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Tradespeople and building SMEs

Construction and trades software:
quotes, invoices and site tracking

Detailed quotes, deposits, progress billing, retention, subcontracting reverse charge, reduced VAT and site tracking: what quoting and invoicing software for building work in France must do, and what Orizen really does, need by need.

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Need by need

A tradesperson or a building SME isn't looking for one more piece of software: they want accurate pricing, payment as the work progresses and invoices with the right VAT. Here is each need, what Orizen does about it, and what it doesn't do.

I The needs

What quoting and invoicing software for building work must do

General invoicing software can produce a quote and an invoice. Building work asks for more: a detailed quote that keeps track of cost price, deposits on order, progress invoices as the work advances, retention to hold back and later release, reverse charge VAT when subcontracting, reduced VAT rates for work in homes, and tracking the site itself: schedule, hours, snags and handover.

In Orizen, quotes and invoices belong to the Sales administration module; progress billing, retention, scheduling and handover belong to the Construction site management module, enabled account by account: ask for it during the trial or the demo.

For the basics, check what a quote must contain, the mandatory invoice mentions and how to calculate cost price.

Need by need

What Orizen does for building work, and its limits

Each card was checked in the product on 15/09/2026. When Orizen doesn't do something, the card says so.

Detailed quotes

Lines with quantity, unit, unit price, discount and VAT rate, from your item catalogue. In a site, the library of work items breaks each item down into costs, unit price schedules can be imported, and the costing produces a draft quote.

Good to know: no lots, chapters or subtotals on the printed quote.

Sales administration, Construction site management

Cost price and margin

Cost-based design adds material cost, labour, hourly rate, coefficient and margin to the quote, in internal columns that never appear on the customer's PDF. On the site, planned is compared with actual: logged hours and approved costs.

Good to know: an hour logged without an hourly rate has an unknown cost: Orizen counts it separately instead of guessing.

Sales administration, Construction site management

Signing and signed quotes

The quote goes out for e-signature, with a verification code by email and an audit log. Once signed, it creates its deposit invoices and its balance invoice if a deposit plan is set, and a button opens the site from the quote.

Good to know: during a trial without a credit card, e-signature may be disabled.

Sales administration

Deposit invoices

A deposit plan on the quote, or a deposit as a percentage or an amount from the site. Deposits paid are then recovered pro rata in progress invoices.

Good to know: deposit invoices are not yet sent through e-invoicing, reminded automatically or synced with Pennylane.

Sales administration, Construction site management

Progress billing

Progress as a percentage per site phase, running total of previous progress invoices, approval, then a draft progress invoice with the deposit recovered and the retention deducted.

Good to know: progress is entered per phase, not line by line from the quote, and the site must be linked to a quote.

Construction site management

Retention

A rate per progress invoice (5% suggested, editable), deducted from the net amount payable and never from the VAT base. The site shows retention held, released and remaining, a release date set one year after the recorded handover, and generates the release invoice.

Good to know: release stays manual, a bank guarantee instead of retention is not handled, and retention does not apply to ordinary invoices.

Construction site management

Reverse charge when subcontracting

A progress invoice can switch to reverse charge: VAT at zero and the mention "Autoliquidation (CGI art. 283-2 nonies)" on the progress invoice line.

Good to know: only on progress invoices, not on quotes or ordinary invoices; state on the invoice, generated as a draft, that VAT is due by the main contractor.

Construction site management

10% and 5.5% VAT

A rate of 20%, 10%, 5.5%, 2.1% or 0% on each line, with a breakdown by rate on the document.

Good to know: Orizen does not check whether the home or the work is eligible, and does not add on its own the statement by which the customer certifies the conditions.

Sales administration

Site tracking

Phases, tasks and Gantt, weekly and monthly schedule, team workload, time entries approved each week, photos, notes and meeting minutes, snags with photos, a handover report signed by the customer from a link, subcontractors with an alert before their ten-year insurance expires.

Good to know: module enabled account by account; safety documents (health and safety plan, prevention plan) are uploaded, not generated.

Construction site management

Reminders and accounting

Reminders for overdue invoices once switched on: the formal notice is suggested, never sent on its own. Sync with Pennylane of customers, invoices, credit notes and supplier invoices.

Good to know: no automatic reminders for unanswered quotes; the Pennylane sync goes through the Pre-accounting module.

Sales administration, Pre-accounting

E-invoicing

Invoices are sent through two partner approved platforms, B2Brouter and Super PDP.

Good to know: Orizen is not an approved platform itself, and deposit invoices are not yet sent.

Sales administration
II Tax rules in France

Reduced VAT for work in homes: the rules in 2026

Two reduced rates can apply to work in residential homes completed more than two years ago, whether the occupant is the owner, a tenant or lives there free of charge: 10% for improvement, conversion, fitting-out and maintenance work, and 5.5% for energy renovation work. The reduced rate is excluded for work that amounts to producing a new building.

Since 1 March 2025, the customer certifies with a statement on the quote or the invoice that the work meets the conditions for the reduced rate: the standard or simplified certificate is no longer required. Since the same date, installing or supplying boilers that can burn fossil fuels is taxed at the standard 20% rate, while their maintenance stays at 10%.

In Orizen, choose the rate on each quote line, and check that the customer's certification statement appears on the document before sending it.

Sources: impots.gouv.fr (page updated on 05/03/2026) and entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr (page checked on 21/02/2026), consulted on 15/09/2026.

Reverse charge VAT when subcontracting

For construction work, including repair, cleaning, maintenance, conversion and demolition, carried out by a subcontractor for a VAT-registered customer, VAT is paid by the customer, that is the company that subcontracts. The scheme covers subcontractors at any tier, and excludes in particular intellectual services from design offices and the hire of site machinery.

The subcontractor's invoice does not show VAT: it must state clearly that VAT is due by the main contractor and carry the mention "autoliquidation". In Orizen, this regime is chosen on progress invoices; add the statement about the main contractor to the generated invoice.

For the details of the returns, read our entry on reverse charge VAT.

Source: BOFiP, BOI-TVA-DECLA-10-10-20, § 531 to 537, version in force since 09/09/2026, consulted on 15/09/2026.

E-invoicing in the building trade

Building companies follow the common timetable of the French reform: our page on e-invoicing for SMEs sets out the deadlines. Orizen sends invoices through two partner approved platforms, B2Brouter and Super PDP; it is not an approved platform itself.

III General or specialist

Specialist construction software or management software with a site module?

Specialist estimating software suits you if

you answer tenders that require quotes by lots with subtotals and detailed measurements printed on the quote: Orizen does neither.

Orizen suits you if

you want the CRM, signed quotes, deposits, progress billing, retention and site tracking in one tool, priced per module with no commitment, and your quotes fit in lines, without lots.

IV Getting started

From catalogue to first site in three steps.

Three steps to test Orizen on a real site during the trial.

Step 1: your data

Customers and items arrive in Orizen.

  • Import accounts and contacts from an Excel or CSV file, with SIRET checks, then create your items with their price and VAT rate.
Step 2: the quote

The quote goes out for signature.

  • Detailed quote, cost-based design if you want to steer the margin, deposit plan, then sending for e-signature.
Step 3: the site

The site opens from the signed quote.

  • Phases, schedule and time entries, then progress billing with retention, up to the handover report.
V Frequently asked questions

Construction software: the questions we get asked.

Which quoting and invoicing software for building work?

Software that produces detailed quotes, deposit invoices and progress invoices, handles retention and subcontracting reverse charge, and tracks the site. Orizen covers these needs with its Sales administration and Construction site management modules, without lots or subtotals on the quote. For tenders priced by lots, specialist estimating software will fit better.

Does Orizen handle progress billing?

Yes, in the Construction site management module: progress as a percentage per phase, running total, deposit recovery, retention deducted and a draft progress invoice. Progress is not entered line by line from the quote.

Do you still need a VAT certificate for work at 10% or 5.5% in France?

No. According to impots.gouv.fr, consulted on 15/09/2026, since 1 March 2025 the customer certifies with a statement on the quote or the invoice that the work meets the conditions for the reduced rate; the standard or simplified certificate is no longer required. Orizen applies the rate chosen on each line, without checking eligibility.

How do you invoice under reverse charge as a subcontractor in France?

The invoice does not show VAT, states clearly that it is due by the main contractor and carries the mention "autoliquidation" (BOFiP, BOI-TVA-DECLA-10-10-20, consulted on 15/09/2026). In Orizen, the reverse charge regime is chosen on a progress invoice; it does not exist on ordinary invoices.

Does Orizen calculate retention?

Yes, on progress invoices: editable rate (5% suggested), deduction from the net amount payable, tracking of the amount held and released, release invoice. Release stays manual, and the applicable rate depends on your contract.

How much does Orizen cost for a building company?

Modules are taken à la carte, from €8.99 to €29.99 per user per month, with no commitment; Trajectoire, with hands-on steering, starts at €150 excl. VAT per month. For building work, count the Sales administration and Construction site management modules, plus Pre-accounting if you sync with Pennylane. The free trial lasts 14 days.

Construction and trades software

Test it on a real site, from quote to handover.

Try Orizen free for 14 days, no credit card required, and ask for the Construction site management module to be enabled.

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