Likelihood to Recommend Buildertrend was made for a specific industry (building) and so I would recommend it to anyone in that industry, with the exception of Sales and Marketing. But for everything else from the financing to the permitting to the construction and all else, Buildertrend is exactly what our team has used and will ALWAYS use. Even with our decision to use other systems for Sales and Marketing, we have never given one thought to taking Buildertrend out of our process. We will always be with Buildertrend.
Read full review WinEst is truly built for everyone. Their assemblies/database linking is perfect for self perform and subcontractors while their database management and custom reporting is perfect for GCs. While Excel set the bar, WinEst is on another planet. With the immediacy required by today's markets, WinEst allows you to deliver a superior product while being more accurate.
Read full review Pros Manages in one place - crucial for organization. Professional, across the board it provides companies with a seamlessly organized and flawless presentation - to subs/vendors/owners/etc. Time Saver - you don't have to dig around through files/create templates/flip through your contact binder - it's all there. Practical tools- designed for contractors. You get what you need - period. Read full review It's very flexible when building an estimate and selecting items to include. You can either click your way to the datebase or quickly copy and paste similar items. The numerous ways to view and estimate whether it's by CSI, Uniformat, Master Format, or any view you'd like to see. One of ours is by program area, i.e. Sitework, Tower, Parking Deck, etc. After that, you can sort by Bid Package, CSI, etc. Quick buttons can be created far all the views you'd need which allows changing between views a breeze. The visual interface is pleasing and easy to read. It's easy to create your own database using Excel. Once you tag an item with unit costs, sort codes, etc., Winest will import it. You can also build it manually within the program but Excel was faster. Read full review Cons I think that the CRM component could use some development. I think that tracking "tasks" or "to do's" could use some development. Read full review At times, WinEst controls feel counter intuitive. Also the tools available for actually developing the database can feel clunky. This means that if you do not take the time to create a robust import file, you will spend a serious amount of time fixing your errors. WinEst is also an object based database which means that it is difficult to do mass dumps of information (mainly takeoff) into the program. While this is great for ensuring that everything is done purposefully, it does lead to extended hours of data entry It takes hours upon hours of use before you begin to realize the true potential. The sheer number of tools is overwhelming and their help resources are very basic and only explain how to correctly enter the data but not the feature's best use cases. Read full review Usability Fantastic usablity. Buildertrend is an amazing tool that offers superior customer service and attention to detail that is unmatched. I will continue to use them for years and I know they will make growing my company a possibility. I highly recommend for companies that want to streamline their business.
Read full review Support Rating I highly recommend. The only suggestion I have would be to offer a free trial. They do offer a 30 day money back guarantee. The price point isn't daunting if you have had a 100 % no strings attached/no effort to cancel or try to remember to get your money back - no strings attached chance to try out the product. Especially for such a big purchase decision, I think Buildertrend would see an incredible increase in sales. They have the value and companies just need a chance to see it first hand.
Read full review Doug Quinn was our trainer and travels all over the country. Whenever I have an issue I shoot him an email and he quickly responds as soon as his training gets a break.
Read full review Alternatives Considered BuilderTrend allows me to see a full view of all my jobs in one place. I picked it for this reason. I wanted a solution that subcontractors would be able to use without having to do anything except open their email to get the information they needed to get the job done on time. I've made it so simple that everyone I work with wants to use BuilderTrend. In fact, most of the subcontractors I work with have implemented BuilderTrend because they saw how easy my day to day operations are.
Read full review WinEst simply blows excel and Timberline out of the water. The shear depth of functionality is unparalleled. Not only does WinEst deliver a better product, it also shortens the amount of man hours required for each bid, alternate, pricing exercise, etc. On top of this, it has a number of redundant safeguards for catching errors that the others don't have.
Read full review Return on Investment The prior year cost me roughly $4300, which was barely reasonable for my volume. Some clients liked the format, some hated it and didn't participate. In my experience, few subcontractors or suppliers embraced the program, severely limiting the effectiveness. For the coming year the fees would have exceeded $17,000, far too much for a program with limited client, employee, and subcontractor appeal with as small a volume as I have. Honestly, for the last year, I feel they've been a burning tire hung around my neck and I regret not cancelling them in early 2019, I'd have $10,000 more in my pocket and no significant negative impact. I did appreciate the daily log as a way to report on progress, but less than half my clients made use of this option. Read full review We've not measured the rate of return but WinEst has made us much more efficient and organized. Read full review ScreenShots