Frequently asked questions about Buildertrend

Buildertrend is the most trusted construction management platform for established builders and contractors who are ready to run a more profitable, scalable business. From the first estimate to the final invoice, Buildertrend connects every part of the operation in one unified system: scheduling, financials, client communication, procurement, selections, and more. Not a collection of tools bolted together. Buildertrend is the one platform where every part of the business works from the same source of truth. Founded in 2006, Buildertrend powers over half of all new home builds in the U.S. and has been trusted by 1,000,000+ users in 80+ countries.

Buildertrend is built for established residential builders and contractors running complex, high-value work. The primary users are custom, semi-custom and luxury home builders managing jobs with deep client involvement, and remodelers running high job volume with speed-driven, multi-project workflows. Buildertrend also serves commercial general contractors whose projects mirror residential complexity – multi-phase scoping, client involvement and sophisticated financial management – as well as trades contractors in outdoor living, kitchen and bath and other specialty categories. Buildertrend is designed for businesses that are already growing and need a platform built for where they’re going, not just where they started.

Most construction software solves one piece of the puzzle. Buildertrend solves all of it in one connected platform. Scheduling, financials, client communication and more live in a single system of record, which means no switching between tools, no version of the truth that depends on which app is open and no hidden costs from piecing together five point solutions. Every customer gets full access to all essential features from day one, with pricing tailored to job volume, team size and scope of work. Add dedicated onboarding, live training and 24/7 support, and the ROI typically shows up fast – not just in efficiency, but in profitability on every job.

More than 1,000,000 users across 80+ countries have trusted Buildertrend since it was founded in 2006. Today, 20,000+ active construction businesses run their operations on the platform. Buildertrend powers over half of all new home builds in the U.S., making it the most widely used and most trusted platform in residential construction. That depth of adoption is the result of two decades of builders choosing this platform, growing their businesses on it and not leaving. When established builders evaluate their options, the answer is pretty consistent: Buildertrend.

Yes, and this is one of the most common reasons established builders make the switch. More jobs means more team members to coordinate, more subcontractors to manage, more clients expecting real-time communication and more financial exposure on every project. Buildertrend is purpose-built to scale with that complexity, connecting every part of the operation in one platform so teams can take on more work without adding more administrative burden, more software or more headcount to hold it all together.

Buildertrend’s most popular features help contractors manage every part of a project from start to finish. Project scheduling, estimating, budgeting, change order tracking, client communication and document storage are among the tools builders rely on most. Together, these features give you complete visibility into your jobs and keep your team and clients on the same page.

Every feature in Buildertrend is designed to connect seamlessly across the entire project lifecycle. From pre-sale proposals to project scheduling, subcontractor management, client approvals and financial reporting, all your data flows together. That means fewer errors, faster decisions and a smoother experience for both your team and your clients.

Yes. Buildertrend integrates with popular accounting systems like QuickBooks and Xero, as well as CRMs and other tools you may already be using. These integrations reduce double entry, help keep your financials accurate and make it easier to manage every aspect of your business in one place.

Absolutely. Buildertrend has a full-featured mobile app for iOS and Android, letting you manage projects, communicate with clients, approve change orders and track job progress from the field. You can stay in control even when you’re on the job site or traveling between projects.

Yes. Buildertrend gives clients their own portal with real-time visibility into project schedules, budgets, selections and daily progress without requiring the contractor to manually send a single update. AI Client Updates automatically turn job activity into clear, structured summaries that go directly to the homeowner, keeping communication consistent and professional across every project. Builders who use Buildertrend’s client-facing tools consistently report stronger client relationships, fewer inbound calls and emails and more referral business.

Buildertrend includes a comprehensive set of advanced financial tools built for contractors running complex, high-value work. Detailed estimating, change order management, job costing, budget tracking, expense management, invoice generation and real-time profit reporting all live in one place. Buildertrend’s Bill Pay feature streamlines the entire subcontractor payment process, from receiving and reviewing bills to approving and processing payments. AI Bill Capture works directly within Bill Pay to automatically extract vendor details, line items and cost codes from incoming bills, eliminating manual entry and reducing the risk of errors that affect job costing. With integrations to QuickBooks and Xero, financial data stays current without double entry. The result is full visibility into where every dollar is going on every job and the financial depth to make faster, more profitable decisions.

For most construction businesses, no. Buildertrend replaces the five to seven tools contractors typically piece together to run a single job: separate scheduling software, a financial tool, a client communication app, a document management system and so on. There’s no switching between platforms, no version of the truth that depends on which tool is open and no data falling through the gaps between disconnected apps.

Buildertrend pricing is personalized for each business. We take into account your builder type, annual revenue and specific business needs to provide a custom quote. This ensures you’re only paying for what makes sense for your operation, so your investment aligns with your growth goals.

Yes! Every Buildertrend plan includes the full collection of features – lead, project, financial and client management. You don’t need to worry about hidden add-ons or paying extra for the tools that will truly help your business run efficiently and profitably.

We don’t offer a free trial because we know that only fully committing allows you to see Buildertrend’s real value. Instead, we provide free personalized demos where you can see exactly how the software will work for your business and get a hands-on walkthrough with one of our experts. This ensures you’re set up for success from day one. Or take a virtual tour of the product to get a sense of how Buildertrend works.

Buildertrend offers two onboarding tiers to fit your business needs. Tier 1 helps with initial data setup and provides a digital learning path so your team can master Buildertrend at their own pace. Tier 2 is more hands-on, with full data and financial setup, custom 1:1 coaching, personalized trainings and ongoing guidance for the lifetime of your account. You choose the level of support that works best for your business.

Every Buildertrend customer has access to our award-winning support team. You can get help by phone, email or live chat – always with a real person. Whether you have a quick question or need step-by-step guidance, our team is here to make sure you succeed.

Yes! Buildertrend offers a robust library of 24/7 resources including a help center, role-based online courses and certifications, live and on-demand webinars and daily virtual group trainings. These resources are designed to help your team learn at their own pace and master every aspect of the software.

Absolutely. For businesses that want even more hands-on support, Buildertrend offers premium services like Buildertrend University and Onsite Consulting. These programs provide in-person, personalized guidance to optimize your processes, improve team efficiency and ensure you’re getting the maximum value from Buildertrend.

Yes. Buildertrend takes data security seriously. We use industry-standard encryption and secure servers to protect your business information, financials and client data. Your data is safe, and you can have peace of mind knowing your projects are fully protected.

All Buildertrend data is stored securely in the cloud on highly reliable servers. This means your information is accessible anytime, anywhere, while remaining safe from hardware failures or local system issues. You and your team can collaborate confidently, knowing your data is always backed up and secure.

Absolutely. Buildertrend lets you manage permissions and control who can see or edit different parts of your projects, financials and client communications. You decide what each team member, subcontractor or client can access, giving you complete control over your business data.

Subcontractors can access Buildertrend to submit bids, view schedules, track tasks and send in daily progress. This keeps them aligned with your project timelines and ensures communication flows smoothly, reducing delays and misunderstandings on the job site.

Clients can log in to their own portal to see real-time project updates, approve selections and change orders, review schedules, pay invoices and communicate with your team. This transparency helps build trust and keeps clients engaged throughout the project.

Your internal team can manage tasks, track budgets, assign responsibilities and collaborate on projects all in one place. Whether it’s project managers, office staff or field crews, Buildertrend gives your team the tools to stay productive and aligned.

Yes. Buildertrend is built for a range of established construction businesses:

• Custom, semi-custom and luxury home builders: Manage complex, high-value projects with deep homeowner involvement, sophisticated scheduling, procurement and financial management across multiple simultaneous builds.
• Remodelers: Run high job volume with speed-driven workflows, multiple concurrent projects, client-facing proposals and selections and change order management that keeps every job profitable.
• Commercial general contractors (residential-like projects): Multi-phase scoping with client and owner involvement, RFIs, submittals and complex financial workflows that mirror the demands of high-end residential work.
• Trades contractors (outdoor living, kitchen and bath, specialty): Direct homeowner communication, proposals, phased scheduling, change order management and the operational tools to grow a specialty business without outgrowing the platform.

Most established contractors begin seeing measurable improvements within the first few months of using Buildertrend. By streamlining project management, reducing errors and improving communication, many businesses recover their investment quickly while increasing efficiency and profitability.

Buildertrend customers report faster project completion, fewer delays and improved financial oversight. On average, contractors see better profit margins, reduced administrative overhead and stronger client satisfaction – helping them grow their business while maintaining quality.

In today’s competitive construction industry, managing projects, teams and finances manually can lead to errors and missed opportunities. Buildertrend centralizes every aspect of your business, giving you real-time visibility and control. This ensures projects run smoothly, your team stays aligned and your clients are impressed – helping you maintain and grow a professional, profitable operation.

Yes! Contractors using Buildertrend have reported up to 35% year-over-year growth, 50% increase in productivity, 20+ hours saved per week and 80% less daily phone calls. Check out our full list of case studies to see more real builder results.

Yes. This is where the financial depth of the platform makes the biggest difference. Most builders find out where they lost money after the job closes. Buildertrend’s end-to-end job costing, real-time budget tracking, change order management and financial forecasting give contractors a complete picture of where every dollar is going while the job is still running and not after it’s too late to do anything about it.

Yes. Buildertrend has AI capabilities embedded directly into the workflows builders already use. Because scheduling, financials, communication and job history all live in one connected system, Buildertrend’s AI has access to the full picture of the business. The result is intelligence that’s grounded, practical and shaped by nearly two decades of expertise in residential construction. Buldertrend’s AI is focused on saving builders time on repetitive work and surfacing the insights that help them run a more profitable operation.

Buildertrend current AI features include:

• AI Client Updates: Automatically turns job activity into clear, structured client summaries, eliminating manual write-ups and keeping homeowners consistently informed throughout the project.
• AI Bill Capture: Within Bill Pay, AI extracts and infers bill details including vendor, line items and cost codes automatically, reducing manual entry and improving speed and accuracy when processing bills.
• AI Search: Turns Buildertrend from a system a builder navigates into one contractors can simply ask simple questions using natural language.

Additional AI capabilities are in active development, with more features rolling out soon.

The difference is where it lives and what it’s built on. Buildertrend’s AI is embedded directly into the workflows construction businesses already run – not added as a separate layer, a standalone tool or requiring additional integrations. Because every part of the business lives in one connected system, the AI has the full picture: schedules, financials, communication, job history. It’s shaped by nearly two decades of expertise in residential construction, meaning it’s built around the real patterns, problems and decisions that builders face, not generic AI applied to a construction context.

Buildertrend’s AI is built on the company’s deep expertise in residential construction and not on individual customer data. All customer data is protected under Buildertrend’s security and privacy standards, with encrypted data protocols, continuous monitoring and industry-leading infrastructure partners.

No. Buildertrend’s AI is built directly into the platform. No third-party AI subscription required, no integration to configure and no additional tool to manage. Some construction software delivers AI by connecting to external AI platforms like ChatGPT or Claude, which means the AI only sees the data passed to it through that integration. This is a fragment of the business, not the full picture. Buildertrend’s AI works differently. It works where the business already works.