about Kubla Software features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Kubla Software, particularly with its Kubla Cubed Earthworks Estimation Software and 3D visualization, is a strong contender for the best earthworks software. It directly addresses key pain points like inaccurate bids and material waste, allowing owner-operators and project managers to achieve faster, more cost-effective project outcomes.
6. PlanSwift
Tired of inaccurate earthworks bids and wasted project hours?
PlanSwift helps you measure blueprints, calculate material and labor costs, and create accurate estimates quickly. This means you can save time and money on every project.
You can takeoff simple or complex areas, items, lengths, and volumes in seconds. This directly addresses the pain point of evaluation paralysis by offering clear, rapid assessment of project needs.
Here’s how to streamline your estimating process.
PlanSwift allows you to instantly calculate material, waste, and labor costs as you create your takeoff. This makes your life easier, removing the guesswork often associated with labor hours and costs.
You can also drag and drop pre-configured assemblies, including materials, waste, and labor costs, directly onto your takeoff items. This feature helps greatly increase accuracy and reduces the time it takes to estimate a job, ensuring precise data for cost estimates. Additionally, you can export your takeoff or estimate to Excel or use built-in reports, ensuring your entire job is calculated and ready to go.
The result is faster project execution and reduced costs.
Key features:
- Point & Click functionality: Easily measure simple or complex areas, items, lengths, volumes, and perimeters in seconds, ensuring everything colored is counted.
- Drag & Drop Assemblies: Quickly add pre-configured materials, waste, and labor costs to your takeoff items for instant and accurate cost calculations, boosting efficiency.
- Print or Export Estimates: Share your estimates effortlessly by printing or exporting to Excel, ensuring full compatibility and comprehensive job calculation.
Learn more about PlanSwift features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: PlanSwift is built to tackle your specific challenges in earthworks. Its intuitive point-and-click and drag-and-drop features provide accurate material, labor, and cost calculations, proving itself as a strong contender for the best earthworks software. You’ll save time, reduce errors, and ultimately increase your profit margins on every project.
7. SharpeSoft
Struggling to win more heavy construction bids?
SharpeSoft’s estimating software helps you generate winning bids faster, getting you up and running quickly. This means you can bid more confidently and efficiently, securing valuable projects.
It addresses the core pain point of evaluation paralysis by offering both a comprehensive Estimator software and a rapid Estimator Express option.
This moves you toward project success.
SharpeSoft equips you to bid faster and win more, backed by 1:1 training and support. Their cloud-based estimating software is designed to help contractors generate winning bids, no matter your team size.
You can get started in as little as 24 hours with Estimator Express, or two weeks for the full Estimator software, both with free training and support. This intuitive software helps you save millions of hours bidding winning jobs, allowing you to focus on managing projects rather than complex software interfaces. Additionally, SharpeSoft offers Integrated Project Management and Mobile Foreman tools for assigning projects to mobile inspectors.
The result is increased profitability and simplified project management.
If you’re also looking into optimizing business efficiency and cutting operational expenses, my article on best energy management software can provide valuable insights.
Key features:
- Rapid Deployment: Get started quickly with Estimator Express in 24 hours or the full Estimator in two weeks, both including 1:1 training and support.
- Cloud-Based Estimating: Leverage powerful cloud software to generate winning bids faster and more accurately, from one user to thousands.
- Integrated Project Management: Utilize companion tools like SharpeSoft IPM and Mobile Inspector for efficient project assignment and mobile inspections.
Learn more about SharpeSoft features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: SharpeSoft stands out as the best earthworks software for heavy civil contractors seeking to win more bids, manage projects effectively, and simplify their workflow. With millions of hours saved by estimators, its intuitive interface and quick setup – often in just 24 hours – empower your team to bid faster and boost your bid-to-win ratio significantly.
Conclusion
Are project overruns killing your bids?
Choosing the right tool feels impossible. You have to balance advanced features against tight budgets while finding a solution that won’t require substantial training investments.
The industry is booming. Equipment World reports 2.9% year-over-year growth in nonresidential jobs. This rapid expansion means staying competitive in a growing market is more critical than ever.
Here is my top recommendation.
After reviewing all the options, AGTEK is the clear winner. Its dirt-simple solutions help you create accurate takeoffs and ensure every single project is profitable.
While we’re discussing software selection, my article on best veterinary software provides valuable insights for clinic management.
I especially love how it simplifies drone surveys and speeds up machine control modeling. Using the best earthworks software like AGTEK eliminates guesswork and costly errors.
I recommend you connect with an AGTEK expert to see how its tools can transform your bidding and project execution workflow.
You’ll win more bids almost immediately.
