CutOnce vs Construction Master Pro
Two different answers to the same jobsite math. Construction Master Pro puts the classic handheld calculator on your phone, keystroke for keystroke. CutOnce starts over with forms, drawings, and printable plans. An honest look at where each one wins.
Updated
The short version
Construction Master Pro is the app version of the handheld calculator that has been the jobsite standard for decades. If you already know its keystrokes, it is the faithful choice. CutOnce solves the same stair, rafter, and feet-inch-fraction math but works from labeled input forms instead of keystroke sequences, shows the result as a dimensioned drawing, checks stairs against the IRC, and prints PDF cut plans. Both work offline. The pricing models differ: Construction Master Pro is a free download that moves to an auto-renewing subscription after its trial, while CutOnce is a one-time purchase after its trial, with free updates.
Side by side
| Construction Master Pro app | CutOnce | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry model | Calculator keypad; the same keystroke sequences as the handheld | Labeled forms; type each measurement into a named field |
| Feet-inch-fractions | Yes, plus native metric entry and conversions between formats | Yes, entered the way a tape reads, with a setting that runs the whole app in imperial or metric |
| Stairs | Riser and tread solutions from rise and run entries | Whole layout derived from one total-rise entry, with IRC R311.7 pass/fail shown inline |
| Rafters | Common, hip, valley, and jack, including irregular pitch | Common, hip, valley, and jack, including irregular pitch, with backing angles and hip drop |
| Results | Numbers on the calculator display, stepped through one value at a time | The full solution on one screen, drawn as a dimensioned diagram |
| Output | Save and share calculations and cut lists to a file | Printable PDF plans with the layout drawn and every cut dimensioned |
| Extras | Trig functions, context help on every key, Bosch laser measure integration | A trig calculator with degree or degrees-minutes-seconds entry, a running tape that keeps 500 calculations, English and Spanish |
| Pricing | Free download with a trial, then an auto-renewing monthly or yearly subscription | Free 7-day trial, then a one-time purchase with free updates; free web calculators |
| Offline | Yes | Yes |
Where Construction Master Pro is stronger
Keystroke parity. The app runs the same key sequences as the handheld Construction Master Pro and the Pro Trig, so decades of muscle memory transfer directly, and the help system explains every key with diagrams. It also covers ground CutOnce does not: mixing imperial and metric inside a single calculation (CutOnce switches between the two systems in settings instead), and it can pull measurements straight from a Bosch GLM laser. If your workflow is built around the handheld, the app is the handheld, always in your pocket.
Where CutOnce is different
CutOnce assumes you would rather fill in a form than memorize a key sequence. Each calculator asks for its inputs by name, and the answer comes back as one drawn, dimensioned solution instead of values you step through on a display. The stair calculator derives the whole layout from a single total-rise measurement and shows the IRC R311.7 riser and tread checks next to the numbers. When the math is done, the app prints a PDF plan with the stringer or rafter drawn on the board and every cut dimensioned, which is the part you actually carry to the saw.
Which one should you get
Get Construction Master Pro if you already run the handheld and want the identical keystrokes, if you mix imperial and metric in one calculation, or if you feed measurements in from a Bosch laser.
Get CutOnce if you want labeled inputs instead of keystroke sequences, a drawing instead of a readout, code checks on stairs, and a printed plan at the end. The free web calculators below run the same math, so you can try the approach before installing anything.
Common questions
- Is the Construction Master Pro app the same as the handheld calculator?
- Functionally yes. Calculated Industries built the app to match the handheld Construction Master Pro and the Pro Trig, with the same key sequences and solutions, plus phone conveniences like saving calculations and context help on each key.
- Does CutOnce work offline like a handheld calculator?
- Yes. Every calculator in CutOnce runs on the device with no signal, and the PDF plans generate offline too. Construction Master Pro also works offline. Neither app needs an account.
- Is either app a subscription?
- Construction Master Pro is: as of this writing, full access after its free trial is an auto-renewing monthly or yearly subscription. CutOnce is not: it is a free download with a 7-day trial and a single in-app purchase that unlocks everything permanently, with free updates after that.
- Can I try the CutOnce math before buying anything?
- Yes. The free web calculators on this site run the same arithmetic as the app, verified against the same test suite, so the stair, rafter, and feet-inch results you see there are exactly what the app computes.
Try the math before the app
The free web calculators run the same tested code as the app. If the form-and-drawing approach suits you, the app adds the full toolbox and printable PDF plans.
See also