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AI scheduling tools for builders in the UK

For a small building firm, scheduling is mostly about people you don't employ: subcontractors, deliveries, inspections and the customer's own dates. One trade running late moves everyone after them. Software won't make a plasterer turn up, but it keeps the programme visible, sends the next trade a reminder and records who was on site when.

Prices were re-checked on each provider's own page; the date is next to each one. Rules and figures from GOV.UK are linked where they're used.

Plan the programme, not just the diary

Break each job into stages (strip out, first fix, plaster, second fix, finish) with the trade and dates for each. Tradify lists subcontractor management and scheduling with dispatch; Fergus includes timesheet users from £12 a month and contractor users at £2 per user per day (checked 15 October 2026), which suits crews that change job to job.

Health and safety duties on home jobs

On domestic projects, CDM 2015 client duties normally pass to the contractor, or the principal contractor where there's more than one contractor (HSE). Keeping your programme, site induction notes and who-was-on-site record in one app makes that easier to show.

CIS dates in the same diary

If you pay subcontractors under CIS, monthly returns are due by the 19th, and one day late costs £100 (GOV.UK). Put the return date in the same calendar as the jobs, and file a nil return or tell HMRC if you paid no subcontractors that month.

The options, with prices

Tool	Price and free plan	UK notes and source
Fergus Job management for trade businesses: quoting with price books, job cards, scheduling, timesheets and invoicing.	Essentials: from £39 a month. Professional: from £45 a month. Timesheet users from £12 a month; contractor users £2 per user per day. When checked, a 90%-off offer ran until December (£3.90 and £4.50). 14-day free trial, no card required. No free plan; 14-day free trial, no card required.	UK pricing in pounds on the UK site. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Tradify Job management for tradespeople: quotes, scheduling, timesheets and invoices.	Lite: £34 per user a month. Pro: £37. Plus: £44. Optional Instant Website £10 a month; text messages £0.10 each. 14-day free trial. No free plan; 14-day free trial with all features.	UK pricing in pounds, UK phone support. Source, checked 15 October 2026
YourTradebase Quotes, jobs, invoices and payment reminders for UK tradespeople, with one flat monthly price.	£29 a month, plus £15 a month for each additional user. Two months free if you pay annually. Prices subject to VAT. 30-day free trial, no card required. No free plan; 30-day free trial, no card required.	UK company, prices in pounds plus VAT. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Powered Now UK trade app for quotes, invoices, job scheduling and compliance certificates, with an optional AI receptionist.	Business: £28 a month for one user (£280 a year). Professional: £32 per user a month (£320 a year). Premium: £40 per user a month (£400 a year). All excl. VAT. AI receptionist add-on from £29 a month. 14-day free trial, no card required. No free plan; 14-day free trial, no card required.	UK company, prices in pounds excl. VAT. Source, checked 15 October 2026
Jobber Job management for service businesses: quotes, scheduling, invoicing and payments, with an AI Receptionist add-on.	Core: $49 a month ($29 billed annually). Connect: $139 ($99 annually). Grow: $199 ($149 annually), for one user; extra users $29 a month. Add-ons: AI Receptionist $29, Sales Pipeline $49, Marketing Suite $99 a month. 14-day free trial, no card required. No free plan; free trial without a card.	Confirm UK pricing and support. Source, checked 15 October 2026

What to check before you choose

Can one job hold several stages and trades, each with its own dates?
Can subcontractors see only their own jobs without a full paid user licence?
Does it record time on site for each person?
Per-user costs for a changing crew: Fergus contractor users are priced per day; YourTradebase adds £15 a month per extra user.
Can the customer see progress or get updates without phoning you?

A prompt to start with

Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, filling in the brackets:

You're planning a [job type] for [business name] at [area]. Stages and trades: [list with estimated days]. Fixed dates: [deliveries, inspections, customer holidays]. Build a day-by-day programme showing which trade is on site, flag clashes, and write a short text I can send each subcontractor confirming their dates.

Free tools

Price a job with the quote and VAT calculator (20%, 5%, 0% and reverse charge), or work out your day rate (see how much to charge per hour). Comparing job management apps? Read Tradify vs Jobber. Driving between jobs? The mileage allowance calculator uses HMRC's flat rates, and van costs for sole traders compares leasing, buying and the mileage rate.

Questions

Do I need scheduling software for a two-person firm?

Not always. A shared calendar works until you're coordinating several subcontractors. Once trades start overlapping on more than one job, a programme in one app saves calls.

Does CIS change how I schedule?

Only for the monthly return, due by the 19th. Put it in the same diary as your jobs.

Are these prices in pounds?

Not all. Where a provider only publishes US dollar prices we show dollars, so check the price in pounds at checkout.

Do you get paid if I sign up?

Some links may become affiliate links, and we'll label them when they do. It doesn't change what we list. See how we make money.

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