Buildxact

Buildxact is cloud-based construction estimating and management software for residential builders, available on Android, iOS, and the web. Builders can upload PDF plans, create digital takeoffs, and prepare job estimates. The platform connects builders with dealers for real-time material pricing and quote requests, and includes bid management, scheduling, cost tracking, site management, invoicing, field reporting, project financials, and customer communication.

Its AI assistant, Blu, supports estimating, takeoffs, estimate review, and assembly assistance. Some Blu functions are paid add-ons, depending on the plan. Accounting integrations include Xero, MYOB AccountRight, and QuickBooks Online, excluding Simple Start. Buildxact Onsite lets crews view and update job information on mobile devices; syncing jobs and the site diary requires a Pro or Teams plan.

The free Go plan includes five complimentary credits, AI estimating, professional proposals, and Home Depot material ordering. Paid plans start at $169 a month, billed annually with a 12-month commitment. Buildxact says customer data is held in Microsoft Azure, encrypted in transit and at rest, and protected by access controls and automated backups. It identifies Austin, Texas, as its North American headquarters and says it was founded in 2011.

Buildxact suits residential builders who want estimating, takeoffs, dealer pricing, and project management in one platform. It may also suit crews who need to view and update job information through a mobile app, provided their plan supports the required syncing.

Go includes five complimentary credits. Annual paid plans require a 12-month commitment; syncing jobs and the site diary through Onsite requires Pro or Teams, and some Blu functions are add-ons.

Choose Buildxact if your residential building work needs estimates, dealer pricing, and project management together. The free Go plan offers a way to start, while Foundation begins at $169 a month billed annually. Look elsewhere if you need Onsite job and site diary syncing without a Pro or Teams plan.

Buildxact is cloud-based estimating and project-management software for residential builders. It suits teams that want to move from PDF takeoffs and dealer pricing into job coordination in one system. Its strongest case is that connected workflow; the trade-off is a 12-month commitment for paid annual plans, and Onsite job syncing starts at Pro.

Overview

Buildxact links estimating to active residential jobs: users can upload PDF plans, create digital takeoffs, prepare estimates and access dealer material pricing or request quotes. Scheduling, cost tracking, site management, invoicing and customer communication carry that work forward. This breadth is useful for builders who want fewer separate systems, but less compelling if the need is only estimating or takeoffs.

Key features

Estimating and dealer pricing

Digital takeoffs from uploaded plans give builders a way to build job estimates, while dealer connections bring real-time material pricing and quote requests into the workflow. That combination is practical for costing residential work; Go’s five complimentary credits, however, make it a short runway for regular estimating rather than a lasting free setup.

Project coordination and Blu

Scheduling, cost tracking, site management, invoicing and customer communication support work after the estimate. Buildxact also includes bid management, field reporting and project financials, making it a better fit for builders coordinating whole jobs than for someone buying a standalone takeoff tool.

Blu provides AI assistance for estimating, takeoffs, estimate review and assembly. Plan placement matters: Foundation includes Assembly Assistant, while its Estimate Generator is a +$99 a month add-on. Pro includes Estimate Generator; Takeoff Assistant and Estimate Reviewer are add-ons there at +$99 a month and +$149 a month, respectively. Master includes all three Blu tools. Buyers should compare the included tools with the add-on cost rather than assume every AI function comes with every paid plan.

Integrations, mobile and security

Accounting integrations include Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB AccountRight. QuickBooks support is for online versions and excludes Simple Start, a meaningful restriction for businesses on that edition. Buildxact Onsite is available on Android and iOS for crews to view and update job information, but syncing jobs and the site diary requires Pro or Teams; Foundation therefore does not deliver that mobile workflow.

Buildxact says customer data is stored in Microsoft Azure, encrypted in transit and at rest, with access controls and automated backups. Its security monitoring and compliance includes standards such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Support is included with subscriptions, alongside training, webinars, a knowledge base and one-to-one consultation.

Pricing

Buildxact uses a freemium model, with paid plans billed annually and a 12-month commitment. A 14-day trial is also offered. The free Go plan costs nothing and includes five complimentary credits, AI estimating, professional proposals and Home Depot material ordering. It is a low-risk starting point, but the credit cap limits its usefulness for ongoing work.

Foundation costs $169 a month (billed annually at $2,030; annual plans require a 12-month commitment). It includes unlimited users, lead management, digital takeoffs, Blu Assembly Assistant, purchase orders, training and support. The Blu Estimate Generator costs an additional +$99 a month. Foundation is the entry paid tier for builders needing estimating and purchasing tools, but it omits job management, schedules and Onsite syncing.

Pro costs $339 a month (billed annually at $4,070; annual plans require a 12-month commitment). It includes everything in Foundation, plus Blu Estimate Generator, job management, schedules and Onsite mobile app. Blu Takeoff Assistant is +$99 a month and Blu Estimate Reviewer is +$149 a month. This is the more suitable tier when active job coordination and mobile access matter.

Master costs $509 a month (billed annually at $6,110; annual plans require a 12-month commitment). It includes everything in Pro, Blu Takeoff Assistant, Blu Estimate Reviewer, user access controls and priority customer support. It fits teams that need those additional controls and support, while smaller operations may not need to move beyond Pro.

Platforms

Buildxact is available on web, Android and iOS. Its Onsite app extends job information to mobile devices, subject to the Pro or Teams requirement for job and site-diary syncing.

Who it's for

Buildxact is best suited to residential builders who want estimates, dealer material pricing and project management connected, and who can justify an annual subscription. Foundation fits estimating and purchasing needs; Pro is the practical choice for teams that need schedules, job management and mobile syncing. A one-person operation seeking only occasional takeoffs, or a crew that needs Onsite syncing without moving to Pro or Teams, should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pro: PDF takeoffs, dealer pricing and quote requests connect estimating to material costs.
• Pro: Scheduling, cost tracking, invoicing and customer communication carry the system into active jobs.
• Pro: Unlimited users on Foundation and above avoid a per-seat limit in those plans.
• Con: Paid annual plans require a 12-month commitment, so the monthly price is not a month-to-month option.
• Con: Go’s five credits constrain recurring free use, and Foundation does not include job management or schedules.
• Con: Onsite job and site-diary syncing requires Pro or Teams; some Blu tools also add monthly charges below Master.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Painting and construction estimating software or Remodeling contractor software.

Choose OpenConstructionERP if you want a free, self-hosted platform with 120,000+ cost items and 190+ modules. Bidwright is another free option, with desktop and Docker self-hosted plans; its desktop AI is disabled until you add your own key.

eTakeoff is worth considering when Windows-based takeoff is the priority: it has a free viewer and an Advanced plan at $795 a year per user. STACK offers a free web and mobile plan capped at one active project per month, 300 plan pages, 50 measurements per project and one viewer seat, which may suit a small, tightly limited workflow.

Trimble Quadri is an alternative when a free, read-only model viewer for viewing, commenting and measuring distances and areas is the need. Trimble Viewpoint Vista is another construction-software option, with cloud-hosted and on-premises deployments and pricing by contacting sales.

Clear Estimates may suit users focused on estimates and customers: its annual Standard plan is $59 a month for unlimited estimates and customers with one login. ConEst IntelliBid is an alternative to consider for estimating, with pricing dependent on edition and number of users and supplier pricing services licensed separately.

Verdict

Choose Buildxact if you are a residential builder who wants estimating, dealer pricing and project coordination under one subscription, and the annual commitment fits your operation. The connected path from takeoff to scheduling is its main advantage. Look elsewhere if you need only takeoffs, cannot commit for a year, or require Onsite job and site-diary syncing without a Pro or Teams plan.