Buildertrend vs. CoConstruct: What Changed After the Acquisition
TLDR
CoConstruct no longer exists as a separate product — Buildertrend acquired it in 2021 and merged it by 2022. Anyone evaluating Buildertrend vs. CoConstruct is now comparing Buildertrend to its own predecessor. For specialty trade subs, neither the original CoConstruct nor Buildertrend was built for subcontractor job costing.
| Feature | Buildertrend | CoConstruct (historical) | MarginLock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost (small team) | $499+/month | ~$299–$499/month (historical — no longer available) | $20–$99/mo |
| Built for | Large operations | Generalist | $1M-$20M subcontractors |
| Factor | Buildertrend (Current) | CoConstruct (Historical) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Retired — merged into Buildertrend |
| Pricing | $499+/mo | ~$299–$499/mo |
| Built for | GCs and residential builders | Custom home builders and small GCs |
| Job costing depth | Basic budget tracking | Basic budgeting |
| Current availability | Yes | No |
Source: Published pricing pages, 2026
PROS & CONS
Buildertrend
Pros
- Active product with ongoing development
- Absorbed CoConstruct's best features
- Larger ecosystem and integrations
Cons
- Higher price than original CoConstruct
- GC/residential design — sub job costing secondary
PROS & CONS
CoConstruct (historical)
Pros
- Simpler interface
- Lower price point when available
Cons
- No longer available — retired 2022
- Never strong for specialty sub job costing
The Acquisition and What It Means for This Comparison
Buildertrend acquired CoConstruct in January 2021. By 2022, CoConstruct had been retired as a standalone product and its customers were migrated to Buildertrend.
If you’re searching for “Buildertrend vs. CoConstruct,” you’re doing a comparison that no longer exists in any practical sense. CoConstruct is Buildertrend now. The question is whether Buildertrend fits your operation — not which of the two to pick.
The search is common because CoConstruct had a loyal following, particularly among custom home builders who appreciated its simpler interface and client selection management tools. Those users either made the transition to Buildertrend or went looking for alternatives.
What Buildertrend Inherited from CoConstruct
Buildertrend absorbed the core CoConstruct capabilities: client communication portals, budget tracking, scheduling, and the selection and allowance management that custom builders relied on.
The main difference former CoConstruct users noticed was interface complexity. CoConstruct had a reputation for a cleaner, easier-to-navigate UI. Buildertrend’s interface is more feature-dense and has been consistently criticized for slow load times and a steeper learning curve. The underlying capabilities are there, but the experience of getting to them is different.
Pricing also shifted. CoConstruct ran at $299-$499/month depending on the tier. Buildertrend starts at $499/month, and users have reported price increases of 50-65% over time.
Why Neither Tool Fits Specialty Trade Subs
Both CoConstruct and Buildertrend were designed for the same market: residential builders and general contractors managing full construction projects from the GC’s perspective.
Specialty trade subcontractors — electricians, plumbers, mechanical contractors — have a different set of problems. The core financial challenge for a sub is job costing accuracy: knowing in real time whether a job is on track to be profitable, tracking labor and materials against the original estimate, managing change orders before they erode margin, and producing WIP schedules for bonding.
CoConstruct didn’t address this. Buildertrend doesn’t either. The budget tools in both platforms are built around the GC’s view of project costs, not the sub’s need to track their own labor efficiency and margin by job phase.
For subs evaluating software, the CoConstruct vs. Buildertrend comparison is a dead end. The relevant question is which tools are built for subcontractor job costing — and neither of these is the answer.
Verdict
CoConstruct is gone. Buildertrend is the current product. For specialty trade subs evaluating tools, neither CoConstruct (historical) nor Buildertrend (current) addresses the sub-specific job costing problem. The comparison is only relevant for residential GC/custom builder use cases.
Q&A
What is the difference between Buildertrend and CoConstruct now?
There is no difference — CoConstruct was acquired by Buildertrend in 2021 and fully merged by 2022. The CoConstruct product no longer exists. Buildertrend is the current platform and the direct replacement.
When did Buildertrend buy CoConstruct?
Were CoConstruct customers moved to Buildertrend?
What should CoConstruct users look for now if Buildertrend doesn't fit?
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