Builtie vs Construction Directories and Plan Rooms
Construction directories and plan rooms are the oldest tools in this category, and they answer two questions that matter: which companies exist, and which projects are out to bid. Neither answers the one a trade contractor asks every Monday, which is who to call today and why.
The same four steps, whether the buyer is a builder, a designer, an owner or a company you want to acquire.
What each kind of tool actually is
| Category | What it holds | What it cannot tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Company directory | Names, addresses, trades, regions | Who is busy right now and who buys inside the firm |
| Plan room or bid board | Projects already advertised for bid | Projects not yet tendered, and who to know beforehand |
| Project intelligence | Live projects, stages, companies and people | Nothing about a project that never enters a public record |
Every product named here changes what it does over time. This page compares categories of tool and what each one is designed for, not feature checklists or current prices. Check the specifics with each provider before you decide.
The snapshot problem
A directory is compiled and then ages. The firms in it were in business on the day it was assembled, and it says nothing about which of them started three projects last month, which just lost a subcontractor, or which is working outside its usual area and needs local trades. Those are the changes that create an opening, and they happen weekly.
The most useful facts for outreach are the ones that go stale fastest, which is why a static directory struggles.
The bid board problem
By the time a package is on a bid board it is visible to every contractor reading the same board, and the general contractor has already decided who they hoped would bid. Answering public tenders is legitimate work, and it is the most competitive way to win any of it. The projects that produce margin are usually the ones a contractor was asked about before anything was published.
What replaces the directory
- Companies joined to live projects. A firm record that carries what they have on site now and what they have completed, so activity is visible rather than assumed.
- People by role. Project managers, estimators and owners rather than a switchboard, with contact details verified where they can be.
- Build stage on every project. Which decides whether your package is open, and is the field a directory can never have.
- Scoring against your own profile. So a list of thousands becomes a handful of jobs that fit your trade, territory and size.
Builtie tracks more than 225,000 permits and roughly 43,000 companies across North America, with about 12,000 companies currently carrying identified decision makers. Coverage is deepest in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, and the honest way to test any provider, this one included, is to ask for live sample projects in your own city.
Builtie plans start at $550 per month per seat for 50 matched projects a month, and $880 for 200. Every plan includes done-for-you LinkedIn and email outreach, and there is a 7-day free trial with 10 projects so you can see your own territory before paying.
Frequently asked questions
Is Builtie a construction directory?
It includes company records, but the point of difference is that those records are joined to live project activity and to people by role. A directory tells you who exists; this tells you who is building something now and who inside the firm buys.
Does Builtie replace a plan room?
It does a different job. A plan room shows projects that are already advertised for bid. Builtie shows projects earlier, while the buyer is still deciding who to involve.
Why does build stage matter so much?
Because most trade packages are bought in a specific window. Concrete is committed before excavation, cabinetry around framing, painting around drywall. Without a stage on the project you cannot tell an open opportunity from one that closed months ago.
How current are the company records?
Project activity updates continuously from permit and planning records, so what a company has active reflects now rather than when a list was compiled.
What does it cost?
Starter is $550 per month per seat and covers 50 matched projects a month; Growth is $880 and covers 200. Both include done-for-you outreach and there is a 7-day free trial.