Buildertrend

I used other CRMs in the past, but love using BuilderTrend. Its simple setup has allowed me to keep track of my customers as well as provide better follow up to my clients. I just utilize the Sales section of BuilderTrend, but it has improved my client relationships and increased my overall sales.

I am finding myself being more accurate and detailed with estimates and labor costs. The time clock feature takes a lot of calculating off my shoulders. The scheduling, estimating, change orders, to-do's, daily logs, and PO's/bills features cut my logging time in half and the fact that everything is stored on Buildertrend and that I can make this information visible to clients prevents me from going through repetitive actions to keep people on the same page. Using the cost catalog with cost codes makes for a streamlined process in creating and releasing information to the client, this also keeps an accurate record of activities and makes for a very professional look when showing these documents to clients. I have so much more time in my day to tackle more productive and urgent matters while handling day to day operations for current jobs in a fraction of the time compared to not using Buildertrend.

Solved the time that it took to email out the schedule to all trades and team now it flows alot better and I answer the phone alot less. Since most of the answers trades and the team are looking for are on BT they can find most of what they need there as long as we input the info they have what they need.
BuilderTrend gives me more time and freedom to do what owners of a business should be doing. It was one of the best choices I have made to start using it.

We are a boutique custom home builder; each project is unique and personalized. Although I was not involved in the selection of this software, my understanding is that we wanted a program that could be accessed by all the parties involved, handle the scheduling and move us away from paper checklists - ultimately allowing all users to be both informed of changes and to be able to plan for future events without having to directly communicate with each person.

As far as scheduling goes this system has failed. It has caused more time consuming questions. My complaint is that you can only link item to item by a (or a couple) predecessor(s) that, ultimately, the program struggles with which item is next in the list if a few of them share the same linked task. Also in a best case scenario, this scheduled list is how you build a house - but in most cases something, whether it be trade related or whether related or inspection related, cause a task to be delayed but the other ones would continue on schedule however the program has linked the start date to the the delayed task and now the whole calender is messed up. Or perhaps the exterior of the house generally starts after framing and roofing but maybe a winter storm makes this impossible so you continue the interior for weeks. Then you try and adjust backwards and because your best case scenario template stated it should commence at framing completion and you delayed that. Thus your left with a domino affect of wrong dates. and a series of emails sent to vendors informing them of the delay that really didn't apply to them. So they change schedules and you are left with no trades to do the interior work that in your mind could and should be fine.

I also find that the program doesn't offer enough flexibility in the selection section. It allows me to upload a previously created document to be stored that a homeowner could then log on and download. They then fill out and can't re-upload this document, so they are forced to fax or scan and email back to us. This is neither time effective nor practical. Perhaps it would be better if we were able to create a checklist that was interactive in this section, similar to the change orders where we type out the change and the client could update decisions. In our company we don't limit our clients to three choices of floor plans and two cabinet doors and 4 granite selections, they are free to choose anything they can dream of. As a result we cannot load a document that would apply to all builds.

However, I believe the change orders tab is well thought out, easy to use and provides all the options to make it a valuable asset. The warranty section does a great job of tracking and notifying and saving time and assuring that service and warranty items are handled and accepted. The daily log and messaging capabilities that allow us to keep a record of notes or messages in one area logged by date and job site is extremely valuable and a good system.

Furthermore, the software as a whole is easy to learn, has a logical and simple layout so even those who are not computer savvy can fumble through without creating errors and won't be too intimidated by the complexity of the software to attempt to use it.

Finally, the technical support and training provided is always quick to help resolve an issue or aid in a question. New training is scheduled in a very quick time frame for free and is tailored to the person that requires it. This is handled exceptionally well in a time when often companies forget you exist once the purchase is complete.

So, we have decided that we will use BuilderTrend for those things that they excel at and don't use it as a scheduling tool.

The software, like all I've tried to implement over the years, can be a little frustrating at first. You're going to get pushback from trade contractors and field people. However, I think it is well worth it. More importantly, the trades and field people have come to rely on the software and usually appreciate it after 3 to 4 jobs.