Buildertrend vs CoConstruct

Buildertrend and CoConstruct grew up as direct rivals in residential construction management, and Buildertrend's 2021 acquisition of CoConstruct changed the…

Best for Buildertrend: Buildertrend fits residential builders and remodelers who want an actively developed platform with purchase order and bid management, accounting integrations, and a public API, and who are comfortable requesting a custom quote.
Best for CoConstruct: CoConstruct mainly fits existing customers who already run their business on it and want continuity, cost-code-based budgeting, and time tracking while a migration to Buildertrend is planned or in progress.

At a Glance

 BuildertrendCoConstruct
Primary categoryReal Estate, Construction & Field ServiceReal Estate, Construction & Field Service
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelSubscriptionSubscription
Starting price$339/month (billed annually)$199/month (legacy plans; new customers are directed to Buildertrend)
Free planNot documentedNot documented
Free trialYesNot documented
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesNot documented

Key Differences

Active development status

Buildertrend: Buildertrend is the actively developed, go-forward platform under ECI Software Solutions

CoConstruct: CoConstruct has been in maintenance mode since its 2021 acquisition, with little to no new feature development

A buyer choosing software today is also choosing how much future investment and support it will receive

New customer availability

Buildertrend: Buildertrend is open to new customers and is the platform being actively sold

CoConstruct: CoConstruct is not open to meaningful new customer growth, and prospects are directed to Buildertrend instead

A tool that will not onboard new accounts is not a viable long-term option for a fresh buyer regardless of feature quality

Public API and accounting integration

Buildertrend: Buildertrend documents a public API plus integrations with accounting tools like QuickBooks

CoConstruct: No public API or named accounting integration is documented for CoConstruct

Builders who need to connect their project data to accounting or other business systems depend on documented integration points

Purchase orders and bid requests

Buildertrend: Buildertrend includes dedicated purchase order and bid request tools for managing suppliers and subcontractors

CoConstruct: CoConstruct's documented facts do not describe a purchase order or bid request module

Builders coordinating many suppliers and trade bids need structured tools to solicit and compare pricing in one place

Time tracking

Buildertrend: Time tracking is not documented as a distinct Buildertrend feature

CoConstruct: CoConstruct includes dedicated crew and subcontractor time entry tied to jobs and cost codes

Builders who need labor cost tracking by job and cost code rely on time tracking being built into the platform rather than handled separately

Plan markup and document annotation

Buildertrend: Buildertrend's documented facts describe daily logs and job-site photos but not drawing annotation tools

CoConstruct: CoConstruct documents annotation tools for reviewing plans and drawings with clients or trades

Teams that review architectural drawings collaboratively need markup tools rather than plain document storage

Pricing transparency history

Buildertrend: Buildertrend has never published fixed self-serve pricing and requires contacting sales

CoConstruct: CoConstruct historically published tiered monthly rates around 199, 399, and 599 dollars, though these are no longer sold on its site

Budget-conscious buyers researching cost ranges have more historical reference points for CoConstruct even though neither tool is purchasable at a published rate today

Company history and specialization

Buildertrend: Buildertrend was founded in 2006 in Omaha, Nebraska and serves a broad range of residential builders and remodelers

CoConstruct: CoConstruct was founded in 2005 in Charlottesville, Virginia with a sharper focus on custom home building and remodeling workflows

The narrower original focus shaped CoConstruct's cost-code budgeting and client-facing tools differently than Buildertrend's broader residential positioning

Data continuity and migration support

Buildertrend: Buildertrend is the receiving platform for customers migrating off CoConstruct, with an established migration path

CoConstruct: CoConstruct retains historical project data indefinitely and offers a dedicated migration team to move customers into Buildertrend

Existing CoConstruct customers need assurance that years of project history will not be lost during a forced platform transition

Support responsiveness

Buildertrend: No documented user reports of support slowdowns are noted for Buildertrend

CoConstruct: User reports describe slower support response times for CoConstruct compared to its earlier, independent years

Ongoing support quality affects day-to-day usability regardless of how strong the original feature set is

Feature-by-Feature

Scheduling and Coordination

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Project schedulingAvailableAvailable
Subcontractor and trade coordination viewsAvailableAvailable

Budgeting and Estimating

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Budget vs actual trackingAvailableAvailable
Estimating and client proposalsAvailableAvailable
Cost code catalogsNot documentedAvailable

Client Experience

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Client or homeowner portalAvailableAvailable
Selections and allowance managementAvailableAvailable

Change Orders

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Digital change orders with e-signatureAvailableAvailable

Field Documentation

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Daily logs and job-site photosAvailableAvailable
Document and plan storageNot documentedAvailable
Plan markup and annotation toolsNot documentedAvailable

Purchase Orders and Bidding

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Purchase ordersAvailableNot documented
Subcontractor bid requestsAvailableNot documented

Time and Labor Tracking

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Crew and subcontractor time entryNot documentedAvailable

Warranty Management

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
Post-completion warranty and service trackingAvailableAvailable

Mobile Apps and Integrations

FeatureBuildertrendCoConstruct
iOS and Android mobile appsAvailableAvailable
Public APIAvailableNot documented
Accounting integration such as QuickBooksAvailableNot documented

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

Buildertrend

Essential — $339/month annual
Advanced — $699/month annual
Complete — $999/month annual

CoConstruct

Core — $199/month Monthly (annual billing discount available)
Essential — $399/month Monthly (annual billing discount available)
Advanced — $599/month Monthly (annual billing discount available)

Pros & Cons

Buildertrend

Pros

  • Purpose-built for construction-specific workflows
  • Strong client portal improves homeowner communication
  • Integrates with major accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero)
  • Mobile apps suited for job-site use
  • Tiered plans scale from smaller teams to larger builders

Cons

  • Flat, company-wide pricing is expensive for solo or very small contractors
  • Full estimating and financial tools require the higher-priced Advanced or Complete tiers
  • Pricing is not fully self-serve and may require a sales conversation
  • Learning curve for teams new to dedicated construction management software

CoConstruct

Pros

  • Purpose-built for the custom home and remodeling workflow, including selections and change orders
  • Strong client communication tools that reduce phone and email back-and-forth with homeowners
  • Established integrations with common accounting software
  • Large existing user base with over 100,000 building professionals historically on the platform

Cons

  • No longer actively developed as an independent product; the company is directing customers to Buildertrend
  • New projects cannot be created in CoConstruct after March 31, 2027
  • Not a realistic option for evaluating new software today given its planned sunset
  • Support and updates have reportedly slowed since the Buildertrend acquisition

Use Cases

Choose Buildertrend: Buildertrend fits residential builders and remodelers who want an actively developed platform with purchase order and bid management, accounting integrations, and a public API, and who are comfortable requesting a custom quote.
Choose CoConstruct: CoConstruct mainly fits existing customers who already run their business on it and want continuity, cost-code-based budgeting, and time tracking while a migration to Buildertrend is planned or in progress.
Need both: Companies mid-transition after an acquisition, franchise, or merger, or firms migrating historical CoConstruct project data into Buildertrend, may operate both systems side by side during the changeover.

Buildertrend

  • Residential homebuilding — Manage scheduling, budgets, and client communication across multiple concurrent home builds.
  • Remodeling projects — Coordinate client selections, change orders, and daily job-site updates.
  • Specialty & commercial contracting — Track job costing, RFIs, and financials across complex commercial projects.

CoConstruct

  • Custom home builder managing client selections — A builder running several custom homes at once uses selections management and the client portal to keep homeowners informed about finish choices and budget impact.
  • Remodeling contractor tracking change orders — A remodeling firm uses the change order workflow to document scope changes and get client sign-off before billing for extra work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Buildertrend or CoConstruct?

Neither publishes current self-serve pricing today, so a direct cost comparison is not possible from public data. Buildertrend has always required contacting sales for a custom quote across its Essential, Advanced, and Complete plans, while CoConstruct historically published monthly rates of roughly 199, 399, and 599 dollars for its Core, Essential, and Advanced tiers before those plans stopped being sold on its site.

Is CoConstruct still available to new customers?

No, CoConstruct is in maintenance mode and is not being actively marketed to new customers, with parent company ECI Software Solutions directing prospects toward Buildertrend instead.

What is the difference between Buildertrend and CoConstruct?

Buildertrend acquired CoConstruct in 2021, and both now operate under parent company ECI Software Solutions, but Buildertrend is the platform being actively developed and sold going forward while CoConstruct serves mainly existing customers during a migration period. Feature-wise both cover scheduling, budgeting, selections, change orders, and client communication for residential builders.

Does Buildertrend or CoConstruct have a public API?

Buildertrend documents a public API along with integrations like QuickBooks, while no public API is documented for CoConstruct.

What happens to my project data if I am an existing CoConstruct customer?

According to CoConstruct's own migration guidance, historical project data is retained and accessible indefinitely, and a dedicated migration team assists existing customers moving their projects into Buildertrend.

Should a new construction company sign up for CoConstruct today?

No, since CoConstruct is not open to meaningful new customer growth and is being positioned as a legacy product, a company starting fresh should evaluate Buildertrend as the actively supported option instead.

Read the full Buildertrend review · Read the full CoConstruct review