Comparisons

7 Best CoConstruct Alternatives for Builders in 2026 (After the Buildertrend Move)

November 3, 202612 min readBy the Ardovia team

CoConstruct was acquired by Buildertrend in 2021, and its customers are now being moved to Buildertrend; CoConstruct's migration page says projects can be added only through March 31, 2027. The best CoConstruct alternative for design-build and specialty contractors is Ardovia, whose reusable selections feed formula-driven pricing and re-priced change orders. Buildertrend is the default path, JobTread suits budget-first builders, Houzz Pro suits design-led remodelers, Projul offers flat team pricing, Contractor Foreman has the lowest entry price, and Builder Prime is strongest at sales follow-up.

What happened to CoConstruct?

Buildertrend acquired CoConstruct, announced on February 24, 2021. At the time, CoConstruct's announcement said there were no plans to shut down either product.

That has changed. As of November 2026, CoConstruct's homepage says its transition to Buildertrend is entering its final phase and points new prospects to a Buildertrend demo. Its migration page says existing customers keep working in CoConstruct for about three months while they set up Buildertrend, then start new projects in Buildertrend. Projects can still be added through March 31, 2027. CoConstruct says no project data will be lost and historical projects stay viewable.

So every CoConstruct customer is making a software decision before that date. Moving to Buildertrend is the default. This guide covers the other options.

What CoConstruct users should look for

Custom builders and remodelers chose CoConstruct largely for selections and estimating working together. Choices flowed into the price, and the price flowed into the budget. Any replacement should keep that link.

Test four things: how selections are built and reused, whether a choice changes the price automatically, how allowances are handled, and how a change after signing becomes a change order.

How we evaluated these options

Disclosure: Ardovia publishes this page, and Ardovia is ranked first. We think it's the strongest fit for the builders described below, and we explain why, including where it falls short. Every competitor fact comes from that company's own website, checked in November 2026. Where a vendor's site doesn't state something, we say so rather than guess.

We compared selections, estimating depth, change orders, client-facing tools, starting price, how users are counted, and trial terms. Each option gets a "best for" label.

CoConstruct alternatives at a glance

Software	Best for	Starting price	Selections	Free trial
Ardovia	Best overall for design-build and specialty contractors	$249/month (1 user); Team $399/month (one location)	Yes - reusable, priced by formulas	14 days, cancel anytime
Buildertrend	CoConstruct's official migration path	Custom quote; not listed on its pricing page	Yes - tied to allowances, approved in client portal	No; demos instead, per its FAQ
JobTread	Budget-first residential builders	$199/month	Yes - selections and allowances	No; 30-day money-back on monthly
Houzz Pro	Design-led remodelers	$199/month (Pro, 1 user)	Yes - on Pro	30 days, then annual subscription
Projul	Flat team pricing	$199/month billed annually (Starter)	Yes - on Pro ($1,199/month annually)	Not listed on its pricing page
Contractor Foreman	Lowest entry price	$49/month billed annually	Not listed on its plans page	30 days
Builder Prime	Sales-heavy home improvement	$300/month platform fee plus seats	Not listed on its pricing page	Not listed on its pricing page

Competitor details checked November 2026 from their public websites; plans change — confirm on each vendor's pricing page: Buildertrend, JobTread, Houzz Pro, Projul, Contractor Foreman, Builder Prime. CoConstruct dates are from CoConstruct's migration page.

1. Ardovia — best overall for design-build and specialty contractors

Ardovia is construction management software for contractors whose jobs are priced from measurements and options and built in phases: custom builders, remodelers, outdoor living and hardscape, and pool builder software buyers. It runs in the browser and on iPhone and Android.

For a CoConstruct user, the important part is how selections and pricing connect. In Ardovia they're the same system.

Ardovia · Selections

Selections that price the job, not just record a choice

A selection is a reusable dropdown list you build once and use across every pricing template. A products selection maps each option to a catalog item with its own cost and price; a custom selection holds text values.

Each option can carry data fields, like coverage per box or gallons per minute. Your formulas read those values, so picking a different tile or pump changes quantities and prices everywhere they're used.

Optional price adjustments and descriptions on each option
An explicit None option that prices nothing but still counts as an answer
Selections can require final approval before the job starts
Sold jobs keep their own copy of the options they were sold with

Pricing / Templates / Gunite Pool

Pool StructureSection

Gunite ShellObject

InputsCalculatedProductsOutput

Pool Length{poolLength}Number

Pool Width{poolWidth}Number

Shell Finish{finish}Selection

Gunite · qtyround(area / 9, 2)

Ardovia · Estimating

Base packages with upgrades and downgrades

Package objects show a base configuration as Included. When the homeowner picks something other than the base option, the difference shows as an upgrade or downgrade in an Enhancements section, priced against the baseline.

Allowances are pass-through: they're added to the customer's total but kept out of cost, margin, and profit, so your margins stay honest. A comparison sheet can also put your price beside a competitor's quote.

Proposals / Builder · Bell Residence

Gunite Pool Package

Template · 3 sections

Live pricing

Pool Package

Gunite Shell — 16′ × 32′

Structure

$28,500

Tile & Coping — Travertine

Finishes

$6,800

Equipment — Pentair IntelliFlo

Equipment

$9,200

Landscaping

Pass-through

Allowance

$5,000

Spring Promo

Discount

−$2,000

Project Total$84,900

Ardovia · Change orders

Changes after signing are re-priced for you

When a homeowner changes a selection mid-build, edit the job's specifications. Ardovia re-prices the change order from the template the job was sold with and creates one change order for signature.

The contract total, draws, job materials, and estimates vs actuals all follow. The job's construction schedule then runs each phase, inspection, and draw request on its own.

Selection change · Waterline Tile

Waterline Tile

Was — Standard Ceramic$3,150

62 sq ft × $50.80

Now — Glass Mosaic$5,000

62 sq ft × $80.65

Re-priced by the template engine — conditions, formulas, unit cost & multiplier

Added to change order+$1,850

Ardovia pricing and tradeoffs

Pricing is published. The Single User plan is $249 per month, or $199 billed annually. The Team plan is $399 per month for one location with 5 users included and $20 for each additional user. Enterprise is $499 per location per month and Franchise is $549. Every feature is in every plan, and there's a 14-day free trial. See the plans page.

Every plan also includes a permits module, call tracking, training courses, a dispatch board, a sales leaderboard, daily logs, warranty, purchase orders with Heritage distributor ordering, and two-way QuickBooks Online sync. If your pricing lives in a spreadsheet, a Price Book Import wizard can build a draft template from it for you to review.

Know the tradeoffs. This matters for CoConstruct users: Ardovia has no customer portal and no vendor or subcontractor portal. Homeowners don't log in to make selections online; your team records choices, and customers get documents by email and sign electronically by link. Online payments through Bill.com and text messaging are coming soon, not live.

Read the full Ardovia vs Buildertrend comparison.

2. Buildertrend — CoConstruct's official migration path

Buildertrend is where CoConstruct is sending its customers, and its migration page promises account-manager onboarding and training during the move. That makes it the lowest-effort switch.

Its help center describes selections as options tied to allowances. Clients approve or decline options with an e-signature in Buildertrend's client portal, and approved options update the allowance and the job costing budget.

Pricing is a custom quote. Buildertrend says the price depends on builder type, annual revenue, and business needs, and that unlimited users are included. Its FAQ says it offers personalized demos rather than a free trial.

Consider it if you want the supported migration and a client portal where homeowners pick selections. See our Buildertrend alternatives guide if you're unsure.

3. JobTread — best for budget-first residential builders

JobTread centers on the job budget. Its features page lists selections and allowances, estimating with a cost catalog, formula-based takeoff, change orders, customer portals, and QuickBooks Online.

Its pricing page lists $199 per month with one internal user. Additional users are $20 each for users 2 through 10, then $15, $10, and $5 at higher tiers. Annual billing saves 20%. Customer, vendor, and subcontractor portal users are free. There's no free trial, but monthly plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Consider it if you want selections, a customer portal, and sub access close to how CoConstruct worked. See Ardovia vs JobTread.

4. Houzz Pro — best for design-led remodelers

Houzz Pro combines business tools with design tools. Its Pro plan lists estimates, invoices and online payments, takeoffs, 3D floor plans, selections, bid management, and budget management.

Pro is $199 per month with one user, and additional users are $50 each. Teams starts at $399 per month with 5 users, and Enterprise is priced by sales. Its FAQ describes a 30-day free trial followed by an annual subscription. Advertising is sold separately from $499 per month.

Consider it if design presentation and 3D floor plans matter as much as project management.

5. Projul — best for flat-rate team pricing

Projul lists estimates and change orders, crew scheduling, a CRM, job costing, payments, a client portal, QuickBooks, and selections that let clients pick finishes online.

Billed annually, Starter is $199 per month for up to 3 users, Core is $399 for up to 10, Core+ is $599 for up to 20, and Pro is $1,199 for unlimited users. The client portal starts on Core+, and selections are listed on Pro.

Consider it if you want online client selections and a bill that doesn't change with every hire, and the Pro plan fits your budget.

6. Contractor Foreman — best for the lowest entry price

Contractor Foreman lists a wide module set, including estimates, scheduling, daily logs, permits, and a client portal where clients approve estimates and change orders. Its plans page doesn't mention selections.

Billed annually, plans run from $49 per month for one user to $332 per month for unlimited users. It offers a 30-day free trial and a 100-day money-back guarantee on annual Plus, Pro, and Unlimited plans.

Consider it if price decides it and selections are a smaller part of how you sell.

7. Builder Prime — best for sales-heavy home improvement companies

Builder Prime is a CRM-led platform. Its pricing page lists lead-to-referral customer management, estimates and proposals, and QuickBooks sync. It doesn't mention selections or a client portal.

It lists a $300 per month platform fee plus $60 per core user and $10 per field user. Multi-location, SMS messaging, and Bolt Insights reporting are add-ons.

Consider it if your growth depends on working a large volume of leads more than managing selections.

Side by side

Selections as a checklist vs selections as pricing

Most tools record what the homeowner chose. The question is whether that choice prices itself.

Typical selections tool

Records the choice

Options added job by job
Price differences entered by hand
Allowance overages tracked separately
Changes after signing priced manually

Ardovia

Prices the choice

Selections built once and reused across templates
Option data drives every formula and quantity
Upgrades and downgrades priced against the base package
Change orders re-priced from the sold template

Step by step

How to plan your move off CoConstruct

1
Note your deadline
CoConstruct's migration page says projects can be added through March 31, 2027. Pick your replacement well before you need to start a new job.
2
Export your selections and price book
List your selection categories, options, allowances, and estimating templates. They're the hardest part to rebuild.
3
Decide on client access
If homeowners must pick selections in a portal, shortlist tools with one. If your team records choices, you have more options.
4
Test with a real job
Rebuild a recent estimate, its selections, and a change order during the trial. Our construction proposal template and change order template make good checklists.
5
Plan finishing projects
Finish in-progress jobs in CoConstruct, and start new ones in the new system so no job is split across two tools.

Built for contractors

Run your contracting business in one place

Ardovia handles leads, proposals, change orders, scheduling, permits, and job costing for pool builders and contractors.

Book a Demo

Frequently asked questions

Is CoConstruct being discontinued?

CoConstruct is being phased into Buildertrend. As of November 2026, CoConstruct's homepage says its transition to Buildertrend is entering its final phase, and its migration page says projects can still be added through March 31, 2027, after which new projects run in Buildertrend. CoConstruct says no project data will be lost and historical projects remain viewable.

When did Buildertrend acquire CoConstruct?

Buildertrend's acquisition of CoConstruct was announced on February 24, 2021. The announcement said at the time that there were no plans to shut down either product, but CoConstruct customers are now being migrated to Buildertrend.

What is the best CoConstruct alternative?

For design-build and specialty contractors, Ardovia is the strongest CoConstruct alternative because its reusable selections feed formula-driven pricing, package upgrades, and change orders re-priced from the sold template. Buildertrend is the official migration path, JobTread suits budget-first builders, Houzz Pro suits design-led remodelers, Projul offers flat team pricing, Contractor Foreman has the lowest entry price, and Builder Prime suits sales-heavy companies.

Do I have to move to Buildertrend?

No. Buildertrend is the path CoConstruct offers and supports with migration help, but CoConstruct customers can choose any construction software. Compare selections, estimating, client access, and pricing before the March 31, 2027 date on CoConstruct's migration page.

Which CoConstruct alternatives let clients choose selections online?

As of November 2026, Buildertrend describes clients approving selections in its client portal, Projul lists online client selections on its Pro plan, and JobTread lists selections and customer portals. Ardovia does not have a customer portal; your team records selections in the proposal, and customers receive documents by email and sign by link.

How does Ardovia handle selections and allowances?

Ardovia selections are reusable dropdown lists whose options can map to catalog items and carry data fields that feed pricing formulas, so a different choice re-prices the job automatically. Package objects show upgrades and downgrades against a base option, selections can require final approval before the job starts, and allowances are added to the customer's total but excluded from cost, margin, and profit.

Does Ardovia offer a free trial?

Yes. Ardovia offers a 14-day free trial, and every feature is included in every plan. Plans start at $249 per month, or $199 per month billed annually, for a single user.

Ready to see it in action?

Try Ardovia free for 14 days. Cancel anytime before your trial ends.