Tools · general contractors

Best invoice collection software for general contractors — 2026

GC AR involves retainage, draw schedules, and owner-pay delays that a generic email reminder was not built for. Here is what to evaluate and where each tool's scope ends.

General contractor AR is more complex than most service-business billing. Retainage withheld through project completion, draw schedules tied to inspection milestones, and multi-party billing chains where the owner pays the GC who pays the sub — all of these are normal in construction and none are handled well by a tool designed for a simpler billing relationship. Match the tool to the complexity of your model.

The 5 tools worth evaluating

1.

Syntharra

Top pick
10% of recovered amount, no monthly fee.

AI voice follow-up for overdue invoices.

Best for: General contractors with straightforward progress billing on QuickBooks Online or Xero who want voice follow-up on day-three past-dues.

Strengths

  • +Native QuickBooks Online and Xero integration — no middleware.
  • +Success-fee pricing: no cost until recovery.
  • +Automatic TCPA call-window compliance by state.

Limitations

  • −Best suited to straightforward invoice-to-customer billing. Complex retainage and lien-right workflows are outside its scope.
  • −Three-attempt cap per invoice, by design.
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2.

Chaser

Subscription starting around $39/month.

Email and SMS AR automation with configurable sequences.

Best for: GCs that want email and SMS follow-up with adjustable timing between steps.

Strengths

  • +Multi-step email and SMS with a visual timeline editor.
  • +Native QBO and Xero integrations.
  • +Customer portal for self-service payment.

Limitations

  • −No voice channel.
  • −No construction-billing-specific logic for retainage or AIA-style invoicing.
3.

QuickBooks Online built-in reminders

Included with QuickBooks Online.

Email reminders included in the QBO subscription.

Best for: GCs on QBO with simple progress billing who want basic email follow-up at no added cost.

Strengths

  • +Included with QuickBooks Online — no extra cost.
  • +No integration work required.
  • +Adequate for simple net-30 billing with low dispute rates.

Limitations

  • −No phone or SMS.
  • −No construction-billing logic — fires on all overdue invoices equally.
4.

Buildertrend

Custom pricing; typically in the hundreds per month.

Construction project management with financial tools built in.

Best for: GCs already using Buildertrend for project management who want AR visibility without a second tool.

Strengths

  • +Budget, draw schedule, and payment status are all in the same project view.
  • +Owner portal for reviewing and approving draw requests.
  • +Progress billing and change orders are first-class features.

Limitations

  • −Monthly cost is sized for full project-management use; AR is one feature among many.
  • −Not a dedicated invoice collection engine.
5.

Invoiced

Custom pricing; starts in the hundreds per month.

AR automation platform with more configurability than small-business tools.

Best for: Mid-sized GC operations with high invoice volume that have outgrown QBO reminders but do not need full construction ERP.

Strengths

  • +Configurable workflow automation for different customer segments.
  • +Net terms, payment plans, and dispute tracking built in.
  • +Integrates with several ERPs and accounting platforms.

Limitations

  • −Pricing is at the higher end — better justified for operations billing over $1M/year.
  • −Configuration overhead; not ready out of the box for construction billing.

Buyer advice

GCs with straightforward customer billing can evaluate the same tools as other service businesses. If your billing involves retainage, multi-tier sub payments, or lien waivers, start with your project management software's financial features before adding a separate collection tool. The integration complexity rarely justifies running two separate systems for the same billing relationship.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best invoice collection software for general contractors?

It depends on billing complexity. GCs with simple progress billing on QuickBooks Online can use a success-fee tool like Syntharra for voice follow-up at no monthly cost. GCs with complex retainage and draw schedules are better served starting with their construction management software's financial features — Buildertrend or similar — before adding a separate collection tool.

How do general contractors handle retainage in invoice collection software?

Most standalone invoice collection tools do not have native retainage logic — they see a balance owing and follow up on it. If retainage is withheld legitimately, you need to exclude those invoices from the automated queue or use a tool that understands the distinction. Construction-native platforms like Buildertrend handle this; generic AR tools typically do not.

Are lien rights relevant when using automated invoice follow-up?

In a supporting sense, yes. Preserving lien rights — serving preliminary notices on time, filing within the statutory window — is separate from following up on the invoice. Automated follow-up is one step in a collection escalation path; lien filings are a parallel legal track that invoice collection software does not handle.

How does first-party invoice follow-up differ from a collections agency for GCs?

A collections agency is a third party that is assigned the right to collect your receivable, often at a significant discount. First-party follow-up means the call comes from your business, about money your customer owes you, without transferring ownership of the receivable. The legal framework is different and there is no third-party discount to your recovery.

What percentage of overdue invoices does invoice collection software recover?

No vendor publishes verified industry-wide recovery rates — the range depends on how far past due the invoice is, the relationship, and whether the dispute is over price or ability to pay. The more useful comparison is cost model: success-fee tools only charge when they recover, so a low recovery rate on some invoices does not create extra cost.

Related pages

See how Syntharra works for general contractors

Connect QuickBooks Online or Xero in three minutes. Day-three voice follow-up runs automatically. Ten percent of the amount recovered, no monthly fee.

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