Procore vs Hecato: Change Order Management vs Construction Claims Recovery
Published 9 October 2026 · 3 min read
Short answer: Procore is construction project management software that administers change orders, cost exposure and approvals. Hecato is AI software for construction claims recovery that identifies contractual entitlement, substantiates it with source-linked evidence and quantifies what a contractor can recover. Contractors use both: Procore to run the project, Hecato to recover what the project is owed.
If your construction company already uses Procore, why would you need Hecato?
Because managing project changes and recovering contractual entitlement are two different problems.
Both platforms address commercial risk in construction, but they answer different questions. Procore answers "what changed, and what is our exposure?" Hecato answers "what are we contractually entitled to recover, can we prove it, and how much is it worth?"
What does Procore do?
Procore is a construction management platform used by general contractors, specialty contractors and owners to manage project financials, change orders, documentation and approvals.
Its Change Analyst Agent goes further, analyzing potential change orders, RFIs, drawings and contract terms to identify scope shifts, cost exposure and schedule risk.
These are valuable capabilities. But identifying financial exposure is not the same as establishing a defensible contractual claim.
A construction claim typically requires demonstrating that notices were served within the contractual deadlines, that the conditions precedent in the contract were satisfied, that the delay or disruption is attributable to a compensable event, and that the additional cost is substantiated by contemporaneous records.
What does Hecato do differently?
Hecato specializes in contractual entitlement identification, claims substantiation and claims recovery for contractors.
Hecato analyzes the contract, correspondence, schedules, cost records and other project documentation to identify potential entitlement, quantify the financial impact and assemble source-linked evidence. It works across the major contract families: AIA, ConsensusDocs, FIDIC, NEC and JCT.
Its scope extends beyond recognized change orders to events that may have created entitlement but were never fully identified, notified or pursued: late design information, disruption to planned sequences, prolongation, acceleration and differing site conditions.
Procore vs Hecato: feature comparison
| Capability | Procore | Hecato |
|---|---|---|
| Project management | Core functionality | Not the focus |
| Change order administration | Core functionality | Supporting analysis |
| AI change analysis | Scope, cost and schedule exposure | Contractual entitlement identification |
| Contract analysis | Risk identification across contract terms | Entitlement, notice requirements and time bars |
| Claims substantiation | Supporting project records | Evidence, chronology and quantum |
| Delay and disruption analysis | Schedule tracking | Evidence organized to the standards delay analysts apply, including AACE 29R-03 and the SCL Delay and Disruption Protocol |
| Closed-project entitlement analysis | Historical project records | Dedicated analysis workflow |
Based on published product capabilities, October 2026. This is not an independently tested comparison.
An example: a missed entitlement
Consider a contractor delivering a large data center.
A late design revision causes additional work and disrupts the installation sequence.
Procore identifies and manages the change, estimates the cost and flags the schedule exposure.
But suppose the disruption also creates potential entitlement to an extension of time, prolongation costs or loss of productivity.
Establishing that entitlement means examining the contract, notice compliance, schedule impact, causation and the contemporaneous record, then pricing the claim in a form the other party will accept.
This is where Hecato focuses: connecting project events to contractual entitlement, and to the evidence needed to substantiate recovery.
Does Hecato replace Procore?
No. The platforms are complementary.
Procore manages construction projects and their changes. Hecato identifies and substantiates the contractual entitlement arising from those projects.
Hecato works with existing project records, including records exported from Procore, without requiring contractors to replace their project management systems.
The question is not whether your company already uses change order software.
It is whether that software and your existing processes have captured everything you are contractually entitled to recover.
Frequently asked questions
Does Procore handle construction claims?
Procore administers change orders, tracks cost exposure and stores project records. It does not establish contractual entitlement, test notice compliance against time bars, or build substantiated claims with quantum. Those are the functions Hecato provides.
What is the difference between a change order and a claim?
A change order is an agreed adjustment to scope, price or time, processed through the contract's change mechanism. A claim arises when a contractor seeks additional time or money that has not been agreed, and must prove entitlement under the contract, compliance with notice requirements, causation and the amount claimed.
Can Hecato use data from Procore?
Yes. Hecato analyzes existing project records, including documents, correspondence, schedules and cost data exported from Procore and other project management systems.
Does Hecato replace Procore?
No. Procore manages the project. Hecato identifies and substantiates what the project is contractually entitled to recover. Contractors run both alongside each other.
What types of entitlement does Hecato identify?
Variations and change orders, extensions of time, prolongation costs, disruption and loss of productivity, acceleration, differing site conditions, and defense against liquidated damages and back-charges.
Which contract forms does Hecato cover?
AIA, ConsensusDocs, FIDIC, NEC and JCT, including their notice requirements, conditions precedent and time bars.
Procore is a trademark of Procore Technologies, Inc. Hecato is not affiliated with or endorsed by Procore.