Looking back at the choice between Procore and a local software for a 50-unit apartment job in Tacoma

We had to pick a project management platform for a full building renovation, and it came down to going with the big name, Procore, or a smaller local system called BuildFlow that a few guys in town swore by. I went with BuildFlow because their support guy, Mark, promised on-site training and it was about 30% cheaper upfront. Honestly, it worked fine for scheduling and basic docs, but we really missed Procore's integrated billing when dealing with change orders from the plumbing sub. Anyone else ever take a chance on a lesser-known platform for a bigger project and have it work out okay?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_reed1mo ago

Ever try a smaller software and find it's missing that one key feature you really need? We used a local option on a commercial job and ran into the same billing headache, it totally eats up your time. I get what @viola_moore8 is saying about phone calls, but when you're dealing with a dozen change orders, those calls add up fast. For the next project we just bit the bullet and paid for the more complete system, and it saved so much hassle.

sethtorres2mo ago

Sounds like you saved money on the software but lost it all chasing down those plumbing invoices, huh? Bet you spent more time on the phone with Mark than you did actually using his training. Sometimes the cheap option costs you more in the long run when it can't do the one important thing you need.

viola_moore82mo ago

Is it really that big of a deal though? People act like a few phone calls are the end of the world.