BuildOps vs ServiceTitan: 2026 Comparison
BuildOps and ServiceTitan target opposite ends of the commercial-vs-residential trades software market. ServiceTitan dominates residential at scale (HVAC, plumbing, electrical for homes). BuildOps targets commercial trades (commercial HVAC, electrical, plumbing for buildings, with 10-200 crew sizes).
Pricing for both is custom enterprise. ServiceTitan typically $80,000-$200,000+ per year all-in. BuildOps similar range $80,000-$250,000+ per year all-in. The price comparison is less interesting than the platform fit comparison: each is built around a different operating model.
The Verdict
BuildOps for commercial trades contractors with crews of 10-200 doing service plus project work. ServiceTitan for residential trades operations at scale. Different markets, different platform philosophies; the choice is residential vs commercial, not feature comparison.
Feature Comparison
| Dimension | BuildOps | ServiceTitan |
|---|---|---|
| Primary market | Residential trades | Commercial trades |
| Crew sizes | 1-100+ residential techs | 10-200 commercial techs |
| Workflow fit | Service calls, set pricing | Service plus longer-form projects |
| Billing models | Set pricing, T&M secondary | T&M and fixed-price both primary |
| Customer relationships | Residential homeowners | GCs, property managers, building owners |
| Asset tracking | Equipment service history | Building-portfolio asset tracking |
| Membership management | Deep (residential) | Service contract management |
| Marketing automation | Deep | Less central to commercial workflow |
| Implementation | 60-90 days | 3-6 months |
| Customer base | 12,000+ residential operators | Commercial trades contractors |
Where BuildOps Wins
**Commercial workflow fit.** BuildOps was built for commercial trades from day one. Tenant build-outs, building maintenance contracts, T&M plus fixed-price billing, GC and property-manager customer relationships, and asset tracking across building portfolios all native rather than adapted from residential.
**Project-and-service hybrid model.** Commercial trades mix service work with longer projects. BuildOps handles both in one platform. ServiceTitan's project capabilities exist but feel bolted on top of residential service workflow.
**Crew management for project work.** Larger commercial projects involve crews of 5-25 technicians on multi-day or multi-week scopes. BuildOps schedule and time tracking by project phase and crew handles this natively.
**Building asset tracking.** Equipment across building portfolios (switchgear, HVAC units, transfer switches, etc.) tracked at the building and asset level. Critical for service-contract customers.
Where ServiceTitan Wins
**Residential trades operating depth.** Set pricing books, marketing automation, membership management, customer experience features all built for residential operations. BuildOps has these but less deeply; commercial buyers do not need them as primarily.
**Marketing automation.** Review automation, online booking, residential customer messaging. Less central to commercial workflow but critical for residential.
**Larger ecosystem.** ServiceTitan Marketplace and AI add-on ecosystem (Avoca, Hatch native integrations) is broader than BuildOps's commercial-focused integrations.
**Faster implementation.** 60-90 days vs 3-6 months for BuildOps. Time-to-value matters for operations that need fast platform deployment.
Choose BuildOps if...
your operation is commercial-focused (commercial HVAC, electrical, plumbing for buildings, tenant build-outs, service contracts), you have crews of 10-200, or you mix service work with longer-form projects.
Choose ServiceTitan if...
your operation is residential-focused (residential HVAC, plumbing, electrical), you have crews of 1-100+ residential techs, or you focus on residential service calls with set pricing as the primary billing model.
Pricing Scenario
**Commercial HVAC contractor, 30 techs, $10M revenue:** BuildOps custom $100,000-$200,000+/year all-in. ServiceTitan would be similar cost but workflow fit is worse for commercial.
**Residential HVAC operation, 25 techs, $7M revenue:** ServiceTitan custom $100,000-$200,000/year. BuildOps would be similar cost but residential workflow fit is worse.
**Mixed operation (60% residential, 40% commercial):** Most operators end up running two systems or stay on a multi-trade platform like simPRO. ServiceTitan or BuildOps alone bend on the secondary workflow.
Integrations
**BuildOps:** Commercial trades-specific tools, accounting (deeper QuickBooks plus ERP integrations), GC and property management platforms.
**ServiceTitan:** ServiceTitan Marketplace with deep residential trades integrations, AI add-ons (Avoca, Hatch), marketing automation, accounting platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ServiceTitan handle commercial trades?
Awkwardly. ServiceTitan has commercial features but they are bolted on top of a residential-first platform. Commercial-specific workflow (project phases, GC and property-manager customers, building-portfolio asset tracking, T&M plus fixed-price billing) feels secondary. BuildOps and simPRO were built for this from the ground up.
Can BuildOps handle residential trades?
Awkwardly, in reverse. BuildOps has residential-trades capability but the platform was built for commercial workflows. Residential-specific features (set pricing books, marketing automation, customer experience for homeowners, membership management) feel secondary. ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber are better residential picks.
What about mixed-mode contractors?
Three options: run two systems (residential FSM plus commercial FSM with data fragmentation), use a multi-trade platform like simPRO that handles both with less depth, or pick the dominant workflow's platform and accept friction on the secondary workflow. Most mixed-mode contractors above 30% on the secondary workflow eventually pick a multi-trade platform.
Reviewed by Rome Thorndike. Last verified 2026-05-06.
Pricing, features, and ratings are based on vendor documentation, public filings, product demos, and feedback from sales teams using these tools in production. We update reviews when vendors ship major releases or change pricing.