Linarc vs. Buildertrend: When You Outgrow It

[01]// The Frame

COMMERCIAL WORK HAS A DIFFERENT SHAPE

Three things a commercial GC or specialty contractor needs that Buildertrend does not do.

Plan the work backward

Pull planning, a WBS, and a real look-ahead view. Buildertrend has a calendar and a Gantt.

Change orders that move the schedule

In Linarc an approved owner change order updates the contract and the schedule. In Buildertrend it updates the budget and stops there.

Cost control in the platform

Buildertrend's financials round-trip through QuickBooks. Linarc runs cost codes, SOV, pay apps, and WIP itself and syncs to your books.

[02]// Feature Comparison

WHERE THE DIFFERENCE SHOWS UP

The workflows a commercial GC and self-performing trade run every day.

Workflow

Linarc

Buildertrend

Pull Planning and WBS

✔Built in

✘Not offered

Look-ahead View

✔12-week planner + 2 to 3 week look ahead

✘No dedicated view

Change Orders

✔Update contract and schedule

◐Budget only

RFIs on Drawings

✔Pinned, with cost impact

✘Not supported

Submittals and Progress Invoicing

✔Mature

◐Recently launched

Meeting Minutes

✔Included

✘Not offered

Cost Control

✔In the platform, syncs to accounting

◐Through QuickBooks / Xero sync

Crew Time and Resources

✔Crew app plus Resource Manager

◐Time clock per job

Field Adoption

✔One app, offline

✔Strong, homeowner-geared

Client Portal

◐Owner reporting

✔Buildertrend leads

Pricing Model

✔Platform, users, capabilities

◐Annual construction volume, custom quote

✔ Full ◐ Partial ✘ Not offered

[03]// Ask This in Their Demo

FIVE QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING

The answers we got when we asked. Ask them yourself.

Can I pull-plan from a milestone, or build a WBS?

Linarc: Yes to both.

Does an approved change order move the schedule?

Linarc: Owner-funded change orders update the contract and the schedule.

Can I hyperlink an RFI to a spot on the plan?

Linarc: RFIs are pinned to the drawing and carry a cost impact.

Is there a look-ahead view, or do I filter the calendar?

Linarc: A 12-week look-ahead planner and a 2 to 3 week Look Ahead Scheduler.

Is the price per user, or per dollar of work I do?

Linarc: Platform, users, and capabilities. Not your volume.

[04]// How the Quote Is Built

CUSTOM PRICING MEANS NO PRICE SHEET

How each quote is put together.

Buildertrend

Linarc

Priced per million dollars of construction volume, up to a cap

Priced on the platform, users, and capabilities you need.

No published tiers; the quote is built from your pipeline

Onboarding included. Live on your first project in 3 to 4 weeks.

Nothing in writing until the pricing call

Lia, the Linarc assistant, is part of the platform, not a separate line.

The price rises with your volume

Your revenue never sets the price.

Plan set extraction, plan revision compare, spec book to submittal register, and prime contract extraction, with you approving every action.

[05]// At a Glance

RESIDENTIAL ROOTS, OR COMMERCIAL PLATFORM

Buildertrend earns its place in remodel and residential work. Commercial is a different job.

Buildertrend

Strong homeowner portal, easy daily logs, QuickBooks in the loop for money. Built around the house and the client. Commercial planning tools are thin or missing.

Linarc

Pull planning, look-aheads, RFIs on the drawings, cost control in the platform. Built for growing commercial contractors running jobs with subs and owners.

[06]// Who Linarc IS For