The Hidden Costs of Power BI for Construction: Why a Purpose-Built Solution for Contractors Wins

For many people, Power BI is a helpful tool – it’s well-known, widely used, and even has a free version. But there’s a catch with using Power BI for construction projects: it wasn’t built for contractors like you.

That means more time spent on setup, customization, and troubleshooting just to make it work for your business. And the real cost? It’s not just the software (even if you use the free version). It’s the hidden expenses that add up over time, from manual data entry and disconnected systems to extensive training and scaling costs. 

If you want real-time insights, seamless integrations, and pre-built dashboards designed for construction teams, there’s a better way. ContractorBI is built specifically for contractors – giving you the data you need, when you need it. Without the extra hassle. 

1. The Cost of Setup and Customization 

Power BI is a blank slate. That might sound like a good thing – until you realize you’ll have to build everything from scratch. 

That means you have:

• Manually set up dashboards for bid tracking, job costs, and financial performance 
• Spend hours (or hire experts) to configure integrations with your estimating, project management, and accounting tools 
• Customize reports just to get insights that you can actually use 

That’s time and money spent before you even start using Power BI for your business. 

How ContractorBI Saves You Time and Effort

ContractorBI comes pre-built for construction, with over 45 dashboards tailored especially to contractors’ needs. And it integrates with tools like Procore, Sage, and Stack, pulling real-time data into those dashboards – ready to use from day one, no expensive setup required. 

2. The Cost of Training and Usability

Power BI isn’t a plug-and-play solution for contractors. And that means if your team isn’t already experienced with data analytics using the platform, it can be a steep learning curve to get the information you need. 

• It requires knowledge of DAX and M coding language to create custom reports 
• Training takes time and money, either through in-house experts or external consultants 
• Non-technical users often struggle to get the insights they need, leading to silos of information and delays 

Added to that is the fact that training isn’t a one-time cost. As your company grows and new employees onboard, you’ll need to continuously invest in training. On top of that, if only a handful of people at your company can pull reports or customize dashboards, decision-making slows down. Teams either wait on someone with Power BI expertise or work without real-time data, increasing the risk of costly mistakes. 

How ContractorBI Makes Data Easy for Contractors

With ContractorBI, there’s no coding required. Everything is ready at your fingertips to use immediately. 

Instead of requiring complex coding languages and extensive manual set-ups,  ContractorBI offers an intuitive, construction-specific interface where users can quickly access reports, track key metrics, and generate insights. Even better, live training and unlimited support from TopBuilder ensures your team can get up to speed quickly if you do encounter any roadblocks. Whether you need help with reports or making the most of your data, our team is available to assist every step of the way. 

As a whole, this means you spend less time figuring out how to use the tool and more time using it – that is, making data-driven decisions that drive profitability and efficiency at your company. 

3. The Cost of Disconnected Data

One of the biggest frustrations we hear from those in our community who have used Power BI is around disconnected data silos. 

Because Power BI isn’t built for construction, it doesn’t automatically pull in information from bid management, project tracking, or estimating tools. That means:

• Manual data entry, which increases the risk of errors
• Delayed insights, since reports aren’t updated in real-time
• Time wasted reconciling information between different platforms 

How ContractorBI Solves These Challenges 

With ContractorBI, your data flows seamlessly between all your tools including Procore, Sage, B2W, Stack, and other construction software. That means no more manual updates – just real-time insights that help you stay ahead of the cost overruns, bidding trends, forecasting, and job performance. 

4. The Cost of Scalability 

Power BI pricing looks affordable at first glance but costs can add up with more advanced features. For instance, there’s a free version – but if you want to share and publish your reports, you need to pay to play with a license. 

Plus, every user needs a separate license, adding up fast as your team grows. And, since Power BI is deeply integrated into Microsoft Azure, you’re all but forced to use Microsoft’s cloud solutions, especially if you need more advanced functionality. 

How ContractorBI Saves You Money

ContractorBI is built to scale affordably for contractors. With transparent pricing, no surprise costs, and the ability to add features and users without breaking the bank, ContractorBI gives you the insights you need without breaking the bank. 

The Smarter Choice for Contractors

Power BI may work for general businesses but, for contractors, it comes with hidden costs that add up quickly. From complex setup to limited construction integrations, it often creates more problems than it solves. Simply put, there’s a better solution for contractors. 

See in greater detail how ContractorBI compares to Power BI. Download our full feature comparison chart to see why contractors are choosing a business intelligence tool built for their industry.