Buildertrend Review: Features and Pricing 2022
This article is part of a larger series on Accounting Software.
What We Recommend Buildertrend For
Buildertrend, our choice for overall best construction accounting software, is great for homebuilders, remodelers, general contractors, and specialty contractors who need a single solution for CRM, accounting, project management, and service management. It’s used to process single-entry estimating, bidding requests, and building proposals for presale transactions. It’s also helpful for managing payment requests, POs, job costing, and more.
Buildertrend Is Especially Good For
- Construction companies that use QuickBooks Online: While Buildertrend already helps you manage your customers, jobs, and presales, its integration with QuickBooks Online also provides the tools you need to manage your finances with improved accuracy. For instance, while Buildertrend itself stores data on bills, expenses, jobs, POs, invoices, and approved timesheets, QuickBooks Online will handle bill payments and track expenses not recorded in Buildertrend.
- Construction companies that use Xero: While we recommend integrating Buildertrend with QuickBooks, it also integrates nicely with Xero. When integrated with that software, Buildertrend lets you generate customer invoices automatically from scheduled payments and approved orders, creates payables from approved POs, and improves communication between owners and subcontractors.
- Construction companies that need CRM software: A built-in CRM system provides a single tool to manage contact information, service records, and sales history.
Buildertrend Is Not a Good Fit For
- Users that prefer desktop software: If you need an accounting program that you can access without an internet connection, then Buildertrend isn’t for you. QuickBooks Premier Plus Contractor Edition is a good choice for contractors that want desktop software.
- Companies that aren’t QuickBooks or Xero users: Buildertrend isn’t a full accounting application. If you aren’t an existing QuickBooks or Xero user, choosing Buildertrend is an expensive option since you’ll have to pay two subscription fees: one for Buildertrend and one for either QuickBooks or Xero. Instead, we recommend JobPower because it has accounts payable (A/P), accounts receivable (A/R), and construction payroll features.
- Companies that want to manage equipment: Buildertrend doesn’t track your fixed assets. Sage 100 Contractor is a good choice for storing, managing, and tracking fixed asset information.
Are you looking for something different? Read our guide to the best small business accounting software to check out our top picks.
Buildertrend Pros and Cons
PROS | CONS |
---|---|
Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero | Must pay a separate fee for your QuickBooks or Xero subscription |
Includes a built-in CRM system | Cannot manage and track equipment |
Powerful time clock feature | Requires an internet connection |
Includes one-on-one coaching | Processing change orders requires the Pro subscription |
Buildertrend Pricing
Buildertrend offers a huge discount for the first two months of the subscription. It has no free trial. However, you can cancel your subscription within your first 30 days with a full money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with Buildertrend’s features.
Pricing & Features | Core | Pro |
---|---|---|
Regular Price | $349 per month | $599 per month |
Price for the First Two Months | $99 per month | $399 per month |
Issue Invoices | ✔ | ✔ |
Budget Management | ✔ | ✔ |
QuickBooks Integration | ✔ | ✔ |
Client Portal | ✔ | ✔ |
Xero integration | N/A | ✔ |
Bid Requests | N/A | ✔ |
Surveys | N/A | ✔ |
Bills & POs Management | N/A | ✔ |
Buildertrend vs Competitors
Buildertrend is our pick for best overall construction accounting software. Because of its project management and accounting features, Buildertrend is a one-stop solution for your construction accounting needs.
In this comparison, we presented Buildertrend integrated with QuickBooks Online Plus. Although these two software products are separately billed, we found that Buildertrend with QuickBooks Online Plus is the ultimate solution for your construction management and accounting needs. We think that Sage 100 Contractor offers a middle ground between price and features. QuickBooks Premier Plus Contractor Edition is also a worthy option but you’ll be sacrificing construction management features such as scheduling and logs.
Buildertrend Features
Buildertrend combines project management, accounting, financial management, and presale management in a single platform. After logging in, its dashboard gives you quick access to all of its programs and features. Below is your default Buildertrend dashboard:
Buildertrend’s Web Dashboard
Buildertrend’s App Dashboard
Accounting Features
Buildertrend has accounting and financial tools that can help you manage the financial aspect of your construction projects.
Project Management Features
Buildertrend offers project management features that can assist in planning, organizing, and monitoring construction projects. Whether you’re onsite or at the office, Buildertrend’s wide accessibility ensures that you can communicate to your employees wherever they are.
Customer Service and Ease of Use
Buildertrend has a simple and logical user interface that is easy to navigate, even for new users. It includes a handy menu at the top so that you can navigate through important features like Sales, Financials, Project Management, Files, Messaging, and Reports. The report insights are laid out well and can be viewed instantly with a few clicks of a button, showing breakdowns of job logs, estimated cost versus actual cost, sales leads, and other essential metrics.
Buildertrend Learning Academy is a training platform that helps Buildertrend users understand the features of the software. It has onboarding programs, certifications, and resources available for users subscribed to Buildertrend’s plans. You can also access monthly live webinars in the Learning Academy.
In addition to the Learning Academy, you can also join the Buildertrend Online Conference. This is a one-day conference for all users that aims to discuss strategies for using Buildertrend to improve their businesses. The conference is free, and you can watch the most recent conference on Buildertrend’s website.
Buildertrend Alternatives
Best for: Mobile tracking of job costs for a low price | Best for: Small contractors looking for an affordable solution with basic ERP features | Best for: Businesses looking for a low-cost option to track costs by job with powerful reporting capabilities |
Software from: $80 per month | Custom quote | Software from: $549.99 per year |
Bottom Line
Buildertrend is a flexible solution that combines cost accounting, project management, and CRM in one place. It has an intuitive dashboard and some nice features, such as a mobile app that allows your employees to clock in and out directly from the job site. However, Buildertrend lacks accounting features unless you integrate with QuickBooks Online Plus. If you have surplus budget, we highly recommend integrating with QuickBooks Online Plus.