Finance
AP automation
Turn a stack of subcontractor invoices and pay applications into coded, matched, approval-ready payables. The system reads the document and does the matching.
Construction AP automation uses AI to capture invoice and pay-application data, match it against purchase orders and job budgets, route it for approval, and post it to the accounting system. It handles construction-specific documents like AIA pay applications and tracks retainage and lien-waiver status alongside each payable.
The problem
Construction AP is harder than a stack of invoices.
A construction payable is rarely just an invoice. It is a subcontractor pay application with a schedule of values, stored materials, retainage, and a lien waiver that has to line up before payment goes out. Someone keys it in, matches it to the commitment, and codes it to the right job and cost code.
Do that hundreds of times a month across projects and the AP team becomes a data-entry operation. Errors flow straight into job cost, and a payment released without the right waiver becomes a problem later.
Buildalytic reads the document, extracts the line items, matches against the purchase order and budget, and routes it for approval, so the team handles exceptions instead of typing.
How it works
From inbox to posted payable.
Capture the document
Invoices and AIA pay applications arrive by email or upload and are read into structured line items.
Match and code
Line items match to the purchase order and job budget and are coded to the correct project and cost code.
Route for approval
The payable moves through the right approval chain, with retainage and lien-waiver status attached.
Sync to the ERP
Approved payables post to your accounting system as a complementary layer on top of the ledger of record.
What is inside
Built for construction payables, not generic invoices.
Pay-application capture
Reads AIA G702 and G703 pay applications, not just single-line invoices.
Purchase order matching
Matches invoice line items to commitments so overbilling is caught before approval.
Job cost coding
Codes each payable to the right project and cost code for clean job costing.
Approval routing
Configurable approval chains so the right person signs off on the right threshold.
Retainage tracking
Retainage withheld on each payable tracked alongside the invoice.
ERP sync
Posts to accounting systems as a layer on top, not a replacement for the ledger.
Frequently asked questions
What is construction AP automation?
Construction AP automation is software that captures invoice and pay-application data with AI, matches it to purchase orders and job budgets, routes it for approval, and posts it to accounting. It is built for construction documents like AIA pay applications and tracks retainage and lien waivers, which generic AP tools do not.
How accurate is invoice OCR for construction?
Modern document AI reads printed and scanned invoices reliably, and accuracy is highest when the extraction is checked against a purchase order and budget rather than trusted blindly. Buildalytic pairs capture with matching, so a misread line does not silently become a posted payable. A human reviews the exceptions.
Why does construction need its own AP automation?
Construction payables carry schedules of values, stored materials, retainage, and lien-waiver conditions that a generic AP tool ignores. Job cost coding and commitment matching against a purchase order are essential. AP built for construction handles pay applications and ties each payable to the right project and cost code.
Does AP automation replace my accounting system?
No. Buildalytic sits on top of your accounting system or ERP as a complementary layer. It captures, matches, and routes payables, then posts approved entries to the ledger of record. Systems like Vista, CMiC, or your existing ERP stay the source of truth for the general ledger.
What is three-way matching in construction AP?
Three-way matching compares the purchase order, the receipt of goods or work in place, and the invoice before payment. When all three agree, the payable is cleared. It prevents overbilling and duplicate payment, and in construction it ties directly into commitment tracking and accurate job costing.
Feed it a real pay application.
Bring an AIA pay application and see it captured, matched to the commitment, and coded to the job.