construction and building/
Your building business runs on precision. Your software should too.
We build bespoke, custom-built cloud systems for UK construction and building companies, from building control application management and geo-located site inspections to warranty portals and AI-assisted compliance tools.
Generic construction software was built for the average building business. Cirrus builds for yours: connecting office and site in real time, replacing paper processes and fitting the way your team actually works.
Proven with: MC Plan and Site Services, Cellecta Ltd and MC Warranty Services.
the challenge/
Construction businesses are being held back by software that wasn’t built for them
Generic CRM and ERP platforms promise the world, but they’re designed for industries where every project looks the same and every site visit follows the same script. Construction doesn’t work like that.
The result? Your teams end up working around the software instead of with it, juggling spreadsheets, paper forms, email chains and disconnected apps just to get the job done.
Paper-based site inspections
Reports completed on paper and re-keyed at the office, wasting hours and introducing errors.
Disconnected office and site teams
Site and office staff working from different information, with no live shared view of project status.
No real-time project oversight
Managers chasing updates by phone and email rather than seeing live KPIs on a single dashboard.
Compliance and certificate admin
Building control applications and compliance certificates managed manually, with no reliable audit trail.
- 73%Data visibility
of construction firms cite poor data visibility as their biggest operational challenge.
- 40%Cost overruns
of project cost overruns are linked to communication breakdown between site and office.
- 6hrsLost every week
per site manager, to manual reporting and data re-keying.
Sound familiar? A bespoke Cirrus system removes the friction entirely, replacing disconnected tools with a single platform built around your exact workflow.
what we build/
Construction management software built around your company
Every Cirrus system is hand-coded from scratch around the way your business actually operates. Here are the core capabilities we have developed specifically for the construction and building sector.
01/
Building control application management
Manage the full lifecycle of building control applications from initial submission through to sign-off, with document storage, status tracking, automated notifications and a complete audit trail accessible to both office and site teams at any time.
02/
Geo-located site inspection reports
Site inspectors complete digital reports directly from their mobile device, with GPS location automatically embedded. Reports are instantly visible to the office team in real time: no re-keying, no paper trails, no lost forms.
03/
AI-assisted surveys and compliance
Embedded AI tools help both office and site staff complete reports accurately and consistently. The system flags missing information, identifies non-compliant entries and prompts the right next action, reducing errors and speeding up the inspection cycle.
04/
Real-time project oversight
Give every stakeholder, from site managers to directors, a live, role-appropriate view of project status, KPIs, milestone adherence and outstanding actions. Make decisions based on real data, not yesterday’s spreadsheet.
05/
Robust Details and certificate generation
Automate the generation of Robust Details compliance certificates at the conclusion of a project inspection workflow. It removes significant manual administration and ensures certificates are accurate and consistently formatted.
06/
Warranty management portals
A secure client-facing portal for managing building warranty applications, inspections and sign-offs. Clients log in to track status, upload documents and receive automated updates, significantly reducing inbound admin for your team.
Also built for: plant, equipment and fleet tracking, and health and safety records, including RAMS (risk assessments and method statements).
building safety act/
Building Safety Act, Gateway 3 and the golden thread
In England, for higher-risk buildings (at least 18 metres or seven storeys, with two or more homes), the Building Safety Regulator is now the building control body. Work can’t start until it approves Gateway 2, and a new building can’t be registered or occupied until it passes Gateway 3, the completion stage, which needs evidence of the building as built.
That evidence comes from the golden thread: the building’s safety information, kept electronically, accurate, up to date and secure, and handed over intact. On a higher-risk building it reaches every trade, and each record needs to show who did the work, when, where on the building, and the proof. The delays are real: an FOI request by law firm Irwin Mitchell found that 55 of 158 Gateway 3 applications took more than three months to decide, against an eight-week target.
A bespoke system builds that record as the work happens. In the system we built for MC Plan and Site Services, every inspection report is geo-located and time-stamped, and every document, status change and message is logged against its application in an audit trail that can’t be altered. That’s the kind of record Gateway 3 asks for, without rebuilding it from memory at the end.
Our systems support your compliance; they don’t replace your own responsibilities under the Act.
compare/
Custom-built vs Procore and off-the-shelf construction software
Procore and similar platforms are capable tools, and for a main contractor running standard projects they can be the right choice. Here’s how they compare with a system built around your company.
Off-the-shelf platforms (e.g. Procore)
Built for general contracting.
Configured to fit you.
- No: Priced by quote, as an annual fee tied to your construction turnover
- No: Annual contracts that renew every year
- No: Your inspections and certificates adapted to their workflows
- No: Modules for project types you may never run
A Cirrus custom-built system
Built around your company.
Grows as you do.
- Yes: A fixed price, agreed in writing before work starts
- Yes: No per-seat fees, so adding staff doesn’t add cost
- Yes: Your inspections, certificates and sign-offs built in exactly
- Yes: 100% UK-hosted, ICO registered
proven in the sector/
Built for real construction businesses, solving real problems
We don’t offer demos of theoretical systems. Everything below has been built and is running live for UK construction businesses right now.
case study: building control/
MC Plan and Site Services
Full building control application lifecycle management with geo-located digital site inspection reports, AI assistance for both office and site staff, real-time visibility across all active applications and a complete audit trail.
case study: building products/
Cellecta Ltd
Sales call logging to site, project inspection reports, automated Robust Details certificate generation, CPD management, HR and QR-triggered merchandising, all in one connected system that grew with the business.
case study: warranties/
MC Warranty Services
The complete backend system and client portal for MC Warranty Services, managing their entire warranty operation and giving their clients a secure self-service window into their application status.
how it works/
From first conversation to live system
Free systems review
We map your current processes, identify the friction and explore what a bespoke system could realistically deliver. No obligation, no sales pitch.
Scoping and fixed proposal
A clear scope of work with a fixed price. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices part-way through the build.
Build and review
Built by our UK team with regular check-ins. You see progress at every stage and give feedback before anything is signed off.
Launch and grow
We handle go-live and training. Your system continues to evolve, with new features added as your business grows.
common questions/
Construction software: frequently asked questions
What construction software does Cirrus Design Studio build?
Cirrus Design Studio builds bespoke cloud systems for UK construction and building companies: building control application management, geo-located site inspection reports, AI-assisted surveys and compliance checks, real-time project dashboards, Robust Details certificate generation and warranty management portals.
Can site inspectors complete reports on a phone?
Yes. Inspectors complete digital reports on their mobile device with the GPS location embedded automatically, and the office sees them in real time. The apps keep working without a signal and sync when they’re back online, so there is no paper and no re-keying.
Can the system produce Robust Details certificates automatically?
Yes. Certificates are generated automatically at the end of the inspection workflow, accurately and consistently formatted, removing a significant amount of manual administration.
How does software help with Gateway 3 and the golden thread?
In England, Gateway 3 needs evidence of the building as built, and the golden thread must be kept electronically, accurate, up to date and secure. A system that records inspections, documents and sign-offs as the work happens, with who, when and where, gives you that evidence without rebuilding it at the end. It supports your compliance; it doesn’t replace your responsibilities under the Act.
Have you built systems for construction businesses before?
Yes. Our systems run live for MC Plan and Site Services (building control), Cellecta Ltd (building products) and MC Warranty Services (new-build warranties). Read the case studies.
How much does bespoke construction software cost?
Every system is fixed-price, agreed after a free systems review, with no hourly billing and no per-seat fees, so adding staff doesn’t add cost.
What’s the best construction management software for a small UK firm?
It depends on how you work. If your projects follow a standard pattern, an established platform such as Procore may suit you, and Cirrus Design Studio will tell you so. If your work revolves around inspections, certificates, applications or compliance that generic tools don’t fit, a system built around your process is usually the better long-term choice. Our free systems review helps you decide.
Is custom construction software more expensive than Procore?
Not necessarily. Procore is priced by quote, as an annual fee per product based on your construction turnover, on an annual contract. A Cirrus system is a fixed-price build with no per-seat fees, so compare the total cost over several years rather than the first-year price. Our honest comparison shows how.
Can you build software for a building control company (RBCA)?
Yes. The system we built for MC Plan and Site Services manages building control applications from submission through site inspections to sign-off and completion, with geo-located inspection reports and a full audit trail. Read the case study.
Can subcontractors use the system to keep golden thread records?
Yes, if you want them to. A system can give each subcontractor their own login to upload photos, certificates and sign-offs against the right job and location, so their records join the same audit trail as yours.
Can it replace our spreadsheets and paper site forms?
Yes. Site forms become mobile inspection reports with GPS location and photos, which keep working without a signal, and spreadsheets become a live dashboard. We can bring your existing data across too, as part of a legacy system conversion.
get in touch/
Ready to see what a bespoke system could do?
Book a free systems review with the Cirrus team. We’ll map your current processes and show you exactly what a bespoke construction system would look like for your business.