Buildertrend

The construction industry is in the middle of a quiet transformation and the numbers tell the story. Our 2026 data shows that the best residential builders aren't just building better homes, they're running smarter businesses: 86% integrate estimating with job costing 80% track daily job site progress digitally 79% monitor financial KPIs in real time These aren't cutting-edge tactics anymore, they're the new baseline. Meanwhile, the pressure on the industry has never been more real: a shortage of roughly 1.5 million homes, a need for 723,000 new workers every year and project timelines stretching nearly two months longer on average. The builders who are winning aren't working harder. They're operating differently with connected systems, real-time visibility and financial discipline that turns data into decisions. The gap between those who adapt and those who don't is widening. 👇 Drop your biggest operational challenge below, we'd love to hear how your team is navigating this market.

AI adoption among residential builders nearly doubled in 12 months, jumping from 38% to 67%. That's one of the standout findings from The Association of Professional Builders 2026 State of Residential Construction Industry report, and it signals a shift that every builder needs to pay attention to. A year ago most builders weren't using AI. Now two thirds are and the ones who aren't are already falling behind. The growth wasn't gradual. It was a near doubling in a single year. And it's not just being used for marketing anymore. Client communication use tripled. Internal communication use more than tripled. Builders aren't experimenting with AI. They're integrating it into daily operations across multiple functions. The report puts it plainly: AI is no longer a tool for early adopters. It's becoming a foundational competitive requirement. The builders using it systematically for client communication, marketing and project documentation are creating a visibility and efficiency gap that compounds every month. The ones waiting to see how it plays out are already a year behind. The full 2026 SORCI report covers AI adoption alongside data on sales systems, financial literacy, marketing investment, project delivery and more across thousands of builders in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Download it free here: https://hubs.ly/Q041sTr-0

A better building experience doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built with intention. For CopeGrand Homes, that meant moving away from scattered systems and creating a single source of truth across every project. The result is clearer communication, stronger relationships and a more consistent build process from start to finish. Better processes. Better communication. Better builds. That’s the difference Buildertrend makes.

We're kicking off our Train with a Builder series: Better Data, Better Outcomes featuring Amie Osment, Operations Manager at CopeGrand Homes. Amie isn't just familiar with Buildertrend, she's in it every single day managing her team and keeping projects moving. She's sharing the exact practices she uses to minimize errors, track down the ones that already exist and get her whole team working from the same playbook. Session 1: Setting Up for Success | Wednesday, May 6 @ 12 PM CT Session 2: Budget Validity | Monday, May 11 @ 12 PM CT Session 3: Role Expectations | Wednesday, May 13 @ 12 PM CT If you're the one keeping things running behind the scenes, this one's for you. 🔗 Register now: https://btrnd.co/4tYgHxa

HIGHLIGHT: Buildertrend Onsite | ICG Homes - https://icghomes.com 🏗️ Inside ICG Homes: Building the Future of Raleigh Just wrapped an incredible two-day onsite with the ICG Homes team in Raleigh, and the energy was infectious. It’s rare to find a group that balances high-level vision with the "boots on the ground" grit required for true excellence. Here are my top takeaways: * **Raw Passion:** This isn’t just about square footage. Ryan (owner) and team is genuinely obsessed with the craft of custom building, and it shows in every detail of their projects...presale, sticks to bricks, and closing. * **Momentum & Excitement:** There is a palpable buzz in the office. Whether it’s the next St. Jude Dream Home or new community launches, ICG is leaning into the future with serious "Day 1" energy. * **Process-Driven Growth:** What impressed me most was the commitment to the "how." They aren't just building homes; they are building a scalable, world-class process with Buildertrend to ensure quality remains untouchable as they expand. 48 to 60 people move to the Raleigh metro EVERYDAY and ICG Homes is ready! **The Bottom Line:** ICG Homes has the heart of a custom builder and the systems of a market leader. Big things are coming for this team in the Triangle! 🚀 Thank you Ryan, Bessie, Joe, Mike, Don, Randall, Stacey, Parker, Karen, Will, and Darin for hosting us the past 2 days! Shout-out to Michael Ebeling for your support on this trip, true leadership! #RaleighRealEstate #CustomHomeBuilder #buildertrend #ConstructionManagementSoftware

Buildertrend just dropped its 2026 Residential Playbook. Today's top builders are running data-driven businesses. 80% of builders now track daily jobsite progress digitally 91% track job costs in real time 66% use dashboards to monitor overall business health But here's the honest truth buried in the report: only 5% of builders consistently hit their target margins within 1%. Financial visibility is improving but profitability is still hard. As Buildertrend CEO Dan Houghton put it: "When builders fully lean into technology, it changes how they run their business. They get tighter control over their finances and are in a much better position to handle whatever the market throws at them." The builders winning in 2026 aren't winging it. They're running connected platforms, tracking KPIs and treating construction like the complex business it is. Read the full report: https://btrnd.co/4trbJZS

Top builders aren't just reacting to tradeoffs anymore. They're managing them proactively before they become problems on the jobsite, and the ones pulling ahead? They're using data, systems and the right technology to do it. We're breaking down: ✅ Why the Iron Triangle still shapes every build decision ✅ How leading builders use real-time cost, schedule and quality visibility to stay ahead ✅ Real-world scenarios for builders at every stage of growth As Tyler Farrell of Killowen Construction puts it: "By trying to take everything out of my mind and putting it into a system that my people can relate to and operate well in was really important in helping me scale." The builders who win aren't the ones who avoid tradeoffs. They're the ones who manage them better than everyone else. 👇 See how the best in the business are doing it.

The most successful builders aren't the busiest ones. They're the most structured ones. New data from the 2026 State of Residential Construction Industry Report makes this impossible to ignore: Non-systemized builders cap out at $2.3M in annual revenue. Systemized builders reach a median of $3.9M. That gap isn't about skill or work ethic. It's about whether your business can perform without you at the center of every decision. Documented workflows protect margin. Defined handoffs protect schedules. And projects delivered on time finish on budget 76.7% of the time compared to just 51.9% for late projects. The builders winning in 2026 aren't working harder. They've built systems that make the right outcome the default. Structure isn't bureaucracy. It's leverage. Read the full breakdown here: https://btrnd.co/3Oh8oxm

Most construction projects don't fail during the build. They fail before the first shovel hits the ground. Inaccurate estimates are the silent margin killer in residential construction. By the time a builder realizes the numbers were off, they're already managing change orders, uncomfortable client conversations and a schedule that was never realistic to begin with. Here's the reality of today's market: → Material prices shift faster than static spreadsheets can keep up → Labor shortages make historical cost assumptions unreliable → Homeowners expect transparency from day one, not surprises mid-project → Higher interest rates mean there's simply less margin to absorb mistakes The builders who are winning aren't just estimating faster. They're estimating smarter with systems that connect the estimate to every downstream workflow: budgets, schedules, purchase orders, change orders and invoicing. When your estimate is the single source of truth for the entire project, something changes. You stop reacting to budget problems and start preventing them. The first step to a profitable build isn't breaking ground. It's getting the numbers right before you do. How is your team approaching estimating accuracy in 2026?