Built for people just starting out in construction.

Clients & jobs

Keep customers and job records in one workspace. Move from estimate to job to invoice without juggling spreadsheets.

Invoices with sales tax

Set a company default tax rate (starts at 0%), override per invoice, and mark taxable lines. RafterBooks calculates totals — it does not file returns.

Void invoices

Void keeps the invoice number, shows VOID when printed, and drops out of outstanding totals. Clean books when a job changes.

Can my customers pay by card?

Yes, through your own Square, Stripe or PayPal payment link. Your customer pays on that service, which charges its normal fee, and you record the payment in RafterBooks. RafterBooks doesn’t process cards or mark invoices paid automatically.

Add your payment link once in Settings (or the setup wizard). Invoices then print “Pay by card” with a QR code and the note “Please enter invoice INV-xxxx and the amount $X.XX”, and the same line goes into the invoice email.

Save as PDF & Email invoice

Email invoice (and Email estimate) opens the print screen, where you choose Save as PDF. Then click Open email and your own email program opens with a draft: the customer’s address, the invoice number, amount due, due date, and how to pay. You attach the PDF and send it. RafterBooks does not send email itself. In the Windows desktop app the PDF is saved for you automatically to Documents\RafterBooks\Invoices (or Estimates).

Costs, hours & reports

Track expenses and workers’ hours, review a journal snapshot, and see reports for the jobs you are running.

Backups that stay yours

Export and restore JSON backups in both editions. On Windows, changes auto-save to Documents\RafterBooks with rolling daily backups (last 30 days). You can put the data folder in OneDrive or Dropbox.

Setup wizard

A first-run setup wizard walks you through company basics so you are not staring at a blank screen.

Payment instructions & overdue

Add payment instructions on invoices, with an optional payment link and QR code for how you already take money. RafterBooks does not process cards. Overview shows an overdue invoices list.

Estimate → invoice & CSV export

Create an invoice from an accepted estimate. Export a CSV for your accountant. Better phone-screen layout in the browser edition for quick looks.

Browser edition

Single HTML file. Open in Chrome or Edge on Windows, or in Chrome on Mac (Safari support being tested). Data stays in that browser. Export backups from Settings. Improved phone-screen layout for quick looks. No network calls after download. Or try it free in your browser, up to 5 invoices, no signup.

Windows desktop

Auto-saves to Documents\RafterBooks. Daily backups. You can put the data folder in OneDrive or Dropbox (or a USB path).

What you’ll see

Windows SmartScreen often blocks brand-new publishers. RafterBooks for Windows is not code-signed yet, so you may see “Windows protected your PC.”

Prefer to skip SmartScreen?

Open RafterBooks.html in Chrome or Edge on Windows, or in Chrome on Mac (Safari support being tested). Same features — your purchase includes both editions. Export a JSON backup anytime if you later switch to the Windows program.

Browser edition

Desktop or laptop recommended. Chrome or Edge on Windows, or Chrome on Mac (Safari support being tested). JavaScript and local storage enabled. Optional printer / Print to PDF. No internet needed after download.

Windows program

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. About 300 MB free disk for the app plus room for your data file. No internet needed after download.

Mac

A native Mac desktop app is not included. On a Mac, use Chrome (Safari support being tested).