Why Odoo for Construction?
Construction companies manage complex projects with many moving parts: cost estimates, material procurement, subcontractor coordination, equipment allocation, labor tracking, and progress billing. Odoo connects all of these in one platform — a material purchase order updates project costs, labor timesheets feed into payroll, and progress billing generates invoices automatically.
Odoo Modules for Construction
| Need | Odoo Module | Construction Use |
|---|---|---|
| Projects | Project | Project phases, tasks, milestones |
| Estimation | Sales + Custom | Cost estimation, BOQ (Bill of Quantities) |
| Procurement | Purchase | Material procurement, vendor comparison |
| Inventory | Inventory | Material tracking per project site |
| Subcontractors | Purchase + Subcontracting | Subcontractor POs and billing |
| Labor | Timesheet + HR | Labor hours per project, payroll |
| Equipment | Maintenance + Fleet | Equipment allocation, maintenance |
| Billing | Invoicing | Progress billing, retention |
| Financials | Accounting | Project P&L, WIP accounting |
Project Structure
# Construction Project Hierarchy:
# Project: "Office Building - Downtown"
# ├── Phase 1: Foundation
# │ ├── Task: Site Preparation
# │ ├── Task: Excavation
# │ ├── Task: Concrete Pouring
# │ └── Task: Foundation Inspection
# ├── Phase 2: Structure
# │ ├── Task: Steel Erection
# │ ├── Task: Floor Slabs
# │ └── Task: Structural Inspection
# ├── Phase 3: Envelope
# │ ├── Task: Exterior Walls
# │ ├── Task: Roofing
# │ └── Task: Windows/Doors
# └── Phase 4: Interior
# ├── Task: Electrical
# ├── Task: Plumbing
# ├── Task: HVAC
# └── Task: FinishingCost Estimation (BOQ)
# Bill of Quantities for Foundation Phase:
# Item | Quantity | Unit | Unit Cost | Total
# Concrete (M25) | 500 | m³ | $120 | $60,000
# Rebar (Fe500) | 50 | tons | $800 | $40,000
# Formwork | 2,000 | m² | $15 | $30,000
# Excavation | 1,500 | m³ | $8 | $12,000
# Labor (skilled) | 2,000 | hours | $25 | $50,000
# Labor (unskilled) | 3,000 | hours | $12 | $36,000
# Equipment rental | 30 | days | $500 | $15,000
# ─────────────────────────────────────────
# Phase Total: $243,000
# Contingency (10%): $24,300
# Phase Budget: $267,300Material Procurement
- Purchase requests linked to project phases
- Vendor comparison (price, delivery time, quality rating)
- Material delivery scheduled to match construction timeline
- Inventory tracked per project site (multi-location)
- Material wastage tracking (actual vs estimated usage)
Subcontractor Management
- Subcontractor database with specializations and ratings
- RFQ (Request for Quotation) for competitive bidding
- Subcontract POs with scope of work
- Progress-based payment milestones
- Retention tracking (5-10% withheld until completion)
Progress Billing
# Progress billing workflow:
# 1. Surveyor measures completed work quantities
# 2. Compare to BOQ (% complete per item)
# 3. Generate progress invoice (e.g., 30% of contract)
# 4. Deduct retention (e.g., 10%)
# 5. Deduct previous payments
# 6. Net amount due
# Example:
# Contract Value: $1,000,000
# Work Complete: 30% = $300,000
# Retention (10%): -$30,000
# Previous Invoices: -$150,000
# Amount Due: $120,000Project Cost Control
- Real-time budget vs actual comparison
- Cost breakdown: materials, labor, subcontractors, equipment, overhead
- Variance analysis: which items are over/under budget
- Forecast: projected total cost at completion
- Earned value management (EVM) with custom reporting
DeployMonkey for Construction
Deploy Odoo for your construction company on DeployMonkey. The AI agent helps configure project structures, BOQ templates, procurement workflows, and progress billing. Manage multiple construction projects from a single platform.