Buildertrend Spotlight: Pro Services with Luke Sprakel
For this special episode of The Building Code, we are joined by Luke Sprakel, senior manager of Pro Services at Buildertrend, to talk about all the pro services Buildertrend has to offer and how they impact our clients. This episode of The Building Code was recorded live, on-stage at our November session of Buildertrend University so we invited BTU participant Neil Schaurer, co-owner of Summit Builders, to jump on the mic and tell us about his experience at one of our most popular pro services โ Buildertrend University.
Pro Services
Buildertrend offers six pro services that add value for our clients. Read an overview of each one below!
- Website Development โ Our website designers will audit a companyโs current website and then build out a new one in 3-4 weeks.
- Payment Processing โ Our payment processing system allows builders to accept money from homeowners and pay subcontractors.
- Builderโs Risk Insurance โ For a free quote, login to Buildertrend, go to Create New Job and in the Job Info section in the top right tab, push the Builders Risk Insurance button!
- Onsite Consulting โ A team of Buildertrend consultants visit the companyโs home base for two days to train everyone on the software and help businesses implement Buildertrend in their company.
- Buildertrend University โ BTU is a monthly training at our headquarters in Omaha, Neb. It includes classes during the day, 1 on 1 training with your coach and fun happy hours.
Links and more
Related content:
Paul references the song โRaise Upโ by Petey Pablo in the opening of this podcast when talking about BTU attendees from North Carolina.
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Tom Houghton:
Your listening to โThe Building Code.โ Iโm Tom Houghton.
Paul Wurth:
Iโm Paul Wurth.
Tom Houghton:
Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We want to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. We appreciate you being a part of the Buildertrend family. We are thankful you are a part of it. Weโll get started with our guests in just a second, but first I want to tell you about the last opportunity to attend Buildertrend University in 2019. Our last 2019 BTU is scheduled for December 11th and 12th in Omaha, Nebraska at Buildertrend headquarters. This two day onsite event is a great way to get out of your business, to work on your business. All meals are included while youโre here, and itโs a great opportunity to increase your knowledge and usage of Buildertrend to maximize your business for 2020. You can find out more and register today at buildertrendu.com. Weโre live at Buildertrend University.
Paul Wurth:
Live from Omaha, Nebraska.
Tom Houghton:
You can hear the roar of the crowd in the background. Right crowd? I think somebody justโฆ
Paul Wurth:
We just donโt have microphones out there. You canโt hear it. Itโs crazy.
Tom Houghton:
Itโs crazy.
Paul Wurth:
Tom, I canโt even hear you right now.
Tom Houghton:
Thereโs 65 of our clients here for this Buildertrend University.
Paul Wurth:
To be honest, theyโre all doing their one-on-one time, which is-
Tom Houghton:
Right. Thatโs what youโre hearing all the โฆ a lot of talkingโฆ
Paul Wurth:
โฆ a very popular part of the-
Tom Houghton:
A lot of talking.
Paul Wurth:
Very popular part of the BTU University experience is the one-on-one time, besides your class.
Tom Houghton:
Well, thanks, Paul. I love my class and I love Buildertrend University and BTU one-on-one time.
Paul Wurth:
Anybody else on your I love list that you just want to go through right now?
Tom Houghton:
I think our guest actually [crosstalk].
Paul Wurth:
Okay, good transition.
Tom Houghton:
Thanks. Appreciate that. Today, joining us in the podcast is Luke Sprakel.
Paul Wurth:
We say that right, Luke?
Luke Sprakel:
That was close. Iโm going to give it to you, yes. Iโm going to give it to you.
Tom Houghton:
Itโs close enough.
Luke Sprakel:
Close enough.
Paul Wurth:
So what is it?
Luke Sprakel:
Itโs Luke Sprakel. Itโs more like an O.
Tom Houghton:
Sprakel.
Luke Sprakel:
Yeah.
Paul Wurth:
Itโs with an A.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, itโs with an A.
Luke Sprakel:
Yes, it is.
Tom Houghton:
More of the Sprak instead of a Sprok.
Luke Sprakel:
Right.
Paul Wurth:
Sprakel.
Luke Sprakel:
Iโm going to battle that my whole life, so itโs all right. That was close.
Tom Houghton:
Okay.
Paul Wurth:
I felt like that oneโs on your ancestors more than everything else.
Luke Sprakel:
Yeah, youโre probably right.
Paul Wurth:
You spell it with an A, so likeโฆ
Luke Sprakel:
Probably right.
Paul Wurth:
Okay. Good.
Tom Houghton:
Exactly.
Paul Wurth:
All right, letโs [crosstalk].
Tom Houghton:
Weโve got Lukeโs Sprakel, senior manager of Pro Services joining us. Weโre going to talk about Buildertrendโs Pro Services, because Buildertrend University is one of those Pro Services.
Luke Sprakel:
Absolutely. Youโre right. Like you said today, Tom, we have approximately 38 companies here in attendance from all over the United States. And we actually have one from the UK here with us. So, weโre excited to have them here. Itโs a great event. Something that we do every month. Itโs really exciting for all of us here.
Paul Wurth:
This is November BTU. This isโฆ What number is this? Like 19.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Paul Wurth:
Weโve done a lot of these, and whatโs really interesting in this one, so you said 38 companies?
Luke Sprakel:
Correct.
Paul Wurth:
Nine people from North Carolina.
Luke Sprakel:
Wow.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs about it.
Tom Houghton:
Shout out to North Carolina for showing up.
Paul Wurth:
Or something badโs happening there. Letโs get out.
Luke Sprakel:
I think we missed the memo on that โฆ
Tom Houghton:
They really wanted to come to Omaha. They were like top of our list this month Omaha, Nebraska.
Paul Wurth:
Omaha, Nebraska.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs right.
Paul Wurth:
23 degrees.
Tom Houghton:
I just want to ask, whereโs South Carolina? If youโre listening to the podcast in South Carolina, you need to come to Buildertrend University.
Paul Wurth:
Maybe Petey Pablo showed it on the South Carolina side. Thereโs a reference for all your 38-year-olds out there.
Tom Houghton:
Check the show notes.
Paul Wurth:
Check the show notes.
Tom Houghton:
If donโt know that reference.
Paul Wurth:
For the Petey Pablo reference.
Tom Houghton:
Petey Pablo.
Paul Wurth:
Write that down producer Kayleigh.
Tom Houghton:
Producer Kayleighโs shaking her head and saying, โwhat did I get myself into today?โ
Paul Wurth:
Okay. We digress.
Tom Houghton:
Just a little bit. Also want to tease that later in the podcast, weโre actually going to bring on one of our clients here at Buildertrend University, and theyโre going to talk about their experience here. So stay tuned all the way to the end for that.
Paul Wurth:
Is he from North Carolina?
Tom Houghton:
Youโll have to stay tuned, thatโs the tease.
Paul Wurth:
Okay.
Tom Houghton:
Youโve got to wait.
Luke Sprakel:
Well done, Tom.
Tom Houghton:
Thank you. Appreciate that, Luke. All right. Letโs get going. Luke, give us a rundown of Buildertrendโs Pro Services. What do we offer with those?
Luke Sprakel:
Thatโs a great question. So, the idea really behind each one of our pro services is to add value for our clients. Anyone that signs up for Buildertrend, obviously one of the perks that they get is to take advantage of one of our six pro services or all of our six pro services that we have. To kind of start off, the first pro service that Iโll talk about today is one of our first pro services that weโve introduced. And that was our websiteโs pro service. We have approximately 250 website clients. They sign up with Buildertrend, they either have an existing website or maybe they donโt. They basically reach out to our team. We will build out their website for them. The process takes anywhere from three to four weeks. And really itโs a great, smooth process. Weโve got a team that really does a phenomenal job. So, if you guys are interested in that, definitely reach out to your coach.
Paul Wurth:
Luke, Iโm going to stop you.
Luke Sprakel:
Got you.
Paul Wurth:
Number one, you got a voice for radio and Iโm a little intimidated right now. So Tom, can you commit to me right now that heโs not going to be one of my replacements?
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs correct.
Paul Wurth:
One of my replacements, heโs on the long hit list.
Tom Houghton:
Seriously, a list.
Paul Wurth:
Heโs going to have a cold scene somehow, and there goes your voice.
Tom Houghton:
There it goes.
Paul Wurth:
Number two, Iโm going to stop your sales pitch. Because it is very good.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs a good sales pitch.
Paul Wurth:
Letโs talk about-
Tom Houghton:
Itโs like youโve done this so far.
Paul Wurth:
Website development, all of our pro services have a correlation obviously to our user base and construction. This one actually has a correlation to the value prop Buildertrend has. So, a lot of companies that we service, who are great clients, many of them got into business because theyโre really good at their trade. They grew up in home building and remodeling, especially contracting and commercial, or they were really good as a trade. Then they got into it to do that work, not necessarily do all the things that make a business successful. One of those is websites. Youโve got to promote yourself, especially in 2019. I donโt know if you know this, but 2020 is a month and a half away.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs right.
Paul Wurth:
I didnโt know if you knew that.
Tom Houghton:
I knew that.
Paul Wurth:
Youโre good with that. But youโve got to have a website. Thatโs a world that you may not know as a construction owner. So I think it gives them some comfort and makes a lot of sense that if we just go, Hey, weโre Buildertrend, you trust us for this part of your business. Which is managing your process when it comes to project management, kind of makes sense for us to go, Hey, we do this as well.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah. One of the things I talk about in my class building your brand with video is specifically-
Paul Wurth:
Nice plug.
Tom Houghton:
Thanks for that. Specifically, internet traffic is trending in a direction and that direction is video. And thereโs no better way to get your brand in front of your clients than video on your website.
Paul Wurth:
Got to have a website first.
Tom Houghton:
Exactly. And we do that.
Luke Sprakel:
Interesting little tidbit there, Tom. I like that.
Tom Houghton:
Thanks.
Paul Wurth:
Weโve also done this for a long time. Luke, thatโs actually-
Tom Houghton:
One of the original Pro Services.
Paul Wurth:
Because our co-founders actually had a website development business before they started Buildertrend. So we sort of kept that alive during the early years of Buildertrend.
Luke Sprakel:
Youโre exactly right there, Paul. Ann to your point too, Tom, really driving traffic to your guysโ website is really what itโs all about. And we understand that. So, when weโre building websites for our clients, SEO plays a huge part in that. We have somebody internally thatโll really track your SEO and help you optimize your website as well. Just worth pointing out. But yeah, youโre absolutely right. Itโs something that weโve done for a number of our customers. Itโs been a great offering.
Paul Wurth:
Obviously I know, but what is SEO for people who donโt?
Tom Houghton:
Search engine optimization. I got you.
Luke Sprakel:
Search engine optimization. I had to think about that for a second there.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs okay.
Luke Sprakel:
Itโs not my specialty, but I know a little bit about it.
Tom Houghton:
You know a little bit. Thatโs important.
Paul Wurth:
Why is that important? Maybe not you, especially with Tom, you know this stuff. Why is that important.
Tom Houghton:
Itโs important because when you have clients that want to find you, theyโre going to look on the internet.
Paul Wurth:
Prospects.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, absolutely. So, when they search for your name in Google or whatever search engine theyโre using. But letโs be honest, itโs most likely Google.
Paul Wurth:
Or your service, not your name.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Paul Wurth:
Like Iโm looking for a remodeler.
Tom Houghton:
Searching for likeโฆ Yeah, Iโm looking for a remodeler in my area that does this business. Thatโs what weโre looking for. Those tags, search engine optimization is what gets you to the top of the list there, which is where you want to be. So itโs great that weโve got somebody dedicated on our team to make sure that that happens for you.
Paul Wurth:
I donโt want to dive super deep in websites, but weโll end with this. We do have part of our process evaluating your needs as a business with website is some sort of a test or evaluation of your current website, if you have one. IS that right?
Luke Sprakel:
Yeah. Thatโs right, Paul. What we currently offer is to perform an actual website audit of your guysโ current website. So if you guys are interested to see how your websiteโs performing, reach out to your coach or reach out to us here at Buildertrend. We can get you those results and take time to go through where you guys are actually performing well or where you guys need work increase your rank on Google and actually get more leads to drive your company and grow your business.
Paul Wurth:
Cool. So easy step one, if youโre listening, you want a website. We have a website for that. If they want to find out more, where can they go?
Luke Sprakel:
Absolutely. They just want to go to buildertrendwebsites.com, and thatโll give them the information they need.
Paul Wurth:
Perfect.
Tom Houghton:
You can also on the show notes page for all the information about the pro services weโre talking about today, buildertrend.com/podcasts. Letโs move on. Websiteโs down. Whatโs next?
Luke Sprakel:
Next one, weโll talk payment processing. How about that? We partnered with a company called WePay, which was recently acquired by JP Morgan Chase.
Paul Wurth:
Heard of them.
Luke Sprakel:
Youโve heard of them?
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Luke Sprakel:
Theyโre popular.
Tom Houghton:
Kind of a big deal.
Luke Sprakel:
Popular name. So itโs a great way for our customers-
Paul Wurth:
I owe them a few dollars.
Tom Houghton:
[crosstalk].
Luke Sprakel:
It might be another segment there, but weโll keep moving forward. Itโs a great way for our clients to both accept money from their homeowners and also pay their subcontractors. Each account that signed up with Buildertrend has their own designated payment consultant that can really help answer any questions that they may have. Then also, we will take questions from either subcontractors or homeowners. So, when theyโre starting the process, they donโt know exactly how Buildertrend works or how to send payments or receive payments. Each account will have their own consultants, thatโll kind of help navigate, take care of those questions as they come in. Thatโs something that weโve been doing for about five years now, weโre getting pretty good at it.
Paul Wurth:
Whatโs interesting about our payments pro services is, itโs one of these pro services that is super ingrained with the functionality of Buildertrend and makes it very convenient, and sort of an organic thing to start using. Practically what this means is, is that if youโve got a prospect that wants to give you a down payment or pay you on an invoice, instead of doing that outside of Buildertrend with a check or whatever else you might do, you can actually just request that payment inside Buildertrend as a part of your budget process. Then you would receive those funds electronically. Itโs really super simple to do. But I think one of the things people donโt think about is, a lot of our clients get benefit when they pay somebody else. So, you think about your sub-vendors, instead of like having to cut checks or drive to the gas station halfway between your office and their office. And do that whole rigmarole, we can automate that process with our electronic payments. Right?
Luke Sprakel:
Thatโs correct. You got it. And thatโs one thing that I think the construction industry as a whole, I think is going to see leaps and bounds. Theyโre going to actually utilize this feature more and more, just because paper checks is a thing of the past. But I think a lot of people just get ingrained with that just as their process, and maybe just arenโt comfortable adopting a new process until they learn a little bit more.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs a great point. This is going to happen, no matter you use it in Buildertrend or not. This is just a straight evolution of how we do business.
Luke Sprakel:
You think about it too, just in your own personal life. When youโre paying bills or when youโre doing anything, how many times do you actually send a check through the mail?
Paul Wurth:
When people ask me for check, I get as annoyed when people call me on the phone.
Tom Houghton:
Just donโt.
Paul Wurth:
Just text me. And donโt ask me to cut you a check. What is this?
Luke Sprakel:
I mean, itโs 2019, come on.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs true.
Paul Wurth:
This is 1985?
Tom Houghton:
Yeah. Call now.
Paul Wurth:
Hey, cut the checks out.
Tom Houghton:
Hey, I like that.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs what you tellโฆ
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs good. Cut the checks out with Buildertrend online payments.
Paul Wurth:
Okay. Clip that. Save it. Reverse it. Weโre good.
Tom Houghton:
Look out for some new marketing coming your way. Luke, whatโs next?
Paul Wurth:
Weโve got website development [crosstalk].
Tom Houghton:
Weโve got payments.
Paul Wurth:
Payment processing.
Luke Sprakel:
Next up, everyoneโs favorite topic, builderโs risk insurance. Thatโs-
Paul Wurth:
Sexy.
Luke Sprakel:
Thatโs a heavy hitter right there. You bet.
Paul Wurth:
I like it.
Luke Sprakel:
Pretty straightforward too. And thatโs one thatโฆ We do it. We have a partnership with a local company here in Omaha called Silverstone. This is for all the new construction clients out there. Itโs something that is required for you guys, as youโre building your new homes to have builderโs risk insurance. So, if youโre out there, if youโre in Buildertrend you create a new job, you open it up. Youโre in the job info section within Buildertrend. Youโll notice up in the top right thereโs a tab thatโs titled builderโs risk insurance. Click on it. You guys can get answered eight quick questions. You get a free quote, and thereโs no commitment. Itโs something worth looking into, get a free estimate and youโll be happy you did.
Tom Houghton:
If youโre driving right now, please donโt try to follow those instructions. Just try to get to the office, and then check the show notes page. Because honestly, thatโs probably going to be a better place to follow those instructions.
Luke Sprakel:
I think the show notes page is going to be pretty filled by the time we get done here.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs okay.
Paul Wurth:
Luke, that was really thorough. Letโs dial that back for the next series.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Luke Sprakel:
I donโt want to steal our Silverstoneโs thunder when they come on here in a couple of months. Is that scheduled or are you guys planning to sit with them?
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Luke Sprakel:
Is that the plan?
Tom Houghton:
Weโve got Silverstone joining on the podcast, stay tuned to that.
Paul Wurth:
Silverstone is our partner. They are based locally, but theyโre actually a national insurance brand. So we cover all over the United States. There might be some pockets where we donโt, but thatโs where you can contact us and talk through that. But essentially whatโs really unique about this is that, this insurance carrier has sort of grouped all of our clients. So again, we have over 14,000 businesses that use Buildertrend. Rather than looking at you as an individual Joeโs construction as their risk, theyโre actually taking it as a whole pool. We canโt guarantee the rates by any means, they are going to be better or worse than what you have. But in general, itโs been some really great positive reviews even to the tune of being able to pay for your entire year of Buildertrend that offset in cost.
Tom Houghton:
Results not typical, batteries not included. I feel like there needed to be a little bit of a disclaimer in there. But overall to your point-
Paul Wurth:
In general.
Tom Houghton:
โฆ weโve seen a huge positive impact from our clients on this feature.
Paul Wurth:
Yes. Your best step doesnโt cost you any money. Give us a call. Letโs get you a quote, and then let us save you some money.
Tom Houghton:
Absolutely.
Paul Wurth:
Possibly, asterisk, parentheses, maybe.
Tom Houghton:
Check the show notes for those.
Luke Sprakel:
Donโt.
Tom Houghton:
All right, Luke, whatโs next?
Luke Sprakel:
Next step weโll talkโฆ Letโs go with Rocket Loans, actually. How about a little financing option.
Tom Houghton:
Our latest edition.
Paul Wurth:
Fire.
Luke Sprakel:
Thatโs right. Actually here at BTU, we have our partner over here from Rocket Loans in attendance. So they have them talking with our clients. Give them a little shout out. Thanks Tom. This is one of our newer partnerships. We started in July with Rocket Loans. Trying to keep it together here, stick to the script. All right. So thereโs three ways for our clients to offer this. Most popular would be through Proposals and through Estimates. A number of our clients, typically, most commonly would be with our remodelers and our specialty contractors to offer financing for their clients to help them finance a deal and help them get them more jobs. So, like I said, this one started up just recently this year in July and itโs been really popular.
Paul Wurth:
Excuse me. This is a part of a construction business process that really you can see before business offers financing and after. A huge acceleration in the number of deals they closed. Because if youโre anything like me, if Iโm financing it, Iโm willing to spend a little bit more. I can sort of take that $30,000 remodel that Iโm doing in my kitchen or wherever it may be. And then maybe Iโll push it to 40 or 50, because itโs going to make sense to me financially. Rocket obviously is an arm of the Rocket Mortgage-
Tom Houghton:
Brand.
Paul Wurth:
โฆ brand and company. Theyโre based out of Detroit. We had the opportunity to go there. They are a great business. If youโve ever been to BTU and enjoyed Buildertrend culture, itโs a very similar culture at Rocket. So, for that reason, we partnered with them. Another reason which is, itโs really the best offering for our clients. So, weโre super excited about that. Theyโre going to be here at multiple BTUs in 2020. If you want to come meet the reps, just come to Omaha and have a beer and weโll talk through it. Otherwise, weโve got a rep here at Buildertrend Thatโll take your call and walk you through some of the basics. Right?
Luke Sprakel:
Thatโs correct. Shoutout to Evan Christ, he will be the main one, basically walking you guys through on how this process works through Buildertrend.
Paul Wurth:
Why does his name make you laugh?
Luke Sprakel:
Iโm not sure. Iโm actually looking out in the audience.
Tom Houghton:
Heโs not even here.
Luke Sprakel:
Some people were laughing at me and thought, I donโt know.
Paul Wurth:
Is he a funny guy?
Luke Sprakel:
Iโm not sure you guys, I apologize.
Paul Wurth:
Call Evan, heโll tell you a joke.
Luke Sprakel:
If you like to laugh, just call Evan.
Tom Houghton:
Youโre going to love that. [crosstalk].
Paul Wurth:
A lot of pressure on Evan.
Tom Houghton:
Heโll deliver. Whatโs next? What do you got?
Luke Sprakel:
The fifth and sixth pro service that we offer are kind of tied together into one, and thatโs our additional training offering. As you guys have talked about, Iโm sure many times on this podcast, every account that signs up with Buildertrend has their own designated Buildertrend Coach for unlimited training. We encourage you guys to take advantage of that. In addition to that, we have what we call Buildertrend University, which is going on right now. We host that, typically itโs monthly. Every once in a while, Iโd say maybe once a quarter, weโll take a break, but for the most part it is monthly. Thatโs where people come to, our headquarters here in Omaha. Itโs a two day conference, where we have classes filtered out throughout the day. We have a nice happy hour at the end of the day. We have some one-on-one sessions to get to know your coach and really get the full experience of what we offer here. So, thatโs one of our additional training offerings. And the other one is onsite consulting. Excuse me.
Paul Wurth:
What does that mean?
Luke Sprakel:
Onsite Consulting, I got Paulโs attention.
Tom Houghton:
Tell us more.
Luke Sprakel:
Tell me more.
Tom Houghton:
That sounds fantastic.
Paul Wurth:
It seems like when they consult you on your site.
Tom Houghton:
Very good, Paul.
Luke Sprakel:
There you go. On your site is right. Thatโs where we actually take a team of consultants to your location for a period of two days. We actually will spend three to four weeks getting to know your specific account, where your pain points are, and really try to develop an agenda to really deliver on the two days that weโre onsite. Then sit there and we all actually execute with all of your stakeholders. Then thereโs some follow-up work of about three to four weeks as well, just to make sure that you guys are able to implement everything that weโve gone over on the two days. So, kind of a full-service deal, very custom. Itโs been a service that weโve been offering for probably the last nine to 10 months. Itโs been very popular.
Paul Wurth:
A lot of great feedback from there. Now, the three or four weeks actually weโll just do that remotely. Weโre not at an extended stay by your office.
Luke Sprakel:
Correct. Thatโs not-
Paul Wurth:
Two days.
Tom Houghton:
Just two days.
Luke Sprakel:
Two days onsite, three daysโฆ Excuse me, three weeks pre, three to four weeks post. Thatโs right.
Paul Wurth:
Got it.
Tom Houghton:
And the feedback weโve heard back on this pro service specifically has been also amazing. Including Matt Risinger. He had this pro service, they had two guys go down to his office, a huge buy-in from the team. This is a great way to get your team on board and get everybody up to speed really quickly on Buildertrend. so really great offering.
Luke Sprakel:
Absolutely. If anybodyโs out there thatโs interested, obviously you can reach out to your coach on any one of these pro service offerings. If you guys want to learn more information, this specifically Buildertrend University and onsite consulting, that would beโฆ Just reach out to additional training a buildertrend.com.
Paul Wurth:
Those are our currently ones. And you should expect a really consistent flow of new pro services coming down the pike. Our corporate development team headed up by David Arnold, who does a great job. What they do is really survey our clients. And then what they want to really understand is it boils down to is outside of Buildertrend, outside of the vehicle that is our main subscription. Who are you dealing with vendor-wise? What are some of the problems you have? And how can we, with our buying power, essentially the number of users we have, how can we reach out to those other partners you deal with? Vendors, whoever it may be and go, Hey, letโs strike a deal for the common good of our users. Weโve got a lot of irons in the fire there, so stay tuned for more.
Tom Houghton:
Absolutely. Good stuff. Well, letโs wrap this up and then I want to bring on our special guest joining us here at Buildertrend University. But first, before we do-
Paul Wurth:
Just to be [crosstalk].
Luke Sprakel:
I am not [crosstalk].
Tom Houghton:
Lukeโs just a normal guest.
Paul Wurth:
Okay, got it.
Tom Houghton:
He is our regular guest.
Paul Wurth:
I just know we have categories.
Luke Sprakel:
Got you.
Paul Wurth:
And I thought he was actually special this side of the table, Luke.
Luke Sprakel:
Know your role. Got you. Slide over. Okay. Thanks, Tom.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, no problem. But first, three fun facts. Thatโs what we do with all of our our internal guests.
Luke Sprakel:
Iโm so nervous here.
Tom Houghton:
Really?
Luke Sprakel:
I am. I have absolutely no idea what youโre going to ask me.
Tom Houghton:
You look as cool as a cucumber.
Paul Wurth:
Are you boring? Do you not have the facts? Or are you a little worried about the facts being a little too risky?
Luke Sprakel:
Weโll find out here in just a second.
Tom Houghton:
Weโll find out. Letโs start off. Number one, what has been your favorite vacation?
Luke Sprakel:
My favorite vacation, okay. Just remember that weโre on air. I have a wife and three kids. My favorite vacation is probably the trip that we took to Mexico. We went to Cabo two years ago, and it was awesome. The traveling, I donโt know about that so much. Being in an airport with three little kids isnโt always exciting, but itโs definitely fun.
Tom Houghton:
There you go.
Paul Wurth:
Cabo Wabo.
Tom Houghton:
Cabo.
Luke Sprakel:
Cabo Wabo.
Paul Wurth:
Hey.
Tom Houghton:
It is Cabo Luke now. Okay, question number two.
Luke Sprakel:
Oh boy.
Tom Houghton:
What movie makes you laugh every time you watch it?
Luke Sprakel:
โTommy Boy.โ
Tom Houghton:
Yes. Itโs my favorite too.
Luke Sprakel:
Easily.
Tom Houghton:
See back in good graces here.
Luke Sprakel:
I remember-
Tom Houghton:
Iโm saying that.
Luke Sprakel:
โฆ the first time, I couldnโt stop laughing. I had no idea what I was getting into. And I still quote it today. It gets quoted around the office actually quite a bit around here.
Tom Houghton:
I think earlier I heard a niner in there, in one of your Pro Services.
Luke Sprakel:
Niner, yeah. Is it a call from a walkie talkie?
Tom Houghton:
Exactly.
Luke Sprakel:
There we go.
Tom Houghton:
Good stuff. Last but not least. What is your go-to karaoke song?
Luke Sprakel:
Go-to karaoke song.
Tom Houghton:
We know youโre a big with that voice. You got a great voice. Go-to karaoke song.
Luke Sprakel:
I would have to say โProud to Be an American.โ
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs very political.
Paul Wurth:
Weโve got that teed up.
Tom Houghton:
Let me just pull that up real quick.
Paul Wurth:
Have you got that, Tom?
Tom Houghton:
Yeah. Iโve got it.
Paul Wurth:
Go ahead.
Tom Houghton:
Here we go.
Paul Wurth:
If you need to do any pre-work with your vocal chords, go ahead now, and then weโll see you five seconds.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs right.
Paul Wurth:
There we go.
Tom Houghton:
Weโve got a copyright infringement on that song.
Paul Wurth:
Okay, weโll press pause. Hey, Tom.
Luke Sprakel:
Youโre actually going to be doing that right now.
Tom Houghton:
Youโre just going to do it acapella actually.
Paul Wurth:
Put in a pin in that.
Luke Sprakel:
How about we do that with the special guest. How about we put him on the clock with that, and that Iโd be his lead.
Tom Houghton:
I think thatโs a great way to do that.
Luke Sprakel:
How about be his lead-in?
Paul Wurth:
Probably need a few more beers from the Buildertrend bar before we do that.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, absolutely.
Paul Wurth:
You might be right.
Tom Houghton:
Awesome. Luke, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and sharing about all of our pro services. Stay tuned in upcoming weeks, where we have additional pro services details coming down the pipeline. Weโll be talking with Silverstone. Weโll be talking with our onsite consultants, all great things coming your way. Stay tuned for that. But now, our additional special guest joining us is Neil Schaurer, co-owner of Summit Builders. Theyโre based in North Dayton, Ohio. Neil, thanks for coming on the podcast.
Neil Schaurer:
Hey, thank you.
Tom Houghton:
Thanks for coming all the way to Omaha, Nebraska.
Neil Schaurer:
You bet.
Tom Houghton:
Whatโs your experience has Been like here at Buildertrend University?
Neil Schaurer:
Itโs been good for several reasons. For one thing, I think itโs helpful to just get in the building, honestly. The culture and the energy that surround this place, you can feel some of that over the phone or doingโฆ Even just in the software, you can tell the energy exists, but itโs different to see it and to hear the training firsthand. Be able to ask questions and get an immediate answer face to face.
Tom Houghton:
Sure.
Neil Schaurer:
Just the accessibility of all of you guys, itโs been really good.
Tom Houghton:
Awesome. Thatโs great. Do you have a favorite class that comes to mind that youโve had?
Neil Schaurer:
For me, I think it was a combination of the Selections and the Schedule. We implement that already, but weโre trying to ramp that up. Because weโre already doing most of the job costing and financials through the system, so I definitely glean from that. But the selection and the schedule for me is what Iโm hoping to implement deeper. I feel like our client experience has been a little confusing. So, if we can clean that up, Iโm hoping that they feel guided a little better than we have been previously, as well as just streamlining our internal processes..
Paul Wurth:
What do you guys do? Are you guys home builders?
Neil Schaurer:
Yes, custom homes.
Paul Wurth:
What kind of volume are you guys doing, typically?
Neil Schaurer:
Weโre pretty small. So we do 10 to 12 total projects, five to seven new home starts per year.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs our wheelhouse. Everybody always says small, but thatโs likeโฆ
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, thatโs not small.
Paul Wurth:
I think people forget we are a small to medium-sized business vendor. Thatโs what we do. So, thatโs perfect. What price range in Dayton do you guys fall in? Outside Dayton. Is it outside?
Neil Schaurer:
Yeah, North Dayton, North side. Most of our projects would be between 200 and 450,000.
Paul Wurth:
Okay. Then you said you do some remodel as well, to mix in.
Neil Schaurer:
Just a few.
Paul Wurth:
Okay, cool.
Neil Schaurer:
Smaller projects.
Paul Wurth:
Whatโs your role?
Neil Schaurer:
I am a co-owner and project manager, and also do the office management.
Paul Wurth:
Cool. How long have you guys been in business?
Neil Schaurer:
Since 2007.
Paul Wurth:
Really right around us.
Neil Schaurer:
Yeah.
Paul Wurth:
Okay. Cool.
Neil Schaurer:
But the first phase of our company, we were largely a subcontractor. We would just mix in some GC work.
Paul Wurth:
What would you guys do?
Neil Schaurer:
Framing.
Paul Wurth:
Okay. So were you actually a framer?
Neil Schaurer:
Yes.
Tom Houghton:
Awesome.
Paul Wurth:
So what it means is right in line with what we just talked about. Many people are really good at the trade and then just want to say screw working for somebody else. Letโs do it ourselves.
Neil Schaurer:
Yeah. And weโre getting too old.
Paul Wurth:
Yeah.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah.
Neil Schaurer:
Youโre going to be lifting big walls in your mid-thirties.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs exactly right.
Neil Schaurer:
So we still self-perform framing. Weโre anal about it. Itโs our thing.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs your wheelhouse.
Neil Schaurer:
And thatโs fun. It makes it hard to give up sometimes. So scaling some of those things can be a challenge. Around 2015, we started pivoting to primarily only self-performing our main projects.
Paul Wurth:
Is it hard to give up just because you know how to do it the best and you might have to like sub it out?
Neil Schaurer:
Of course we do the best.
Paul Wurth:
Yeah. I can see that.
Neil Schaurer:
We think that. So on one hand you donโt want to be a jerk by having someone come in and micromanaging them.
Tom Houghton:
Sure.
Neil Schaurer:
If you hire them then they should be able to do their job. But at the same time we do likeโฆ Weโve sold homes because we self-perform. People like that quality, control upfront. So, that helps that side too.
Paul Wurth:
The frame is like the bones of the house.
Neil Schaurer:
Thatโs crucial. Crucial part.
Paul Wurth:
Iโm going down a rabbit hole there.
Tom Houghton:
You are. Iโm going to get ready to pull you out of this.
Paul Wurth:
The positive effects from a great frame, is that all the way into the insulation of the house and likeโฆ What are some of the importance of a good framing job? What can be a bad one and what could be the negative things of a bad framing job? What could be a good one?
Neil Schaurer:
Nerdy answer because I am a framer, but it does not end until the job is over, honestly.
Paul Wurth:
The framing?
Neil Schaurer:
Correct. Because if thereโs things sticking out of the wall, for example, bulging the drywall, itโs going to trickle down into trim. Itโs going to trickle down into cabinetry being hung correctly. Itโs going to trickle down into tile placement, things being square, on and on it goes. So, itโs not uncommon, this is going to sound like weโre patting ourselves on the back. But itโs not uncommon for subs that have not worked for us before, when they do come in to compliment, wow, this is super clean. Your joist line up with your studs, et cetera. Honestly, clear to the end, subs would compliment that.
Paul Wurth:
Well, if it makes their job easier.
Neil Schaurer:
Correct.
Tom Houghton:
Absolutely.
Paul Wurth:
If I get it, Iโm trying to tile a bathroom and itโs all wonky, thatโs got to make my job harder.
Neil Schaurer:
Thatโs right.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs awesome.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs smart.
Paul Wurth:
Weโve never really gotten down into the sticks-
Tom Houghton:
Nuts and bolts.
Paul Wurth:
Well, the sticks, I was going to actually go to something that makes sense.
Tom Houghton:
Yeah, the actual wood.
Paul Wurth:
Nuts and bolts, what are you talking about?
Neil Schaurer:
But on the flip side, too, when you self-perform and there is a problem, because there is. Who do you point to? You go right back to yourself. So, itโs kind of nice to have, not only that color control, but the internalโฆ We have to deal with it if itโs a problem.
Paul Wurth:
That transition, as we talked about, thatโs probably very common for a lot of our listeners is, I go from a subcontractor to the GC. Those relations that you needed to build then with the other subcontractors and vendors, were they already in place just from being on job sites with people and being in the industry? Or was that like a book you had to build of contacts?
Neil Schaurer:
Iโd say a combination. A lot of the strategic ones were already in place, lumber salesman, for example. A lot of the mechanical trades, we would have had good references to and work experience with. But after that, itโs a little bit of trial and error.
Paul Wurth:
Well, itโs kind of nice, because I know that itโs a small community no matter what city youโre in, trades. So you know people that are like, that guy stinks. He overbooks himself, that kind of thing?
Neil Schaurer:
Correct.
Paul Wurth:
And you also know the GCs you guys didnโt like to work for and set you up for how you wanted to be a GC.
Neil Schaurer:
Right. That is correct. But it is a totally different animal to do it yourself than it is to show up on that job site. So, itโs been a good challenge, but it has definitely been a challenge.
Paul Wurth:
Good. Well, good for you guys.
Tom Houghton:
Weโve got three more quick questions to get through real quick with Neil. First one, how long youโve beenโฆ Just also to give a better background. How long have you guys been using Buildertrend?
Neil Schaurer:
We are on three and a half years.
Tom Houghton:
Good. This is good. We get all types of people coming to Buildertrend, whether they just started off or you have been using us for a while and you just want to take it to the next level. Having been here now the two days, whatโs a great takeaway that youโre like, okay, weโre going back home. What do you got to do first? Whatโs, whatโs top of the list?
Neil Schaurer:
I think top of the list is implementing phases. Starting with schedule. I like the exposure that gives to our homeowners. Itโs giving them good information, but maybe not breaking it down to the micro details that Iโm hoping that we can. I also like the idea of releasing selections with the phases, so that weโre not overwhelming them with every decision that needs made upfront. Iโve largely just been opening that portal on me like, here you go. Theyโre working on a finished phase selection when weโre putting the foundation. So, tying those phases in throughout the project, I think itโs going to be a really helpful.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs cool.
Tom Houghton:
Awesome.
Paul Wurth:
A lot of people are a little timid to show the schedule to a client, for a really good reason. They donโt know our world and you donโt want to show them four months in advance. So, that phase is easy way to give them information, real information like mechanical phase, whatever it is. But inside that mechanical phase, whatever you do, youโve got your own parts of pieces that youโre working.
Neil Schaurer:
Correct.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs a good one. I guess your point is three and a half years in, a lot of people think Buildertrend University is like, well, I just started Buildertrend, let me go ahead and get kickstarted. Most of our clients, the averageโฆ We did Buildertrend University in Dallas. The average time on Buildertrend was 28 and a half months.
Neil Schaurer:
Thatโs two and a half years.
Paul Wurth:
A math person give me like the year.
Neil Schaurer:
Two and a half years.
Paul Wurth:
There you go. Youโre right right in line. Good.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs good. Last little question for you. Youโve been here for two days. Iโm sure youโve got lots of listeners out there who havenโt been to Buildertrend University. What would you say to them now that youโve been through the process?
Neil Schaurer:
I would say probably it doesnโt matter how far youโve implemented the program, thereโs still going to be details that you donโt know. And even having been here, I donโt know that Iโll come back next month by any means. But there are classes that I couldnโt get to and wouldโve liked to. So, some of the advanced job costing, advanced estimates, stuff like that, I was trying to at least touch on all phases of the program while I was here. I couldnโt get all of that. But even in some of the one-on-ones, initially I thought, man, Iโm already past this. Then I would pick up some nugget that genuinely simplified what I was already doing. I donโt think it matters the level that youโre at using the program. I really feel like youโll get your money back by freeing up time and mental space, by streamlining processes.
Paul Wurth:
Mental space is a good one.
Neil Schaurer:
Which in turn creates scale. A company our size, if we donโt streamline, thereโs no way we can scale.
Tom Houghton:
Absolutely.
Neil Schaurer:
Unless we just hire a bunch of people. And then thatโs just overhead. So the goal really for me and for our company, by me being here, is to free up space in our heads and in our time to-
Paul Wurth:
Scale.
Neil Schaurer:
โฆ use elsewhere.
Paul Wurth:
Scale on vacation.
Neil Schaurer:
Yeah. [crosstalk]. I agree.
Paul Wurth:
You canโt go on vacation unless you got a system your people can work out.
Neil Schaurer:
How awful if you just go home at 4:30. Right?
Paul Wurth:
Right.
Tom Houghton:
Exactly.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโd be nice.
Neil Schaurer:
Youโre just like in normal work hours. Thatโs what weโre going for.
Tom Houghton:
Correct.
Neil Schaurer:
Thatโs smart. Thatโs really great.
Paul Wurth:
Iโm going to ask this to a lot of guests leading up to January 20th, which is the International Buildersโ show in Las Vegas. Do you guys have plans to go?
Neil Schaurer:
We do not. Iโve been thinking that it would be smart, but I donโt know that thatโs going to happen this year. That said, Iโve heard enough good stuff about it and fun trip. So, why not?
Paul Wurth:
Las Vegas.
Neil Schaurer:
I know [crosstalk].
Paul Wurth:
Next year is Orlando for two more years.
Neil Schaurer:
I have a feeling Florida-
Paul Wurth:
Thatโll happen.
Neil Schaurer:
โฆ thatโll work out. And then my wife will want to come along too. Win-win.
Paul Wurth:
Tom and I saw each other at Disney World in Florida.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs true.
Paul Wurth:
Because a lot of times our BT people will go, we take like 60 individuals. Itโs a big show for us.
Tom Houghton:
Itโs a big deal.
Paul Wurth:
But then a lot of people will tack on in Orlando. Itโs a family friendly trip.
Tom Houghton:
Itโs a family affair.
Paul Wurth:
In Las Vegas.
Tom Houghton:
Not so much.
Paul Wurth:
The tag on the after trip is a little bit more like couples. Itโs a wife thing. Although Vegas is friendly for family.
Tom Houghton:
Sure.
Paul Wurth:
Ish.
Tom Houghton:
I think we digressed again.
Paul Wurth:
Yeah, we did. Sorry, thatโs on me.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs all right.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs on me.
Tom Houghton:
Neil, thank you so much for coming on briefly and just sharing your experience with Buildertrend University. We, of course, appreciate that youโre a part of our family here at Buildertrend, and we wish you guys continued success in your business.
Neil Schaurer:
Thank you.
Paul Wurth:
Where can they find you online? Whatโs your website?
Neil Schaurer:
Our website is summitbuilders.us, and @summitbuilders on Instagram.
Paul Wurth:
Honestly, we talked about this a little bit, but I want to end every single episode like this. If youโre listening to this podcast, weโre going toโฆ This is a community, letโs follow each other on Instagram. Letโs follow each other on Facebook, because these are avenues that we always talk about. Follow me. Actually, I donโt even know why I just saidโฆ
Tom Houghton:
Shameless plug for following Tom and Paul.
Paul Wurth:
First off, letโs follow summit builders. Everybody when you listen to this, pull over Instagram. Then also the other side of this is like things, comment and communicate. Letโs build this community that is the center around Buildertrend. All right.
Tom Houghton:
Follow @tomonthego and youโll see this picture. Itโs happening right now.
Paul Wurth:
Thatโs a real plug.
Tom Houghton:
See, right there. Ready?
Paul Wurth:
There you go.
Tom Houghton:
There you go.
Paul Wurth:
Tom just threw it on his Instagram @tomonthego.
Tom Houghton:
Thatโs me.
Paul Wurth:
All right, man. Thanks so much, really appreciate you, Neil.
Neil Schaurer:
Thank you.
Tom Houghton:
Thanks.
Paul Wurth:
All right.
Tom Houghton:
Love what you heard? Donโt forget to rate and subscribe to our podcast so you can hear from more guests that will benefit your business. Also, please check out our show notes page for more information on what we discussed on this episode. You can find it at buildertrend.com/podcast. Thanks for listening. And weโll see you next time on โThe Building Code.โ
Paul Wurth:
Appreciate you.
Luke Sprakel | Buildertrend
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