Here’s an overview of our top software updates in 2022

Here at Buildertrend, we take our customers’ input seriously. We make note of every comment and suggestion because our product is designed and built for you. Over the past year, our Product team has been busy having conversations, collecting feedback and reviewing internal data for updates that will ensure the best possible experience.

We’re delivering new workflows like Buildertrend Takeoff – making it possible to manage projects from start to finish in one platform. Having everything in one place will streamline your processes, so you can keep your focus on what really matters – building and supporting your clients.

Here’s an overview of new features and improvements that make our project management platform the best in the residential construction industry.

Estimate updates

The Estimate rewrite provides a simplified, prioritized and organized Estimates feature that removes any guesswork. These updates were heavily influenced by our customers’ feedback and laid the groundwork for the addition of Buildertrend Takeoff.

How will these updates make the Estimate feature easier to use?

“At its core, our updates will make the feature easier to interact with,” said Sarah Biben, lead product designer. “Whether reviewing the original estimate or entering and editing cost information, the experience was optimized for speed and efficiency.”

The modifications made to the existing Estimate feature will positively impact the workflow within Buildertrend.

Key benefits:

Added Cost Type field: Cost type helps you identify certain items in your estimate faster and improve margins on your future budgets.

New line-item editing experience: Crucial cost information is prioritized in the worksheet editing experience, which allows you to add additional columns or select the cost item for more detail.

Updated client sharing experience: Client sharing provides more control and separation for how you view your estimated costs and how you present the information to your clients.

Automatic cost updates tied to Bids, Allowances and Selections: Estimated costs provide the most up-to-date information from any linked bids, allowances or selections. This requires less manual effort and ensures confidence during the estimating process.

Organized Costs through Categories: Using Categories in Buildertrend promotes a structure that works for each unique business, provides consistency on the budget view and serves as an estimate template.

Buildertrend Takeoff

Upload digital blueprints, record measurements and create accurate estimates faster than ever. With Buildertrend’s all new takeoff and estimating solutions, you’ll add hours back to your day and feel confident kicking off your construction jobs.

What was the motivation for adding takeoff software to Buildertrend’s platform?

“Creating takeoffs in construction and managing projects can include time-intensive processes that usually require multiple solutions or programs,” said Sean McKenna, product manager.

“By adding a takeoff software directly into Buildertrend, our customers can upload blueprints, measure for materials and create estimates in one place. Combining takeoff and project management into one platform will add hours back to our customers’ day and ensure they create accurate construction estimates every time.”

Key benefits:

Saved money: Avoid the hassle of returning excess materials or paying high rush fees for additional materials because you didn’t order enough. Get a more accurate estimate every time.

Saved time: Measuring a room manually takes a whole lot of time – time that you could be spending on other tasks. Using Buildertrend Takeoff for project planning and estimating is 33% faster than the manual measuring process according to internal data.

Reduced rework: With automatic updates and everything saved in one platform, your team has a single source of truth to work from. This means fewer change orders and less rework – leading to a more efficient job site.

Efficient communication: Your takeoff information can now be easily communicated to everyone on your team. Material measurements and costs are automatically sent from your takeoff to your Buildertrend account – keeping everyone on the same page.

Buildertrend Payments

With our new process, paying your subcontractors and vendors is as easy as sending an email. You send the payment, and we take case of the rest. Plus, your subs can choose how they want to get paid. Stay organized and manage all your outgoing payments in one place.

What are the advantages of this new system for paying subs?

“Since there’s no longer a signup required on the sub’s end, our customers are entirely in control of their payment process,” said Emma Dickinson, product manager.

“They can sign up within their Buildertrend account and start sending payments the same day. What’s really exciting is how easy it is to send payments. Builders can pay their subs through a simple email with just a few clicks, and their subs receive their e-checks almost instantly. It’s then up to their subs to start the deposit process.”

Key benefits:

All e-checks are sent through email: This means your subs don’t have to be active in Buildertrend to accept payments.

Subs and vendors select how they get paid: They can choose from printing the check themselves or having a physical check mailed to them.

It’s free for subs: Your subs and vendors are not charged fees for receiving digital payments through Buildertrend.

Offline capabilities

Gone are the days of forgetting to record shifts or track essential daily progress for every job. With offline capabilities, your field crews can record job details or clock in and out right away, so important information is never lost. Handle your work from your phone even without service.

How will these offline capabilities increase efficiency for our customers working at the job site?

“Our customers will now have access to the Buildertrend app, which will allow the field and office teams to remain aligned through constant communication regarding job updates, issues and time tracking,” said Austin Eilers, product manager.

“Customers will have peace of mind knowing that project information can be documented immediately from the field,” said Eric Stroud, associate product manager. “It also frees up office administrators, so they can focus on other critical tasks such as financials.”

Key benefits:

Keep everyone on the same page: Remain aligned through frequent communication regarding project updates and any unexpected issues.

Forget manual time tracking: Focus on other tasks instead of taking the time to manually record daily time stamps for every onsite crew member.

Never miss critical details: Record important project information directly from the job site using Buildertrend’s mobile app. Now, nothing is lost on the drive between field and office.

Global Search

The Global Search feature within Buildertrend allows you to search for important project information, from nearly anywhere in the platform. Find the job details you’re looking for quickly and get back to business.

How is this updated search method beneficial for users?

The search feature can search within almost every section in the platform. Searches now cover most of the platform, reaching many different features. A user can also comb through notes and other fields with the new search to find what they’re looking for.

And it’s getting even better. We’re excited to be expanding Global Search based on customer feedback – adding increased functionality and allowing searches to reach even further into the platform.

Key benefits:

Search everything at once: Search across all contacts, projects and features at the same time to find the details you’re looking for fast.

Have one source of truth: Know that everything is in one place, easily searchable and accessible whenever you need it.

Save time: Significantly reduce the amount of time you spend looking for critical project information.

The Home Depot receipts to bills

The Home Depot Pro Xtra integration allows you to streamline job costing and create bills directly from your receipts. You can now enter job and cost code details to create a bill that will then show up in your budget. This update was highly requested by our customers to make it easier to bill clients and allocate one-off costs to project expenses.

How does new process make receipt tracking easier?

“The Receipt Management Tool helps organize the ongoing purchases made at The Home Depot into a single location for better reconciliation and allocation of costs,” said Austin Smith, senior product manager.

“This is going to help remove the day-to-day need for chasing down receipts.”

The integration with The Home Depot and receipt tracking adds efficiency, automation and accuracy to all aspects of job costing and record keeping.

Key benefits:

Improve receipt management: Save and track receipts from The Home Depot for more accurate job costing.

Create bills from receipts: Turn your purchase receipts into a bill by automatically pulling receipt details and line-item information.

Costs to invoice

We’re expanding invoice options, so you can decide which invoice workflow is best for your business. You can invoice from every line item in your estimate or add line items to existing invoices from other Buildertrend features.

Key benefits:

Reduce double entry: Ensure you’re never adding the same information twice with the ability to push and pull costs into an invoice.

Amend in-progress invoices: Revise invoices and make changes rather than having to create a new, separate invoice.

Offer a better client experience: Consolidate payments into a single invoice, which creates a better experience for your clients.

Track incoming payments: Easily see what’s been paid with a single invoice as you’re tracking your received payments.

Summary page redesign

Organizing your day is easy with the newly redesigned Summary page. See the exact information you need to prepare for your day without searching, so you can get to work fast. Find all the essential tasks and information for your day ahead in one consolidated view.

How will these updates help customers to prioritize their day?

“We know our customers are extremely busy,” said Brad Dinan, product manager.

“By surfacing the most urgent and actionable items, we’re allowing them to prioritize their work based on their own individual needs. Whether it’s collecting on a past-due invoice or confirming next week’s schedule, the decision is in their hands. We’re just calling out what requires their attention and when.”

Key benefits:

Clean and organized design: Easily find project information that’s most important to the user who’s logged in. This means crew members and project managers will have a personalized view with their prioritized tasks and notifications.

Better prioritization of information: Quickly view which information is most relevant to you.

Renewed emphasis on communication and action: Send messages or make phone calls fast with contact information for project managers and clients now front and center.

Improved navigation: Identify something that needs your attention, click on it and be taken directly to that section of the platform for next steps.

The best is always getting better

With everything we do here at Buildertrend, we know there’s always room for improvement. Whether it’s product updates or new features, our end goal remains the same: to provide the best possible experience and ensure continued success for our customers.

What’s next? You can follow along on our Product roadmap by logging in to your Buildertrend account.

Stay up to date on what Buildertrend is working on, subscribe to get updates and provide feedback. At Buildertrend, we listen to our customers, implement feedback and update features to provide the best experience possible to promote your business success.

Not a Buildertrend user? Schedule a demo today and see how our takeoff, estimating and project management solutions can streamline processes for your construction business.