I'm an old fashioned gal and I had a "blue book" a large ring binder which I divided with tabs into each room, plus the exterior plus ideas. In there were the plastic pocket pages where I slipped in drawings, notes, pictures, ideas, sketches, etc. It went with me every visit to the building site and was used frequently as reference in discussions with the architect and the project mgr. It was a life saver.

if MS Project doesn't have enough level of detail you need, you've got some serious organization OCD. This is coming from an engineer. Like you mentioned w/Evernote, maybe you just need to pick a tool and take the time to learn all the nuances. just my 2c.

good question. I have just started and have been saving stuff to a folder in dropbox but that's just ideas and notes still. I have printed plans and drawings in a binder.

MS Project can give you excruciatingly detailed information ... but you have to enter it into the files.

Right now I have a boatload of bookmarks and folders of downloaded information for planning ideas.

When we get to the point of asking for bids and talking to architects, I'll start tracking details in a mix of paper in notebooks or file folders and some sort of Project planner (I use Linux, so it's not going to be MS Project) in a laptop.

I'm using Google Docs & Spreadsheets. I end up being able to accessing them from anywhere (work or home, or on my phone or tablet, great when I'm in a contractor meeting), or share them with others (e.g. share with the contractor/designer etc for them to read/edit). It's free with a Google Account.

We use google docs too.

I have "big blue" too! I just three hole punch everything and it is all separated by dividers. I do better with physical pieces of paper since I already have so much going on with the computer and how I run my business. Legal size stuff makes me want to scream since it does not conform with my system. However, I still feel like the paperwork is taking over my kitchen table at times! Especially since things like the full size floor plan has no place to be. My mom is actually coming over later this week to help me organize, so I feel your pain!

Google docs works well for collaborating, OneNote from MS is pretty cool as well, with apps for tables and web interface.

I bought a folder with numerous pockets...it is my building bible...I have all of my plans, tickets, invoices, bills paid, cabinet plans, bids, flooring samples, furniture fabric, inspiration pics, etc....When I go to the store, that goes with me...and keeps me organized!

Sounds like the general consensus is a big old-fashioned binder is the way to go. I did find some online tutorials on using Evernote, and I'm going to attempt to assemble all my online resources there.

I was using Pinterest before (see link for my boards!), but I don't like the way you can't really scroll through the images... makes it kind of a pain!

Here is a link that might be useful: carsonheim's pinterest boards

We use googledocs as well!

I got my iPad just in time! I request all quotes be sent to me by email and they all get dumped into Evernote, so I can find them easily without all the extra paper. I do try to name then accurately. Instead of relying on OCR. I have many ideas in the form of pictures on pinterest, houzz and my hard drive. These are not organized very well, but I do assemble things just before crucial meetings.... Like pulling all tile photos and pins that may be helpful just before meeting with the tile folks. I do have a binder, but use it very infrequently. Right now my best friends are my two spiral notebooks. I keep all contact info for subs, salespeople, etc. written on the back of the notebook and saved into the contacts on my phone. I use an full page size spiral notebook for research and meeting notes, and recently I have been using a half page notebook for my house related to-dos and carrying around the job site to make notes. It is stiffer on the back and easier for me to handle. I have one copy of my floorplan folded so it is about the size of this notebook and it stays tucked in this little baby along with a pen and pencil. I also invested in a good tape measure that lives in my car. Lately I have been keeping a hat and gloves in my construction bag, too. I have found that one of those accordion folders is best for samples and such. It sounds like a lot of stuff, but it is usually just me and my tape and my notebook.

Using an example from the general contractor on our daughter's home build, we have a big binder with dividers for each sub-constractor. We did a preliminary bid out in the fall of 2012 for our house to get an idea of cost to build. When bids came back in (most were in a digital format), we printed out the bid and put it in the appropriate place of the binder. I also found a couple Excel spreadsheets online that were helpful and I entered each bid into the spreadsheet line by line. I found that was so helpful and I could find errors easier that way. We also organized all our email correspondence and saved all the bids into appropriate digital folders on our hard drives.

We've purchased MS Project to use. My husband is familiar with the software and is trying to get it set up.

I also use houzz.com to house all my inspiration photos. I have created my own ideabooks (folders) on the website and save the photos to those - which I can access from anywhere. That has come in handy sometimes when we were meeting with vendors.

This is the method I am using, as well as e-mail folders & Pinterest. I am tactile & like stuff in front of me, as well as seeing it on screen.

I should also mention Pinterest is literally my lifesaver. It is awesome! I send everything to the various trades & they get my ideas & style exactly. When I am in a meeting, I just pull up the photo I need & boom, they have it.

My GC said these photos are worth more than a 1,000 words. It sure saves time. I also allow whoever I am working with to pin on some of my applicable boards if they see something that might interest me.

I also put specific photos in the specs sheet so there is no confusion. The trim carpenter knows I want X. The kitchen carpenter knows I want Y. The flooring guy knows I want Z.

I went the binder route also. Legal size, 1.5", with the rings on the 14" side no the short side. Bought legal sized numbered tab dividers and slapped a table of contents in on the first page. It was awesome to have, and I lived out of it for 10 months during our build. I liked it because it was easier to crack open and reference during meetings, and the larger format was easier to share around the table compared to my iPad and phone. It was pretty heavy by the end, but an invaluable resource that I will use again for our next one.

I did maintain several google doc spreadsheets and electronic copies of most everything in the binder, but I enjoyed having the hard copy version with me most of the time.

I am using Google Docs so far. I can pull anything up from anywhere.

Three ring binder with tabbed dividers for each room, page protectors for paint chips, small samples, etc. Then online my fav is this forum with Houzz a close second and Pinterest. The binder and my iPad go everywhere with me, to work each day (luckily we have our own business so I can "sometimes" work on stuff during the day or as an idea pops into my head I can jot down before it disappears), to the house every time so that as we are talking to our GC I can take notes.

We built our cottage ourselves and I used two multi pocket
plastic paper organizers I bought at an office Depot.
I put a different thing "electrical" "plumbing"
in one then the other one was one pocket was idea pictures and the rest dealt with permits, inspections etc.
ALSO I kept a box for reciepts that was a biggie!!
Saved alot of headaches.
Good Luck Sharon

I am looking for a building spreadsheet that will help manage construction costs , etc. I saw one posted at some point in the past from Persnickety
.If anyone has this or if pernickety
Is still a member can you send to me?

Houzz and Pinterest, then my final picks I copy/paste into PowerPoint. Our builders are old-school and like prints in front of them to pass around and mark up, so I turn my ppt pages into PDFs for them. That way they can easily print everything. For physical files, I have a multi-pocket plastic "briefcase". I got it at Target but it busted! So now I'm carrying it in a Nordstrom bag to keep it together. I think I'm ready to upgrade to a sturdier system, since I'd like a spot for all of my samples and catalogs too. Going shopping at the office supply store soon!

I'm also an avid Pinterest user but I really wanted to start printing out photos from Pinterest to be able to put things next to each other and move them around. Of course, then I needed somewhere to store stacks and stacks of "ideas" and "inspirations." Another member mentioned his wife's blog on a different thread over the weekend and I looked over her Home Construction Binder that was available as printables through Etsy. It's AMAZING! And she is really helpful in customizing the binder dividers and such to work for your personal build. I highly HIGHLY recommend it! It's perfect for my very type-A personality!

Here is a link that might be useful: Blog

Home construction organizational binder kit on Etsy.
check it out!

Here is a link that might be useful: Home Construction Binder Kit