PEM Software alternative Cloud-based pay applications Construction billing software

Looking for a PEM Software or The CAP Alternative?

PEM Software's The CAP is referenced in historical construction-software material as a payment application product. Contractors searching for a current replacement can use PayAppPro to manage AIA-style pay applications, shared project access, billing history, change orders, stored materials, retainage, files, and reporting online.

PayAppPro is built specifically for construction pay applications. Create your Schedule of Values, update monthly progress, carry prior billing forward, manage approved changes, and generate clean AIA-style G702/G703-style PDF packages from one online system.

Create Your First Pay App View Pricing Explore PayAppPro
PayAppPro is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by PEM Software, PEM Software Systems, or The CAP. PayAppPro produces AIA-style outputs only and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the AIA. AIA®, G702®, and G703® are registered trademarks of the American Institute of Architects.

A familiar billing process in a centralized online system

  • Schedule of Values setup and tracking
  • Recurring progress billing
  • Prior application history
  • Retainage calculations
  • Stored materials billing
  • Approved change order tracking
  • Project files and notes
  • Executive-level project reporting
  • AIA-style PDF pay application packages

What We Can Factually Say About PEM Software and The CAP

Historical third-party construction software material identifies PEM Software - The CAP as a competing construction payment application product. That supports describing The CAP as a legacy product associated with construction progress billing.

A contractor wrote in an October 2018 QuickBooks Community discussion that they had used P.E.M. Software and that the company had closed. That is useful evidence of what at least one former user reported at the time, but it is not the same as an official closure announcement, corporate filing, or current support notice from PEM Software.

Our factual position: Current public product and support information appears limited. PayAppPro does not independently confirm on this page that PEM Software formally dissolved, that every version of The CAP was discontinued, or that no support or licensing remains available.

This page is for contractors who already know PEM Software or The CAP and are looking for a currently available, browser-based way to manage recurring AIA-style billing.

Public references reviewed: a historical Construction Application for Payment Solution comparison brochure identifying “PEM Software - The CAP,” and an October 11, 2018 QuickBooks Community post from a contractor reporting that PEM had closed. These references support limited historical context; they do not establish every legal or product-status detail.

Why Contractors Look for a PEM Software or The CAP Alternative

The decision is usually less about replacing a form and more about improving the workflow around the form.

More than one person needs access

Project managers, accounting staff, and company leadership can work from the same centralized project record.

Billing history needs to stay connected

Prior applications, current billing, retainage, stored materials, and balances remain tied to the project.

Change orders affect the contract

Approved changes can be tracked with the project instead of managed in separate files or disconnected worksheets.

Management wants project visibility

Dashboards and executive summaries make it easier to understand billed, paid, retained, and remaining amounts.

Project records are spread across locations

Keep billing information, supporting files, notes, and status history organized in one online system.

The company is managing more projects

A repeatable platform helps teams manage recurring pay applications across a growing project portfolio.

Legacy Local Billing and Cloud-Based Billing Serve Different Needs

This is not a claim that one approach is right for every contractor. The better choice depends on how your team works today.

A legacy or local-software approach may fit when:

  • One person handles the billing process
  • Projects are stored and managed locally
  • The company prefers its established local-software workflow
  • Management reporting is handled separately
  • Shared project access is not a priority

PayAppPro may fit when:

  • Multiple users need project access
  • Billing history must remain centralized
  • Teams manage multiple active projects
  • Change orders and stored materials need tracking
  • Leadership wants project and portfolio visibility
  • The team wants browser-based access without installing billing software

Compare the General Workflow Approach

Reliable public documentation for every historical version and configuration of The CAP is limited. This comparison therefore avoids unsupported feature claims and focuses on the general difference between a legacy, locally managed billing workflow and PayAppPro's current browser-based platform.

Capability Traditional PEM / The CAP Workflow PayAppPro
Primary environment Legacy/local software environment Web browser
Project access Centered on the installed or locally managed workflow Centralized online project access
Multiple users Depends on the company's installed version, network, and internal process Plan-based team access
Billing history Maintained through the existing legacy-software process Maintained within the project record
Schedule of Values Available in the historical billing workflow Database-backed project SOV
Retainage and stored materials Depends on the version and configured workflow Tracked within recurring pay applications
Change orders Depends on the version and configured workflow Tracked with project financials
Project files and notes Depends on the version and surrounding document process Stored with the online project
Management reporting Depends on the version and reporting process Project dashboards and executive summaries
PDF output Generated through the installed billing workflow Generated from the PayAppPro project record

Product capabilities can change. This comparison is intended to explain the general workflow difference, not to represent every PEM Software installation, configuration, or historical version.

How PayAppPro Handles the Monthly Pay Application Process

The billing process remains familiar, but the supporting data stays connected from one application to the next.

1. Create the project

Enter the contract information, parties, retainage settings, and project details.

2. Build the SOV

Add or import the Schedule of Values that drives the continuation sheet.

3. Update the current period

Enter current work, stored materials, retainage, and approved project changes.

4. Generate the package

Export the AIA-style pay application and continuation sheet as a clean PDF package.

More Than a Form Generator

Creating the pay application is only one part of construction billing. The harder problem is maintaining a reliable project record across multiple billing periods.

PayAppPro connects the Schedule of Values, prior billing, current billing, stored materials, retainage, approved change orders, payment status, project files, and reporting.

That centralized record helps the company understand where each project stands without reopening a chain of spreadsheets, PDFs, emails, and supporting documents.

Included workflow capabilities

  • Project and portfolio dashboards
  • Billing status history
  • Change order management
  • Stored materials tracking
  • Retainage reporting
  • Project notes and files
  • Executive Summary PDFs
  • QuickBooks Online workflow support
  • AI Quality Check support

Continuing an Active Project in PayAppPro

Moving to a new billing platform does not necessarily mean ignoring the project's prior billing history. The goal is to establish the correct current position and continue billing from there.

For a project that has not started billing

  • Create the project
  • Enter or import the Schedule of Values
  • Set the retainage defaults
  • Add approved change orders
  • Create the first pay application

For a project already in progress

  • Create the project and Schedule of Values
  • Establish opening or prior billed amounts
  • Confirm stored materials and retainage positions
  • Add approved contract changes
  • Continue with the next billing period
Important: PayAppPro does not claim direct compatibility with a PEM Software database or proprietary project file. Before continuing an active project, reconcile the last accepted pay application, continuation sheet, Schedule of Values, approved change orders, retainage held, stored materials, payments, and contract balance. The opening PayAppPro record should match the accepted project position.

Is PayAppPro the Right Next Step?

PayAppPro may be a good fit if:

  • Your company creates recurring construction pay applications
  • More than one person needs project visibility
  • You manage SOV billing, retainage, and stored materials
  • Change orders need to connect to project financials
  • You want project records available from a browser
  • You need cleaner reporting across multiple projects

PEM Software may still fit your process if:

  • You prefer the legacy workflow already in place
  • One person controls the entire billing process
  • Your current installation and project records meet your needs
  • You do not need broader browser-based project access
  • You already handle reporting and document storage effectively
  • Your current process remains supported and dependable

Start With One Pay Application or Build a Team Workflow

PayAppPro supports contractors who need a single pay application as well as companies managing recurring billing across multiple projects.

Review the current options on the PayAppPro pricing page, or create an account and begin setting up your first project.

No enterprise rollout required

Start with the billing work you need today and move to a larger plan as your team grows.

Compare Construction Billing Options

Explore the PayAppPro product

Review the focused AIA-style billing workflow and core product capabilities.

AIA billing software

Compare software approaches

Compare specialized billing tools, spreadsheets, and broader construction platforms.

Best AIA billing software buyer's guide

Also comparing spreadsheets?

Review common limitations of template-based recurring billing.

AIA G702/G703 Excel templates vs software

Using QuickBooks Online?

See how PayAppPro can support the pay application workflow alongside accounting.

QuickBooks Online integration

Understand the forms

Learn how the G702/G703-style summary and continuation sheet work together.

AIA G702/G703 billing guide

Review pricing

Compare options for individual users and construction teams.

PayAppPro pricing

Independent Product and Historical-Reference Clarification

PayAppPro is an independent construction billing software platform. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or a successor to PEM Software, PEM Software Systems, or The CAP. References to those names are used solely to identify the legacy product contractors may be researching and to compare general workflow approaches.

A 2018 QuickBooks Community post states that PEM had closed its business. PayAppPro presents that only as a historical third-party user report. We have not located an official PEM announcement establishing the exact closure date, legal disposition, status of every license, or availability of all support services.

PayAppPro creates AIA-style billing outputs designed around common G702/G703-style payment application workflows. PayAppPro does not provide official AIA Contract Documents and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Institute of Architects. AIA®, G702®, and G703® are registered trademarks of the American Institute of Architects.

Frequently Asked Questions

PayAppPro is a browser-based alternative for contractors who want to create AIA-style pay applications while managing Schedule of Values line items, prior billing, retainage, stored materials, approved change orders, billing history, project files, and reporting in one online system.

No. PayAppPro is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by PEM Software, PEM Software Systems, or The CAP.

Usually. You can recreate the project in PayAppPro, enter or import the Schedule of Values, establish opening or prior billed amounts, confirm stored materials and retainage, enter approved changes, and continue with the next billing period. This is not a direct conversion of a PEM database or proprietary project file. The new project must be reconciled to the last accepted billing package.

No local billing application is required. PayAppPro runs in a modern web browser. Contractors can manage projects, billing history, pay applications, stored materials, change orders, files, reporting, and PDF exports online.

No. PayAppPro creates AIA-style payment application outputs and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the American Institute of Architects. It does not provide official AIA Contract Documents.

A contractor stated in an October 2018 QuickBooks Community discussion that PEM had closed its business. We have not located an official PEM closure announcement that independently confirms the company's exact legal status, closure date, or status of every product license and support arrangement. We therefore describe closure as a reported historical account rather than an officially verified corporate fact.

Historical third-party construction software material identifies “PEM Software - The CAP” as a construction payment application product. Because complete documentation for every version is not readily available, this page avoids claiming a detailed feature set for all installations.

PayAppPro is a good fit for contractors and construction teams that need shared project access, centralized billing history, repeatable monthly pay applications, change order tracking, stored materials, retainage management, and portfolio-level visibility.

Ready for a Cloud-Based Pay Application Workflow?

Keep the familiar construction billing process while moving your Schedule of Values, pay applications, retainage, stored materials, change orders, project history, and reporting into one centralized platform.

Create Your First Pay App View Pricing