Matterial for independent contractors
Everything your crew needs to plan, run, and get paid for the job, without living in spreadsheets.
As an independent contractor you're the one who quotes, the one who builds, and the one who collects, all at once. Matterial brings those three together in one place: you take off quantities from the plans, build the estimate, keep the site journal, and pull the report for your client. No spreadsheets scattered everywhere and no numbers that don't add up at the end of the month.
| Item | Unit | Quantity | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | ||||
| Red clay brick | pza | 42.00 | $6.80 | $285.60 |
| Cement-sand mortar 1:4 | m³ | 0.030 | $2,150 | $64.50 |
| Labor | ||||
| Mason | jor | 0.180 | $520 | $93.60 |
| Laborer | jor | 0.180 | $380 | $68.40 |
| Equipment | ||||
| Small tools 3% | % | — | — | $4.86 |
The day-to-day of independent contractors today
With a small crew you don't have an office team keeping the numbers. You quote from memory or in an Excel file that gets lost, the job moves along over WhatsApp, and when it's time to bill you're not sure how much you've spent or how much is left to invoice. Your margin slips away without you seeing it.
How Matterial helps
Quote fast and right
Take off quantities from the plans and build a clear estimate with line items, units, and prices, ready to send to your client.
Build and record
Keep the daily site journal with photos and progress from your phone, on the jobsite, without heading back to the office to type it up.
Keep spend in check
Log purchases and material usage against your budget to see how your margin is doing in real time.
Bill with proof
Pull a progress report with photos and numbers that gives your client the confidence to pay each progress payment.
Key features for independent contractors
- Quantity takeoff from the plans and an estimate ready to send
- Site journal with photos from your phone
- Control of purchases and material usage
- Budget vs. actual spend in real time
- Progress report for your client
- All your jobs in one place, no scattered spreadsheets
What changes
Features you'll use
Frequently asked questions
Does it work if I'm a single-crew contractor?
Yes. Matterial is built so a small crew can run the whole cycle on its own —quoting, building, and getting paid— without needing an office team.
Can I quote without measuring everything by hand?
Yes. You take off quantities from the plans, and that volume feeds straight into the estimate with line items, units, and quantities, so the manual work comes down to just reviewing.
Can I keep the site journal from the jobsite?
Yes. You log progress and photos from your phone on the jobsite, and everything is saved without you having to go back and type it into a computer.
How do I know whether I'm making or losing money on a job?
You log purchases and usage against your budget, and Matterial shows you actual vs. budgeted spend so you catch your margin before it slips away.
Get started with Matterial today
From blueprint to build, with clarity. Try it free, no card.