Contrarian take up front: Contractor Foreman's per-user pricing is a small-crew tax dressed up as a friendly logo, and it hits residential GCs the hardest right at the crew size (5 to 12 people) where Workhand's flat rate turns into thousands of dollars a year in savings. I have spent the last year comparing Contractor Foreman vs Workhand with small GCs running crews of 3 to 15. Contractor Foreman charges $49/month per user. Workhand is $89.99/month flat for unlimited users. Below is the pricing math, the feature gaps in both directions, and what I would pick for different crew sizes.
The 15-Person Ceiling and per-user pricing
A Workhand framework I use here: The 15-Person Ceiling. Enterprise construction SaaS is priced and designed for crews of 15+; below that you pay more per useful feature than you save in labor. Per-user pricing hits the ceiling from a different angle: it punishes you for adding cheap seats (foremen, laborers, subs who mostly need read access and chat) at the same rate as the owner. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 County Business Patterns shows 78 percent of specialty trade contractor firms employ under 10 people. That is the segment Contractor Foreman's per-user model punishes.
Pricing Math: Per-User vs Flat Rate
Contractor Foreman starts at $49/month per user per Contractor Foreman's 2026 published pricing. Workhand is $89.99/month total on the Team plan, no matter how many people you add.
Here is what that looks like for different crew sizes:
- 5 users: Contractor Foreman is $245/month, Workhand is $89.99/month (you save $155/month, $1,860/year)
- 8 users: Contractor Foreman is $392/month, Workhand is $89.99/month (you save $302/month, $3,624/year)
- 12 users: Contractor Foreman is $588/month, Workhand is $89.99/month (you save $498/month, $5,976/year)
The breakeven point is around 1.8 users. Yourself and one foreman, you already pay more with Contractor Foreman. Bigger crew with subs who need app access, the gap gets absurd fast.
I built Workhand with flat pricing because I got tired of doing seat math every time I hired a helper on a Tampa pool build. On a summer 2024 job (crew of 5, three subs cycling in and out, contract in the $180k range), the per-user math on the enterprise tools I priced would have added roughly $200 a month for the same workflow. That is 3 tanks of gas or a filter for a customer's equipment pad, either month.
Core Features Both Tools Handle
Contractor Foreman and Workhand both cover the essentials small GCs need: estimates with e-signature, invoices, job scheduling, time tracking, cost tracking. Both sync with QuickBooks Online. Both let you track subs and manage multiple jobs at once.
Workhand has features Contractor Foreman does not. Subcontractor insurance tracking with expiration alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days before a COI expires. One-tap Spanish/English translation inside per-job chat, plus full app UI translation in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. BLS 2024 Occupational Employment data puts Hispanic workers at 34 percent of U.S. construction employment; in Tampa, Phoenix, and Houston the on-site number is higher.
Contractor Foreman has more bells and whistles overall. They offer Gantt chart scheduling, equipment tracking, and inventory management beyond a basic materials catalog. Workhand does not do equipment tracking or advanced inventory. If you have a fleet of mini excavators or need to track which site has your generator, Contractor Foreman handles that and Workhand does not.
For most small GCs, the core overlap is what matters. Estimates, invoices, scheduling, subs, QuickBooks sync. Both tools do that. The question is whether you need Contractor Foreman's extras enough to pay per user for them.
What Workhand Does Better for Small Crews
Flat pricing is the obvious one. A few more that got optimized for small crews.
Profit visibility per job is built into Workhand's job screen. Estimated vs actual costs in real time, so you can tell if you are bleeding margin before the job wraps. Contractor Foreman has cost tracking, but the profit view is not as front and center.
The customer-facing job portal lets clients see progress photos, approve selections, and view invoices without you sending 12 separate emails. Contractor Foreman does not have a comparable client portal.
The chat translation feature matters if you work with Spanish-speaking subs or crew. You type in English, they see it in Spanish. They reply in Spanish, you see it in English. Contractor Foreman does not have that.
Customer invoice payments through Stripe Connect at 2.9% + 30 cents, with Workhand adding 0% on top. Clients pay invoices by card directly from the app. Contractor Foreman has payment collection too, but the fee structure is different.
What Contractor Foreman Does That Workhand Doesn't
Contractor Foreman has Gantt chart scheduling. Managing 20+ jobs with dependencies and want a visual timeline, that is useful. Workhand has job scheduling and dispatch, but no Gantt view.
They do equipment tracking and asset management. Tools, trucks, or heavy equipment spread across multiple job sites, Contractor Foreman lets you log where everything is. Workhand does not track equipment at all.
Contractor Foreman has deeper inventory management. Workhand has a materials catalog for what you use per job, but it is not a full inventory system. Need SKU-level stock tracking or reorder alerts, Contractor Foreman handles that better.
Neither tool does everything. Workhand does not pay subs through the app (no ACH or check generation). Contractor Foreman does not have in-app lien waiver e-signature either. Both tools assume you will handle some workflows outside the app.
Who Should Pick Contractor Foreman
Solo operator or a two-person shop that does not plan to grow, Contractor Foreman's $49 or $98/month tag is cheaper than Workhand's $89.99/month flat rate. The per-user model works in your favor when the user count is low.
Need Gantt scheduling or equipment tracking, Contractor Foreman has those and Workhand does not. Deal-breaker feature gap for some GCs.
Lots of jobs with complex dependencies and you want visual timeline tools, Contractor Foreman fits that workflow better.
Who Should Pick Workhand
3+ users (yourself, a foreman, a couple of subs or crew), the flat pricing saves real money every month. 5 users, $155/month saved. 8 users, $302/month saved. That is $3,624/year at 8 users.
Work with Spanish-speaking crews or subs, the one-tap translation and full Spanish UI is a massive time saver. Contractor Foreman does not have that.
Want automatic COI expiration alerts so you do not accidentally let a sub's insurance lapse, Workhand handles that with 30/14/7 day reminders. The Insurance Information Institute's 2024 fraud review flags uninsured-sub GL claims as a top-five source of six-figure GC exposure. I built the tracker because I got burned twice on expired COIs in my Tampa pool building years.
Want a clean client portal for job progress and invoice payment without a mess of email threads, Workhand's customer portal does it. Contractor Foreman does not offer a comparable client-facing view.
Full Contractor Foreman vs Workhand comparison page for a side-by-side feature breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
Does Workhand charge per user like Contractor Foreman?
No. Workhand is $89.99/month flat for unlimited users. Contractor Foreman charges $49/month per user, so the total cost depends on your crew size.
Can Workhand do Gantt chart scheduling?
No. Workhand has job scheduling and dispatch, but no Gantt chart view. If you need visual timeline scheduling with dependencies, Contractor Foreman has that and Workhand doesn't.
Does Contractor Foreman have Spanish translation like Workhand?
No. Workhand has one-tap Spanish/English translation inside per-job chat. Contractor Foreman doesn't offer in-app translation.
Which tool is better for tracking subcontractor insurance?
Workhand has automated COI expiration alerts at 30, 14, and 7 days before expiration. Contractor Foreman lets you upload and store COI documents, but doesn't have the same alert system.
Does Workhand track equipment like Contractor Foreman does?
No. Contractor Foreman has equipment and asset tracking. Workhand doesn't track equipment at all.
Can clients pay invoices directly in Workhand?
Yes. Workhand uses Stripe Connect so customers can pay invoices by card at 2.9% + 30 cents, and Workhand adds 0% on top. Contractor Foreman has payment collection too, but the setup is different.
At what crew size does Workhand become cheaper than Contractor Foreman?
Around 2 users. At 5 users Workhand saves you $155/month, at 8 users you save $302/month, and at 12 users you save $498/month compared to Contractor Foreman's per-user pricing.
Does Workhand have a customer portal for clients to see job progress?
Yes. Workhand has a customer-facing portal where clients can view progress photos, approve selections, and pay invoices. Contractor Foreman doesn't offer a comparable client portal.