Procore vs Custom Software: The $50k/Year Decision for Mid-Sized GCs

If you run a construction firm with $5M-$50M in revenue, you are likely stuck in the "Software Valley of Death."

On one side, you have Excel and WhatsApp: cheap, flexible, but chaotic. On the other side, you have Procore and Autodesk: powerful, structured, but eye-wateringly expensive.

For years, the industry standard advice has been "Just get Procore." It’s the safe bet. It’s what everyone uses.

But in 2026, the math has changed.

With the rise of modern development frameworks (like the ones we use at Medianeth), building your own custom software is no longer a multi-million dollar gamble. It's often cheaper, faster, and more effective than renting a giant enterprise suite you only use 20% of.

Here is the honest breakdown of Procore vs. Custom Software for the mid-sized General Contractor.

The Cost of "Renting" (Procore)

Procore’s pricing model is generally based on Annual Construction Volume (ACV). This means the more you build, the more you pay—even if you don't add more users.

For a mid-sized firm doing $20M/year, you are often looking at:

• License Fees: ~$40,000 - $60,000 / year.
• Implementation: ~$10,000 (consultants, training).
• Total 5-Year Cost: ~$250,000+

The Hidden "Feature Tax"

The biggest cost isn't the money; it's the process friction. Procore is built to do everything for everyone. It has thousands of buttons, forms, and workflows.

• Your field superintendent just wants to log a daily report.
• In Procore, that might take 12 clicks and navigating through 3 menus.
• Result? They don't do it. They text you instead. And the data is lost.

The Cost of "Owning" (Custom Build)

Custom software used to cost $200k+ and take a year. Today, using rapid development stacks like Next.js and Supabase (which we specialize in), we can build a fully engaged MVP in 8-12 weeks.

Typical Custom Build Project:

• Initial Build: $25,000 - $45,000 (One-time).
• Hosting/Maintenance: ~$200/month.
• Total 5-Year Cost: ~$60,000

That is a $190,000 saving.

But the real value isn't the savings. It's the adoption. When we build custom Construction Software, we practice "Process Mirroring."

1. We watch how your best superintendent works.
2. We build the app to match his flow.
3. He opens the app, sees one big button that says "Log Daily," and he's done in 30 seconds.

Comparison: The Mid-Sized GC Matrix

When Should You Stick with Procore?

I am not saying Procore is bad. It’s significantly better than chaos. You should stick with Procore if:

1. Mandate: Your biggest clients require you to use it.
2. Mega-Scale: You are managing $200M+ projects with hundreds of subcontractors who already know Procore.
3. Zero-Manage: You have absolutely no internal capacity to guide a product vision.

When Should You Build Custom?

You are a candidate for a custom build if:

1. You have a "Secret Sauce": Your process is your competitive advantage, and standard software forces you to work like everyone else.
2. Field Adoption is Low: You're paying for software your field team hates.
3. Revenue is $5M - $100M: You are big enough to need structure, but agile enough to benefit from speed.

The "Hybrid" Approach

You don't have to rebuild the world. Most of our clients start small. We build a simple, dedicated Field Mobile App for daily logs and time tracking that fits their team perfectly. Then, we use APIs to push that data into their accounting system (like Sage or QuickBooks).

You get the ease of use of a custom app, with the robust accounting of an established platform.

Ready to run the numbers?

If you're tired of writing 5-figure checks for software your team complains about, let's talk. I can look at your current workflow and tell you in 15 minutes if a custom build would save you money.

Book a Feasibility Call Or check out our Construction Development Services for more details.