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Messaging in Buildertrend provides a centralized way to keep communication clear, organized and accessible across your team.
With tools like Comments, Messages, Direct Chat, RFIs and Surveys, you can easily stay connected whether you're in the field or at the office.
These features are available on all platforms, helping teams collaborate in real time, share updates, ask questions and gather feedback to ensure everyone stays informed and on the same page throughout the project.
Comments and Messaging
Buildertrend offers both Comments and Messaging to support effective, job-specific communication, each serving a distinct purpose based on your workflow needs.
Comments are ideal for quick, focused collaboration directly within a feature. Whether you're reviewing a To-Do, a Schedule Item, or any other project component, you can add a comment and tag the appropriate internal team member for visibility.
This keeps the conversation in context and ensures all feedback or questions are tied to the specific task at hand. Comments cannot be created independently, they must live within a feature, making them great for tracking ongoing communication about project items without cluttering your inbox.
Messaging is used for broader communication, functioning like email within Buildertrend. You can send and receive messages with internal users, trade partners, clients, or external contacts, all tied to a specific job to keep communication organized.
Messaging is ideal for sharing updates, confirming details, or requesting information that doesn't directly tie to a single feature, giving you more flexibility in your outreach.
By using Comments for targeted task communication and Messaging for broader job discussions, you can streamline your communication process and keep your project running smoothly.
Comments
Features with the ability to leave a comment are:
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With Comments being feature specific, begin by selecting a job and navigating to a feature. For this example, we will be using a To-Do.
From the desired feature, click the Comments icon in the top right to leave a comment.
Next, select the intended audience for your message and use the rich text editor to compose your message. Once you’ve finished writing, click Send to post the comment.
Each person included in the selected audience will be notified according to their individual notification preferences.
Comment Notifications
Why Comments Are Separated by Audience?
To support more intentional communication, comments are separated by audience: Internal, Clients, and Subs/Vendors.
This structure helps ensure messages stay relevant to the right group, avoids accidental cross-communication, and keeps you, the builder, informed and in control of all conversations and decisions.
Who will get notified?
Internal User(s) that: | Sub / Vendor(s) that: | Clients will: |
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*Must have access to the feature entity |
*Must have access to the feature entity |
💡 Pro Tip
Sometimes an internal user may need to receive comment notifications without actively participating in an item. In these cases, enable the New comments related to you notification setting so the user will still be alerted when new comments are added.
@Mentions, Comment Replies, and Reactions
When adding a comment, you can tag a specific user by typing @ and selecting them from the list.
The list of users available to mention will only include members of the selected audience group:
Internal = Internal Users only
Clients = Internal Users & Clients
Subs/Vendors = Internal Users & Sub/vendors
💡Pro Tip
Using @everyone notifies every member of the selected audience group, saving you time by elevating the need to @mention every user individually.
When a user is @mentioned in a comment, they’ll be notified by email and through the @Mentions tab in their Notifications panel (via the bell icon).
@Mentions are available on the following features:
Selections | Change Orders | Purchase Orders | Daily Logs
Schedule Items | To-Dos | Client Payments
Bills | Client Updates | Invoices
In order to keep the conversation organized, you can reply directly to a comment by clicking Reply to from the desired comment. This will automatically @mention the user that left the original comment you are replying to.
To help reduce clutter from brief replies like “Got it” or “Thanks,” you can react to a comment with a 👍 and ❤️. Users can hover over the reaction count to see who reacted and will receive a notification when someone reacts to their comment.
Comments Dashboard
The Comments dashboard gives you a centralized view of all comments across every entity. Instead of checking each feature individually, you can quickly scan through conversations, open any thread for context, and respond directly, all from one place. This helps streamline communication and ensures nothing gets overlooked.
Start by navigating to Comments from the Messaging header.
Next, view all comments across all jobs by selecting All x Open Jobs, or filter to see comments for a specific job by selecting a specific job from the jobs list.
To review and respond to a specific comment thread, select Open Conversation.
Messages
Begin by accessing the Messages feature from the Messaging header.
Click Compose New Message to start a new email. Since messages are job-specific, you'll be prompted to select a job if one hasn’t already been chosen from the job list.
Add recipients by choosing internal users, sub/vendors, and/or clients from the To, CC, and BCC dropdowns. You can include up to six external email addresses by clicking the plus sign below each dropdown and enter them manually.
Enter a subject line and compose your message in the body field. Attach any necessary files, then choose Save as Draft to send later or Send and Close to send your email right away.
Email Signatures & Out-Of-Office Status
Similar to traditional email, you can create a personalized signature in Buildertrend that automatically applies to new messages. You can also set an out-of-office status to keep communication consistent and professional while you're away.
To automatically include a signature in your messages, navigate to your personal settings from the user icon and select the Messaging tab.
Here, you can set your status as out-of-office, add your signature, and upload an image. These will be applied to all future messages.
Messages Dashboard
The Messages dashboard allows you to view all messages tied to a specific job, keeping project communication centralized.
Like a traditional email platform, it includes folders such as Inbox, Sent, and Drafts, along with customizable folders to help you stay organized and manage messages efficiently.
You can add and edit folders on the Messages dashboard to organize your messages by clicking Manage Folders.
Note: Custom folders are only visible to the user who created them, allowing each person to organize messages in a way that works best for them.
Forwarding External Emails into Buildertrend
You can forward external emails into Buildertrend's Messages dashboard by sending them to your unique Buildertrend email address.
This keeps all project-related communication in one place, allowing you to track, organize, and respond to emails directly within the platform.
Begin by selecting a Job and navigate to the Messages dashboard. Click Forward Email into Buildertrend to access the job's unique email address.
Follow the steps provided to copy the unique email address into the Forward To field of the third-party email provider you wish to forward from.
When recipients respond to your messages, the replies are automatically tracked in Buildertrend as long as the original message was sent from within the platform. This ensures all communication is logged and easily accessible.
Direct Chat
Direct Chat lets you communicate in real time with colleagues, sub/vendors, and clients, offering a fast and informal way to stay connected throughout a project.
It's perfect for quick check-ins, clarifying questions or sharing updates without the need for formal comments or messages.
Begin by navigating to the Direct Chat dashboard by selecting the Speech Bubble Icon in the top right of your account.
To start a new chat, click +New Chat, then type the name of the user(s) in the To field and select the desired user(s) from the dropdown.
Note: Users must be active in Buildertrend to utilize Direct Chat.
Compose your message in the rich text field. Click the pencil icon to access additional text formatting options.
Group Chats
Group Chats can be created by composing a chat after selecting multiple Users from the To dropdown.
Once the initial chat has been sent, you can renamed the group chat by selecting the pencil icon.
You can add or remove members of the group chat by selecting the users icon on the right.
Chats with Clients & Sub/Vendors
Chats with clients and sub/vendors are labeled CLIENT and SUB (respectively) for quick recognition before messaging.
When chatting with clients or sub/vendors, a notification will appear stating This chat includes people outside of your organization. This notification is to ensure you’re mindful of the information you share, maintaining professionalism and protecting sensitive internal details.
Note: Chats and Chat Groups that include clients and/or subcontractors may only be created by internal users.
Clients and Subs are NOT able to create a chat that includes other clients and sub/vendors.
RFIs
RFIs (Requests for Information) are a formal way to clarify project details, request approvals, or gather necessary information from team members or subcontractors.
Similar to To-Do's, each RFI is assigned to specific users with a deadline, but they require a final approval before they can be marked complete. All RFI communication is tracked within the platform, ensuring clear documentation, accountability, and an organized history of answers.
RFIs are best used when you need to request information or clarification tied to a specific feature or document, helping ensure nothing gets missed and every inquiry is resolved.
RFI Overview Help Video
Creating an RFI
💡Pro Tip
RFIs can be created from the RFI dashboard or directly from specific features.
The best practice is to create your RFI from specific features to automatically tie the request to the relevant context, making it easier for recipients to understand the issue, respond accurately, and keep project communication organized and traceable.
To Create an RFI from the RFI dashboard:
Begin by navigating to RFIs from the Messaging header.
Click +RFI to create a new RFI. Since RFIs are job-specific, you'll be prompted to select a job if one hasn’t already been chosen from the job list.
To Create and RFI from a specific feature:
You can create an RFI directly from the following features:
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Begin by navigating to the specific feature entity, then from the feature's RFIs section, click Create RFI. (Example: To-Do's)
RFI Information
Fill out the necessary RFI information. When finished, click Save.
Title – Provide a clear, descriptive title that allows you to quickly identify the purpose or subject of the RFI.
ID # – Buildertrend automatically generates a numerical ID, but you can enter a custom number to align with your internal tracking system.
Assignee – Choose the internal team member or sub/vendor responsible for providing the requested information.
Viewers – Select additional sub/vendors who should have access to the RFI. This is useful for allowing multiple contacts from the same company to stay informed.
Due Date – Set a response deadline to ensure the requested information is received in time to keep the project on schedule.
Reminder – Add a reminder to notify the assignee ahead of the due date.
Related – If the RFI is created from the dashboard, use this field to link it to a specific feature or entity for context.
Question – Use the rich text editor to clearly state your question or information request.
Attachments – Upload supporting documents or create new Word or Excel files directly within the RFI to provide additional context.
After saving the RFI, click Send to notify the assignee and prompt them to review and respond.
Answering an RFI
Once the RFI has been sent out to the assignee, they will be able to respond to the RFI to provide the requested information.
Once you’ve received the necessary information, after sending as many replies as needed to clarify the request, you can close out the RFI by clicking Approve next to the appropriate response or selecting Mark Complete.
RFI Subcontractor Collaboration Help Video
Sub/Vendors can easily submit RFIs through their Buildertrend portal, especially when reviewing plans or documents. They can assign the RFI to a specific team member, set a due date, and include attachments to provide context.
Once submitted, the assigned user is notified and can respond directly within the RFI, including any additional files if needed. The subcontractor will be alerted as soon as a reply is submitted, keeping communication clear and progress moving forward.
Surveys
Surveys are a valuable client engagement tool in Buildertrend, designed to help you gather feedback at any point during the project.
Whether you're checking in after a milestone or wrapping up a build, surveys provide insight into client satisfaction and highlight areas for improvement.
You can create fully customized surveys or choose from a library of prewritten questions to get started quickly, giving you the flexibility to shape each survey to your goals.
Surveys Overview Help Video
Survey Settings
Begin by navigating to your Company Settings from the User Icon and selecting Surveys.
From Survey settings, you can:
Create and edit complete surveys.
Set default notification text that will appear in all survey emails.
You can also customize notification text for individual surveys as needed.
Create and manage individual survey questions.
You can default all questions to be required or have the ability to answer as N/A. This can be modified on individual surveys as needed.
For a detailed walkthrough on creating individual survey questions and custom surveys, review this help center article.
Sending out Surveys
To send out surveys to your client, begin by navigating to Surveys from the Messaging header.
Click New Survey, then choose the survey you want to send to your client from the Please Select a Survey dropdown. Since surveys are job-specific, you'll be prompted to select a job if one hasn’t already been chosen from the job list.
Compose your email message in the Email Body rich text field and choose the date you want the survey to be released. After reviewing the survey using the preview section, click Send to schedule delivery.
Review Survey Responses
From the Surveys dashboard, use the tabs to review survey responses in the following ways:
Individual Survey – View responses from a specific job or client for a particular survey.
Grouped – See all responses across jobs and clients for the selected survey.
Questions – Review all responses grouped by individual survey question, providing insights across multiple surveys.
Comments, Messages, Direct Chat, and RFIs on the Mobile App
With Buildertrend’s mobile app, you can manage all communication channels including Comments, Messages, Direct Chats, and RFIs from anywhere.
Whether you're responding to a job-specific comment, sending a formal message, chatting in real time, or requesting important project information, the app keeps you connected without switching platforms.
These messaging tools help streamline collaboration, reduce delays, and keep your team, clients, and subs informed at all times.
For a complete walkthrough on messaging using the mobile app, check out the Messaging on Mobile article.
Interested in Learning More? 📚
The Buildertrend Learning Academy is your one-stop-shop for your online education, whether you're new to Buildertrend or an experienced user looking to learn more.
If you have any questions or require additional support, feel free to chat with us, send an email: support@buildertrend.com, or give us a call at 1-888-415-7149. We’re always happy to help.