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Construction · head to head

HCSS vs Reconstruct

HCSS logo

HCSS

Construction

Estimating, field time and equipment software for heavy civil and infrastructure contractors

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Reconstruct logo

Reconstruct

Construction

Reality capture and progress tracking that aligns site imagery to the model and the schedule

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: HCSS the estimating model is built for heavy civil unit-price work, so a commercial building contractor bidding lump sum gets a structure that does not match how it prices and will find the cost library concept awkward.; Reconstruct pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: HCSS covers HeavyBid estimating, Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HCSS and Reconstruct actually diverge.

Attributes where HCSS and Reconstruct differ
AttributeHCSSReconstruct
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HCSS

  • HeavyBid estimating
  • Bid item and DOT integration
  • HeavyJob field time
  • Job costing
  • Digital plans
  • Dispatch
  • Equipment360
  • Safety

Only in Reconstruct

  • Device-agnostic capture
  • Photogrammetry and mesh generation
  • 4D schedule alignment
  • Design overlay
  • Time slider
  • Measurement tools
  • Issue tracking
  • Remote walkthrough

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HCSS

  • A highway or bridge contractor bidding unit prices against transport department item listsnot Reconstruct
  • An earthwork contractor that needs production quantities from the field to hit job cost the same day rather than at payrollnot Reconstruct
  • A utility contractor tracking owned equipment cost against jobs instead of absorbing it as overheadnot Reconstruct
  • A growing civil contractor that has outgrown estimating in spreadsheets and cannot reconcile bid to actual costnot Reconstruct

Reconstruct

  • A general contractor whose monthly progress claim is regularly challenged by the owner, needing dated visual evidence tied to schedule activities rather than a folder of photosnot HCSS
  • An owner running projects in several countries who wants to cut executive site visits without accepting the contractor’s self-reported percentage completenot HCSS
  • A healthcare or data centre fit-out where above-ceiling services must be recorded before they are closed up, so later maintenance does not require demolitionnot HCSS
  • A delay or defect dispute where the decisive question is what was physically in place on a specific date and the only other evidence is contested emailnot HCSS

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HCSS

  • The estimating model is built for heavy civil unit-price work, so a commercial building contractor bidding lump sum gets a structure that does not match how it prices and will find the cost library concept awkward.
  • The products were built at different times and operate like separate applications sharing data, so estimating, field time and equipment do not present as one system to the user.
  • Pricing is quote-only and licensed by module and by user, so cost scales with field headcount even when a crew member only enters time once a day.
  • There is no accounting ledger, so payroll and job cost post into Viewpoint, Sage or a similar ERP, and maintaining that integration is an ongoing responsibility for the contractor.
  • Populating the estimating cost library needs an experienced estimator and a year or more of bids before the numbers are trustworthy, so a contractor without that person buys a bidding tool it cannot use properly.

Reconstruct

  • Pricing is quoted with nothing published, so a buyer cannot sanity-check a proposal against a list rate and has no way to know whether the price scales with projects, square footage or users until deep in the sales process.
  • The whole value depends on disciplined recurring capture, and site teams treat walking the building with a camera as a low-priority chore, so datasets go stale exactly when a dispute makes them valuable.
  • Photogrammetry from handheld footage is less accurate than laser scanning, so it is fine for progress and coordination but should not be relied on for tight as-built tolerances or prefabrication dimensions.
  • Schedule alignment requires a well-structured schedule with activities that map to physical locations; on projects where the programme is a coarse rolled-up bar chart the progress calculation is close to meaningless.
  • It is another platform alongside Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud rather than a replacement, so buyers add a subscription and a workflow rather than consolidating one, and the business case has to survive that.

Pricing, plan by plan

HCSS

On request
  • HCSS platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted by module and by user count
    • HeavyBid, HeavyJob and Equipment360 licensed separately
    • Implementation, cost library setup and training charged as services

Reconstruct

On request
  • Reconstruct$undefined/year
    • Quoted per project or per portfolio
    • Unlimited capture devices
    • 4D schedule alignment

Which should you pick?

Choose HCSS if

  • You need heavybid estimating.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want bid item and dot integration.
HCSS review

Choose Reconstruct if

  • You need device-agnostic capture.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want photogrammetry and mesh generation.
Reconstruct review

Questions people ask

Is HCSS or Reconstruct better?
Neither clearly leads. HCSS starts at On request and Reconstruct at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HCSS or Reconstruct?
HCSS starts at On request and Reconstruct at On request.
Does HCSS or Reconstruct run on more platforms?
HCSS runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Reconstruct runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is HCSS best used for?
HCSS is most often used for a highway or bridge contractor bidding unit prices against transport department item lists, an earthwork contractor that needs production quantities from the field to hit job cost the same day rather than at payroll, a utility contractor tracking owned equipment cost against jobs instead of absorbing it as overhead, a growing civil contractor that has outgrown estimating in spreadsheets and cannot reconcile bid to actual cost. Of those, a highway or bridge contractor bidding unit prices against transport department item lists and an earthwork contractor that needs production quantities from the field to hit job cost the same day rather than at payroll are not what Reconstruct is typically brought in for.
What can HCSS do that Reconstruct cannot?
HCSS covers HeavyBid estimating, Bid item and DOT integration, HeavyJob field time, Job costing. Reconstruct covers Device-agnostic capture, Photogrammetry and mesh generation, 4D schedule alignment, Design overlay.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HCSS: Is HCSS a competitor to Procore?

Not really. Procore covers vertical and commercial construction project management. HCSS covers heavy civil estimating, field time and equipment, and the two are often used together.

Reconstruct: How much does Reconstruct cost?

Not published. It is quoted per project or portfolio. Ask specifically whether the price scales by project count, square footage or capture volume, because those give very different totals.

HCSS: Does HCSS include accounting?

No. It integrates with construction ERPs such as Viewpoint Vista and Sage rather than carrying its own general ledger.

Reconstruct: Do we need a drone or a laser scanner?

No. It works from 360 cameras and even smartphone video. Drones and scanners improve exterior and accuracy-critical coverage.

HCSS: Is pricing published?

No. HCSS quotes from a needs form and does not publish a rate card or per-user prices.

Reconstruct: How accurate is it?

Accurate enough for progress, coordination and dispute evidence. It is not a substitute for survey-grade laser scanning where tolerances matter.

HCSS: How long before HeavyBid pays back?

Usually after enough bids to build a trustworthy cost library, which most contractors measure in seasons rather than weeks.

Reconstruct: Who owns the captured data at closeout?

The customer. Confirm the export format and retention terms in the contract before handover, because a reality archive is only useful if you can still open it in five years.

Reconstruct: Does it replace Procore?

No. It integrates with Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud and adds the visual as-built layer.

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