In custom home building, time is money—and confusion is costly. While many builders pride themselves on craftsmanship and client experience, some still rely on outdated tools that quietly drain profit, efficiency, and client trust.
If your team is juggling spreadsheets, text chains, and Dropbox folders, it might be costing more than you think.
1. Wasted Time That Adds Up
Old-school systems slow your team down. Digging through email threads to find a client’s cabinet selection or chasing vendors for updated pricing isn’t just annoying—it’s inefficient.
Every minute your team spends hunting for information is time they’re not building, solving problems, or delivering value. Multiply that across months and projects, and you’re looking at hundreds of hours wasted annually.
Williams Contracting estimates that with Digs, they have saved up to 40-50 hours per project by keeping all project information and communication on one centralized platform.
2. Costly Miscommunications
When selections live in someone’s inbox or updates get buried in group chats, mistakes happen. A single misstep—like ordering the wrong tile or missing a spec change—can trigger costly rework and delays.
These slip-ups don’t just affect your bottom line. They impact your reputation, client satisfaction, and team morale.
3. Scope Creep Without Accountability
Tracking change orders with paper forms or basic PDFs makes it hard to keep a clean record of scope changes. Without visibility into approvals and timelines, it’s easy for things to snowball without clear documentation—leaving you to eat the cost or dispute it with the client.
Modern platforms help you lock in decisions and create a shared paper trail, so everyone’s on the same page.
4. Limited Client Transparency
Today’s clients expect more than build updates at weekly meetings. They want real-time visibility into their home—and when they don’t get it, they fill in the blanks with worry.
Outdated tools create gaps that make clients feel out of the loop. The result? More “just checking in” messages, more phone calls, more micromanagement. It’s not that they don’t trust you—they just don’t have a better way to stay informed.
Rogue Builders found success in their client relationships using Digs. “Being able to collaborate through Digs made a huge difference,” Stacee Connelly shares. “The [clients] felt included at every step, which eased anxiety and made decision-making smoother.” Read more here.
5. Lost Opportunities Post-Build
After the keys are handed over, your client relationship shouldn’t end. But if you’re not using tools that support warranty tracking or home maintenance reminders, it becomes hard to stay connected or build lasting loyalty.
Outdated systems make it harder to offer the post-build care that leads to long-term referrals, repeat work, and five-star reviews.
Stop Leaking Profit and Start Building Smarter
Modern software built for custom home builders (like Digs) helps streamline the entire build—from plan to punch list to warranty. With real-time updates, centralized selections, and easy homeowner communication, you can:
- Reduce errors and delays
- Save time across your team
- Improve the client experience
- Track changes and approvals with confidence
- Deliver better builds, faster
It’s not just about going digital—it’s about choosing tools that fit your process and actually move the needle.
Digs is an AI-powered collaboration software built for homebuilders. From pre-con to aftercare, it keeps your team, trades, and clients aligned with one centralized workspace for decisions, documentation, digital handoff, and ongoing warranty support.
Unlock a happier home at Digs.com
