Short version
Buildertrend is an all-in-one platform for residential builders and remodelers: estimates, scheduling, selections, client portal, change orders, invoicing and daily logs. It charges a flat monthly price per plan with unlimited users, starting around $339 a month on an annual plan and going above $1,000 a month on the top tier month to month.
For a small remodeler, the realistic yearly cost is about $4,000 to $13,000 before payment-processing fees. That is good value if you use most of the platform, and expensive if you mainly needed daily logs.
We make Daily Site Log, a daily report tool, so we are a competitor. Every number below is sourced and labelled.
Buildertrend plans and prices (2026)
Buildertrend shows prices only after a demo request, so these figures come from recent third-party reviews. Most of them agree:
| Plan | Month to month | Billed annually (per month) | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | ~$499 | ~$339 | Scheduling, daily logs, client portal, to-dos, documents |
| Advanced | ~$799 | ~$499–$599 | Estimating, bids, purchase orders, more financial tools |
| Complete | ~$1,099 | ~$829 | Selections, warranty management, advanced reporting |
All plans include unlimited users, projects and storage.
How the sources compare:
| Source | Reported prices | Our confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor Tool Stack (updated May 2026) | $339 / $499 / $829 annual; $499 / $799 / $1,099 monthly | Moderate to good: specific and recent |
| Downtobid (updated January 2026) | ~$339 / ~$599 / ~$829 annual; list $399–$1,099 monthly | Moderate: written by a competitor, approximate |
| Costbench (2026) | $339–$829 a month across three plans | Moderate: matches the annual figures |
| ContractorRanks (October 2026) | $99 / $399 / $699 a month | Low: far below every other source; may reflect an old promo |
What they agree on: three plans, unlimited users, roughly $339–$829 a month annually or $499–$1,099 month to month.
Other costs to budget for
- Onboarding. Reported as included with annual plans, and around $100 a month or a one-off $500–$2,000 for setup and migration otherwise. Ask what is included.
- Payment processing. If clients pay invoices through Buildertrend, card payments reportedly cost about 2.99% each.
- Renewal. Some users report noticeable increases at renewal. Ask for the year-two price in writing.
What a small builder actually pays
| Team | Likely plan | Annual billing | Month to month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner plus 2–3 field staff, no estimating | Essential | ~$4,070 a year | ~$5,990 a year |
| Remodeler who estimates and sends bids | Advanced | ~$5,990–$7,190 a year | ~$9,590 a year |
| Custom builder with client selections | Complete | ~$9,950 a year | ~$13,190 a year |
These are estimates from third-party figures, not quotes.
Who Buildertrend is for, and who it is not for
Good fit: residential builders and remodelers with clients who want a portal, selections and online payments, and a team big enough to use estimating, scheduling and change orders every week. Unlimited users make it fairer than per-user tools once you have five or more people logging in.
Poor fit:
- Trade contractors and subs who mainly need daily reports, photos and delay records for a GC.
- Very small crews who would use 10% of the platform.
- Commercial work where the GC's own system or a dedicated daily-report record matters more than a homeowner portal.
Buildertrend alternatives
| Tool | Model | Entry price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JobTread | Base fee + per user | ~$159–$199/mo plus $18–$20 per extra user (pricing guide) | Remodelers who want estimating and job costing for less |
| Contractor Foreman | Tiered by user count | From $49/mo, 1 user (pricing guide) | Budget all-in-one for small GCs |
| Daily Site Log | Flat per company | $0 (1 project) · $19/mo Pro · $79/mo Business (5 seats) | Crews that need daily logs, stamped photos, delay records and sealed PDFs |
| Procore | Annual licence on construction volume | Thousands a year and up (pricing guide) | Larger commercial GCs |
What Daily Site Log does, in plain terms: the supervisor talks through the day and the report fills itself in; photos are stamped with time and GPS; each delay is logged with the party responsible; and each submitted report is sealed so the client can check it was not edited. What it does not do: estimates, selections, scheduling or invoicing. If you need those, Buildertrend or JobTread is the right category.
Questions to ask in the demo
- Which plan includes the features you showed me, and what does it cost month to month and annually?
- Is onboarding included, and what does it cover?
- What are the card and ACH fees on client payments?
- What will the renewal price be in year two?
- How do we export all our data, including photos and daily logs, if we leave?
Prices change, and Buildertrend's quote is the only authoritative number. Figures here are third-party reports as of October 2026, labelled with their sources.
Sources
- Contractor Tool Stack — Buildertrend review 2026
- Downtobid — Buildertrend pricing in 2026
- Costbench — Buildertrend pricing 2026
- ContractorRanks — Buildertrend pricing
Frequently asked questions
Does Buildertrend have a free trial?
No free plan is offered. Reviews mention a discounted first month on some plans and a 30-day money-back period instead of a free trial. Ask sales for the current offer in writing.
Is Buildertrend priced per user?
No. All three plans include unlimited users and projects, which is one of its real advantages over per-user tools once you have a larger team.
Is Buildertrend cheaper on an annual plan?
Yes. Sources report roughly 25–35% off the month-to-month price when you prepay annually, for example about $339 instead of $499 a month on Essential. Annual plans also reportedly include onboarding help that costs extra month to month.
Is Buildertrend or JobTread cheaper?
For a small team, JobTread usually is: about $199 a month plus $20 per extra user on monthly billing in 2026. Buildertrend's unlimited users start paying off as the team grows. See our JobTread pricing guide.
What is a cheaper alternative to Buildertrend for daily logs?
If the daily log, photos and a client-ready report are what you need, a dedicated tool is far cheaper. Daily Site Log is free for one project, $19 a month for Pro and $79 a month for Business with five seats. It does not do estimating, selections or invoicing, which are Buildertrend's strengths.