Construction invoicing software in Quebec: 2026 comparison (progress billing, holdbacks, GST/QST)

Construction invoicing software: what it must handle in Quebec

Generic invoicing software knows how to produce an invoice and calculate taxes. In construction, you also need to track what has already been invoiced on the contract, what remains to be invoiced and what the client holds back. Here are the five needs to check during a trial.

1. Progress billing

You invoice by stage or by percentage of completion. The software must show, on each invoice, the contract amount, what was invoiced before, the current invoice and the balance. Without it, you redo the calculation in Excel every month.

2. Holdbacks

Watch out for a common misconception: the Civil Code sets no percentage for a holdback on a private contract; the 10% holdback exists if the contract provides for it. On some public contracts, the public body may hold back at most 10% of each amount due. The details are in 10% contract holdback in Quebec. The software must isolate the holdback, track it as an amount receivable and release it on the right date. Try it with the holdback calculator.

3. GST and QST

In Quebec, GST at 5% and QST at 9.975% are each calculated on the price before taxes (QST is not calculated on GST). Your registration numbers must appear on the invoice. See GST and QST on a quote and the GST/QST calculator.

4. Change orders

An approved extra must change the contract amount and appear on the next invoice, with a record of the client's approval.

5. The link with accounting

Either the software keeps the books, or it sends invoices to your accounting software. In both cases, ask how taxes, payments and holdbacks are transferred.

Accounting software: QuickBooks Online, Acomba, Sage 50

QuickBooks Online

According to its Canadian pricing page (October 26, 2026), regular prices in CAD per month: Lite $20, EasyStart $30, Plus $110 (up to 5 users), Advanced $220 (up to 25 users); a 90% promotion for 6 months was displayed, and the free trial lasts 30 days. Plus adds project profitability and time tracking. Payroll is an option: $30, $55 or $80 per month plus per-employee fees. Intuit offers a Canadian website in French. We did not find progress billing or holdbacks on the pricing page: check them during the trial.

Acomba

Acomba GO, cloud-based, is offered from $39 to $399 per month at regular price depending on the plan; payroll (Remuneo) appears from the Croissance plan ($99) and quotes from the Entreprise plan ($199). A 50% promotion for 3 months applies to new clients until November 30, 2026. Acomba Construction adds project cost tracking, payroll with valid CCQ (Commission de la construction du Québec) rates, tracking of holdbacks receivable and lump-sum invoicing; its price is not published.

Sage 50

Sage 50 Cloud, on Sage's Canadian website: Pro Accounting $142.25 per month (1 user), Premium $199.58 per month, Quantum from $734.92 per month (5 users), with a minimum one-year commitment. The page lists project management and job costing; payroll is added as a package (from $218.33 per month with Pro). The currency is not written on the page, which is Sage Canada's.

These three tools are solid for accounting. Their limitation in construction is mainly what happens before the invoice: quote, job site tracking, hours, change orders. That is why many contractors keep them and connect construction software to them (see QuickBooks alone or a construction ERP).

Management software that also invoices

Jobber

Designed for home and commercial services. Its FAQ states that you can request a deposit and invoice in stages, and that Jobber syncs with QuickBooks Online. Prices in USD: Core $29 per month on annual billing, Connect from $99, Grow from $149, Plus from $399; app in English and Spanish.

Elper

A Quebec tool: electronic quotes and invoices, approval, payment follow-ups and reminders, project and budget tracking. Soumission plan $59 per month, Pro $119 per month on annual billing ($149 monthly) plus $10 per active employee; 5-day trial with no card. We found no mention of progress billing or holdbacks on its pages.

Sercom

For specialty contractors: signed quotes, work orders, invoicing, sending to QuickBooks or Sage. Solo CAD $40 per month, Team plan CAD $100 per month (5 users); 14-day trial with no card.

Constructo AI

Its page advertises accounting with progress billing, holdbacks, management of extras and GST/QST reports, at CAD $79.99 per month plus taxes, with AI in prepaid credits.

SubmitX

Invoices, progress billing, holdbacks, GST/QST, online payment (Stripe) and change orders, linked to the accepted quote and the project. Sync with QuickBooks Online, exports to Acomba and Sage 50. Free, Starter, Pro, Ultra; prices on request; 7-day trial with no card. Honest limitation: a young company (public launch in June 2026), and if your need is limited to accounting, dedicated accounting software is probably a better fit.

Construction invoicing comparison table

"Not found": absent from the official pages viewed on October 26, 2026. The feature may exist; ask for a demo.

Which invoicing software to choose for your situation?

Accounting software alone is a fit if…

• You invoice on a lump-sum basis, in one or two invoices per contract, with no holdback.
• Your accountant already works in QuickBooks Online, Acomba or Sage 50.
• You have few employees and no complex CCQ payroll (or you entrust it to Acomba Construction).

Construction software that invoices (like SubmitX) is a fit if…

• You do progress billing, holdbacks and change orders on most of your contracts.
• You want the invoice to come from the accepted quote, with no re-entry.
• You want to keep your accounting software and send invoices to it.

How to test construction invoicing software

For SubmitX, see Pricing, the list of features and the limitations.