Product
Xero
About
Xero is cloud-based accounting software for small and medium businesses, providing invoicing, bank reconciliation, payroll, accounts payable/receivable, and financial reporting. In AEC, Xero is widely adopted by small-to-mid construction and specialty contracting firms as their accounting backbone, connecting to construction project management platforms such as Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud, and niche job-costing tools via a rich integration ecosystem.
How teams use it
By audience
- Accounting & Finance
- Construction finance teams use Xero for invoicing, bank reconciliation, and financial reporting, syncing data with Procore or ACC via native connectors to eliminate double entry.
- Xero's Procore connector (built by Procore) syncs cost codes, projects, companies, subcontractor invoices, and commitment payments bidirectionally.
- Xero's app ecosystem includes job-costing add-ons like Planyard and Synergy purpose-built for AEC firm accounting workflows.
- General Contracting
- GCs use Xero as their accounting platform and connect it to construction management tools to keep field cost data in sync with the general ledger.
- The Procore-built Xero connector lets GCs export commitments, change orders, and subcontractor invoices from Procore into Xero automatically.
- Specialty Contracting
- Specialty contractors use Xero for managing invoices, supplier bills, and payroll within their trade businesses.
- Mobile apps and bank feeds enable field-based specialty contractors to capture expenses and reconcile accounts without returning to the office.
- Executive Leadership
- Business owners and principals use Xero dashboards for real-time cash position, outstanding invoices, and P&L reporting across jobs.
- Xero's multi-currency support benefits international AEC firms managing cross-border project revenues and costs.
- Project Manager
- Project managers can pull job-level cost summaries from Xero or connected job-costing apps to monitor budget vs. actuals during construction.
- Integration with Procore surfaces financial data alongside site management workflows for informed decision-making.
By phase
- Pre-Construction
- Finance teams set up cost codes, suppliers, and contract budgets in Xero (or via a connected tool) during pre-construction to prepare for invoicing.
- Estimators reference Xero's chart of accounts structure when configuring job-costing categories before a project kicks off.
- Construction
- Accounting teams process subcontractor progress claims and supplier invoices through Xero during construction, reconciling against Procore commitment values.
- Bank reconciliation tools and automated bank feeds keep cash flow reporting current throughout the build phase.
- Closeout & Operations
- Finance teams use Xero to prepare final accounts, manage retention releases, and produce end-of-project P&L statements.
- Facilities operators and asset owners use Xero for ongoing maintenance invoicing and supplier payment management post-handover.