AussieMark
A more complex solution is not necessarily the answer nor is another app.
Granted if all you are doing is adding up columns of costs, Then spreadsheets are excellent.
But if you are relating and comparing, different materials, labout costs,plant, time and other options/multi-variables.... and optimising the best solution, then spreadsheets are pretty useless at the intial design/cost phase when the hard decisions need to be made.
The real world isnt add one variable to the other, and then add them all up and thats the answer, it's a bit more complicated than that. there are multi-variables these will impact on each other( there is a whole branch of mathematics called PDEs unfortunately spreadsheets dont deal with these in engineering & construction).
E.G.It's ironic how some builders/ contractors will tell you if you change the elements/engineering/construction, that there is no difference in cost savings even if you substitute these variables for considerably less cost... why is that so?
Can you even do the calculations in a spreadsheet?
Unfortunately I dont think we will have a choice it will be apps reasons
1. The software will be too expensive for the one off homebuilders to buy
2. The computing power requires cloud base calculations
3. All the homebuilder requires is a browser to run..iphone ,ipad etc
4. Greater security, data storage etc