Automating your construction business: your four options.
You can hire a developer, hire a generalist AI agency, do it yourself with no-code tools, or bring in a construction-focused firm. Here's the honest trade-off on each — including when we're not the right answer.
The four ways to get this done.
| Dimension | Salisbury (construction-focused) | In-house developer | Generalist AI agency | DIY / no-code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction expertise | Deep. We do construction books — job costing, WIP, retainage. We know the workflows. | None, unless you train them on construction ops yourself. | Generic. Most have never built for a contractor. | You already have it — that's the real DIY advantage. |
| Time to live | Missed-call recovery live in the first weeks; full stack in 90 days. | Months — hiring, onboarding, then build. | Often 1–3 months; scoping-heavy. | Weekends spread over months. |
| Investment & risk | Founding-25: $8,000 one-time install (returns to $15,000 after the 25 seats) + from $500/mo scaled to your team. Board-ready reports in month one or the install fee is refunded. | $130K+ salary + benefits + tools. Risk stays entirely with you. | $20K–$100K, often open-ended. No outcome guarantee. | Tool subscriptions + your own hours. You absorb every dead end. |
| ServiceTitan / Buildertrend / Procore + QuickBooks | Built on your existing ServiceTitan; Buildertrend via custom build; Procore integration in approval. | Only what you brief and they build. | Sometimes; integrations are extra. | Limited to what no-code connectors allow. |
| Ongoing optimization | Included. We tune the agents monthly on real usage. | Only while they're on payroll. | On a separate retainer. | It's on you, forever. |
| Who runs it day-to-day | We monitor every agent run. | Your hire (key-person risk). | Their support queue. | You. |
| If it breaks at 2 AM Saturday | We catch it and fix it — monitored. | Whenever they're back at their desk. | Open a ticket, wait. | You debug it. |
When each option is actually the right call.
We'd rather tell you the truth than win a bad-fit client. Here's when we'd point you elsewhere.
Choose DIY / no-code if…
You have real time to tinker, your needs are simple (one Zapier-style automation), and you enjoy the build. Plenty of contractors start here — it's a legitimate way to learn what's possible before paying anyone.
Choose an in-house developer if…
You have enough recurring engineering work to keep a full-time hire busy, and you can manage them. For most contractors, one developer is more overhead than the problem needs.
Choose a generalist AI agency if…
Your need is generic marketing automation — email, ads, a website chatbot — and construction-specific operations (WIP, job costing, draws) aren't the point. A good generalist will serve that well.
Choose us if…
You run ServiceTitan (Buildertrend supported via custom build; Procore integration in approval), you want missed-call revenue recovery live in the first weeks and the full stack in 90 days, and you'd rather a team that already understands your numbers run it than build a department to do it.
The questions contractors actually ask.
- Is hiring a developer cheaper than our install?
- Not in year one. A competent developer runs $130,000+ in salary and benefits, and they still need months to learn construction operations before they ship anything. Our 90-Day AI Operations Install starts at $15,000, billed in three milestones, with missed-call recovery live in the first weeks and the construction context already built in. A developer can be the right call once you're large enough to keep one busy full-time.
- Can't I just build this myself with no-code tools?
- For one simple automation, yes — and it's a good way to learn. The wall most contractors hit is connecting Procore or Buildertrend to QuickBooks reliably, handling job-costing logic, and keeping it running when an API changes. That maintenance is what we take off your plate. If your needs stay simple, DIY is honestly fine.
- Why not a regular AI agency?
- A generalist agency is great for generic marketing automation. The gap is construction operations: WIP schedules, retainage, change orders, draw packages, NAHB job costing. We do the books for builders, so the automation understands your numbers — not just your inbox. If you only need marketing automation, a generalist may be the better fit, and we'll tell you so.
- What platforms do you work with?
- ServiceTitan is the lead platform — we install on the account you already run, through their Public App program, plus QuickBooks Online for the financials. Buildertrend is supported through a custom integration build. Procore connects through their App Marketplace, and that listing is in approval: early-access clients connect via a secure private channel today, and the public install ships the moment it publishes.
- What does it cost to start?
- The Founding-25 install is $8,000 one-time for all six agents, installed and tuned on your ServiceTitan and QuickBooks, then from $500 a month scaled to how many people use the system. When the 25 founding seats are gone, the install returns to $15,000. It carries a guarantee: if your first month of reports isn't board-ready, the install fee is refunded. A standalone AI Systems Audit is $2,500 if you want the teardown before committing.
Not sure which fits your shop?
Get a 15-minute AI Revenue Teardown specific to your ServiceTitan stack (Buildertrend supported via custom build; Procore integration in approval). We'll tell you honestly whether to build with us, hire, or DIY. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you on the first call.