BuildTools Reviews

“direct contact saves time

Pros

Direct communication with subcontractors and suppliers has really managed the way I work.

Cons

Entering all the details for every subcontractor and related information takes time.

“smooth system integration

Pros

It has fit into our business and other systems smoothly which has saved us both time and effort in our day to day processes.

Cons

Compared with the system we used before, I still haven't come across any downsides even after nearly a year of using it.

“flexible scheduling and budgeting

Pros

BuildTools is quite user friendly and I really appreciate that you are not forced to use every module it offers. You can choose only the ones that fit your workflow best. The scheduling and budgeting modules are the ones I rely on the most and they have been especially useful for me.

Cons

One thing that could be better is in the budgeting module, where the categories appear in a drop down style and disappear again after just a few seconds. That means you have to make your selection pretty quickly. Still it seems like the developers are already working to fix that issue.

“field access keeps projects moving

Pros

Having access on site makes a big difference for our project managers and subcontractors especially when they need to review all the files tied to a project while they're in the field.

Cons

The only small problem is that sharing files by email or text is not simple since PDFs have to go through a third party reader before they can be sent. Though it is nothing serious but it does add one extra step when sending files from the field.

“Build Tools

Pros

Working with the support team has been a great experience.

Cons

Once you make a commitment to the implementation process, it becomes highly worthwhile.

“Simplicity

Pros

The system seamlessly integrates and is user-friendly for all skill levels.

Cons

In hindsight, we should have transitioned to BuildTools a year earlier.

“All in one change orders win

Pros

It is overall a simple tool and it's made handling selections and signed change orders much more manageable. Plus having all the emails stored in one place is a big plus too. I have also just begun using the Bids feature and it's been working well so far.

Cons

Scheduling is where this falls short. So if that's your main need, you will probably want another tool. Because this does not really work as a true scheduler. It can show dates but they do not change automatically. For example if a task starts earlier or runs late, the timeline won't adjust.

“Overall works well

Pros

I think scheduling, project management and proposal handling are all very user friendly and work really well.

Cons

Some parts of the system feel too click-heavy. I mean it takes a lot of mouse clicks to get where we need to go.

“Powerful construction management toolkit

Pros

BuildTools comes packed with pretty much every construction management feature we could need. In short it is a very complete platform with a wide range of tools and capabilities that our company can actually put to use.

Cons

The interface still takes some getting used to but for the value, I am willing to learn it. Sometimes the buttons and controls are not easy to figure out so at this time navigating the system can feel a bit confusing.

“Very poor support

Pros

As per me the internal document and schedule control was a nice part of the system.

Cons

Customer service and the development team were disappointing. They came up with good ideas but it felt like there was very little effort to actually put any of them into action. The split between the working schedule and published schedule also makes no sense as it really should just be one schedule. On top of that, the app is not user friendly and since it's clearly built only for desktop, it is very difficult to use out in the field.

“photo updates boost transparency

Pros

With so many of our clients located out of town, being able to upload photos for them to review is really useful. As it helps a lot with transparency and keeps communication clear throughout the project.

Cons

The scheduling Gantt chart feels a bit hard to manage and is not as user friendly as it could be.

“Has all the right modules

Pros

BuildTools includes all the modules a project management company needs to get the job done so overall I would say it covers the core work really well.

Cons

reporting and export features feel like they were not designed by someone who actually uses them. A page or two of useful information can turn into 12 pages of messy, hard to read clutter. Means I cannot send it to a client as-is so I have to export it in several different formats and rework it into something presentable.

“simple setup and wide adoption

Pros

Getting started and rolling it out was very not a problem. Even our older employees who are not particularly tech savvy have been able to understand and use it without much trouble.

Cons

One downside is that we cannot fully manage certain notifications so some people still receive alerts that do not really apply to them.

“strong scheduling and document tools

Pros

One thing BuildTools does really well is customer service. Any concerns we have get handled right away which makes a big difference. Also they offer really helpful ongoing webinars that cover different parts of the software. The standout features for us are scheduling and document management and the budgeting tools have been great too.

Cons

The financial side can be confusing for our clients. It works well enough as a general overview of project finances but there is not a direct invoicing option unless you create a separate special report.

“powerful construction management suite

Pros

It covers the full construction workflow really well from scheduling and document storage to bid packages and cost accounting so everything important is always in one place.

Cons

I'd love the option to add custom data fields so it can match our internal processes more closely.

“scaling homebuilding with confidence

Pros

BuildTools has helped us expand our operation so we can build more homes and condos while staying efficient and keeping the important parts of each project well organized.

Cons

At this point we haven't come across anything we dislike.

“Great platform for team rollout

Pros

Rolling out BuildTools across a team with mixed technical abilities has been very manageable because the interface is user-friendly. Also the platform's flexibility has been a big advantage since it let us preserve many of our older procedures while still moving to a more modern and efficient digital system.

Cons

Our biggest challenge has been the way it connects with QuickBooks. The integration itself works fine but it seems complex and offers less room for customization compared with the legacy processes we were used to.

“Good for budgeting and tracking

Pros

It comes with a really strong budgeting module that connects well with the financial system. Plus the purchase order system works very well and the change order tracking is a big help.

Cons

The selection module could use a few improvements like adding more features such as text formatting and the ability to build lists within descriptions.