Builder Information System

What Builder Information System does

Builder Information System (BIS), founded in 1983 by Stanford-educated construction project manager Cesar Bosio, is a privately held construction accounting and project management software vendor operating under its parent entity Management Information Control Systems, Inc. (MICS, Inc.) from Atascadero, California. The company's core product is a Windows-based, modular accounting platform built around a proprietary Real-Time Technology architecture that immediately updates all financial statements, job costs, ledgers, and reports upon transaction entry, eliminating batch processing and end-of-month closing routines that legacy competitors require. The platform comprises 18 integrated modules (General Ledger, AP, AR, Job Cost, Job Billing, Payroll, Union, Bank Reconciliation, Subcontract Control, Document Link/Imaging, Document Manager, Equipment Control, Inventory, Purchase Order, Report Writer, Job Scheduling, Password/Security, Report Server) delivered across four editions scaling from 3 users (Standard) to unlimited users (Cloud), with a custom report library exceeding 3,000 construction-specific reports covering AIA billing, certified payroll, prevailing wage, and union compliance.

BIS generates revenue through annual subscriptions on its four product editions plus modular add-ons, sold via a direct sales motion accessible through a toll-free phone number (800-838-6427) with consultative selling for larger deployments. The company serves a US-only customer base of general contractors, specialty contractors (electrical, mechanical, welding), home builders, bonding companies, and CPAs serving the construction industry. Go-to-market relies on a content-driven website, long-tenured customer testimonials, and CPA referral networks rather than paid acquisition. The business is founder-owned and operated, with no disclosed external funding, no M&A activity, and a stable leadership profile under Cesar Bosio as President across its 40+ year history.

Name

Builder Information System

Legal name

Management Information Control Systems, Inc.

Website

https://bissoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Builder Information System (BIS) is a privately held US software vendor providing modular, real-time construction accounting and project management software to general contractors, specialty contractors, home builders, and CPAs across four editions scaling from 3 to unlimited users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atascadero

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses and Subscriptions: BIS generates revenue through licensing four editions of construction accounting software: Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Cloud. Each edition has different module inclusions, user limits, and pricing. The software is sold with modular pricing allowing companies to add users or modules as needed using license disks and security codes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Builder Information System (BIS) develops, sells, and supports modular construction accounting and project management software for contractors in the United States. The platform is offered in four editions (Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Cloud) with 18 integrated modules covering General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Job Cost, Job Billing, Payroll, Union, Bank Reconciliation, Subcontract Control, and more, all built on a proprietary real-time architecture. The software scales from 3 to unlimited users and is delivered either as Windows-installed applications or as a cloud-hosted service accessible via browser and mobile devices.

Product overview

Builder Information System (BIS) is a modular construction accounting and project management software platform offered in four editions: Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Cloud. The platform centers on a Real-Time Technology architecture that immediately updates all accounting and management information without batch processing. The core product line includes 18 integrated modules: General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Job Cost, Job Billing, Payroll, Union, Bank Reconciliation, Subcontract Control, Password and Security, Report Server, Job Scheduling, Document Link and Imaging, Document Manager, Equipment Control, Inventory, Purchase Order, and Report Writer. Editions scale from 3 users (Standard, 330+ reports) to unlimited users (Cloud), with higher tiers unlocking advanced features like multi-company consolidation, field-level security, recurring entries, and HTML report exports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIS Standard Edition Entry-level construction accounting software for small contractors, supporting up to 3 users with 330+ reports. Bundles essential modules including General Ledger, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Job Cost, Job Billing, Payroll, Bank Reconciliation, Subcontract Control, Password, Job Scheduling, Document Link and Imaging, Document Manager, Equipment Control, Inventory, Purchase Order, and Report Writer.
• BIS Professional Edition Mid-tier construction accounting software supporting up to 100 users with 430+ reports. Includes all Standard modules plus advanced features such as recurring journal entries, recurring payroll, multi-state payroll, crew hours, timecard import from third-party timekeeping, direct deposit, California DE-6 form, W-2 and quarterly electronic filing, field-level security, and Report Server integration.
• BIS Enterprise Edition Full-featured construction accounting and project management platform supporting up to 1,000 users with 430+ reports. Includes all Professional features plus multi-company consolidation, departmentalized chart of accounts (10,000+ departments), field-level security with per-user per-field access control, and the ability to add custom code to reports. Remotely accessible via Windows Server Remote Desktop.
• BIS Cloud Edition Cloud-hosted construction accounting software with unlimited users, accessible from most internet browsers and operating systems on computers, tablets, and smartphones. Includes all Enterprise Edition features with secure cloud access, file transfer capabilities, and mobile app support for Android devices; cloud servers are hosted by MICS.

Quantifiable outcome

• The payroll module alone saves companies $45,000 per year by eliminating one person in overhead (Clements General Construction testimonial)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature7 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Foundation Software: Foundation Software is one of the most direct competitors to BIS, providing construction-specific accounting, job costing, and project management software for general and specialty contractors in the US. Comparable in vertical focus, SMB-to-mid-market positioning, and Windows-based product heritage, with a similar multi-decade operating history.
• ComputerEase: ComputerEase is a direct competitor offering construction accounting and project management software tailored to contractors, with a similar long-tenured, US-focused, vertical-specialist profile. Overlaps with BIS on job costing, payroll, and construction-specific workflows, serving comparable SMB and mid-market contractor customers.
• Sage 100 Contractor: Sage 100 Contractor (formerly Sage Master Builder) is a direct competitor providing construction accounting and project management for small-to-mid-sized contractors in the US. Highly comparable to BIS on target customer, construction-specific feature set, and tiered perpetual/ subscription pricing model.
• Procore Technologies: Procore is a direct competitor in construction software, offering a cloud-native, integrated platform spanning project management, financials, and field operations. Differs architecturally (modern cloud vs. BIS's Windows-based stack) but competes for the same contractor wallet and increasingly overlaps with BIS's job-costing and financial-management use cases.
• Jonas Construction Software: Jonas Construction Software is a direct competitor offering fully integrated construction accounting, job costing, and project management for general and specialty contractors. Comparable in vertical specialization, mid-market positioning, and breadth of construction-specific modules.
• CMiC: CMiC is a direct competitor providing construction ERP, project management, and accounting software for general contractors, specialty trades, and owners. Closely comparable to BIS on construction-specific accounting, job costing, and field-level workflows, with overlap in serving mid-market and enterprise contractors.
• Viewpoint (Trimble Construction): Viewpoint, part of Trimble's construction portfolio, offers Vista and Spectrum - construction ERP and accounting platforms directly comparable to BIS's Enterprise and Cloud editions. Competes in the same mid-to-large US contractor segment with overlapping job-cost, payroll, and project-management functionality.

Emerging players

• Acumatica Construction Edition: Acumatica's Construction Edition is a cloud-native ERP with construction-specific modules targeting mid-market contractors. Represents an emerging architectural alternative to BIS's Windows-based stack, competing for the same mid-market customer base with a modern browser-native delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• QuickBooks Enterprise (Contractor): QuickBooks Enterprise with its Contractor-focused editions is a broad-incumbent alternative for smaller construction firms that don't need BIS's deep job-costing and AIA billing capabilities. Competes at the low end of the market and is explicitly referenced by BIS as a migration source (MICS offers QuickBooks data conversion services).
• Deltek Costpoint: Deltek Costpoint is a project-based ERP platform used by government contractors and project-driven organizations with deep job-cost and project-accounting needs. Overlaps with BIS in construction-adjacent project accounting and serves as a broader-incumbent alternative for larger contractors needing compliance-grade project accounting.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bissoftware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mics-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Builder Information System