Compare Plankbook and Buildertrend for a small remodeling company
Use this page if you run a remodeling company of 1 to 20 people on Buildertrend, or if you are choosing your first project software.
We set monthly cost, contract terms, setup fees and data export side by side with sources, and we say when Buildertrend fits better.
Decide whether a lower price and month-to-month terms justify a move for your company.
Try every job tool for 30 days without a card. Add your whole team at no extra cost.
Stay with Buildertrend if one of these fits your company
Switching takes setup and a new routine for your crew and your homeowners, so make sure the move pays off for your company.
- You are partway through an annual agreement
- Buildertrend reviewers on the BBB describe pressure to sign annual agreements, and one says Buildertrend refused a switch to month to month. If you signed for a year, finish the term and start new projects in Plankbook as it ends.
- You need a QuickBooks connection
- Buildertrend connects to QuickBooks, with QuickBooks Desktop through a web connector. Plankbook does not sync with QuickBooks today. It exports invoices, payments and costs as CSV files.
- Your company has more than 20 people
- We build Plankbook for remodelers with 1 to 20 people. Larger builders often need approval chains and reporting across divisions that we do not offer.
- Your homeowners already know Buildertrend's portal
- Buildertrend's client portal shows homeowners daily logs, selections, budget and schedule. If your clients rely on it mid-project, move only new projects.
See what changes when you switch
- Read the price before you talk to sales
- Buildertrend does not publish prices. A third party reports Essential at about $499 per month billed monthly, from a June 2024 demo. Plankbook publishes one price: $99 per company per month, with unlimited team members.
- Pay month to month with no setup fee
- One third party reports Buildertrend setup fees from $400 to more than $1,500. Plankbook charges no setup fee and never asks for an annual contract.
- Export everything when you want
- Buildertrend told a BBB reviewer that it has no bulk export feature. Plankbook lets an owner download every record as CSV files at any time, and for 90 days after cancelling.
- Check deposits against state rules
- Plankbook checks the deposit on each payment schedule against the California, Nevada and Maryland caps, and warns when an invoice bills ahead of the work done.
- Give homeowners a free planner
- Homeowners get a free household workspace on the same data model, and can send you matched bid requests through it.
Sources for the claims above
- https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/computer-software/buildertrend-solutions-0714-300027310/customer-reviews (review dated 2026-09-28), read 2026-10-21
- https://buildertrend.com/?p=110257 (Buildertrend FAQ, read from a search summary), read 2026-10-21
- https://badge.buildertrend.com/communication/construction-client-portal/ (Buildertrend's page, read from a search summary), read 2026-10-21
- https://www.costbench.com/software/construction-management/buildertrend/ (third party; Buildertrend's own pricing page could not be read), read 2026-10-21
- https://www.costbench.com/software/construction-management/buildertrend/ (third party), read 2026-10-21
- https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/computer-software/buildertrend-solutions-0714-300027310/customer-reviews (Buildertrend's reply to a review dated 2025-12-04), read 2026-10-21
| Topic | Plankbook | Buildertrend |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner portal | Included, free for homeowners, no account | Yes. Homeowners see daily logs, selections, budget and schedule. The plan is not published.1 |
| Change orders | Included, with working days and schedule moves | We could not confirm |
| Selections and allowances | Included, with the overage change order | Yes, in the client portal. The plan is not published.2 |
| Job costing | Included, by cost code with projected margin | We could not confirm |
| Bulk data export | CSV at any time and for 90 days after you cancel | Buildertrend told a BBB reviewer it has no bulk export feature.3 |
We read each source on the date shown. Where a vendor does not publish a figure, or its page could not be read, we quote a third party and say so. Prices change, so check each vendor's current page before you decide.
- 1 https://badge.buildertrend.com/communication/construction-client-portal/ (Buildertrend's client portal page, read from a search summary), read 2026-10-21
- 2 https://badge.buildertrend.com/communication/construction-client-portal/ (search summary), read 2026-10-21
- 3 https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/computer-software/buildertrend-solutions-0714-300027310/customer-reviews (Buildertrend's reply to a review dated 2025-12-04), read 2026-10-21
Compare the monthly cost by team size
A company with 3 people pays $99 a month on Plankbook and about $499 on Buildertrend Essential, a difference of about $4,800 a year.
Plankbook charges one price per company, however many people sign in. Buildertrend does not publish prices. A third party reports Essential at $499 per month billed monthly, or $366 billed yearly, from a June 2024 demo, with unlimited users. Buildertrend does not publish which plan includes which feature.
| Team | Plankbook | Buildertrend Essential, reported | Difference per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner only | $99 / mo | $499 / mo | $4,800 |
| 3 people | $99 / mo | $499 / mo | $4,800 |
| 5 people | $99 / mo | $499 / mo | $4,800 |
| Topic | Plankbook | Buildertrend |
|---|---|---|
| Price, billed monthly | $99 per month for every feature | Quote only. A third party reports about $499 per month on Essential, billed monthly.1 |
| People included | Unlimited team members | Unlimited users, per a third party.1 |
| Contract | Month to month | Reviewers on the BBB describe annual agreements. One says Buildertrend refused a switch to month to month.2 |
| Setup fee | None | $400 to more than $1,500, reported by one third party.1 |
We read each source on the date shown. Where a vendor does not publish a figure, or its page could not be read, we quote a third party and say so. Prices change, so check each vendor's current page before you decide.
- 1 https://www.costbench.com/software/construction-management/buildertrend/ (third party), read 2026-10-21
- 2 https://www.bbb.org/us/ne/omaha/profile/computer-software/buildertrend-solutions-0714-300027310/customer-reviews (reviews dated 2026-09-28 and earlier), read 2026-10-21
Move from Buildertrend one project at a time
Plankbook does not import projects from other tools yet, so start new work in Plankbook and let current jobs finish where they are.
Set up your company
Add your cost codes, adjust the phase templates for the projects you build, and upload your contract and change order forms as Word templates.
Start your next new project in Plankbook
Build the estimate, send the homeowner the portal link, and let them accept by typing their name.
Finish current jobs in Buildertrend
Keep each open project where it started until it closes, so no homeowner has to follow two systems in the middle of a job.
Save your records before you cancel Buildertrend
Buildertrend told a BBB reviewer it has no bulk export feature, so plan the export project by project.
For each closed and open project, save the contract, change orders, invoices, payments and photos you need for warranty work and taxes.
Get answers about moving from Buildertrend
CoConstruct's pricing page says the product is entering its final phase and that existing users are moving to Buildertrend. If you are choosing where to go next, compare Plankbook with Buildertrend before you move.
You lose any history you do not save. Before you cancel, save the records for each project, especially contracts, change orders, invoices and lien waivers.
Plankbook does not import projects from other tools yet. Most companies start their next new project in Plankbook and finish current jobs where they are.
Email hello@plankbook.com if you want help setting up your cost codes and phase templates.
We plan to charge $99 per month per company for the job tools, with every feature and unlimited team members. You pay month to month and never sign an annual contract. Your directory listing stays free.
This price is a proposal and not final yet. Try every feature for 30 days without a card.
Yes. A company owner can download every record as CSV files at any time, with your photos and documents.
After you cancel, you can still sign in and export for 90 days.
Not yet. Export invoices, payments and job costs as CSV files for your bookkeeper at any time.
Run your projects on Plankbook for $99 per company
Open the sample company to see a kitchen remodel under way, or start your next project. Every feature is included, and your whole team signs in for the same price.
Try every job tool for 30 days without a card. Add your whole team at no extra cost.