Best Apps for Architects, Engineers and Contractors

Procreate is well-established as a go-to sketching app for amateurs and professional artists alike. The app contains hundreds of homemade brushes for accurate drawing, and its layer system provides precise controls for evolving simple ideas into impressive, detailed sketches and illustrations.

The app has millions of users and great reviews, and there are lots of tutorials available online to help you make the most of its capabilities. While not strictly designed for architectural purposes, Procreate is one of the most popular apps used by architects for sketching and designing.

Morpholio Trace is an all-in-one design and architecture app that combines sketching capabilities with CAD. Created by architects for architects, the app allows you to instantly draw to scale on top of PDF drawing sets, maps, 3D models, images or background grids – like a high-tech version of tracing paper.

But that's not all. Unlike other sketching apps, Trace comes with scale tools, so you can use any two points to set a scale in imperial or metric units. This app pushes the boundaries of AR technology, providing you with a truly cutting-edge sketching experience. It's had a great deal of praise over the years from the likes of Wired, AD and Architect, and is cited by Apple as a top sketching and drawing app.

Designed to help you think, plan and create, Concepts is a vector-based sketchbook for taking ideas from concept to reality. Combining a simple interface that's perfect for beginners with more advanced features for professional users, it's an app used by architects around the world to design homes, communities and urban landscapes.

One feature that helps Concepts stand out from other applications is its digital sketching paper, which provides an almost natural paper-like feel. The app has previously won awards from Apple, Google and Samsung for its drawing experience and customisable UI.

ArchiSnapper is the #1 field report app in the industry, helping over 10,000 architects, engineers and contractors conduct paperless inspections and save up to 70% of the time it takes to generate reports.

The app allows you to document items with text, photos, assignees and floor plan annotations while on-site. Once back at the office, your field report or snag list is available for further editing and sharing. With ArchiSnapper, you can sketch and annotate photos to better communicate ideas, generate professional PDF reports in seconds, communicate through voice-to-text messaging, access and complete snag lists and much more. The app integrates with other software and offers flexible customisation options for reports and forms.

If you want a simple, intuitive way to add measurements or other annotations to photos, My Measures has you covered. Add arrows, angles, photos of details and text comments to any image to make it easier for clients and colleagues to understand key details.

While the free version offers a range of useful features, the paid pro version of the app also allows you to share annotated images as a PDF and export them to other applications. You also get advanced tools like in-app calculations and snap and zoom features.

Drones are increasingly used in on-site work, and DroneDeploy allows users to pilot drones and stitch together photos to create full-colour digital site models—making the power of aerial data accessible to everyone.

In addition to helping with the flying, the app helps you organise photos across the entire project lifecycle, keep a clear record of structural elements and validate the quality of work. You can also share annotated reports or 360-degree walkthroughs with teams and inspect hard-to-reach areas, like roofs, without putting your people at risk.

Shapr 3D bridges the gap between sketching and 3D modelling, allowing users to create initial concept designs and quickly and easily turn sketches into 3D models. Pitched as "the only truly mobile-first CAD app", Shapr 3D's award-winning adaptive UI makes it easy to create the designs you imagined and effortlessly export them. The app promises to make visual communication second nature for the whole team, combining industrial-grade CAD capabilities with a user-friendly experience.

Providing essential drafting and design capabilities for your everyday needs, AutoCAD's mobile app lets you use familiar drafting tools online and on mobile devices with a simplified interface for work on the go. You can access and update DWG™ files from anywhere, quickly collaborate on designs directly from job sites, and even work offline and sync your files later. While the computer software version contains more features, our architect community still rates this their #1 app.

The award-winning BIMx is one of the most popular presentation and coordination apps on the market. It allows users to bridge the gap between the design studio, the client's office and the construction site. The app includes the 'BIM Hyper-model' – a game-like navigation environment that helps even non-professionals easily explore building models and understand project deliverables. It also features real-time model cut-throughs, in-context measuring, and project markups to make BIMx a great BIM companion.

ARki is a room-planning app that allows architects to create stunning 2D/3D layouts and plans, and even visualise and experience 3D projects in augmented reality. You can use this award-winning app for interactive presentations by importing multiple models and creating dynamic layers and toggles to dive into the different aspects of your design. Or use the "full scale" option to wander around in your 3D models on-site in real-time.

CamToPlan makes scanning, drawing and measuring easy. The app uses augmented reality to create floorplans in real-time, allowing you to scan your surroundings with your device's camera and add measuring points. Once you're done you can export your work as a PDF, PNG, or DXF file in a single click. The CamToPlan 3D scanner – available as a separate application – provides the ability to scan environments in 3D. It only takes a few seconds to digitalise an entire room.

As the name suggests, RoomScan Pro LiDAR uses LiDAR technology to create floorplans. Its user experience is designed specifically for iPhone Pro and iPad Pro. The app's developer has a decade of experience using iPhone & iPad sensors to create floorplans, and uses Apple's LiDAR capabilities to create a simple, effective solution. The app also supports Apple RoomPlan to provide a quick way to measure up, even in the dark.

Polycam is another LiDAR-based app that allows you to quickly create colour scans of 3D spaces in a matter of seconds. You can export scans in a range of formats and import them into CAD programs, and even capture objects in great detail and create a library of 3D assets using "photo mode".

Designed to simplify everyday work with remote teams, Connecteam is billed as the world's #1 employee app. It provides full control of everything from scheduling to payroll custom forms and mobile checklists for sharing live reports from the field, as well as multiple communication features to keep employees connected wherever they are. It's a one-stop shop for mobile employees and even has features to help with training and onboarding.

Evernote brings notes, schedules and to-do lists together in a single app that you can take with you anywhere. If inspiration strikes on site, Evernote makes sure you can capture it quickly and easily. And with the ability to sync notes across web, desktop and mobile, you can keep everything organised on every device. Plus, its customisable home dashboard makes it easy to quickly see everything at a glance.