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Construction · head to head

Buildertrend vs Foundation Software

Buildertrend logo

Buildertrend

Construction

Construction project management for home builders and remodelers

From
$199/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Foundation Software logo

Foundation Software

Construction

Job cost accounting and construction payroll for contractors running certified and union jobs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buildertrend pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page; Foundation Software no pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • They diverge on capability: Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Foundation Software covers Job costing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buildertrend and Foundation Software actually diverge.

Attributes where Buildertrend and Foundation Software differ
AttributeBuildertrendFoundation Software
Starting price$199/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android
Founded2006Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Construction).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Buildertrend

  • Project scheduling
  • Customer management
  • Financial tracking
  • Selections management
  • Change orders
  • QuickBooks
  • Xero
  • Zillow

Only in Foundation Software

  • Job costing
  • Certified payroll
  • Union payroll
  • AIA billing
  • Equipment costing
  • Service dispatch
  • Mobile time entry
  • Executive dashboards

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Buildertrend

  • Project scheduling and daily job site loggingnot Foundation Software
  • Homeowner and contractor payment processingnot Foundation Software
  • Material takeoff and budget managementnot Foundation Software
  • Change order tracking and approval workflownot Foundation Software

Foundation Software

  • A union electrical or mechanical contractor whose payroll spans several trades and fringe schedules in the same weeknot Buildertrend
  • A general contractor bidding federally funded work that requires weekly certified payroll filingsnot Buildertrend
  • A contractor whose QuickBooks file has outgrown job costing and who is reconciling work in progress in spreadsheetsnot Buildertrend
  • A firm with owned plant that needs equipment hours costed back to jobs to see true contract marginnot Buildertrend

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Buildertrend

  • Pricing is by quote only, with no rate, plan name or minimum published on the pricing page
  • Getting a price requires completing a multi-step form declaring builder type and annual construction volume, then booking a call with a sales representative
  • The only published discount is 10% off for paying annually upfront

Foundation Software

  • No pricing is published anywhere, so shortlisting requires sitting through a sales process before you know whether the product is within budget at all.
  • Implementation, data conversion and training are billed separately from the licence and routinely run into five figures, which buyers comparing monthly software subscriptions do not budget for.
  • The payroll compliance engine is built for United States federal and state law, so the product has essentially no value to contractors outside the US.
  • The interface is a long-lived Windows-style application, and staff hired from cloud-native tools find it slow to learn compared with Buildertrend or Procore.
  • Project management, document control and field collaboration are weaker than the dedicated construction platforms, so most sites end up running Foundation for money and something else for the job, and paying twice.

Pricing, plan by plan

Buildertrend

$199/month
  • Essential$499/month
    • Unlimited projects and users
    • Schedule, to-do lists, customer portal
    • Proposals and email marketing
  • Advanced$799/month
    • All Essential features
    • Advanced estimating and change orders
    • Takeoff tool for materials
  • Complete$1099/month
    • All Advanced features
    • Selections and warranty management
    • RFI and cost inbox features
  • Buildertrend Boost$100/month
    • Dedicated setup and account managers
    • Customized onboarding and configuration
    • Personalized coaching and strategic reviews

Foundation Software

On request
  • FOUNDATION$undefined/year
    • Modular licensing, priced by modules and user count
    • Cloud hosted or installed on your own server
    • Separate one-off implementation, data conversion and training fee

Which should you pick?

Choose Buildertrend if

  • You need project scheduling.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want customer management.
Buildertrend review

Choose Foundation Software if

  • You need job costing.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want certified payroll.
Foundation Software review

Questions people ask

Is Buildertrend or Foundation Software better?
Neither clearly leads. Buildertrend starts at $199/month and Foundation Software at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buildertrend or Foundation Software?
Buildertrend starts at $199/month and Foundation Software at On request.
Does Buildertrend or Foundation Software run on more platforms?
Buildertrend runs on Web, Ios, Android. Foundation Software runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Buildertrend best used for?
Buildertrend is most often used for project scheduling and daily job site logging, homeowner and contractor payment processing, material takeoff and budget management, change order tracking and approval workflow. Of those, project scheduling and daily job site logging and homeowner and contractor payment processing are not what Foundation Software is typically brought in for.
What can Buildertrend do that Foundation Software cannot?
Buildertrend covers Project scheduling, Customer management, Financial tracking, Selections management. Foundation Software covers Job costing, Certified payroll, Union payroll, AIA billing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Buildertrend: What are Buildertrend's monthly subscription prices?

Buildertrend offers three plans: Essential at $499/month, Advanced at $799/month, and Complete at $1,099/month. All include first-month discounts of $300, reducing starting costs to $199, $499, and $799 respectively.

Source
Foundation Software: How much does Foundation Software cost?

The vendor publishes no rates. Pricing is assembled per contractor from module selection and user count, with a separate implementation fee, and is only given after a discovery call.

Buildertrend: What is Buildertrend Boost and does it cost extra?

Buildertrend Boost is an optional add-on program costing $100 per month. It includes dedicated account managers, customized setup, personalized coaching, and strategic business reviews to help you maximize the platform.

Source
Foundation Software: Does it replace Procore?

No. Foundation is the accounting and payroll system; Procore is project management. They integrate, and many contractors run both.

Buildertrend: Does Buildertrend offer discounts for annual billing?

Yes, Buildertrend offers annual pricing discounts. For example, the Essential plan saves $1,799 per year, Advanced saves $2,159 per year, and Complete saves $2,519 per year when billed annually versus monthly.

Source
Foundation Software: Can it handle certified payroll for multiple states?

Yes, it produces state-specific certified payroll formats as well as the federal WH-347, which is the main reason multi-state contractors buy it.

Buildertrend: Are there unlimited users and projects included?

Yes, all Buildertrend plans include unlimited projects and users, allowing you to add employees, subcontractors, and clients at no additional cost per user.

Source
Foundation Software: Is there a cloud version?

Yes, it is offered hosted as well as on-premise, but the hosted version is the same application delivered remotely rather than a rebuilt browser product.

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