Autodesk Construction Cloud for Contractors and Owners

In-Depth Review

Autodesk Construction Cloud consolidates what was previously a fragmented set of products (BIM 360 Field, BIM 360 Docs, PlanGrid) into a single platform. The consolidation is mostly complete as of 2025: document control, RFI/submittal workflows, BIM coordination, cost management, and field reporting all live under one login and one URL structure.

What ACC Actually Does

The platform’s strongest module is document control. Construction drawings and specs are stored centrally, versioned automatically, and accessible to field crews on mobile without a manual download step. When a drawing revision comes in, the new sheet replaces the old one in the document set, and anyone who had the previous version flagged in their set sees the update. This sounds basic, but it solves the version confusion problem that causes expensive field mistakes on complex projects.

RFI and submittal workflows are structured around configurable routing chains. An RFI gets created, assigned to the responsible design team contact, and tracked to a response due date. When the response comes in, it links to the relevant drawing sheet automatically. Submittals follow the same pattern with approval status tracked per revision. Both workflows produce an audit trail that matters when disputes arise at project closeout.

BIM coordination is browser-based, which is the key operational difference from Navisworks. Trade contractors upload their models to ACC, the platform aggregates them, and coordinators run clash detection in a browser session. Clashes get logged as issues, assigned to a responsible trade, and tracked to resolution. A mechanical coordinator on a healthcare project can work through a clash review without installing software beyond a browser, which matters when you are coordinating across 8-10 subcontractors with different IT environments.

Cost Management requires more setup than the other modules. Before it reflects actual project cost flow, someone has to configure the budget structure, set up change event types, and establish the workflow for how potential change orders escalate to executed change orders. Teams that skip this setup end up with a generic budget structure that does not match their contract. Teams that invest two to three weeks in configuration get a system that tracks committed costs, forecast-to-complete, and change order status in one place.

Field issues and punch lists work through the mobile app. A superintendent walks the site, takes a photo of a problem, pins it to a drawing sheet, assigns it to the responsible subcontractor, and sets a due date. The subcontractor receives a notification, fixes the issue, photos the completed work, and closes it. The superintendent verifies. Full photo history per issue is kept automatically. This is the workflow most field teams adopt fastest because it requires almost no training.

Pricing Reality

Autodesk does not publish ACC pricing. Quotes are negotiated by company size, project volume, and which modules you need. The practical implication: you need to go through a sales cycle before you can budget for it. Get pricing in writing early if you are evaluating against Procore or another platform with published rates. Enterprise contracts typically include volume discounts for firms running multiple active projects simultaneously.

One Thing to Test Before Committing

During the demo or pilot, run a real RFI from creation through response. Use an actual RFI from a current or recent project. Evaluate whether the routing chain matches how your design team works, whether the response links correctly to the affected sheet, and whether the audit trail gives you what you would need if the RFI became a change event. RFI workflow quality separates construction management platforms faster than any other single test.

Who This Is For

General contractors running commercial, institutional, or infrastructure projects above $10M get the most out of ACC, particularly if their design team uses Revit. The design-to-field document flow is more direct when models are authored in Autodesk tools. Owners managing multiple simultaneous capital projects also benefit from the single portal for tracking RFI and submittal status across several GCs. Small residential contractors, remodelers, or any team without a BIM workflow will find the platform over-specified for their needs and the pricing hard to justify.