Skip to content
Drum

Software for Town Planning Firms

Run Your Planning Firm Without the Spreadsheets

Drum gives town planning firms a single place to track time against DAs and permits, monitor project budgets and invoice through Xero. From pre-lodgement advice to council submissions, your full project history comes with you.

Book a free demo
Run Your Planning Firm Without the Spreadsheets

  1. Track time across every project

    Log hours against DA assessments, policy reviews, client meetings and site visits. See exactly where your team's time is going each week.

  2. Know your project margins

    See live profitability on every engagement. Spot when a DA or permit application is eating into your fee before it becomes a write-off.

  3. Win and track new work

    Follow enquiries from first phone call to signed engagement letter. Forecast revenue and see what's coming down the line for your team.

  4. Invoice through Xero

    Tracked time flows straight into Xero invoices. No copy-pasting timesheets, no month-end scramble.

  5. Plan your team's capacity

    See who can take on a new DA and who's already stretched across three council submissions. Balance workloads before deadlines pile up.

  6. Australian-built, Australian-hosted

    Built by a team that understands state planning frameworks, council processes and how Australian consultancies actually run. Your data stays on Australian servers.

Built for how planning consultancies actually work

Flexible project structuring

Organise work by client, application type or stage of approval. Structure projects around the way your firm already thinks about them.

Professional fee proposals

Put together clear proposals for DA assessments, due diligence reports and ongoing advisory retainers. Monitor your win rate so you know what's converting.

Time tracking your team will actually use

Quick, straightforward time entry that staff pick up in minutes. Capture every billable hour without the Friday afternoon chase.

Deep Xero integration

Two-way sync keeps your books accurate. Turn tracked time into invoices with a few clicks, and reconcile without switching between systems.

Drum's philosophy of being a 'single source of truth' has allowed us to manage project data simply and accurately. It has helped streamline our processes and we have found the team to be accommodating in all regards.
Lauren Sutton

Lauren Sutton

Accounts Manager, Projex Partners

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions from town planning firms about how Drum handles DA tracking, time management, proposals and Xero integration.

Can Drum track time against individual DAs and permits?
Yes. You can structure projects around individual applications, retainers or advisory engagements. Time is logged against each project so you always know how many hours a DA has consumed versus the quoted fee.

How does the Xero integration work?
Drum syncs contacts, invoices and payments with Xero in both directions. Turn tracked time into invoices with a few clicks and send them straight from Xero. No re-keying or month-end scramble.

Can we manage ongoing advisory retainers alongside project work?
Yes. Drum handles both fixed-fee project work and time-based retainers. You can track hours against retainer budgets and see utilisation alongside your project pipeline.

How long does it take to set up?
Drum sets your go-live date at the start of onboarding, based on how much history you move. Our team moves your full history into Drum and trains your staff around go-live, so your consultants can focus on billable work.

Can I create fee proposals for DA assessments?
Yes. Build detailed proposals with fixed fees, hourly rates or a mix. Track your win rate across the pipeline and set reminders to follow up on outstanding quotes.

Is our data stored in Australia?
Yes. Drum is Australian-built and your data is hosted on Australian servers. We understand state planning frameworks, council processes and how Australian consultancies run.

Weighing Drum against Total Synergy, Projectworks, WorkflowMax or Abtrac? Compare pricing and features side by side, or see our shortlist of project management software for architects and engineers.

See how Drum works for planning consultancies

Book a free demo