Priced a job well, got paid, then wondered where the profit went? Job costing closes the gap between your estimate and what the job actually cost.
Training your own tradies can seem like the obvious fix for the skills shortage, until you count the costs. Here's what an apprentice really costs in 2026, which incentives can offset it and how to make the first 18 months pay off.
A pipe run measured a metre short can swallow the margin on a whole job. Here's a six-step plumbing takeoff process that treats fixture counts, pipe runs and drainage as separate, deliberate steps.
Reading plans is a habit you build over a few jobs, not a qualification you need first. This guide gives you the shortcuts.
Every trade business pays an admin tax. Here are five repeat tasks you can automate this month with tools you already have.
We’ve updated Symbols management in Groundplan to make your collection easier to search, organise and manage, with your categories and symbol packs together on one page.
Choosing the wrong takeoff software can be costly. A year on a platform that doesn’t work for you burns through subscription fees, onboarding time and the goodwill of whoever uses it.
Clients tend to choose a construction quote based on clarity, responsiveness and trust signals, not on the lowest number at the bottom of the page.
Today, digital tools are changing how people approach estimates and takeoffs, setting new standards for efficiency and accuracy.
Join our Trainer for a FREE 5 part Groundplan training series to speed up your takeoff process and become a Groundplan superuser.
Despite the distance, he remains the central point of contact for all things estimating, project management and documentation.
In episode 4 of our 5-Part series we asked Brent how he’s incorporating the project manager into the process so that the above walkthroughs from site can be clearly documented back to the office and vice versa.
In this episode, Brent walks us through the process for tracking changes on site and how it benefits all future trades.
In episode 2, Brent reveals how he manages project revisions to help project managers understand the project’s history.
In this five-part series, Brent Drew from Modern Vision Contractors has been generous enough to show us exactly how he estimates projects 1000 km's from head office.
Building a serious electrical business and spending time with the family can potentially conflict, until you put the right infrastructure in place.
Scaling a business in the trades isn’t just about winning more projects—it’s about smart decisions & smart systems. Enter Groundplan & Simpro.
The end of a project should be cause for celebration. Instead, one significant question often remains unanswered even after all those weeks of physical labor: "Did I actually make money on this job?"
No integration is more popular than our connection to Simpro. But how does it actually benefit your workflow?
In case you didn't manage to register for our ever-popular Groundplan Superuser Series, we've uploaded the recorded sessions for you to reference any time.
Plan Compare gives you the option to compare a plan to a previous revision or another plan in the project. While comparing plans, you can count, measure, annotate, and select items as usual.
Ironically, though BJ was in business to simplify life through modern systems, his own business processes were anything but simple and modern.
One of the biggest lessons Mike’s learned throughout his years in business is just how ineffective – and costly – manual processes can be.
O’Brien Plumbing Tweed Heads is reaping the benefits of Groundplan, saving both time and money with the cloud-based take-off software.
We've been working hard to make taking off plans a whole lot easier! While we've kept the basics the same, you'll now have an easier time selecting, moving and editing your measurements.
There are several common mistakes made when tendering for construction projects which can harm the chances of the bid being successful.
Within two weeks of signing up to the Groundplan trial, Phil had mastered the software. He was then convinced he’d found the ultimate solution: a place where the whole team could collaboratively use one platform.