Thompson Builders Adds $360K Revenue

The Turnaround

Six months after nearly losing everything to a missing email, Thompson Builders is now more profitable than ever. Here's exactly how we did it.

Rock Bottom Was Our Starting Point

If you haven't read about our $127K email disaster, here's the short version: A missing change order approval email almost bankrupted our 22-year-old construction company. We spent 47 days searching for proof, took out a $200K credit line to survive, and nearly lost everything.

But sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to realize you've been doing things wrong.

The Simple Decision That Changed Everything

After we finally got paid (minus lawyer fees and a 10% discount), I made a decision: Never again would our business depend on emails, spreadsheets, and WhatsApp messages.

But here's what I didn't do:

✗Didn't spend $50K on enterprise software
✗Didn't hire consultants for 6-month implementations
✗Didn't force my team to learn complex systems

Instead, we found BuildVision. Simple. Affordable. And built specifically for contractors like us.

Week 1: The Immediate Difference

Within the first week, three things happened that showed us we'd made the right choice:

Monday: Uploaded all active project documents. Everything searchable. Everything backed up. No more email archeology.
Wednesday: First change order approved through the system. Client signed digitally. Instant notification. Permanent record.
Friday: Caught a $18K billing error because the system flagged unbilled work. Would have missed it with our old "system."

Month 3: The Numbers Started Adding Up

By month three, we could see the financial impact:

Before BuildVision:

• 15-20 unbilled hours/week
• 3-4 missed change orders/month
• 12% of invoices disputed
• 45 days average payment
• 2 hrs/day on admin per PM

After BuildVision:

• 0 unbilled hours
• 0 missed change orders
• 2% of invoices disputed
• 28 days average payment
• 20 min/day on admin

The $360K Revenue Increase Breakdown

People ask me all the time: "How did software add $360K to your revenue?" Here's the exact breakdown:

Where the $360K Came From:

Captured unbilled work: $127,000/year
No more missed hours or forgotten change orders
Faster payments: $84,000 cash flow improvement
17 days faster payment = less credit line usage
Won more bids: $89,000 in new projects
Professional proposals and faster turnaround
Reduced disputes: $60,000 saved
Clear documentation = fewer arguments = no discounts

Total Annual Impact: $360,000

The Best Part? My Team Actually Uses It

You know what killed me about our Procore trial? My guys hated it. Too complicated. Too many features. Too much training.

BuildVision? My 58-year-old foreman Miguel figured it out in 20 minutes. Now he's taking photos, logging issues, and tracking materials like he's been doing it for years.

"Boss, this is just common sense. Why didn't we do this years ago?" - Miguel

Year One Results

After 12 months with BuildVision:

Revenue: Up $360,000 (without adding staff)
Profit margins: From 12% to 19%
Cash flow: Best it's ever been
Stress level: Actually sleeping at night
Team morale: Higher than ever

The Email Disaster Was the Best Thing That Happened to Us

I know that sounds crazy. Losing $127K and almost going bankrupt doesn't feel like a blessing. But it forced us to modernize. It forced us to stop relying on broken systems.

Now when clients ask for change orders, we handle it in minutes, not days. When disputes arise, we have documentation, not arguments. When it's time to bill, nothing gets missed.

That $127K we almost lost? We've made it back three times over.

Ready to Add Revenue Without Adding Staff?

If we can add $360K with a simple system after nearly going bankrupt, imagine what you could do. No complex software. No long implementations. Just results.

Thompson Builders is a commercial general contractor in Dallas, TX. After nearly losing everything to poor documentation, they implemented BuildVision and added $360K in annual revenue without hiring additional staff.