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SiteCalc vs Construction Master Pro Comparison
Two Different Philosophies
Construction Master Pro has been around since the 1980s as a physical calculator. Calculated Industries eventually released an app version. It looks like the hardware calculator, intentionally. The skeuomorphic design is the point. If you’ve used the physical unit for 20 years, the app feels familiar.
SiteCalc started as an app. No hardware legacy. The interface looks like a modern iOS app because that’s all it’s ever been.
Both do construction math. They get there differently.
Pricing
Construction Master Pro charges $39.99/year as a subscription. Cancel and you lose access to the calculators you’ve been using.
SiteCalc costs $29.99 once. You own it. No annual renewal, no “your subscription has expired” popup when you’re trying to bid a job on site.
Over two years, CMP costs $80. Over five years, $200. SiteCalc stays at $30.
Calculator Count
CMP includes roughly 20 calculation modes built around the functions on the original hardware calculator. Feet-inch-fraction math, area, volume, circles, roofing, stairs, that kind of thing.
SiteCalc ships with 85 calculators across concrete, framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, earthwork, masonry, HVAC, drywall, painting, landscaping, and general math. The difference is substantial. CMP covers the basics well. SiteCalc covers the basics and then keeps going into trade-specific territory.
Some calculators in SiteCalc that don’t have a CMP equivalent: wire sizing per NEC 310.16, header sizing per IRC tables, DFU-based drain pipe sizing, rebar weight and spacing, stud count with king/jack stud accounting, brick quantity with mortar joints, and gravel tonnage with compaction factors.
The Interface
CMP replicates the physical calculator’s button layout on screen. If you’re coming from the hardware unit, this is comfortable. If you’re not, it feels dated. You’re pressing virtual buttons that mimic a physical device from 1985.
SiteCalc uses standard iOS input fields. You type dimensions, pick units from dropdowns, and see results update live. It’s the same interaction pattern as every other modern app on your phone.
I won’t pretend one is objectively better. Some guys have muscle memory on CMP’s button layout going back decades. That’s real and it counts.
Voice Input
CMP doesn’t have voice input.
SiteCalc does. Say “twelve feet six and three-quarter inches” and it parses that into 12’ 6-3/4”. It strips filler words, handles spoken fractions, and works with gloves on.
On a framing site in January, voice input matters more than any spec sheet comparison. Your hands are cold, your gloves are bulky, and you need to check a rafter length before the lumber truck leaves.
Reverse Calculation
This is where the gap gets wide. CMP runs calculations forward: enter inputs, get outputs.
SiteCalc runs them both ways. Know you need 7.5 cubic yards of concrete? Enter that as the result, and SiteCalc tells you what slab dimensions produce that volume. Know your budget is $4,000 for framing lumber? Enter the budget, get the maximum wall length you can frame. Details on how that works: reverse budget calculator.
Reverse calc turns an estimating tool into a design tool. Instead of just answering “how much,” it answers “how big can I go.”
Project Organization
CMP is a calculator. You do the math, write down the result, move on.
SiteCalc saves calculations into projects. A kitchen remodel has its own folder with the concrete, framing, electrical, and plumbing calcs all in one place. Revisit a project a week later and everything’s still there. Send the whole project to a client or sub.
What CMP Does Better
The imperial fraction math engine is good. It’s had 40 years of refinement. Converting between feet, inches, and fractions, doing arithmetic on mixed dimensions, that’s the core of what Calculated Industries built and they built it well.
The brand recognition helps too. “Construction Master” means something in the trades. GCs and estimators know the name. It’s a safe choice for someone who doesn’t want to evaluate alternatives.
The Numbers Side by Side
| Construction Master Pro | SiteCalc | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39.99/year | $29.99 one-time |
| Calculators | ~20 | 85 |
| Voice Input | No | Yes |
| Reverse Calc | No | Yes |
| Projects/Saving | No | Yes |
| Fraction Math | Yes | Yes |
| UI Style | Skeuomorphic | Modern iOS |
| Platform | iOS, Android | iOS |
| Offline | Yes | Yes |
Who Should Pick What
If you’ve been using the Construction Master hardware for years and you want that same experience on your phone, CMP’s app delivers exactly that. Familiar layout, familiar workflow.
If you want more calculators, no subscription, voice input, or the ability to work backward from a known result, SiteCalc covers more ground for less money.