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BuilderTREND Web-Based Construction Software
| 77 Reviews (4.6/5) |
BuilderTREND is an award winning construction management system for homebuilders and remodelers. It combines project scheduling, project management, customer management, and service management in a single suite. It can be used by both production and custom homebuilders, but is also suitable for construction managers, residential remodelers, and design/build firms that work on residential projects. With the exception of large companies doing over $1 billion in revenue annually, BuilderTREND can be used by any size of contractor.
Key features in the system include photo and document management, selections and change order management, scheduling, and warranty administration. BuilderTREND also includes customer and trade partner web portal access. Because it's web-based, BuilderTREND can be used on both Mac and Windows computers. No software or servers have to be installed and maintained on location. Additionally, the program can be accessed from any location, with any type of mobile device, including iPhones, iPads, and Android phones. The software has a one-time setup fee, but uses month-to-month pricing thereafter. Training and support is free, and unlimited, which is a unique offering in the industry.
BuilderTREND has won several awards in the last few years including the Constructech 2009, 2010, 2011 Top Product award for Home Building Software.
77 Reviews of BuilderTREND
Before BuilderTREND, we did all of our project tracking on white boards. That system works fine - as long as you don't mind re-writing your schedule for every job twice a week! BuilderTREND allowed us to make schedule changes in real time, and from the field. We are able to see our favorite subcontractor's schedules and where we have overlap, so changes can be made once, made at the client's job site, and then we update everyone who is involved.
Training was easy - they had us up and running in a couple of hours, and have always had fantastic customer service and follow up. I can't imagine our company without it!
We went with BuilderTREND because we were on an internal system that our staff could see only if they were in our main office. It was not accessible like the web-based BuilderTREND. We have been a happy customer of BuilderTREND since October of 2010.
It was a bit of work to get all set up as we had 50 houses in production at that time and to make the file transfer and getting all staff trained was a little work; it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Now that we are going I can't see us doing business any other way.
We have contacted service with a few minor questions that they have helped us. We have also made a few suggestions for additions that we hope to see in the near future.
My one gripe is that the site is a bit slow when entering data. There is quite a lag, especially when making changes to the calendar and selection areas.
We are still in the implementation process, and if anything, we get impatient - not for lack of care, but rather our excitement to have everything up and running.
We sort of stumbled upon BuilderTREND. The sales person had an online demo of the software that was easy to understand. Set-up and implementation was easy, the program is easy to learn, and it was easy to teach our subcontractors, who had little or no computer experience, to use the software.
My husband is a plumbing contractor, and one of our subcontractors. When we implemented BuilderTREND, he told me he uses several different on-line programs with other general contractors, and ours (BuilderTREND) was the easiest to use.
BuilderTREND's customer service is great. They listen to and understand my problem or question, and are usually able to solve the issue within the same phone call, in plain English. Since we implemented the software, BuilderTREND has continued to upgrade the functionality, many of which were on my wish list.
BuilderTREND takes all of our systems and processes, and puts them online - our selections process, photos, documents, calendar, designs, production schedule and even warranty items! BuilderTREND is now our go-to place for information on a project. The best part is that we have the control to share all of it - or none of it - with our field personnel, sub-contractors and homeowners.
Want to start a discussion about which faucet to select for the kitchen sink? BuilderTREND will track all of the communication during the selection process, then allow clients to directly select the one they want online! No more miscommunication, or emails flying back and forth. You can even attach a photo of the faucet as a visual aid.
Need to figure out if you double-booked your electrician? You can have all of the project schedules overlap and see where all of your resources will be at any given time.
Do the clients know how much they are spending in total? How much was that last change order? It's all online for them to see. They can even approve change orders online through virtual signatures.
Want to share a picture? Upload it right on your phone or computer. Your clients can log in and see the photo from their business computer, laptop, iPad or phone. They can even share that photo on Facebook!
Not sure which set of plans you should be working off of? Log in and go to the document tab to download the current set of drawings.
BuilderTREND has solved the above problems for us, and many more. The system was incredibly easy to set up, as BuilderTREND staff imported our contacts, calendars and selections templates. Furthermore, they provided detailed training. The interface is extremely easy to use, and I have no problem teaching it to my field employees or clients.
I highly recommend BuilderTREND. A great product, easy to use, and a wonderful group of people to work with.
We came across and implemented BuilderTREND in early 2010. We were able to amalgamate our client communications - from email to documents, to change orders and photos - from a piecemeal patchwork of spreadsheets, emails and photos, into one central, easy-to-access area. The implementation process has been very successful in helping keep the client and the construction team informed and up to date on the status of a particular project. Meanwhile, staff members are able to access project information, not just from the office, but also from the field or from home, or wherever they are. And if we run into any issues, BuilderTREND's technical support is only a phone call away.
In this day and age, when the construction industry is getting to be more and more competitive, we have found that BuilderTREND gives us an edge over many of our competitors. We make presentations for potential new clients, and Builder Trend has been an invaluable asset in our toolkit of offerings. The professionalism we project with this tool can and does help to solidify new business.
In a market such as Whistler, BC, there are many absentee landlords who own condos and second homes. BuilderTREND allows clients such as these to be fully involved in the building or renovating process, no matter where they are located in the world.
Both our clients and our staff love BuilderTREND, and we would have no hesitation in recommending the software to any interested buyers... except maybe our local competition!
We love BuilderTREND because it make scheduling long projects easier, and notifies all of our sub-contractors and vendors of changes in our schedule. Our clients also appreciate the software because they can always see what work is scheduled to take place at what time.
We don't even use all of the functionality possible, such as product selection and project photos. Just imagine what BuilderTREND can do for a company using the software at full capacity.
With BuilderTREND, we are able to give each customer personalized service, provide efficient ways of working on change orders and manage project schedules and calendars. Getting started was very easy, and with the helpful staff of web designers and product support, it didn't take long at all to feel comfortable with the switch.
I highly recommend BuilderTREND to any smaller custom builder looking to set themselves apart from the competition.
As we have grown over the years, we have discovered the need for a shared location to maintain customer files and information. BuilderTREND has proven to be a very functional place to store data, documents, photos and other personalized information about our purchasers and homeowners that is used throughout the organization. This database allows site staff, office staff, decor staff and sales staff to view, manage and store useful information.
Before we started using BuilderTREND, someone working on site who needed info on a customer would have to call into the office, or come in to get the necessary information. Now, on-site staff are able to access the data directly from their Blackberry or tablet.
We have now been using BuilderTREND for well over a year. The implementation process was a little tedious, but fairly smooth overall. Getting staff on board with the new technology was the first hurdle; once this occurred, the rest was smooth sailing. The system has also improved over the past year, and is very easy to use.
Our customers benefit from the system by having access to their documents and photos, as well as the project calendar feature. They love checking into the system to see what progress has been made on their home. Our long-distance customers, who can't regularly stop by to see the building process, particularly appreciate this feature.
The staff at BuilderTREND are the best, and very supportive in assisting us throughout the process.
The customer can view the schedule online any time, which will automatically update whenever any changes are made. I also post clients' invoices online for comparison against our proposals, which are also posted for online access at any time. This saves us a lot of time whenever billing and invoicing time rolls around.
The customer can also offer input by leaving messages that will be saved within the program. This reference tool is great for looking back on confirmed changes and options they have made.
BuilderTREND's customer support is tremendous. If your dedicated client contact is busy, there is always someone else available to help you. There are no dumb questions.
The program is great in the field, whether you have one employee or hundreds.
Our customers love the ability to stay up to date with the progress of their project, and it has kept calls regarding the schedule to a minimum. Customers also like the ability to view pictures of their project online.
BuilderTREND has improved the efficiency of our entire production team, which in turn has improved our delivery times and ability to stay on budget.
The system could use a few more additions for greater functionality, such as more powerful options for schedule management, more templates and more reports (the Gantt chart is weak, and a flow chart is needed).
I can’t complain at all about their customer support. It is fast, convenient and always available. And in the end, I would go so far as to say that using the system is actually kind of fun.
At BRS Construction, we specialize in time management. We know that a quick and efficient timeline is one of the most important factors in any successful project. BuilderTREND is the extremely advanced resource we use to make this happen.
We also love the fact that BuilderTREND allows the client to have full control of their project. Our clients know when tradesmen are coming in, how long they will stay, and what they will be doing. We can optimize communication with our clients around the clock, notifying them when change orders need to be made, or drafts and blueprints need to be approved.
We chose BuilderTREND because we knew this system would be an excellent tool for communication with our clients. The staff at BuilderTREND were very helpful in teaching us how to use the software. Whenever we have had any questions or concerns, they were just a click away or a phone call away, ready to help us use their product.
We are very happy with BuilderTREND. We are currently managing a project for Bryan Baeumler, host of Disaster DIY and House of Bryan on the HGTV Network, for his next upcoming house. Using BuilderTREND has made this project run very smoothly.
I highly recommend this software to anyone in our line of business.
I've rated functionality at 3 stars, just because there is more functionality than we need or use. There are some sections, like "Selections", that we track differently, but we use the "Documents" feature extensively for this instead.
Being able to easily track the construction of our new homes will make work and life so much more enjoyable, not to mention less stressful. One system that does it all - simply AWESOME!!
One thing that has always kind of bothered me is sometimes the "Multiple Documents Uploader" does not work. More often then not it works just fine though.
We are an experienced Remodeling Company in the NE. We have been in business since 1990.
There are so many variables and details in a remodeling project it is very hard to stay on top of them. Before BuilderTREND we relied on our own skills of remembering and communicating and using a grease board for schedules.
We are still new to the tool but all that have gotten involved are very happy with it, including our subcontractors.
I am fairly new to the company and have found the software to be intuitive and easy to navigate. Our team has been using the software for approximately one year and everyone is now comfortable using it; some took longer than others but we now have everyone on board.
At one point we found the software very slow to respond when entering data. However, customer service has always been very quick to respond to our concerns and suggest options. Very shortly after our complaint about the software being very slow there was a change to the software making it run much quicker and removed the delays that we were experiencing. We appreciate the support we've received from the customer service team!
Recently we started giving our customers access to the software so they can track the progress of their home, review selections, and sign off on change orders. This has been very well received and we are surprised how much customers are actually using the software.
Having the BuilderTREND software has proven to save us time. Rather than our site supervisor having to run around trying to find answers to questions, he can go to BuilderTREND to get answers. Not only does it save his time, it saves time for the trades, the office staff, and even the customer; everyone who has access to the software can look there for the answer to their question.
The information in the software is only as good as the information we put into it. Over time we've learned to be careful to include as much information as possible.
I am happy to take the time to write a review of an exceptional product. BuilderTrend is easy to use, simple to start up, and easy to teach to your supers/leads/and clients. I have had only a few questions asked by clients after the initial (very short) introduction that I give them.
We are now using BuilderTrend for our third year, and although we were happy with it when we first started using it, it has become exponentially better as the time passes.
BuilderTrend has not only helped us tailor our communications process with our clientele, it has actually helped our sales and marketing efforts as well. Through the use of the Change Order process on Builder Trend, we have increased the approvals of Change orders by more than 50%! Although we are not high-pressure, the process allows homeowners to review CO's in the comfort of their own homes, on their own time - and this seems to make for a more relaxed feeling that leads to more sign-offs.
As far as bonus marketing - We have seen photos with our logo all over Facebook! We originally placed these on BuilderTrend and clients have subsequently posted them to their Facebook pages - and this has lead to sales calls!
When we have had questions about the system or its uses, we have called and received immediate help and resolution - there are certainly no issues with the response time or the knowledge of the product.
The calendar is handy when you have multiple trades on multiple projects - you can easily track where they are and where they are going. It beats the old version of tracking trades on our whiteboard!
The support staff at BuilderTrend has done an excellent job setting up the program so it is suited exactly for our needs, including setting up schedules, templates, selections, etc. They are always available for a question.
Highly recommend BuilderTrend!
We're just getting the system up and running but so far so good. It is a little more costly than what we were hoping for but if we can get it fully implemented we hope it will be worth it. There are several features that we would like to see in the program that are not there yet but it sounds like they are working on some of them. Overall I would recommend the program to a builder looking for help with scheduling and coordinating trade contractors, as well as a way to communicate quickly without much hassle what the schedule is on jobs to clients.
As a disaster restoration contractor, our projects require an emotional interaction with the customer that can easily get lost during daily conversations about scheduling and project progress. With BuilderTREND, the project information is at the customers' fingertips any time they want to see it. This allows our team to focus on more in depth, personal interactions with the customer. In our line of work, this is a home run! Our customers now have the ability to view the schedule, make selections, approve change orders and even view pictures of the different phases of the project, anytime they want to. BuilderTREND combines all of the programs that we were using previously into one easy to use, integrated package. The set up time and training period was very short and the transition was simple. So simple in fact, we haven't even had the need to call customer support.
I am very happy with the program so far, and the few gripes I had in the beginning were addressed with the constant updating and program improvement that BuilderTREND provides. It just keeps getting better and better!
Many business products offer you the world and fall short with the product or customer service - not the case here! The customer service and help desk is knowledgeable & friendly and can get us back to business within minutes.
Thank you for creating such a wonderful tool.
Jennie Sipple
Finding BuilderTrend at one of the builder shows was a great asset to our business. It has helped us improved communication with the homeowner, which is one of the most important things to Anthony. Getting approval on change orders is easier with the program - no waiting for snail mail.
We have been using BuilderTrend for 1 year and in that time they are continuously updating and improving their product. The project managers love it. Having the schedule available for the subs and the homeowner keeps the job running smoothly.
We are also impressed with the customer service. I highly recommend BuilderTrend. And that’s a lot coming from someone who fought getting a new program in the office for years.
Marie Evaristo
Office Manager
Anthony James Construction
We recently remodeled an Antebellum Home in Natchez, MS, just over 145 miles from our office. The owners were living South Louisiana with one of the owners working in San Francisco, CA. The first thing every day, the owners logged on the BuilderTrend website to check progress, approve change orders, material choices and colors, etc. Considering the distances involved for all parties, this project would have been a logistical and communication nightmare without BuilderTrend.
We currently have a jobs in Hattiesburg, MS with owners as far away as Oklahoma and South Carolina. BuilderTrend is a blessing and a must in an ever shrinking world with tighter and tighter profit margins.
I've always heard and believed "there's always room to improve" and with a great product like BuilderTrend, I can hardly wait, because it's hard to image a better solution, so improvements must be fantastic. I'm sure the BuilderTrend team has already started on some new features.
One day I had a random phone call from one of the Builder Trend representatives (Clint) and I checked out the web site. After the free demo, I was convinced. It never occurred to me the amount of double entering, emailing and communication that I was doing (or not doing). It was easy to understand, manipulate and use.
I have used various types of software throughout my career so I was very familiar with how software could benefit a company. However, product out there was very expensive to purchase. What I liked about Builder Trend's pricing structure is that I set the price based on the amount of jobs that I believe I will do in that year. No different than my business plan forecast. And if I exceed that (which we all hope we do), I just contact Builder Trend and they increase the amount of jobs available to me. This also increases the monthly payment but if I achieve my sales, then the minimal additional cost is irrelevant. It pays for itself.
With respect to the software itself, the product I used in the past was labor intensive to start up, implement and train. After 1 session, I was easily changing schedules, adding jobs and communicating with trades and clients. Scott was very informative and educated. He quickly and honestly answered all of my questions. In addition, prior to our implementation meeting, I sent in my schedule and trade templates and it was all in the system "ready to go" for me to fine tune. No starting from scratch and "learn as I go". While he taught me Builder Trend, we altered and changed my information to best teach me the ease of Builder Trend.
Finally by having a customized page for my clients to communicate with us, shows that we are a legit company and professional. That says a lot in the renovation market. My clients love this as they can view their project at any time. We love it because we can get change orders approved quickly and sometimes even right on site without having to go back to the office and prepare a word document. We make the necessary adjustments through our iPhone and send it for approval. They can be standing right beside us, go into their secure page and approve it right there.
I would strongly recommend other renovation/building contractors to lose their old ways of keeping their companies organized and use Builder Trend. It will do nothing but save them time, money and increase customer satisfaction.
As far as the support, it's great... I've never been disappointed. The swift, thoughtful response is what has always been what I convey to potential users.
Getting started was no problem with the help of their support team. The more I use the system, the more I enjoy it and all its capabilities. Everyone at BuilderTREND is always so helpful, and knowledgeable on any topic I need assistance with. I love that our clients can access proposals, schedules, and ongoing job photos. Even if they are out of town during construction.
I am still learning how to use the system in its entirety, but am confident that this will be no problem with the help I get from the support staff at BuilderTREND.
After utilizing BuilderTREND, our operations were instantly streamlined. We are now able to keep all of our correspondence, important documents, schedule, job related images, change orders, and selections in one central place. We did not have to download any huge program in order for BuilderTREND to function. It is web based, which is also a plus for our clients.
With technology usually comes glitches and bugs. I have to say the guys in the customer support are phenomenal! They are located in Nebraska (no foreign accents to try to understand). When I have called for help, they are quick to pick up the phone and address the issue right then. If they are unable to solve it over the phone, they generally get back to you within 24-48 hours max. Aside from the wonderful software that is BuilderTREND, the customer support is unsurpassed.
We have recommended using this software to many people. We even received a call from a builder out of state for a recommendation. This software has saved our company thousands of dollars and many headaches!
We are excited for this management tool to ease the communication issues we have had in the past...Thank you BuilderTREND!
BuilderTREND is easy to use and my clients think that I am extremely organized and cater to every need that they have.
Thank you BuilderTREND.
In our market, the BuilderTREND software separates us from the competition. Our clients love the fact that we take the time to schedule out the job from start to finish before we even start. My project manager loves the fact that he can import a basement finish schedule template that he created, make minor modifications, and have a client access to a proposed schedule in just minutes. The ability to 'link' schedule items is key to inevitable schedule changes due to weather, etc. It automatically adjusts the entire schedule to keep us on track. The reminders help us with tasks such as ordering materials, scheduling walk thru's, etc that can otherwise be easy to overlook.
We have many military clients that appreciate being able to log in from abroad and see pictures that we have uploaded of the progress, of their project. Telling a prospective client about the software and the fact that they have access to all the features and benefits makes us stand out among the competition. They have the understanding that we go the extra mile to make sure that they are going to receive the best quality service and finished product if they select us as their contractor. The benefits to the client are numerous and the edge it gives our company is something we cannot do without!
This is our 4th year using BuilderTREND and we will continue to do so. The initial training was thorough, easy, and very user friendly. I appreciate that the team is constantly upgrading and improving the software.
BuilderTREND was super easy to learn and I love the fact that it works on my iPad as well. I have had several clients recommend me to other people because of the program.
We are very pleased with the system and the support that Scott and BuilderTREND have to offer.
Thank you!
I have been with the company less than a year. During that time we were able to get the few remaining individuals who had not changed over to start using the program. Their initial fears that the software was too complicated or that they would not be able to do it... were quickly removed with some one-on-one teaching from others who had been using it longer.
We appreciate the support and quick response from BuilderTREND's customer support. When we've called to discuss how slow the system was running, we were given options on how to narrow the filters so that less information had to be loaded when entering data. We receive quick responses to our concerns and changes as well.
The customer support for the software is fantastic. All of the questions I have asked have been answered very quickly and thoroughly. The developers actually listen to what the customers say and then implement those suggestions. The software continues to be updated and improved.
I would highly recommend this software to any company in need of easy-to-use software to track their jobs.
From day one, we found BuilderTREND intuitive, adaptable, and productive. Our clients love it and it is a great asset to show it off during sales meetings. Our trades and vendors love it too, they don't have to wait on us to request proposals, they log on and look at our current projects in design.
The BuilderTREND team offers the best (no exaggeration) technical support I have ever experienced. If you submit a 'help' e-mail, they will call within a few minutes to guide you through the problem, often offering more than one solution. In addition to the tech support, the developers are constantly upgrading the features on BuilderTREND. It was great when we first started using it, and now it is even better! Their web design people make the BuilderTREND site look as good, or even better, than our own website all the while using our logos and color scheme.
If we only measured the time saved in getting selections and change orders approved, BuilderTREND would have more than paid for itself. If you include the increased client satisfaction, tighter scheduling and ease of communication, the benefits are staggering.
I would highly recommend BuilderTREND to any construction company of any size.
The implementation of the software was easy and didn't take long at all. It's very intuitive and we get great feedback from our customers and subcontractors because it helps everyone to stay connected while out on the move. We are able to provide the customer with updated photo albums of their house during construction, process change orders on the go, set up schedules, and communicate with customers and subs.
I would definitely recommend reaching out to BuilderTREND and see if they can help you out as well!
Great graphics, impressive customer access tools, and they are continually improving functionality. It also allows us to have all the client and sub contractor information all in one place, with all the backup documents, pictures, and plans at our fingertips. Customer support is unparallel - your personal rep actually answers the phone, and they are truly interested in getting your questions and issues solved quickly and efficiently. Training is available - whenever you need it, as many times as you want it - at no extra charge.
One downside is that in order to access the BuilderTREND tools daily in real time, and utilize the benefits effectively, our project managers and sub contractors need web access in the field - we are looking at buying iPads or laptops, but this can get expensive. We are still in the process of discovering all the benefits of using BuilderTREND in our daily project scheduling but so far, I am impressed.
BuilderTREND is going to save us time and money by increasing our efficiency and reducing the number of mistakes in the field. By starting before you actually are in construction is the way to go. Rather than learning when your under the gun to get contracts out and approved, we've been able to go through the process so that when we're running full steam ahead we will be up to speed on the program and it's functions.
I used different scheduling software previously and was apprehensive to make the switch, however the transition was seamless and already I prefer using the calendar built into BuilderTREND over my previous software as BuilderTREND has superior features. The customer service and training was top-shelf and very relaxed, this program is so intuitive that the training was almost self-taught as we were walked through the program during training. In a nutshell, there is no way I would go back to not using BuilderTREND. I recommend this to everyone except our competition because it gives us such an advantage.
We have been users going on three years.
It literally has saved our company! The feature that we use the most is of course the change order feature. In years past, change orders would not make it from the job site to the office. Now, our clients are instructed that everything MUST be approved! It has been wonderful.
We are slowly getting every one of our subs on board. They are finding out how much they love it as well. No more lost emails, everything is stored in one place. If the plumber needs a cabinet layout for a sink placement, he knows to look at the documents and everything is loaded right there. It is saving so much time and confusion.
I can't say enough great things...please continue to send us phone call references; we love to sell your business, because it has helped make ours!!!
As the frequency of our projects grew, it became increasingly challenging to track tasks and changes with our internally developed spreadsheets. We searched for an integrated solution and found BuilderTREND several years ago. The implementation was simple, customer support over the phone was outstanding, the online training was perfect, and we were quickly up and running.
Now we track our projects easily, our internal efficiency is greatly improved, and our clients love the system. We have also found that it is a boost to our credibility to have an organized, consolidated process that is accessible to our customers. We use it as a selling point with our prospective customers who universally have responded positively - our clients that we use as referrals also tell our prospective clients about the system in the most positive terms. We are very satisfied with this product, the ease of use, and the team supporting it.
Most people hate to go through demos but this one was extremely easy to understand. The people at BuilderTREND don't put any pressure on you, and are available all the time for any questions. They are constantly trying to improve their program by asking for input from all of their clients.
My clients are at ease going through the program looking up invoices, job cost sheets, pictures of work-in-progress, and many more items. I would recommend to have one of the excellent BuilderTREND members spend about 30 minutes going through the program with you to see how they can help you.
Thanks for helping us stay organized.
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