LiveCosts
LiveCosts is construction job-costing and procurement software that replaces spreadsheet tracking with real-time labor, material, plant, and subcontractor costs, budget versus actual views, and invoice workflows aimed at contractors who need tighter margin control.
Mid-sized contractors often outgrow spreadsheets for purchase orders, invoices, and job costs long before they want a full ERP swap. LiveCosts advertises a single system for job costing, purchase order tracking, invoice capture with AI line extraction, time tracking, and reporting tuned to construction finance.
The vendor states more than 20 years of team experience, more than 20,000 users, and about 98.5% customer retention alongside a 4.8 out of 5 score on an accounting marketplace badge shown on the homepage (LiveCosts site, 2026). Independent verification of reviews is still wise during selection.
Functional areas called out include real-time job costing, PO tracking, AI-assisted invoice intake with three-way matching, time capture for employees and subcontractors, budget versus actual and WIP style reporting, and integrations that avoid exposing full accounting ledgers when only project controls need visibility.
LiveCosts publishes vertical pages for general contractors and mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and civil trades, signaling SMB to mid-market focus. Enterprise organizations should map SSO, multi-entity accounting, and global tax needs explicitly.
Specifications
Pricing
Platforms
Used for
Used by
Tasks
Pros and cons
Pros
- Narrow focus on construction cost control rather than generic accounting only.
- Integration story keeps sensitive accounting data scoped while still feeding job costs.
- Trade-specific landing pages help electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and civil teams see relevant wording.
Cons
- Public pricing still flows through demos rather than a full self-serve price list on pages reviewed.
- Very large joint ventures may need to test multi-currency and governance features.
- Some homepage metrics show placeholder zeros in fetched snapshots; rely on vendor conversations for live stats.
Key features
Job costing: Track labor, materials, plant, and subcontractors as costs occur instead of waiting for month-end spreadsheets.
Purchase orders: Standardize procurement workflows and approvals.
Invoice management: AI-assisted line extraction and matching to reduce manual invoice entry.
Time tracking: Capture staff, subcontractor daywork, and equipment time tied to projects.
Reporting: Budget versus actual, WIP, and P and L views framed for construction controllers.
Pricing
Subscription (contact sales)
per month
Free
No public per-seat rate on livecosts.com homepage as of 2026-04-03; book a demo for pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Does LiveCosts replace QuickBooks or Xero?
Positioning is project cost and procurement control that connects to accounting tools rather than replacing the general ledger outright. Map which system owns AR, AP, and payroll during design.
Is LiveCosts only for the UK?
Client stories include UK, Ireland, and South Africa references on the site. Ask about your region, tax codes, and banking formats before rollout.
What is AI used for in LiveCosts?
Invoice management pages describe AI-powered line item extraction and matching so invoices move from inbox to approval faster.
Can LiveCosts track subcontractor dayworks?
Time-tracking copy references subcontractor dayworks alongside employee and equipment time; confirm forms and approval rules with the vendor.
How much does LiveCosts cost?
The marketing site emphasizes demos rather than listing standard monthly fees in the pages reviewed. Request a quote based on company size and modules.
Does LiveCosts work for civil contractors?
Yes, a civil contractor page is published alongside MEP and general contractor pages.