BuildWell vs Contractor+

Writing the estimate

Contractor+: Estimates are built from groups and line items you can reuse and drag into place. From Pro you can add optional items with one or several choices per group, so a client picks between tiers, and set markup per line or on the whole estimate. Clients can ask for changes before approving, and an approved estimate can become a job with phases and tasks. ^[7][2]

BuildWell: You describe the job by voice or text, add up to five photos or a floor plan, and BuildWell asks only the questions that change the price. It shows the plan of work in order, then builds line items, each with its own labor hours and materials. Every line, quantity, hour and price is editable. ^[6][12]

Where the prices come from

Contractor+: You can import a cost book as line-item and group templates, and the library grows as you save new items. From Pro, estimates can draw on live material prices from supplier catalogs and on Contractor+’s labor-rate index, which it says blends BLS wages with approved estimates in its system, localized to the ZIP code in the US. ^[2][7][8]

BuildWell: Prices come from real local data. Each material is priced at a store near the job, checked within 30 days, and labor is the Bureau of Labor Statistics median wage for that trade in your metro, plus the overhead, markups, sales tax and permit fee you set. A material with no store price is flagged for you to confirm. ^[12][6]

The difference: Both draw on BLS wage data and outside material prices. Contractor+ says its labor-rate index also blends in approved estimates from its system, and its estimates can use your cost book; BuildWell uses the local BLS median wage and stores near the job. ^[2][8][6]

AI tools

Contractor+: Estimatic AI takes a job description plus any photos, blueprints, drawings or a competing quote, and drafts the estimate from your cost book, supplier prices and local labor rates for you to review, adjust and send. It comes with Pro and up and uses AI credits: Pro includes a $20 one-time trial credit, Pro Team $50, and Max includes AI credits. ^[8][2]

BuildWell: AI plans the work and picks quantities from your words, photos and floor plan, and can revise the estimate after your own edits without losing them. It also renders the finished room from a photo. BuildWell shares job details and photos with Anthropic, Google and OpenAI to do this, which you can turn off in your profile. ^[6][14]

Client approval and e-signatures

Contractor+: From Pro, a contract can be attached to any estimate or invoice and signed in person or online, with no separate signing service. Contractor+ supplies an attorney-drafted default contract you can edit, a reusable clause library, and a record of the time, IP address and device for each signature. Pro Team adds signed change orders. ^[2][15]

BuildWell: Clients open the estimate in any browser, with no app or account, and accept and sign with a finger or decline. Their name and signature print on the signed estimate. You can send the link by text or email, share the PDF or collect a signature in person on your phone. ^[9]

The difference: Contractor+ wraps the signature in a full contract with clauses and change orders. BuildWell keeps it to a signed estimate, and a revision is signed again. ^[15][9][12]

Invoices

Contractor+: An approved estimate becomes an invoice in one step, and unbilled time, mileage, materials and expenses tied to the job wait in a list to be added. From Pro you get automated invoicing, late fees and batch payments. Pro Team adds recurring billing to a card on file and change orders logged on the invoice with a time stamp. ^[16][2]

BuildWell: A signed estimate becomes the invoice with the same lines and totals, or you start one from scratch for a small job. Terms are due on receipt, 7, 14 or 30 days. You can record cash and check payments, void an unpaid invoice, ask the client to sign the invoice, and attach job photos and renders, which print after it. ^[13]

Deposits and progress payments

Contractor+: You set a deposit on an estimate or invoice and it flows into the contract, paid on a set date or when the client approves. Payment schedules by date or milestone can be written into the agreement, and invoices can bill by milestone, percentage or scope completed. Deposits and payment schedules are listed from Pro. ^[2][16]

BuildWell: Invoice any percentage of the estimate as a deposit, then progress payments, then the balance, each as its own invoice against the estimate. Every payment is recorded against its invoice, so you see what’s paid and what’s left. ^[13]

The difference: Both handle staged billing. Contractor+ can also put the schedule into the signed contract. ^[2][13]

Online payments and fees

Contractor+: Contractor+ processes payments through its own Contractor+ Pay. Clients pay by card or ACH from an estimate, invoice or payment link, and a Bluetooth reader takes cards on site. The plan comparison lists cards at 3.0% on Pro and 2.9% on Pro Team, and ACH at 1%, capped at $10 on Pro Team; card fees can be passed to the client. Cards usually pay out the next business day, ACH within five, and Wisetack financing covers jobs of $500 to $25,000. ^[5][2][17]

BuildWell: Connect Stripe once and clients choose card or US bank account on the invoice page. Stripe’s fee is passed through at cost, 2.9% + 30¢ for a card and 0.8% capped at $5 for a bank transfer, with no BuildWell fee or surcharge. You can also list Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, PayPal or check details to print on every invoice. Payouts follow Stripe’s usual schedule. ^[10]

The difference: Contractor+ sets its own rates by plan and adds financing and an in-person card reader. BuildWell passes on Stripe’s fee at cost and adds nothing. ^[2][5][10]

Follow-up and reminders

Contractor+: From Pro, follow-up reminders can be set by hand or created automatically when conditions you choose are met. Clients get notices about upcoming payments and reminders when a balance is past due, and agreements waiting on a signature get automated nudges. Pro also adds on-the-way notices and automatic review requests. ^[2][15]

BuildWell: You see when the client opens the estimate and how many times, and get a notice when they accept, decline or pay. You can send an estimate or invoice up to five times by text or email, or copy the link and share it. ^[9]

Scheduling, CRM and accounting

Contractor+: Contractor+ is built to run the whole business. The free plan has a basic CRM; Pro adds a sales pipeline, scheduling with calendar sync, dispatch, a time clock, tasks and work orders. Pro Team adds team roles, job costing, Gantt charts, GPS mileage logs and a developer API. It also has a business phone system and connects to QuickBooks Online. ^[2][11]

BuildWell: BuildWell doesn’t do scheduling, dispatch, CRM, payroll, time tracking, GPS or accounting, and it doesn’t sync with QuickBooks or Xero. It keeps each job together instead: a project holds the job’s estimates, invoices, photos and renders. ^[1][14]

The difference: If you want the office, crew and money in one system, Contractor+ is built for that. BuildWell handles a job from estimate to payment. ^[2][1]

Devices, language and support

Contractor+: Every plan runs on the web, phones and tablets, with apps for iOS and Android. Contractor+ offers video tutorials, in-app walkthroughs and one-on-one Zoom setup sessions, and lists a phone number for plan questions. Its help center is in English and Spanish, and Max adds priority support and onboarding. ^{[2][5][3][18]}

BuildWell: One subscription, bought on the App Store, Google Play or the web, covers BuildWell on iPhone, Android and the web, in sync. On iPhones with LiDAR you can scan a room. The app works in English or Spanish, and support is by email from the support page. ^[4][19]