Switch From Buildertrend to Projul: Full Guide

Switching construction management software feels like a big deal. You’ve got years of project data in BuilderTrend, your team sort of knows how to use it, and the thought of starting over sounds painful. We get it.

But if you’re here, something isn’t working. Maybe your bill keeps climbing every renewal. Maybe half your crew stopped using the app because it’s too complicated. Maybe you’re paying for features you’ve never opened.

You’re not the first contractor to make this switch. Here’s exactly what it looks like, what to expect, and how to do it without losing your mind.

Why Contractors Leave BuilderTrend

BuilderTrend is a big platform with a long feature list. For some companies, that’s exactly what they need. But for a lot of contractors, the reality doesn’t match the sales pitch.

The pricing gets expensive fast. BuilderTrend starts around $499/mo for their base plan. That’s before onboarding fees ($400 to $1,500) and before your bill scales up as you add users and features. A lot of contractors end up paying $700 to $1,000+ per month and still feel like they’re not getting full value.

Too many features, not enough focus. BuilderTrend tries to be everything for everyone. That means there are dozens of features packed into the platform, and most contractors use maybe 30% of them. The rest just adds clutter and makes the software harder to learn.

The mobile app frustrates field crews. Construction happens on job sites, not at desks. BuilderTrend’s mobile app gets consistent complaints about crashes, slow load times, and a confusing interface. If your foremen and subs won’t use the app, you’re paying for software that only the office uses.

Onboarding takes too long. Getting a full team trained on BuilderTrend takes weeks. For a busy contractor running multiple jobs, that’s weeks of reduced productivity and frustrated employees. And if someone new joins the team, the training cycle starts again.

Getting your data out is hard. This is the one that really stings. BuilderTrend doesn’t offer a simple bulk export. If you want to leave, you’re looking at manually downloading files, photos, and project records one by one. That lock-in effect keeps some contractors stuck longer than they want to be.

None of this means BuilderTrend is a bad product. It works well for large production home builders who use the full feature set. But if you’re a residential contractor, remodeler, or specialty trade running 5 to 50 jobs a year, there’s a good chance you’re overpaying for complexity you don’t need.

What’s Different About Projul

Projul was built by Kurt Clayson, a former general contractor who used BuilderTrend on his own projects and found it overcomplicated for how his team actually worked. So he built something different.

Here’s how the two compare on the things that matter most:

Pricing

• BuilderTrend: Starts around $499/mo, scales up with users and features, plus onboarding fees of $400 to $1,500
• Projul: Core at $4,788/year, Core+ at $7,188/year, Pro at $14,388/year. Annual billing. No per-user fees on any plan. No onboarding fees.

The big difference: Projul’s pricing is flat. Add your entire crew, your office staff, your subs who need read-only access. The price doesn’t change. With BuilderTrend, every new person who needs access can push your bill higher. See full pricing details.

Ease of use

• BuilderTrend: Weeks of training to get your team comfortable. Heavy interface with features most contractors never touch.
• Projul: Most teams are up and running in a day or two. The interface focuses on what contractors actually use daily.

Mobile experience

• BuilderTrend: Frequent complaints about crashes, slow loading, and confusing navigation on the mobile app
• Projul: Native mobile app built specifically for field crews. Clock in, check the schedule, pull up plans, snap photos, submit daily logs. Your guys figure it out without a training session.

Estimating

• BuilderTrend: Has estimating tools, but they’re buried in a complex interface
• Projul: Estimating is a core feature with templates that speed up bid creation

Scheduling

• BuilderTrend: Solid scheduling, but part of a cluttered platform
• Projul: Clean scheduling that your foremen actually look at because it’s simple to read and update from their phone

Support

• BuilderTrend: Large support team, but response times have gotten slower based on recent user reviews
• Projul: Smaller team that includes people who’ve actually worked in construction. You talk to someone who understands your problems.

For a full side-by-side breakdown, check out our Projul vs BuilderTrend comparison page.

The Real Cost Comparison: BuilderTrend vs Projul

Let’s talk money, because that’s where BuilderTrend hurts the most.

BuilderTrend’s Essential plan starts at $499/mo for a single user. That’s right. One user. Need to add your project manager? More money. Your estimator? More money. A foreman who just needs to check the schedule? More money. Every person you add pushes your monthly bill higher.

And it doesn’t stop there. BuilderTrend raises prices every year. Contractors who signed up at one rate two years ago are now paying significantly more for the same features. There’s no loyalty discount. No price lock. Just a bigger invoice every renewal.

Here’s what that looks like for a typical 8 to 10 person team:

BuilderTrend (Essential plan, 8 users):

• Base price: $499/mo for 1 user
• Additional users: price increases with each seat
• Onboarding fee: $400 to $1,500 (one time)
• Annual price increases: expect 10 to 20% bumps
• Realistic monthly cost for a small team: $700 to $1,200+

Projul (Core plan, unlimited users):

• Flat price: $4,788/year
• Additional users: $0. Add as many as you want.
• Onboarding fee: $0
• Annual price increases: none promised or expected
• Monthly cost for a small team: $399. Period.

Over 12 months, a contractor paying $900/mo for BuilderTrend spends $10,800. That same contractor on Projul Core pays $4,788 per year. That’s over $6,000 back in your pocket. Enough to buy a new tool trailer or fund a week of payroll.

The no per-user pricing is a big deal for growing companies. With BuilderTrend, adding team members feels like a penalty. With Projul, you add people when you need them without worrying about what it does to your software bill. Your office admin, your subs who need read-only access, your spouse who handles the books. Everyone gets in. No extra charge.

Want to see the exact pricing for your team size? Check out Projul’s pricing page or schedule a demo and ask for a side-by-side cost breakdown.

Feature-by-Feature Migration Map

One of the biggest concerns contractors have when switching is: “Does Projul have what I actually use in BuilderTrend?” The answer is almost always yes. Here’s a feature-by-feature breakdown so you can see exactly where things land.

Scheduling

• BuilderTrend: Calendar-based scheduling with Gantt charts. Works fine but lives inside a cluttered interface.
• Projul: Clean, drag-and-drop scheduling that your foremen can read and update from their phone in seconds. Color-coded by crew, trade, or status.

Estimating

• BuilderTrend: Estimating tools are available but buried under multiple menus. Template system exists but takes time to set up.
• Projul: Construction-specific estimating with reusable templates, line-item detail, and the ability to send professional proposals to clients. Built for speed.

Invoicing and Payments

• BuilderTrend: Invoicing built in with payment processing. Works but can feel clunky.
• Projul: Simple invoicing tied directly to your estimates and change orders. Send invoices, collect payments, track what’s outstanding. All connected.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

• BuilderTrend: No built-in CRM. You need a separate tool to track leads and follow up with prospects.
• Projul: Built-in CRM that tracks leads from first contact to signed contract. No extra software needed. No extra cost.

Time Tracking

• BuilderTrend: Time tracking available but often requires extra steps for field crews.
• Projul: GPS-enabled time tracking with clock-in/clock-out from the mobile app. Your guys tap a button when they arrive and tap again when they leave.

Daily Logs

• BuilderTrend: Daily log feature with photo attachments.
• Projul: Daily logs with photos, notes, weather, and crew hours. Simple enough that your foreman fills it out in under two minutes.

Document Management

• BuilderTrend: File storage organized by project. Works but can get messy with large projects.
• Projul: Project-based document storage with easy upload from phone or desktop. Attach plans, permits, photos, and specs to any project.

Change Orders

• BuilderTrend: Change order tracking built in.
• Projul: Change orders tied directly to your original estimate. See the impact on your budget in real time. No spreadsheet math needed.

Client Portal

• BuilderTrend: Customer-facing portal for selections, approvals, and communication.
• Projul: Client portal where homeowners can view progress, approve change orders, and make payments. Clean and simple.

Reporting

• BuilderTrend: Reports available but the interface can feel overwhelming.
• Projul: Job costing reports, time reports, and financial summaries that show you what matters without 47 filters to set first.

The bottom line: if you’re using it in BuilderTrend, there’s a Projul equivalent. And in most cases, it’s simpler to use and faster to learn.

Common Migration Mistakes to Avoid

We’ve helped hundreds of contractors switch from other platforms. Along the way, we’ve seen the same mistakes pop up again and again. Here’s what to watch out for so your switch goes smoothly.

Mistake #1: Trying to move everything at once. This is the biggest trap. You have three years of project data in BuilderTrend, and your instinct is to move all of it. Don’t. Focus on active projects and anything you need for the next 90 days. Old closed-out jobs can stay in BuilderTrend (keep it on read-only for a month or two). You’ll save yourself days of unnecessary work.

Mistake #2: Not training the crew before go-live. Projul is simple, but you still need to show your team the basics before you flip the switch. Spend 15 minutes with your field guys. Walk them through clocking in, checking the schedule, and submitting a daily log. That’s it. If you skip this step, you’ll spend the first week answering the same questions over and over.

Mistake #3: Running both systems for too long. Some contractors keep BuilderTrend and Projul running side by side for months. That’s a mistake. Two systems means double data entry, confused team members, and two software bills. Set a hard cutoff. Two weeks of overlap is enough. After that, everything goes through Projul. Period.

Mistake #4: Rebuilding every template from scratch. You don’t need to recreate every single estimate template, email template, and workflow you had in BuilderTrend. Start with the 3 to 5 templates you use most often. Build the rest as you need them. Projul’s template system is fast, so creating new ones on the fly takes minutes, not hours.

Mistake #5: Not assigning a point person. Every successful migration has one person who owns it. That person makes sure data gets moved, the team gets trained, and questions get answered. Without a point person, the migration drags on and nobody feels responsible. Pick someone. Give them the authority to make it happen.

Mistake #6: Forgetting to download your files first. BuilderTrend does not make it easy to export your data. Before you cancel, download every document, photo, and file you might need. Once your account is closed, that data is gone. Set aside a few hours (or assign it to someone) and get your files out while you still have access.

Avoid these six mistakes and your switch will take days instead of weeks. Most of the pain contractors feel during a migration is self-inflicted. Keep it simple, move fast, and don’t look back.

Your 30-Day Switch Checklist

Here’s a week-by-week plan for switching from BuilderTrend to Projul. Follow this and you’ll be fully running on Projul in less than a month.

Week 1: Set Up and Prep

• Schedule a demo with Projul and ask your specific questions
• Choose your Projul plan and sign up (see pricing)
• Assign a migration point person on your team
• Start exporting data from BuilderTrend: contacts, active project docs, photos, estimate templates
• Download any files you want to keep (BuilderTrend won’t let you bulk export, so budget 2 to 3 hours for this)

Week 2: Build Your Foundation

• Import contacts into Projul
• Set up your top 3 to 5 estimate templates in Projul’s estimating tool
• Create your active projects in Projul with key details (name, client, address, scope)
• Set up your schedule for the next 2 to 4 weeks
• Configure your CRM pipeline for any open leads
• Invite your team to Projul and assign roles

Week 3: Go Live

• Train field crews on the mobile app (15 to 20 minutes max)
• Train office staff on estimating, scheduling, and invoicing
• Start all new projects in Projul only
• Use Projul for daily logs, time tracking, and scheduling on active jobs
• Reference BuilderTrend only for historical data on older projects
• Collect feedback from your team and address any questions

Week 4: Cut Over

• Confirm all active projects are in Projul and up to date
• Verify all critical files have been downloaded from BuilderTrend
• Downgrade or cancel your BuilderTrend subscription
• Remove BuilderTrend app from team phones (reduces confusion)
• Celebrate saving $200 to $500+ per month

By the end of Week 4, BuilderTrend is in your rearview mirror. Your team is working in one system. Your software bill is lower. And your field crews are actually using the app instead of ignoring it.

What You’ll Gain After Switching

Switching software isn’t just about escaping problems. It should actually make your business run better. Here’s what contractors tell us after moving from BuilderTrend to Projul:

Your crew actually uses the software. This is the biggest win. If your team stopped using BuilderTrend because it was too complicated, Projul changes that. When your field guys are logging time, updating schedules, and submitting daily reports from their phone, you finally get the visibility you were paying for all along.

Your monthly cost becomes predictable. No more surprises when you add a project manager or bring on a new foreman. Flat pricing means you know exactly what you’re paying every month, and you can add people without doing mental math about your software bill.

Faster estimates, more won jobs. Projul’s estimating tools let you build and send professional estimates faster. Less time on estimates means more time bidding on work. Contractors who switch often tell us they’re getting estimates out the door in half the time.

Better job costing visibility. When your time tracking, material costs, and change orders all live in one place, you can see exactly how a job is performing while it’s still in progress. Not after it’s done. Not after you’ve already lost money. While you can still do something about it.

Less time on admin, more time building. The point of construction software is to save you time, not create more work. When the software is simple enough that your team actually uses it, you spend less time chasing down updates, re-entering data, and fixing mistakes.

Want to hear it from other contractors? Check out Projul reviews.

What to Expect During the Switch

Let’s be honest about this. No software migration is completely painless. But switching from BuilderTrend to Projul is a lot simpler than you might think.

Timeline: 1 to 2 weeks for most companies. You could have Projul set up and your team using it within a day or two. The extra time is for migrating data and running both systems in parallel until you’re confident.

What transfers easily:

• Contact lists and customer information
• Active project details (names, addresses, scope notes)
• Documents and photos (manual download from BuilderTrend, upload to Projul)
• Estimate templates (rebuild in Projul, usually faster than your originals)

What doesn’t transfer directly:

• BuilderTrend doesn’t offer bulk export, so historical project data stays in BuilderTrend
• Financial history and closed-out job records (keep BuilderTrend active in read-only mode for reference)
• Custom workflows and automations (these need to be recreated)

The honest truth: You won’t move everything, and you don’t need to. Focus on active projects and go-forward data. Keep your BuilderTrend account active for 30 to 60 days so you can reference old stuff. Then cancel it.

Step-by-Step Migration Plan

Here’s a practical plan for switching. This is what we recommend based on how other contractors have done it successfully.

1. Schedule a demo with Projul. Before you commit, see the software in action. Bring your specific questions. Tell the team what you use in BuilderTrend today so they can show you exactly where those features live in Projul.

2. Pick your plan and sign up. Look at Projul’s pricing page and choose the plan that fits. Core works for smaller teams. Core+ adds more features. Pro gives you the full suite with unlimited users.

3. Export what you can from BuilderTrend. Download your contact lists, active project documents, photos, and any estimate templates you want to keep. This is the tedious part since BuilderTrend doesn’t make it easy. Focus on active and upcoming projects first. Don’t waste time on jobs you closed two years ago.

4. Set up your Projul account. The Projul onboarding team walks you through setup. Import your contacts. Create your project templates. Set up your estimate templates. This usually takes a few hours, not days.

5. Migrate active projects. Move your current projects into Projul. Enter the key details: project name, address, client info, schedule, and budget. Attach relevant documents. You don’t need to recreate the entire history. Just get enough in there so your team can pick up where they left off.

6. Get your team on board. Here’s where Projul shines. Show your field guys the mobile app. Let them poke around for 15 minutes. Most of them will figure it out on their own. For office staff, the Projul team offers quick training sessions that cover the day-to-day workflows.

7. Run both systems for one to two weeks. Keep BuilderTrend active while your team gets comfortable with Projul. Use Projul for all new work. Reference BuilderTrend only when you need historical info.

8. Cancel BuilderTrend. Once your team is running smoothly on Projul (usually within two weeks), downgrade or cancel your BuilderTrend subscription. Make sure you’ve downloaded anything you need before you do.

Frequently Asked Questions

The FAQ section above covers the four most common questions contractors ask about this switch. If you have specific questions about your situation, the fastest way to get answers is to schedule a demo and talk to someone who’s helped dozens of contractors make this exact move.

Ready to Make the Switch?

If BuilderTrend has been costing you more than it’s worth, or if your crew gave up on it months ago, switching to Projul is simpler than you think. Flat pricing, a mobile app your guys will actually use, and software built by someone who’s been in your boots.

Schedule a free demo and see why contractors are making the switch.