Case Study: How a Solo Custom Builder Regained Control with BuiltGrid
Background
In regional New South Wales, a sole-trader custom builder had built a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship and strong relationships with clients. Word of mouth was steady, and projects were lined up months in advance. On the surface, the business looked healthy.
Behind the scenes, though, the reality was far more demanding. With no administrative support, the builder was wearing every hat. They were quoting jobs, chasing suppliers for responses, managing approvals, coordinating orders, and then heading to site each day to complete the physical build. The only time left for admin was late at night, often stretching well past midnight.
“It felt like I had two jobs: building during the day and admin at night.”
While the work kept coming in, the cracks were beginning to show. Supplier delays pushed projects off track, quotes took too long to prepare, and critical details were scattered across email threads and messy spreadsheets. The business was surviving, but it wasn’t sustainable.
The Challenge
Running a construction business manually created compounding issues:
- Late nights and burnout: Admin tasks were eating into family time and impacting wellbeing.
- Supplier delays: Responses to requests for quotes and approvals could take days, sometimes weeks, leaving projects on hold.
- Fragmented systems: With no centralised platform, information lived in emails, text messages, and spreadsheets — easy to lose, hard to track.
- Growth bottlenecks: Taking on more projects meant more paperwork. The builder felt stuck at capacity, unable to grow without sacrificing even more time.
The biggest challenge wasn’t finding work — it was managing it effectively. And the personal toll was just as significant as the professional one.
The Solution
After hearing about BuiltGrid from another local tradesperson, the builder decided to try it out. They needed something simple, effective, and built for the realities of small construction businesses.
BuiltGrid quickly became the hub of their operations:
- RFQ & Quoting Tools: Instead of phoning or emailing multiple suppliers one by one, the builder could send a single request through BuiltGrid and receive comparable quotes in one place.
- Supplier Approvals Workflow: What used to drag on for weeks now took days. Suppliers could be approved quickly, keeping projects moving.
- Procurement Tracking: Orders were logged, tracked, and visible at a glance — no more hunting through email chains to check status.
The shift wasn’t just about efficiency. It was about confidence.
“Now I can see everything in one place — quotes, approvals, orders — without the chaos.”
The Results
The difference was immediate. Within the first few weeks of adopting BuiltGrid, the builder saw tangible changes:
- Time savings: More than 10 hours a week previously spent on admin were freed up.
- Faster approvals: Approval cycles were cut nearly in half, reducing delays and keeping builds on schedule.
- Better supplier relationships: With clear and consistent requests, suppliers responded faster and treated the builder more like a priority client.
- Reduced stress: No more midnight paperwork sessions — evenings could be spent with family.
“BuiltGrid gave me back my nights — I can focus on building again, not paperwork.”
Clients noticed the difference too. Projects ran more smoothly, communication was clearer, and timelines were more predictable. That trust reinforced the builder’s reputation, leading to more referrals and new opportunities.
What Next
Freed from the daily grind of paperwork, the builder is now looking to the future with optimism. With BuiltGrid underpinning their operations, they feel confident in taking on larger, more complex custom projects that previously seemed unmanageable.
“Now I can think about the jobs I want to take on, not just the ones I can squeeze in.”
By removing the administrative ceiling that had been holding them back, this solo custom builder has unlocked capacity for growth — without sacrificing quality or personal time.
