TopBuilder follows a structured and supportive implementation process designed to help construction businesses quickly adopt and benefit from the platform. While exact timelines may vary depending on company size and complexity, here are the key stages and data points:
1. Initial Setup & Configuration
Account Setup: TopBuilder creates your organization’s account and configures it based on your business type (e.g., general contractor, specialty contractor).
Customization: The platform is tailored to your workflows, including sales pipelines, proposal templates, and user roles.
Data Import: Existing customer, lead, and project data can be imported from spreadsheets or integrated systems like Sage, Procore, or Acumatica.
Project Management: Procore, Autodesk Construction Cloud
Estimating Tools: STACK, Excel
These integrations ensure seamless data flow and eliminate duplicate entry.
3. Training & Onboarding
Live Training: TopBuilder offers daily live training sessions and workshops.
TopBuilder University: A self-guided learning platform with videos, tutorials, and documentation.
Workshops & Webinars: Regular sessions to help teams master features and best practices.
4. Go-Live & Support
Once training is complete and integrations are tested, the system goes live.
Ongoing Support: Includes email and phone support, plus access to a knowledge base and community resources.
5. Optimization & Feedback
After launch, TopBuilder encourages feedback to refine workflows and dashboards.
Users can request additional customization or training as needed.
Estimated Timeline
Typical implementation for small to mid-sized firms can take 2 to 6 weeks, depending on:
Number of users
Complexity of integrations
Volume of data to migrate
Training needs
Larger enterprises or those with complex ERP integrations may require 6–10 weeks for full deployment.
Customisation
TopBuilder is designed with customization in mind, especially for construction and real estate businesses. Here are the key customization features:
Custom Dashboards: Users can create dashboards tailored to their KPIs, such as win rates, bid generation, and profitability.
Branded Email Templates: Each pricing tier includes a set number of customizable branded email templates (3 in Essentials, 5 in Professional, more in Enterprise).
Proposal & Quote Builder: Allows users to create professional, branded proposals and quotes that reflect their business identity.
Role-Based Access: Permissions and access levels can be customized for different team members.
ERP & CRM Integration: TopBuilder integrates with tools like Sage, Procore, Acumatica, and Viewpoint Spectrum, allowing businesses to tailor workflows to their existing systems.
Custom Fields & Forms: Users can define custom fields for leads, contacts, and projects to match their internal processes.
ContractorBI™: A business intelligence tool that lets users generate custom reports and visualizations based on their data.
These features make TopBuilder adaptable for general contractors, specialty contractors, and multi-discipline firms.
Additional Costs
TopBuilder’s pricing includes some additional costs beyond the monthly subscription:
1. One-Time Setup Fee
Applies to all plans, especially when ERP integrations are involved.
This fee is non-refundable, even during the 60-day risk-free trial.
2. Monthly Subscription Plans
Essentials: $35/user/month
Professional: $50/user/month
Enterprise: $90/user/month
Billed annually.
3. Add-On Options
Certain features or integrations may require additional licensing or setup fees, especially in the Enterprise tier.
Final pricing is often customized based on client requirements.
4. Support & Training
Included in all plans:
Live daily training
TopBuilder University (self-guided learning)
Email and phone support.
Training
TopBuilder offers a comprehensive onboarding and training program to ensure users can fully leverage the platform:
Training Options
Live Daily Training: Interactive sessions held every day to walk users through key features and workflows.
Workshops & Webinars: Regularly scheduled deep dives into specific tools like proposal building, bid management, and CRM usage.
TopBuilder University: A self-guided learning portal with:
Video tutorials
Step-by-step guides
Feature walkthroughs
Onboarding Support: Personalized setup assistance during implementation, including data import and system configuration.
Support Channels
Email & Phone Support: Available during business hours.
Knowledge Base: Includes FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and best practices.
Community Resources: Forums and user groups for peer support and shared learning.
This multi-tiered approach ensures that both tech-savvy and non-technical users can get up to speed quickly.
Security Measures
TopBuilder implements several security protocols to safeguard user data, especially given its integration with ERP and financial systems:
Data Protection Features
Cloud-Based Hosting: Ensures scalability and secure access from any device.
Role-Based Access Control: Limits data visibility and actions based on user roles, reducing internal risks.
Encrypted Data Transmission: Uses HTTPS and SSL protocols to protect data in transit.
Secure Integrations: Works with trusted platforms like Sage, Procore, and Acumatica, which also follow strict security standards.
Regular Backups: Ensures data recovery in case of system failure or breach.
Audit Trails: Tracks user activity for accountability and compliance.
Updates
Here are some insights based on its platform behavior and industry norms:
Continuous Improvement: TopBuilder frequently enhances its features, especially in areas like CRM, proposal generation, and ERP integrations. Updates are often rolled out incrementally to improve performance and usability.
Feature Additions: New tools like ContractorBI™, bid scoring, and advanced email marketing templates have been added over time, suggesting a quarterly or biannual update rhythm.
Managed Updates:
Updates are cloud-based, meaning users receive them automatically without needing manual installation.
Users are typically notified of major changes via email or platform alerts.
Training materials and webinars are updated to reflect new features.
For mission-critical environments, TopBuilder’s cloud delivery ensures minimal disruption during updates.
Data Ownership and Portability
TopBuilder’s Terms of Service outline its stance on data ownership and portability:
Data Ownership:
Customers retain ownership of their data entered into the system.
However, customizations, enhancements, and modifications made to the software (even jointly with TopBuilder) are owned by TopBuilder.
Portability:
Customers can export data such as leads, contacts, proposals, and reports.
Data export is typically available in standard formats like CSV or Excel.
There is no mention of automated data migration tools for switching platforms, so manual export/import may be required.
Access Control:
Customers assign unique logins to authorized users.
TopBuilder monitors usage to ensure compliance with licensing terms.
Scaling Up / Down
TopBuilder allows organizations to scale their usage based on changing needs. Key points include:
User-Based Licensing: Pricing is per user per month, so scaling up involves adding more users, which are automatically billed.
Authorized Users: Only employees or contractors of the customer can be assigned user licenses. Each user must have a unique login.
Reassignment: User logins can be permanently reassigned to another person if needed.
Monitoring: TopBuilder monitors usage to ensure compliance with the number of licensed users.
No Downgrade Penalty: While not explicitly stated, scaling down typically involves reducing user count at the next billing cycle. It’s best to confirm with TopBuilder’s support for specific downgrade terms.
The terms & conditions for contract renewal and cancellation
TopBuilder’s contract terms include:
Annual Billing: Subscriptions are billed annually, and renewal charges are processed at the start of each term.
Automatic Renewal: Contracts renew automatically unless canceled in advance.
Cancellation Window: Customers have 45 days from the notice of cancellation to return under the same agreement with price protection and no setup fees.
Post-Cancellation:
After 45 days, data is archived.
Rejoining requires a new proposal and setup fee.
Setup Fees: These are non-refundable and apply again if a customer returns after the 45-day window.
These terms emphasize the importance of timely cancellation and renewal decisions to avoid extra costs.
Compliance
Data Encryption: Uses HTTPS/SSL for secure data transmission.
Role-Based Access Control: Ensures only authorized users access sensitive data.
Audit Trails: Tracks user activity for accountability.
Secure Integrations: Works with platforms like Sage, Procore, and Acumatica, which themselves meet industry compliance standards.
For organizations with strict compliance needs, it’s advisable to request documentation or certifications directly from TopBuilder.
