If you’re looking to grow your construction business but you’ve been sticking to the same tried-and-tested ways, there’s some bad news waiting for you. What worked five years ago is not going to carry your business through the next five years.
There’s been a lot of development in the construction industry, and some of this has reshaped the way successful companies operate. Labor shortages, rising costs, and increasing expectations from clients have pushed businesses to rethink their systems, and technology is leading the way for them.
In this guide, we uncover some of the best technology trends currently transforming the industry.
Why use technology to grow your construction business?
The construction industry is historically hands-on, so integrating high-tech tools and following trends may initially feel foreign. But if your goal is to expand your construction business in 2025 and beyond, working through that discomfort is important.
There are plenty of advantages to learning how to rely on technology for certain aspects of your business operations.
One of these benefits is that it’s there to address labor shortages. The U.S. construction industry is believed to be in need of almost half a million new recruits in 2025 if it’s to thrive, according to the Associated Builders and Contractors model. Using AI and automation technology offers some relief when it comes to repetitive tasks.
Another reason to add these new technology solutions to your business is to help meet client expectations. Clients today are looking for clear communication, faster turnaround times, and reliable results, and modern technology helps you deliver all of this.
Construction technology tools you need to harness
Not all tools are created equal, and you certainly don’t need everyone available to successfully run your construction business. Here are some of the most impactful technology trends and tools that you should consider, though.
Project management software
Managing construction projects means multiple jobs, teams, and timelines. Staying on top of everything is vital, but it can all get overwhelming if you’re not using the right project management software.
Adding something like Fieldwire construction management software to your tech stack gives you more control over task management, drawing storage, punch lists, and team communication. You can then have all of your project information on your computer or mobile phone, ready to access whenever you need it.
BIM tools
Building information management (BIM) tools help you create 3D models of your projects. This carries data about each element of the build, from materials to timelines and everything in between.
These tools offer information to every team member: your engineers, architects, and contractors. And with them, you’re able to identify any costly mistakes or structural conflicts before they end up being irreversible.
Drones and other site monitoring tools
Perhaps one of the most important tools to have on a modern construction site is a reliable way to monitor it. Which is why drones have become so popular for that exact purpose.
Drones equipped with LiDAR, thermal imaging, and high-res cameras can map out entire sites much faster than it would take a human team. They give you a bird’s-eye view of everything without interrupting daily operations.
Using these tools can help managers spot safety risks and structural issues before they become costly problems. They’re also useful for remote or hard-to-access sites, where traditional inspections can be dangerous and time-consuming. When you pair drones with site monitoring software, you get real-time data in dashboards that support faster, smarter decision-making.
Virtual reality, augmented reality, and digital twins
When we first got virtual and augmented reality technology, it was more about gaming and entertainment than construction. But this industry has now realized the power of these tools and has learned how best to use them.
VR and AR come in to allow clients to take immersive walkthroughs of their future spaces, so they’re able to see the design before it comes to life, and flag any concerns early on. Clients can’t always pick up these things when looking at 2D designs, since they’re not trained to.
AR also makes it easier for workers to visualize what’s behind walls or beneath floors by overlaying digital plans onto real-world environments. And digital twins take it all one step further by creating live, data-driven replicas of physical buildings. This is often used for ongoing performance monitoring, predictive maintenance, and long-term facility management.
Customer relationship management tools
While most of the focus in construction is on the actual build, it’s important not to neglect the relationships that get you there. A good client experience starts long before the project breaks ground.
You need a strong and reliable CRM system if you want to nurture the relationships with your clients before, during, and long after the project is complete. Using platforms like Hubspot will give you control over every lead, client interaction, and follow-up, so even if you have a large customer success team, you’re never in the dark.
Cloud-based collaboration solutions
Another helpful technology update that the construction industry can make use of is cloud-based collaboration. Traditional communication methods like phone calls and plans on paper (even your usual emails) can cause bottlenecks and confusion. But cloud-based solutions mean you can all work on the same documents, in real time and from any device or location.
Instead of waiting for in-person meetings or chasing down signatures, approvals and feedback can be shared instantly, across multiple job locations and devices. And because these platforms store everything securely in one place, they also help with accountability and record-keeping. From tracking who approved what to maintaining a paper trail for inspections or disputes, it’s all documented and easy to retrieve later if needed.
Tapping into modern marketing trends
A strong digital presence is the first step in getting noticed and expanding brand awareness. There’s a noticeable increase in clients looking for construction services on search engines, and even more so when it comes to finding local companies.
For this, you want to have your Google Business updated and optimized. This puts your company on the map (quite literally) and increases your chances of outranking your competitors.
Investing in the best enterprise SEO solutions is a wise move for construction companies that want to grow their online presence and use it to attract more clients. These strategies go beyond the usual keyword research and basic content writing. They’re there to target more high-value terms that your ideal clients are looking for, and bring in a steadier stream of new business opportunities.
Showing up on social media
Social media is no longer just a space for fun. Businesses in all industries are learning how valuable it can be to attract and connect with their clients, and the construction space is no exception.
This marketing channel has also seen some improvements over the years, and it’s no longer just about simply posting a collection of images of finished projects. Video has seen a boom, and it’s a powerful tool to help your construction business gain traction on social media.
You can do walkthroughs of completed jobs, time-lapse videos of your building process, and other behind-the-scenes shots of your team and work. Live Q&As, polls, and augmented reality tools are also proving to be beneficial in driving engagement for construction companies.
Leveling up your email marketing
As effective as SEO and social media can be, there are also a lot of algorithm changes you’re up against with both of them. Email marketing, however, can be completely owned and controlled by you, making it a powerful marketing tool.
In construction, your email list may not be extensive, but it’s more than likely filled with highly valuable contacts. Usually, either past, current, or potential clients. So sending out thoughtful and personalized communication helps build those relationships and keeps you top-of-mind.
While this may sound like it would take too much time, setting up email templates and outsourcing some of the work to marketers can help speed up the process and bring in results.
Using data and analytics to drive business development
Collecting data is important, but if you’re not using it for decision making, it’s not doing its job properly. The idea is to watch how, when, and why users are reaching your website, landing pages, or any other digital touchpoints, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
You can use heatmaps to show where users are clicking, how long they scroll, and at what point they lose interest on your website. Then you can use that information to improve your site’s UX, put important information in more obvious places, and work on your CTAs.
There’s also A/B testing, which is essentially testing which of two different kinds of marketing tactics works the best. Maybe you send out an email with two different subject lines and see which has a higher open rate. Or you might add a video onto social media with two different thumbnails or CTAs and find which of them has the better click-through rate. With the results, you’ll be able to plan your future marketing campaigns.
Technology is a growth driver in construction
Technology has become essential for construction companies that want to keep up with their competitors and grow into larger teams. But knowing which of these trends and tools to incorporate is most important.
There are so many apps and software solutions that allow you to not replace humans, but make everyone’s jobs easier and more efficient. From automation to collaboration and new ways to market your business, the right technology will help you scale faster, work smarter, and deliver better results overall.
About the Author: Tammi Saayman
Tammi is an experienced content writer who specializes in creating clear, engaging articles for business audiences. She works as an Off-Page Content Manager at Skale, where she manages a team of writers to craft high-quality, search-informed content for SaaS and other B2B brands. She’s especially interested in topics that help people work smarter, from productivity and remote work to marketing and business tools.
