You're Switching from QuickBooks.
Here's Why Grading Contractors Choose Nexa.

QuickBooks
$55/mo
$660/year — every year, forever
Nexa
$279
Once. Own it forever.
or 3 payments of $99
Break even in 5.1 months. Then it's free forever.
"Switched from QuickBooks after the last price increase. Nexa does everything I needed for $279. Wish I'd done it sooner."
— Verified Grading Contractor, former QuickBooks customer

The Bottom Line

Grading Contractors on QuickBooks pay $55/month — $660/year. Over three years, that's $2,214. Nexa is $279 once. Break-even runs about 5.1 months. The median Grading Contractor earns $55,000/year, so QuickBooks's annual cost is roughly 1.2% of typical revenue — every year, forever.

Key Numbers

$55,000
Median Grading Contractor income
3%
Typical SaaS spend as % of revenue
5.1 mo
Break-even vs QuickBooks
$1,935
3-year savings switching to Nexa

What QuickBooks Is Costing You

The Damage

QuickBooks monthly $55/mo
Annual drain $660/yr
Year 2 (11.4% SaaS inflation) $735
Year 3 $819
3-year total $2,214

That's $2,214 gone. And you don't own anything. Stop paying, lose access.

Your QuickBooks subscription has cost you $0.00 since you opened this page.

Why Grading Contractors Leave QuickBooks

✗Annual price increases of 10-15%
✗User caps force expensive tier jumps
✗Complex interface overwhelms small operators
✗Desktop version being sunset - forced to Online
✗Payment processing fees add up fast
✗No offline capability
✗QB controls 85% of this market. It's technically a monopoly. The FTC has a long issue with Intuit over pricing.
✗400% increase since 2023. We used to update every 2 years for $250. Now subscription is $689.
✗An almost 70% price increase for your most used product and all you guys are adding is a bunch of AI slop.

See the full history of QuickBooks price changes in the SaaS Graveyard →

Grading Contractors are leaving QuickBooks every week.

You're not the only one who's had enough.

Why This Matters for Grading Contractors

I walk the site first with the plans and the grade stakes, checking the surveyor's hubs against the design because everything I do today is chasing tenths of a foot. The job is a building pad and a driveway that has to drain to the street. I fire up the grade-control system, and the GPS keeps the blade on the design surface as I make passes - but the subgrade clay is wet from last night, so I'm spreading and letting it dry before I compact, because rolling wet clay just pumps and fails later. Mid-morning the erosion inspector swings by; my silt fence is trenched in and the inlet protection's good, so no stop-work, but I've seen jobs shut down over a torn fence. I cut the high side, move the spoil to fill the low corner - keeping cut and fill balanced so I'm not trucking dirt I didn't bid. Afternoon is fine grade: box blade passes until the pad is flat to tolerance and the driveway falls a clean two percent to the gutter. I roll it in lifts, proof it, and shoot grades across the pad to prove it drains and meets spec for the as-built. Last hour is photographing the finished grades, marking the lifts I compacted for the inspector, invoicing for the dirt actually moved, and confirming tomorrow's site has the stakes set and access for the lowboy.

Grading Contractors face unique challenges: Hitting precise slope and drainage specs - a pad or driveway has to fall the right percentage to drain, and being off a fraction means water ponds, a slab cracks, or the engineer rejects the as-built. Soil moisture and compaction - grading wet clay or failing to compact in lifts means the fill settles later and the customer blames the finished surface that looked perfect on day one. Erosion-control and stormwater (SWPPP) compliance - silt fence, inlet protection, and stabilization the inspector checks, with stop-work orders and fines if the site sheds mud into a storm drain. Balancing cut and fill across a site - misjudging the earthwork quantities means importing or hauling dirt that wasn't in the bid, and grade-tolerance disputes when the surveyor's as-built doesn't match. On top of all that, QuickBooks charges $55/month ($660/year) — money that comes directly from your revenue. The median Grading Contractor earns $55,000/year. Software at $660/year is a meaningful percentage of that income, every year, forever. And you do not own anything.

Your Motor grader or a box blade on a tractor is yours. You bought it once. Nexa works the same way — $279 once for invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, and full accounting. All connected. All offline-capable. You own it like you own your tools.

Your Full Stack Cost

QuickBooks is just one piece. What else are you losing money on?

Want this breakdown emailed to you?

Your exact QuickBooks cost, full stack total, and what switching saves. 10 seconds.

"I was paying QuickBooks $55/month and didn't question it until I did the math. $2,214 over 3 years for tools I don't even own. Nexa was $279. Once. Done."
— Grading Contractor business owner

What You Get Instead

Feature QuickBooks Nexa
Invoicing ✓ ✓
Scheduling ✗ ✓
CRM ✗ ✓
Time Tracking ✗ ✓
Full Accounting ✗ ✓ (SIMPL)
Task Management ✗ ✓
Price $55/mo forever $279 once
or 3 × $99
3-Year Cost $2,214 $279
Stop paying? Lose everything Keep everything forever

Switching Takes 1-2 Days

Most grading contractors are fully switched before the weekend.

1

Export your data

Go to Reports → export to CSV. Download clients, invoices, expenses.

2

Set up Nexa

15-minute setup. Import your clients and expense categories.

3

Parallel run

Run both for 1-2 weeks. Verify everything transferred.

4

Cancel QuickBooks

Cancel subscription. Download final backup. You're done.

✓ Run both in parallel. Cancel QuickBooks when you're confident. Zero risk.

What grading contractors actually deal with

A day in the life of a grading contractor

I walk the site first with the plans and the grade stakes, checking the surveyor's hubs against the design because everything I do today is chasing tenths of a foot. The job is a building pad and a driveway that has to drain to the street. I fire up the grade-control system, and the GPS keeps the blade on the design surface as I make passes - but the subgrade clay is wet from last night, so I'm spreading and letting it dry before I compact, because rolling wet clay just pumps and fails later. Mid-morning the erosion inspector swings by; my silt fence is trenched in and the inlet protection's good, so no stop-work, but I've seen jobs shut down over a torn fence. I cut the high side, move the spoil to fill the low corner - keeping cut and fill balanced so I'm not trucking dirt I didn't bid. Afternoon is fine grade: box blade passes until the pad is flat to tolerance and the driveway falls a clean two percent to the gutter. I roll it in lifts, proof it, and shoot grades across the pad to prove it drains and meets spec for the as-built. Last hour is photographing the finished grades, marking the lifts I compacted for the inspector, invoicing for the dirt actually moved, and confirming tomorrow's site has the stakes set and access for the lowboy.

The tools a working grading contractor actually owns

Local grading contractors on Nexa

Real grading contractors near you who run their business on Nexa — book directly, no platform fee. Are you a grading contractor? Post your business and get found in your area — $2.99 one-time. Or browse every grading contractor on Nexa →

FAQ

Is Nexa really a QuickBooks replacement for grading contractors?

For solo operators and small teams (1-5), yes. Nexa includes invoicing, scheduling, CRM, time tracking, task management, and full accounting. QuickBooks may be better if you have a large team (10+) or need enterprise-specific features.

$279 seems like a lot.

It's $7.75/month over 3 years. QuickBooks is $55/month — that's $2,214 over 3 years. Which is more? And if you'd rather split it, Nexa is also available as 3 payments of $99.

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Nexa is $279 as a one-time payment, or 3 payments of $99 ($297 total). Either way it's a one-time purchase — no subscription, no recurring fees ever.

What if I don't like it?

30-day money-back guarantee. Full refund. If Nexa doesn't save you $500 in year one, you get every penny back.

Can I import my QuickBooks data?

Export your data from QuickBooks as CSV, import into Nexa in about 5 minutes.

Grading Contractors in Medellín

The average solo operator there spends about $1,600/year on software — and Grading Contractor face their own version of that math. Colombia requires DIAN-authorized electronic invoicing. IVA applies to most transactions. Requirements vary by country and locality. Check local regulations.

Numbers reflect typical solo operators in the Medellín metro. Your situation will vary.

If You Need These — Nexa Has Them

Specific gaps Grading Contractors run into with QuickBooks, and what Nexa does instead.

✗
QuickBooks gapNo scheduling/booking
✓
NexaBuilt-in scheduling and booking — no separate tier.
✗
QuickBooks gapNo CRM functionality
✓
NexaFull CRM module included in $279.
✗
QuickBooks gapNo project management for services
✓
NexaJob and project management in the same $279 — no upgrade needed.

What QuickBooks Users Are Saying Lately

Recent threads from Reddit and Hacker News mentioning QuickBooks. Sentiment scored automatically — click through to read the full thread.

"I refused to pay $50/mo for a CSV to quickbooks converter, so I built it"
HN·1 month ago·Neutral·Read thread →
"Free QuickBooks Desktop to JSON Exporter"
HN·1 month ago·Neutral·Read thread →
"QuickBooks raised prices again and I was done. Found Nexa — $279 once. I own it. No more 'we're updating our pricing' emails. Best business decision this year."
— Grading Contractor, switched from QuickBooks

Stop Losing $660/Year to QuickBooks

$2,214 over 3 years. Or $279 once (or 3 × $99). Own your tools.

Get Nexa — $279 Once
or 3 payments of $99
✓ 30-day money-back guarantee — save $500 or full refund

Still want QuickBooks?

We think Nexa is the better deal at $279 once vs $55/mo. But if you've decided on QuickBooks, here's the link. No hard feelings.

QuickBooks — $55/mo →

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